Martin Audio W8L Specifications

All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice.

W8LM outline dimensions All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice.

System patch for 16 x W8L/W8L Longbow array using 1 Martin Audio DX1 and 12 Martin Audio MA4.2S power amplifiers All material © 2007. Martin Audio

W8L/Longbow + W8LD combined system example using 6-way controllers with standard W8L or Longbow presets Important notes for all W8L/Longbow + W8L

All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice Full W8LS/WS218X + W8LD + W8L Longbow system examples using 8-way DX2 control

All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice

All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice

W8L/Longbow and W8LD pin-outs and cabling Important Note: MA4.2S power amplifier output NL4 connectors carry both channels (e.g. pins +1/-1 = Ch1, +2/

The following table gives suitable copper core specifications for common applications: Cable run vs copper core cross sectional area One W8L or Lo

5.11 W8LC and W8LCD Quick Start Guide Important note: This information assumes the reader is an experienced sound system technician who is familiar w

How many amplifiers do I need to drive a typical W8LC system? The simple rule of thumb is 3 power amplifiers for 4 W8LC cabinets… 3 x 2ch MA2.8S power

allows all them to pass transient signals to the full output capability of the MA2.8S without compression but to pull back to a suitable continuous po

WLX outline dimensions All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice.

Remember that, although the transient power demand will be the same for each W8LC section (see table earlier), medium to long-term power demand will

because one extra mid frequency band and two extra high frequency bands drive the upper zones of the line array. Our standard W8LC presets configure t

Controller-Amplifier Patching Examples (For W8LC pin-outs and cabling see later) System patch for 4 x W8LC array using 1 Martin Audio DX1 and 3 Marti

System patch for 6 x W8LC array using 1 Martin Audio DX1 and 5 Martin Audio MA2.8S power amplifiers All material © 2007. Martin Audio

System patch for 8 x W8LC array using 1 Martin Audio DX1 and 6 Martin Audio MA2.8S power amplifiers All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. S

System patch for 10 x W8LC array using 1 Martin Audio DX1 and 8 Martin Audio MA2.8S power amplifiers All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Sub

System patch for 12 x W8LC array using 1 Martin Audio DX1 and 9 Martin Audio MA2.8S power amplifiers All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subje

System patch for 16 x W8LC array using 1 Martin Audio DX1 and 12 Martin Audio MA2.8S power amplifiers All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject

System patch for 12 x W8LC system using 1 Martin Audio DX1 and 9 Martin Audio MA2.8S power amplifiers arranged in 3-rack Master-Slave configuration

W8LC + W8LCD combined system example using 6-way controllers with standard W8LC presets Regular W8LC rental companies may wish to use this type of co

Horizontal polar responses (Vertical response are 7.5deg line functions for W8L, W8LC & W8LM and 20deg line function for W8LD, W8LCD & W8LMD

W8LC + W8LCD systems using a single 6-way controller per side with new W8LCD + W8LC presets. These patch configurations take advantage of the fact th

All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice.

All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice.

All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice Full WLX + W8LCD + W8LC system examples using 8-way DX2 controller combinatio

All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice

All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice

W8LC Pin-outs and cabling Important Note: MA2.8S power amplifier output NL4 connectors carry both channels (e.g. pins +1/-1 = Ch1, +2/-2 = Ch2). Alwa

all NL8 or PA-Con cables to avoid confusion when using a mixture of products in the Wavefront range. The following table gives suitable copper core s

5.12 W8LM Quick Start Guide Important note: This information assumes the reader is an experienced sound system technician who is familiar with high q

Can I parallel drive W8LM cabinets? Yes. In normal systems up to four W8LM cabinets are paralleled at the loudspeaker column using short link cables.

For further W8LCD details, go to www.martin-audio.com All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice.

3) Line Arrays are designed for long throw applications. Air absorption can cause significant high frequency attenuation at low humidity. Line array

Alternative W8LM +WLX presets (40-49) are now available. These provide active W8LM settings with a separate subwoofer signal chain via input B and out

Rack patch examples – 4 x W8LM/LMD arrays All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice.

Rack patch examples – 8 x W8LM/LMD arrays All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice.

All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice Rack patch examples – 12 x W8LM/LMD arrays

All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice Rack patch examples – 16 x W8LM/LMD arrays

W8LM Pin-outs and cabling Very Important Note about using MA2.8S power amplifiers with W8LM/LMDs MA2.8S amplifier output A carries both channels via

Cable run vs copper core cross sectional area Two W8LM/LMD’s paralleled at the array Four W8LM/LMDs paralleled at the array Up to 12m:

For further W8LMD details, go to www.martin-audio.com All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice.

5.3 Line array behaviour Although the vertical coverage of a single point source may be wide, when arrayed in a straight line, multiple, acousticall

Stacked general purpose horns vs low curvature line array elements Note that individual elements have to be closely spaced to develop the benefits of

All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice.

Attenuation characteristic with distance - a simplified explanation If we consider a vertical line of cabinets with closely spaced elements, the list

Unfortunately, the line array effect can also be limited by other factors: Real-world arrays tend to be acoustically small at low frequencies – res

Section 5 Application Guide Wavefront W8L Series Line Arrays W8L Longbow, W8LC & W8LM with Advice on subwoofer and front-fill alignment Click

Coverage stop A J-shaped array will provide irregular coverage in the near-field and mid-field audience areas due to imperfect summation of the very

Irregular coverage from an over-curved array (including down-fills) – DISPLAY™ simulation An over-curved array will tend to cause weak coverage in

Whilst the above response may look good on a plot, the response in the near-field is a bit ragged and subjective experience dictates that a slight dec

5.4 How many do I need? There are four major factors to be taken into account when determining what model of line array to use and how many: Will

The 4-cabinet system low mid projection is less efficient than its upper mid projection because too few cabinets have been used for the line to be

Quantity W8L Longbow (no subs) W8LC (no subs) W8LM (no subs) Cabinets arrayed with 2° or less inter-cabinet splay Throw (in meters) for spectral balan

16xW8L or Longbow per side arena system Upper 12 cabinets at 1 & 2° for 100m throw Array detail for above All material © 2007. Martin A

5.4.2 Maximum far-field on-axis SPL Calculations Simplified maximum far-field on-axis spl estimates for a single column may be made using the follow

Quantity (splayed at 1°) Longbow Max dB spl W8LC Max dB spl W8LM Max dB spl cont. Pk cont. pk cont. pk 1 142 148 129 135 125 131 2 148 154 1

Stereo Approximation The above figures are for a single column. Centre-field maximum spl may increase by approximately 3dB at mid frequencies for ste

Wavefront W8L Series Line Arrays 5.1 Introduction Martin Audio W8L Series line arrays are next generation lin

5.5.14 Manual array editing 5.5.15 Array page 5.5.16 Processor page 5.5.17 Saving a design 5.5.18 Loading a design 5.5.19 Printing ViewPoint 5.

5.5.2 Installing ViewPoint ViewPoint is supplied in a zip folder which contains a setup executable file ViewPoint 3.0*.exe. For example: Double-cli

W8L/Longbow (Full-range line array) W8LD (W8L/Longbow width down-fill) W8LS (W8L/Longbow width direct radiating, ported subwoofer) W8LC (Compa

Plane 1, plane 2 & plane 3 decisions Overlayed ViewPoint screen (front fills not shown) There are 3 methods for entering venue Dim

Length refers to the horizontal length of that plane Height refers to the height of the rear of the plane. Plane 1 height can be negative or posit

5.5.4.3 Single Point Survey This option enables you to enter all plane data from a single reference point directly under the intended flying point or

5.5.5 Coverage start and stop Specify the horizontal coverage distances from the front of the array. Coverage start and stop are shown as vertical

5.5.7 Array Fixing Select either Fly or Stack in the Fixing section to determines how the array is supported. In Fly mode the grid is suspended an

5.5.8 Designing a flown array Minimum trim height This is the low limit for the array and is defined as the smallest allowable distance from the lowe

Example Venue view – inefficient design Array too high and, therefore, too curved for efficient cabinet-to-cabinet summation Array too curved fo

with a range of Martin Audio subwoofers including the W8LS direct radiating subwoofer system or Martin Audio WLX and WMX Hybridtm subwoofer systems. S

Caution – don’t forget the side seats! Always be aware of side seat coverage. A low, straight array provides great imaging and throw but may

Number of cabinets The default value is 10 cabinets and this is a good starting point for most situations. Click the Design button to see coverage, a

Set Stage Height to the vertical distance from the first plane to the floor of the stage. The Add Subs button allows the stack to be mounted on popul

A. The auto calculation routine will tend to aim the top cabinet slightly beyond the coverage stop distance to give maximum vector summation at the f

A. The rays shown on ViewPoint can be a little misleading because a series of rays arriving at a shallow angle will appear to be widely spaced. Many

W8LS side arrays Matching a W8LS side array to the curvature of the main W8L Longbow system is easy. Simply copy the array shape exactly. WLX side a

5.5.14 Manual array editing (experts only) Should you wish to ignore ViewPoint’s accurate coverage advice, continue with great caution, as follows:

3) Use the mouse buttons as described to change the angle. This is useful when the blue squares at the end of the uppermost rays lie outside the displ

Note that the top front edge of the upper cabinet is the distance reference point. This is indicated as a blue vertical line on the Array view which

The cabinet grid position can be selected as either Front or Rear depending on the amount of system tilt required. The rear positions makes more down-

W8L Longbow rear rigging Caution: W8L Series systems should be rigged and flown by professional riggers or trained personnel under professional rigg

If the required lifting point is too far back, make sure the lifting bar is in the rear position and that the cabinet is mounted at the front of the g

Load Indicators Depending on the grid configuration the 'Rear Pick Load' and 'Front Pick Load' are displayed as well as total ma

When designing ground-stacked arrays, inspect the array view and check that the center of gravity is in a safe place. Stack stability Red stability li

5.5.16 Processor page The Processor page shows a controller-to-amplifier patch table and indicates which controller settings to use for the design.

to the top. To avoid the confusion of two numbering standards, we use the traditional top-down number standard for the individual cabinets and a bot

A typical large scale system will have its LF sections driven in unison, its MF split into upper (far-field) and lower (near-field) zones and its HF s

The normal Windows Save As dialogue box will pop up. If you have already entered a venue name, this will be used as the default filename. Create a ne

ViewPoint will automatically select portrait or landscape printing as required. Note: If you have Adobe Acrobat software, selecting Acrobat PDF Writer

5.5.20 Closing the program Select Exit or click on the X symbol in the top right hand corner of the window. You will be prompted to save your

ViewPoint software has been designed for use with selected Martin Audio W8L Series Line Array products only. It is based on accurate W8L Series loudsp

5.2 W8L Longbow, W8LC & W8LM single enclosure specs (For further details, down-fill specs etc., go to www.martin-audio.com) Specific

Procedure Although a single array (per side) will be used we can split the array into upper and lower sections – each having its own progressive curv

Upper (balcony) section 2) Open a 2nd ViewPoint window and design a system to cover the balcony area only - using the other 5 W8LCs in Auto mode. (U

Completing the venue and adding the arrays 3) Now take the first (floor only) ViewPoint set-up and add the balcony data from the second one to make

Complete system All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice.

5.5.23 System control and Band-zoning Rack patching ViewPoint’s Processor page recommends suitable controller presets for the line array configuratio

DX1 o/p 4 x W8LC 6 x W8LC 8 x W8LC 10 x W8LC 12 x W8LC 16 x W8LC 6 Upper HF Upper 2 HF Upper 4 HF Upper 6 HF Upper 10 HF 5 Middle HF Upper 2 HF Up

Alternative W8LM +WLX presets (40-49) are now available. These provide active W8LM settings with a separate subwoofer signal chain via input B and out

Loading W8L Series presets into your Martin Audio DX1 or XTA DP226 Presets are regularly updated. Locate the latest DX1 or XTA DP226 software in

5.6 Horizontal considerations Horn-loaded mid frequency system advantage W8L Series mid frequency elements have been designed with true constant d

Crossing paths about 2/3 up the venue gives a wider stereo footprint nearer the front. Note that left and right are cross-fired for rear corner audien

MF: 135dB cont., 141dB peak. HF: 142dB cont. 148dB peak. MF: 129dB cont., 135dB peak. HF: 129dB cont. 135dB peak. HF: 125dB cont., 131 dB peak. Passi

Note that columns aiming straight out will have a much narrower stereo coverage than arrays that are aimed inwards slightly. Operators should bear thi

Smaller horizontal splay angles will tend to provide horizontal mid-band summation in the far field. For instance, 45° between adjacent arrays will b

Main system (upper) with matching short side stretch array (lower) 5.7 Subwoofers and front fills 5.7.1 Subwoofer crossover and alignment Cros

Line array to subwoofer delay table Feb 2007W8L sub delay tableDriver Delay (grilles aligned) Gain Phase X-Over LR=Linkwitz Riley Eq BSS XTA Limiters

W8L, W8LC and W8LM inter-driver delays Standard Martin Audio presets apply small output channel delays to DX1 or DP226 controllers to align the multi

W8L Series Reference delay channels (left unlocked for main-to-subwoofers alignment) Functions W8L Longbow 1 LF W8LC 1 LF W8LM (Active mono) 1 4

Subwoofers may be flown above or beside main systems (using the appropriate W8L Series flying systems or adaptors) or they may be stacked on the floo

Boundary conditions When subwoofers are placed on or near a floor, wall, ceiling, solid stage apron etc., these solid surfaces form a boundary that

5.7.2 Front fill placement and alignment Placement Other loudspeakers in the Wavefront range may be used as stage apron fills to augment W8L Ser

5.8 Climatic Effects Introduction When working in large venues or outdoors we should always remember that sound propagates through air and is affecte

W8L Longbow & W8LS outline dimensions (W8LS shown) All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice.

Temperature and wind gradients The effects of temperature and wind gradients are most noticeable when sound systems are used outdoors, although not li

For example a 50km per hour (31 mph) side gust = approx 13.9m/s. The temporary change in direction during the gust = arctan 13.9/340

Conversely, a wind gradient associated with wind blowing from behind a loudspeaker system will "speed up" its vertical wavefront differenti

Local winds may be even more erratic in showery weather. Dramatic down-drafts of cold air may occur causing local squalls. Graph showing main wind

The speed of sound varies with air temperature. This means that the speed of sound can vary from 331 .5m/s to 354.9m/s between 0ºC and +40ºC. The com

venues. Sound will now travel slower near the ground and faster higher up causing its path to be tilted downwards. Air absorption Many users believe

Under the above conditions air absorption at 10KHz can reach 0.3dB/m at 20% RH. This means 30dB excess attenuation (over and above the 3dB per doubli

High frequency compensation The high frequency elements of larger W8L Series columns are split into three sections which cover short, medium and lo

The medium throw section of larger W8L Series columns can be set for a wider HF bandwidth as they require less air absorption equalization. Typically

5.10 W8L/Longbow and W8LD Quick Start Guide Important note: This information assumes the reader is an experienced sound system technician who is fami

W8LC outline dimensions All material © 2007. Martin Audio Ltd. Subject to change without notice.

How many amplifiers do I need to drive a typical W8L/Longbow system? The simple rule of thumb is 3 power amplifiers for 4 W8L/Longbow cabinets… 3 x 2c

without compression but to pull back to a suitable continuous power for sustained signals such as rail-to-rail feedback. Although the long-term limite

greater at lower frequencies. It is wise to spread the long-term current by supplying a mixture of low, mid and high frequency amplifiers from each br

Our standard W8L/Longbow presets configure the DX1 to produce these extra bands. This requires 6 outputs; 1 x LF, 2 x MF, 3 x HF . See section 5.5.23.

Controller-Amplifier Patching Examples (For W8L/Longbow pin-outs and cabling see later) System patch for 4 x W8L/Longbow array using 1 Martin Audio

System patch for 6 x W8L/Longbow array using 1 Martin Audio DX1 and 5 Martin Audio MA4.2S power amplifiers (leaving 1 spare channel) All

System patch for 8 x W8L/Longbow array using 1 Martin Audio DX1 and 6 Martin Audio MA4.2S power amplifiers All material © 2007. Martin Aud

System patch for 10 x W8L/Longbow array using 1 Martin Audio DX1 and 8 Martin Audio MA4.2S power amplifiers All material © 2007. Martin Audio

System patch for 12 x W8L/W8L Longbow array using 1 Martin Audio DX1and 9 Martin Audio MA4.2S power amplifiers All material © 2007. Martin Audio

System patch for 12 box W8L/W8L Longbow array using 1 Martin Audio DX1 and 9 Martin Audio MA4.2S power amplifiers arranged in 3-rack Master-Slave con