WST® Technology - Constant Curvature

In 1995 L-ACOUSTICS® introduced constant curvature line sources with the implementation of the Wavefront Sculpture Technology® into the ARCS® system. At the heart of all ARCS® constant curvature enclosures is the DOSC® waveguide which morphs the spherical wavefront of the HF driver into a toric, isophasic wave. As a result, ARCS® can be arrayed with a perfect acoustic coupling as opposed to classic trapezoidal enclosures which interfere with each other and produce comb filtering degrading sound quality outside of the array axis. When compared to conventional line source systems, ARCS® has the advantage of offering a perfect control over horizontal coverage and a smooth tonal balance over all frequencies. The wavefront emitted horizontally by the enclosure allows uniform coverage in increments.


The ARCS® line sources stand in-between variable curvature line sources, efficient over large distances and point sources based on coaxial technology, excellent for proximity applications.

An ARCS® line source is best suited for medium throw applications, as a main or fill system.

Properties

All ARCS® line sources provide high SPL with perfect acoustic coupling, a solid LF performance and constant tonal balance over distance. Systems can be deployed either as a horizontal array or as a vertical array. In the coupling plane, the ARCS® line sources yield a razor-sharp directivity pattern, particularly valuable to sector audience fields while avoiding reflective surfaces. In the other plane, they provide a smooth directivity pattern.
Furthermore, the trapezoidal shape of ARCS® enclosures correspond exactly to their coverage value (15°, 22.5°, or 30°). By allowing an immediate visualization of the array coverage on-site, this feature almost eliminates the need for SoundVision design software: what you see is what you get!Variable curvature, large format (KUDO, V-DOSC and K1)

ARCS® coverage scalability

All ARCS® systems can be deployed either horizontally or vertically, with a total coverage angle proportional to the number N of ARCS® enclosures in the array. ARCS® can fit applications requiring narrow coverage (15°, 22,5°, 30°) such as fills, standard coverage (75°, 90°) for L/R FOH systems or extended coverage (105°, 120°) for central clusters and up to 360° for in-the-round designs.
This exceptional scalability makes ARCS® a system capable of adjusting to any audience geometry, including the most complex ones.

ARCS II - constant curvature WST® enclosure


ARCS® II features a bi-amplified design and advanced enclosure tuning with a custom DOSC® waveguide for remarkable clarity and coherence. When arrayed, ARCS® II radiates a constant curvature wavefront of 22.5° x the number of enclosures. Vertically, the enclosure provides an asymmetrical coverage of 60° (- 20° by + 40° of site angle).

The system can be arrayed both horizontally and vertically to fulfill multiple application requirements in terms of audience geometry, type of event and program material. When combined with the SB28 subwoofer, ARCS® II delivers an extended LF contour with added impact. Whether permanently installed, on the road as a standalone FOH system or a complement to another WST® line source, ARCS® II naturally deploys all the power of WST®, offering a unique near-field listening experience throughout the audience.

• 50 Hz - 20 kHz ([ARCS II] preset)

• Horizontal: 22.5° symmetrical x N elements
• Vertical: 60° asymmetric (-20°/+40°)

• 140 dB ([ARCS II] preset)

* Peak level measured at 1m under free field conditions using 10 dB crest factor pink noise with specified preset and corresponding EQ settings.

• LF: 600 W
• HF: 100 W

• LF: 1 x 15" neodymium weather-resistant with 4’’ coil
• HF: 1 x 3"  neodymium diaphragm compression driver
• Nominal impedance: LF = 8 ohms, HF = 8 ohms

• LIFTBAR certified for 6 ARCS II in a horizontal array
• ARCBUMP certified for 4 ARCS II in a vertical array

*Mechanical data and limits for installation are specified in SOUNDVISION software which is designed to help with L-ACOUSTICS® product implementation.

• W/w x H x D: 439/190 x 820 x 652 mm
•                   17.3/7.5 x 32.3 x 25.7 in
• Weight (net): 50 kg / 110 lbs
• Connectors: 2 x 4-pin SpeakON®
• Cabinet: Baltic birch plywood
• Finish: Grey brown, RAL 8019®
• Front: polyester powder-coated steel grill Airnet® acoustically neutral fabric
• Rigging elements: steel with dual coating (zinc and polyester powder)

• Full range active 2-way WST® enclosure (provided with 2 coupling bars)
• Bandwidth = 50 Hz - 20 kHz

• Reference subwoofer enclosure
• LF limit = 25 Hz

• Amplified controller with DSP library and networking capabilities
• Touring rack
• Remote control software

• Removable front dolly board
• Protective cover

• Rigging structure for flying a horizontal array

• Rigging bar to use with 2 BUMP3 for flying a horizontal array

• Rigging structure for flying a vertical array (provided with 2 coupling bars)

• 3D electro-acoustic and mechanical simulation software dedicated to L-ACOUSTICS® products

"I looked at this project with four different manufacturers, and one of the deciding factors to use L-ACOUSTICS was the performance of ARCS II, which fit the bill very well.  Boettcher is an asymmetrical surround concert hall, so it's an extremely challenging environment to put a sound reinforcement system into. But ARCS II's tightly controlled coverage pattern very nicely allowed us to place sound exactly where we wanted it and keep it off of the surfaces that we didn't."

“We purchased our ARCS II systems without even hearing them based on the description of the product and our experience with the original ARCS. It has been such a fantastic speaker for us to begin with, we knew that ARCS II just had to be more than fantastic, and it really is. We’ve been very happy with the new ones so far and look forward to increasing our inventory of them and other L-ACOUSTICS products in the new year.”

"The audio is exceptionally intelligible and crisp, yet extremely even in coverage over a throw of nearly
200 feet – and we’re not even pushing it!...Our executive staff at the Venetian and Palazzo has very high expectations for audio here at the property, but, like everyone else, they’ve been very impressed with the results we’ve been able to achieve with L-ACOUSTICS.”