XE300 / IK42 GIVES PULSE PA HIGHLY EFFICIENT MONITOR SYSTEM
Poole-based Pulse PA are typical of companies providing full technical infrastructure for small-to-medium sized events. With limited truck space and a trailer stage to erect in rapid time on site, easy portability and fast rigging of the sound system is vital.
The company has been successfully running Martin Audio LE1200 monitors for the past eight years, and when it was time to move into the next generation they kept faith with the brand, adding a quantity of the elegant XE300 12” Coaxial Differential Dispersion monitors to their inventory, powered by Martin Audio’s powerful new iKON ik42 four-channel amplifiers.
“LE1200s have always been very successful and popular with clients and are very rider friendly,” says Pulse owner, Ralph Walsh. But he knew it was time to move on. “We were given a demo of the new XE300 — they sounded extremely good and were perfect for vocal monitoring.”
Toploader headlined and the two members who were on wedges loved the XE’s and were full of praise.
Using another market-leading brand as a benchmark, Walsh noted that while the voicing and power output of the XE300 compared favourably, there were vast cost saving benefits to be had. He also pinpointed the built-in risers of the XE300, allowing for a steeper monitor angle when required. “In practice three of my guys heard the XE and just said ‘what a product!’”
Flight-cased in pairs, the XE300s tick the boxes for size and weight.“This is a big issue as we are not in the 7.5 tonne category and I can’t accommodate big heavy monitors travelling with our Trailer Stage. Our priority is light weight and portability, and along with the iK42s, which have the same size /weight advantages, and are pre-wired for quick set-up this works well, particularly for town centre environments.”
At just 2U, and offering 4 x 5000W into 2 ohms, Ralph Walsh states that the iK42s are “hugely efficient, offer great value for money and significant saving over comparative models. It means that eight individual monitors can be driven passively — or four active biamped — from just two amplifiers.”
He adds, “One of the most versatile aspects is being able to switch easily between active or passive, and the other big advantage is the Dante network inputs. We are big on Dante and it’s brilliant the iK42 has Dante as standard.”
Pulse immediately received the feedback they were hoping for when the new monitor system debuted at Marlow Town Regatta recently. “Toploader headlined and the two members who were on wedges loved the XE’s and were full of praise. “
In summary, Ralph Walsh says, “It’s great that we’ve not needed to deviate from the Martin Audio brand for our new monitor set-up. It’s a pleasure dealing with the company; there are always people there I can talk to, and if I need a demo I can be at their HQ in two hours.”
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