The new DriveRack PA2 speaker management system from dbx lets you optimize a speaker system quickly and precisely to get the best possible sound quality. The PA2 is ideal for bands, musicians and performers who bring their own gear, as well as for a wide variety of sound installations, because it makes setting up a speaker system and controlling it in real time from a laptop or an Android, iOS, Mac or Windows mobile device easier than ever. The original DriveRack PA revolutionized the world of band PA systems worldwide. It provided the whole processing chain that groups needed between their mixing console and their power amps, protecting the speaker cabinets and optimizing their sound.
And the DriveRack PA2 improves on all of these features. An all-new setup wizard makes adjustments faster and simpler, while the new AutoEQ delivers touring-grade equalization and the feedback suppressor (AFS) ensures feedback-free sound in any room.
The DriveRack PA2 can be adjusted and controlled from a compatible smartphone or tablet over Ethernet, using the free dbx PA2 Control App. Users get access to a series of setup menus from their mobile device or laptop. Graphics are displayed in full color and show visual indicators for the parameters being adjusted. The PA2 can also be operated with the controls and display on its front panel.
The DriveRack PA2 offers a wide range of system setup and optimization tools. Its AutoEQ function provides automatic, precise equalization of the speaker cabinets, based on the room they are installed in. The result is a smoother, better-matched frequency response. A new feedback cancellation function (AFS) automatically locates and cancels any problem frequency that causes feedback. It also includes numerous additional audio optimization and system tuning features.
Among them is an 8-band graphic and parametric equalizer, which caught the attention of live sound engineer Whitney Day (Head Sound Engineer at Cirque du Soleil, who has worked on several Las Vegas shows, such as The Lion King and The Phantom of the Opera): "...sometimes, even on the best consoles, when you switch the EQ in you notice a change in the character of the sound, but you don't know why. At worst it sounds like the sound has been masked, as if a blanket had been thrown over the speakers. But when I switch the EQ in and out on the DriveRack PA2... I don't hear that at all! On the other hand, many people think of equalization as a way of improving the sound, but for that the EQ has to be good quality to begin with. On some units, EQ really dirties the signal and alters the phase relationships between frequencies. That simply doesn't happen with the PA2. I'm blown away by the quality of the system at this level and, above all, by its price."
On top of this first-rate EQ come dbx compression; a new input delay module to delay the front-of-house sound relative to the backline; dbx's exclusive subharmonic synthesizer for better low-end response; an internal crossover (for 2-way and 3-way full-range systems); limiting; speaker alignment and many other features.
"Tuning a PA can be one of the biggest challenges of live performance, especially for local and semi-pro musicians who have to take care of it themselves. But the DriveRack PA2 makes the process fast, accurate and relaxed," says Noel Larson, Director of Marketing at Harman Signal Processing. "Getting great live sound is now as easy as picking up your phone or laptop."
