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® WIDE and ARCS® FOCUS Constant Curvature WST® Line Source Systems

The ARCS® WIDE and ARCS® FOCUS systems are based on two constant curvature enclosures ensuring distinct directivity pattern and SPL capabilities. Intended for medium-throw applications in rental productions and fixed installations, these line sources deliver remarkable acoustic properties and unmatched versatility for applications including FOH L/R systems, central clusters, side-fill monitors, distributed systems and complementary fills.

The ARCS® WIDE or ARCS® FOCUS line sources provide high SPL with perfect acoustic coupling, a solid LF performance and constant tonal balance over distance. Both systems can be deployed either as a horizontal array or as a vertical array.

In the coupling plane, the ARCS® WIDE and ARCS® FOCUS yield a razor-sharp directivity pattern, particularly valuable to sector audience fields while avoiding reflective surfaces. In the other plane, both systems provide a 90° smooth symmetric directivity pattern.

The ARCS® WIDE is suited to achieve an extensive coverage with few elements, offering a remarkably compact array preserving sightlines. The total coverage angle of an ARCS® WIDE line source is proportional to the number N of enclosures in the array, i.e. N x 30°.  The ARCS® FOCUS line source focuses the same acoustic energy within half of the coverage angle, i.e. N x 15°. The ARCS® FOCUS is therefore suited to achieve a narrower coverage, offering a higher SPL with a more extended throw than its sibling.

The ARCS® WIDE and ARCS® FOCUS can also be deployed in “WIFO” hybrid arrays for complex audience geometries. The dual directivity pattern and the various system configurations offered to the sound designer and system engineer allow a high level of creative freedom. Before installation, all these configurations can be acoustically and mechanically modeled with the SOUNDVISION 3D simulation software.