MLA

Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array

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Martin Audio’s revolutionary award-winning Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array [MLA] technology is reinventing the way loudspeaker arrays are configured and controlled. With it has come an unsurpassed control of sound with pristine fidelity and huge output capability — bringing the FOH engineer and the audience together in a more powerful, involving experience.

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Features

  • Numerically optimised, fully integrated, touring sound system
  • Compact size and inherent scalability provide ideal “one-box” solution across rental markets
  • Cellular array format with built-in amplification, DSP and digital networking
  • 6 dedicated Class D amplifier channels per enclosure for individual powering and DSP control of individual cells
  • Industry leading DISPLAY2™ intelligent software interacts with onboard DSP for highly accurate array optimisation. Eliminates trial-and-error array preset library approximations
  • “Fly-by-wire” software adjusts vertical coverage electronically to cope with changing environmental conditions and last-minute changes in rigging height
  • Switched mode power supply with PFC (Power Factor Correction) and global mains voltage operation
  • Three-way all-horn design delivers LF/MF/HF peak SPL’s of 140/139/145dB @ 1m from a single, compact enclosure
  • Fast, integral flying system for suspension of up to 24 enclosures
  • True 90° (-6dB) horizontal constant directivity, mid and high frequency pattern control. Consistent and usable out to 120° (-10dB)
  • 60Hz–18kHz ± 3dB full bandwidth frequency response

Benefits

  • Unprecedented, even, house-curve balance achieved right from power-up
  • Intelligent numerical optimisation software eliminates trial and error in system set-up
  • Improved venue-to-venue, gig-to-gig consistency and repeatability
  • Artistic changes to balance at the mix position or elsewhere translate directly and accurately throughout the audience
  • Exceptionally high power density means tighter truck-pack for higher SPL compared to other systems
  • “Greener” audio power via PFC (Power Factor Correction)
 

Applications

  • Large-scale touring sound reinforcement for outdoor festivals, stadia, arenas and concert halls
  • Premium fixed installations in concert halls, theatres and sports
 

“MLA is the next generation and there is nothing out there to match it”

John Carroll, Managing Director, RG Jones

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“MLA Mini is pretty much in its own class”

James Gebhard FOH Engineer

Every so often a new technology emerges that overtakes previous technologies — and in time replaces them. Just as line array took over from point-source clusters over 20 years ago, Martin Audio’s revolutionary award-winning Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array [MLA] technology is reinventing the way loudspeaker arrays are configured and controlled — combining unsurpassed audience coverage and consistency with superior fidelity.

The ultra-compact MLA Mini brings this revolutionary technology to an exceptionally wide range of portable sound and showcase events, as well as fixed installations ranging from theatres and ballrooms to Houses of Worship and concert halls.

With multiple awards for innovation, MLA Mini’s small footprint and light weight makes it the system of choice for small-medium scale venues seeking the ultimate in fidelity, consistency and control.

“MLA MINI IS PRETTY MUCH IN ITS OWN CLASS.”
Grant Turner, Director, London Speaker Hire

“WE HAD LOOKED AT OTHER CONVENTIONAL MINI LINE ARRAYS BUT WHEN WE HEARD MLA MINI IT SOUNDED A LOT BETTER AND WAS MORE VERSATILE. WE CAN EITHER FLY IT OR POLE MOUNT IT AND WE WON’T GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE THE WEIGHT IS TOO HEAVY FOR THE FLYBARS.”
Gert-Jan Gome, DSL Geluids & Lichtverhuur

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“The flexibility to electronically change the coverage pattern, without the need to re-rig, essentially to match the crowd in one click, is extremely important to us”

John Fuqua, All Pro Sound

 

Some describe it as magic, but in its simplest terms a 16-enclosure MLA Mini array has 32 individual acoustic elements [cells], each with its own amplifier and DSP, which can be optimised by software to deliver the sound across the audience to meet the sonic goals required for any space.

MLA technology is the only technology on the market to allow multiple sonic goals to be prioritised and optimised accordingly. For example, not only can MLA Mini generate an even sound field over the audience, it can contain it as well — significantly reducing the influence of the room.

Hard Avoid® areas ─ such as behind and below the array, ceilings, balcony edges and beyond the venue perimeter ─ can also be programmed in. Vertical coverage can even be fine-tuned electronically in-situ to cope with changing environmental conditions and last-minute changes in rigging height, without having to re-rig.

With incredibly easy-to-use and highly accurate predictive software [DISPLAY] doing all the grunt work with the system, the engineer retains full artistic control and can enjoy mixing the show in the full knowledge that the sound created at the mix position will be heard everywhere throughout the audience.

Such is the confidence that MLA Mini can bring, that significantly less time is spent setting up the system and less time is spent walking the room to verify results.

“FROM A PRODUCTION VIEWPOINT IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A TOUGH CHALLENGE TO PROVIDE A TOP SPEC AUDIO SYSTEM, FOR A HUGELY DISCERNING ARTISTE [KATHERINE JENKINS] IN A GLASS DOME, WITH A ONE-HOUR PREP TIME! HOWEVER THE SPEED OF SET-UP AND THE ABILITY TO FOCUS THE SOUND SO PRECISELY MADE THE MARTIN AUDIO [MLA MINI] SYSTEM THE PERFECT CHOICE.”
Richard Bowden, Penguins Production and Events Agency

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“MLA Mini produced nice rich controlled lows with stunningly even coverage in the highs in a very difficult space and I easily managed to produce clarity and intelligibility of the voice”

Steve Carr, FOH Engineer

 

MLA Mini’s ultimate accolade is its audio perfection. Pristine fidelity, vocal clarity, sonic impact and high output capability brings the sound engineer and the audience together in a powerful, involving experience.

In short, MLA Mini is a sound engineer’s delight. It is incredibly clean and transparent and responsive to the smallest EQ changes. With innovative acoustic design and no large-format compression drivers to harden the sound, it presents the engineer with a neutral canvas whatever the artist or music genre.

“THE NEW MLA [MINI] SYSTEM SOUNDS FANTASTIC, WORLDS APART”
Aaron Freeman, Roswell United Methodist Church, Georgia, USA

“MLA MINI PRODUCED NICE RICH CONTROLLED LOWS WITH STUNNINGLY EVEN COVERAGE IN THE HIGHS IN A VERY DIFFICULT SPACE AND I EASILY MANAGED TO PRODUCE CLARITY AND INTELLIGIBILITY OF THE VOICE. ANY EQ’ING AT THE DESK WAS VERY RESPONSIVE IN THE SYSTEM DESPITE THE ACOUSTICS OF THE SPACE BEING INCREDIBLY LIVELY.”
Steve Carr, FOH Engineer

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“One of the reasons we went with MLA Mini was its ability to put sound where we want it.”


Allen Hendrix, Minister of Communications, Broadmoor Baptist Church

From a club, ballroom, auditorium or arena to a convention centre, theatre or House of Worship, every installation venue presents its own specific acoustic challenges that traditional line array systems fail to adequately tackle.

Whether it’s sound leakage behind and below the array, or hard ceilings, balcony edges and rear walls that cause ‘slapback’ and high reverberation times — overcoming the acoustic challenges to ensure that every member of the audience enjoys intelligible speech and perfect music reproduction can be a thankless task. And if the audience’s audio experience is below par, then that venue — be it a church or convention centre — simply won’t ever maximise its potential.

MLA Mini is fully-controllable, putting sound just where it is wanted and reducing it elsewhere — maximising the audience experience and minimising the negative acoustic impact of the room itself.

“WE HAVE HAD MUCH COMPLIMENTARY FEEDBACK REGARDING THE SOUND AND IT WAS WITHOUT DOUBT THE BEST WE EVER HAD.”
Nic Black, Director Pyramid AV

“ONE OF THE REASONS WE WENT WITH MLA MINI WAS ITS ABILITY TO PUT SOUND WHERE WE WANT IT AND NOT ON THE WALLS, CEILING OR BACK WALL. THAT WAS OUR NUMBER ONE GOAL IN PICKING A PA.”
Allen Hendrix, Minister of Communications, Broadmoor Baptist Church

BROCHURE
USER GUIDE
DATASHEET
VIDEO
Further Reading
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Wheelboard / Transit Cover
  • ASF17025. – MSX Wheelboard & Transit Cover
  • ASF15027. – MSX Rain Cowl & Frame
Hardware
  • ASF17026. – Flying Frame Set. Inc 2 x Frames c/w Inclinometer, Flight-Case and Accessories
  • ASF20064. – MLA Mini/MSX Single Flying Frame c/w inclinometer, reader & shackles
  • ASF20054. – MLA Mini Install (Single) Flying Frame with Pins Only
  • ASF20055. – Transition Frame with Flying Pins (Single)
  • ASF20056. – Long ground stack bar (only 1 needed per stack)
  • ASF20057. – Short ground stack bar (only 1 needed per stack)
  • ASF20058. – MLA Mini Pole mount system (universal bracket & pole)
  • ASF20059. – MLA Mini Pole Mount System (Tilt Bracket & Pole)
  • ASF20051. – MLA Mini Universal Hanging Bracket
  • ASF20062. – MSX Ground-Stack Base-Plate
  • ASF20045. – 35mm Pole Adaptor for Universal Bracket
  • HAM09224. – Wind-up pole
Flight Cases
  • CAR00072. – MLA Mini Flight-Case (Holds 4 x MLA Mini)
  • CAR00073. – MLA Mini Grid Flight-Case
  • CAR00074. – MLA Mini Multi-Deployment Hardware Case
Electronics
  • HAM09223. – MSX Module rack-mount kit (sold in pairs only)
  • ASF17031. – MLA Merlin Rack – WiFi Enabled 110V & 230V
  • ASF17031. – MLA Merlin Rack. WiFi Enabled 110V & 230V
  • ASF20061. – MSX Rack Mount Amp Module (Includes Rack Mount Kit)
  • ASF20061. – MSX Rack Mount Amp Module
  • ASF17034. – MLA Merlin Rack. WiFi Enabled 110V
  • ASF17032. – MLA Merlin Rack. Non WiFi Enabled 110 & 230V
  • ASF17035. – MLA Merlin Rack – Non WiFi Enabled 110V
  • ASF17011. – MLA Ruckus Wifi Front of House Rack
  • ASF17012. – MLA Ruckus Front Of House Rack 110v
  • ASF14017. – Panasonic Toughbook PC inc Accessories
Cables / Networking
  • ASF14013. – USB to Ethernet Adaptor (ROW)
  • ASF14014. – USB to Ethernet Adaptor (USA)
  • PWA00040. – Network (U-NET) Cable 35m Belden 1305A
  • PWA00051. – Network (U-NET) Cable 5m Belden
  • PWA00038. – Network (U-NET) Cable 800mm
  • ASF12031. – MLA Mini Speaker Cable – 19 pin to 4 x NL4
  • ASF12030. – MLA Mini Speaker Cable. 19 pin to 4 x NL8
  • ASF12029. – MLA Mini Speaker Cable – 19 pin 15m Extension
  • ASF12002. – 6 Circuit Multi-way Cable 30m
  • ASF12025. – MSX 1.65m Power Cable set. With 2 x PowerCon and moulded Y-split to 1 x IP67 screw-type C-Form.
  • ASF12024. – MSX 2.15m Power cable set- 1 x PowerCon to 1 x IP67 (C-Form)
  • ASF12023. – 5m Power Cable Set. 1 x PowerCon to 1 x IP67 (C-Form)
  • ASF12026. – MLA Mini 3m Double Speaker Cable Set
  • PCX00043. – Unet (ODU female) to RJ45 female converter
  • ASF14016. – Ruckus WAP and Cable
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U-Hub

ETHERNET TO
U-NET™ BRIDGE

Analogue and digital audio transport

DX4.0

LOUDSPEAKER CONTROLLER
AND SYSTEM MATRIX

Networked System Controller

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MSX

REFLEX LOADED
SUBWOOFER

15” Subwoofer and Power Plant

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