On 20 February 2013 at the Thaba Ya Batswana four-star lodge in Johannesburg South, South African pro audio manufacturing giants Viva Afrika launched their new Hybrid + range of products.
Hybrid already boasts a massive product line but the new Hybrid + range is set to push Viva Afrika firmly into the professional arena to compete with the best pro audio has to offer. At least, that is the aim.
Hybrid is an interesting brand. Not only do they move more boxes across Africa than one can imagine, but their products are 100% South African-conceived since 1988. Their philosophy is one for the common man, who they believe deserves great sound without the humungous price tag that is usually associated with it. Indeed, their products have seen massive success and now with the launch of the new Hybrid+ range of products, such as the EXS121, EXS22, EXS153, the Prime series, and the LA series, they are set to break new ground.
After arriving at Thaba Ya Batswana and parking my car, I found my way toward the main conference hall were everyone was waiting for the doors to open so that they could be seated and take a load off of their feet.
We were ushered into a large, cool, wood-floor room where there were an abundance of cushioned seats. The seminar opened with a welcome note from Bernard Pienaar who introduced electrical and DSP engineers Jose Tasende and Miguel Blanco and gave an overview of the products that we were all about to be acquainted with.
After lunch we were given a design overview talk by Hybrid’s French acoustical engineer, Arthur Felix, who proceeded to give a series of new product demonstrations.
Of particular interest was the new line array unveiled at the launch, namely the Hybrid+ LA212 with EXS218 subwoofers handling low end duties and powered by the new 2.1 and 4.1 amplifiers.
Features
The LA212 is a large format, scalable passive line array which boasts 1 100W RMS per box (900W+200W) and engineered to address audiences of up to 50 000.
Up to 12 speakers may be rigged per array at 10 times the currently prescribed safety standard. The 12-inch CELTO Acoustique ferrite magnet drivers boast a three-inch voice coil and are European-made to premium specifications. The 2.8-inch neodymium magnet, TC4 high frequency diaphragm is Aquaplasted, which means it is covered with a flexible coating that increases longevity and at the same time smoothes the top end response.
One of the more unique features of the LA212 is Hybrid’s proprietary Isophase wave-shaping acoustic lens, which is a specialised, ported “lid’ covering each 12-inch driver, that looks somewhat like the silhouette of a tree on its side. The inner workings of this lens are no doubt a trade secret but I assume it has something to do with keeping phase linearity between drivers. To finish it all off, the LA212 is wrapped in a hardy, touring-grade black-textured covering.
Now, some tech specs.
As mentioned, the power handling of the LA212 is 900W+200W RMS with a peak handling of 1 800W+400W. The frequency response is 50 to 18 000Hz with +/- 2dB tolerance from 300 to 10 000Hz. The calculated max SPL/1m is 134dB continuous and 137dB peak. It has a horizontal dispersion angle of 90° and a vertical coverage of 9° per cabinet, but total vertical directivity, of course, depends on the final array setup.
The demonstration
The LA212 demonstration took place in a large field situated at the base of a bushy hill at the lodge. To sum up system configuration, there were 12 LA212s per array totaling 24 and a total of 24 EXS218s subs, stacked in a layer of two; each stack about a meter apart and spanning the entire system.
The EXS218s pack a mammoth 3 000W RMS per enclosure with a peak program power handling of 6 000W! Their frequency response extends from 1 100 to 30Hz and they have a maximum SPL rating of 136dB continuous and 139dB peak.
A total of 18 amplifiers were used to power the system comprising a combination of the newly launched Class-D Hybrid+ 2.2 and 4.1 models. These amplifiers boast 95% energy efficiency, incorporate a resonant switch mode power supply, and have onboard DSP controllable via CAT5 network (compatible with off-the-shelf IT hardware). Control software is available on Windows 7 or 8, Android 4 and iOS6.
The 2.2 is a stereo amplifier that offers 2 X 3500W / 2 ohm; 2 X 3000W / 4 ohm; 2 X 1600W / 8 ohm. The 4.1 is a four channel amplifier that offers 4 X 2500W / 2 ohm; 4 X 2000W / 4 ohm; 4 X 1200W / 8 ohm . In terms of what amplifiers were powering what, there were six 4.1s driving all 24 LA212 mix/high boxes and 12 2.2s driving the 24 EXS218s.
With the total estimated cost of this system coming in at around R500 000, what I was about to hear was truly impressiv
e.
A variety of music was played for us but most of it was down-tempo electronica, interspersed with vocals and live instruments. Granted, the day was a bit blustery and the wind would have an impact on how the system sounded, so I took that into account when setting out on my walk around.
I started in the centre, in front of the FOH tent and noticed a nice bottom end, particularly in the 100 to 200Hz range where the kick is supposed to hit you in the chest. The top end at this point was nice and sparkly and the system sounded like it was balanced spectrally.
I started my half-moon course and made my way toward the outer right extreme. Sure enough, around 10 to 15 metres from the right array and beyond 90° off-axis to the speakers there was an appreciable drop in level, particularly in the top end. At least this means that the data sheet is accurate and their design is consistent. Also, there was quite a drop in low-end as I came to about 60 ° off-axis but I assume this is a result of what is called “power alley’, a common problem with subwoofer arrays. Power alley comes from having more than one low-end point source which will cause cancellations to the sides of the low end dispersion.
Moving back toward the center near the front of the listening area, I felt the bass come back and system clarity return and as I made my way toward the left side of the system, about 90 degrees off-axis, the identical scenario arose: a drop in top and low-end.
I then took a walk to hear the throw of the system and was impressed to hear clear sound from around 50 to 75 metres back. Even when leaving the venue, I could hear the music crystal clear. This system could definitely cover a large crowd of 50 000 with ease.
The wrap
The LA212 is good value for money. It’s actually so well priced I’m sure you’ll be hard pressed to find a system with a similar price to performance ratio. Granted, I personally feel that if more attention was given to system configuration, particularly the subwoofer array, a more impressive result could have been achieved on the day, but for all intents and purposes it delivered a fair result. What I did like about the system, however, is that the top end is clean, crisp and gives the program a certain sparkle. It’s got a very nice transient response and, if you’re standing dead center, almost sounds like you’re standing in front of massive studio monitors. Needless to say, it is the first line array design that Hybrid has attempted, but given its price and performance ratio, it is a clear winner for our market.
By Greg Bester
