Attention Connect Series users! Update your 1504 and 1504D firmware today for enhanced performance!
LEA Connect 80, 160, 350, and 700 Watt Model Firmware:
LEA Connect 1504 and 1504D Firmware:
Dedicated to providing expansive technology offerings to customers worldwide, LEA Professional has announced substantial updates to its popular LEA Cloud platform, a part of LEA Professionals’ extensive technology catalog, featuring intelligent IT solutions, industry-leading DSP, and smart power management. The new cloud-specific features will expand capabilities for all LEA Cloud users.
LEA Cloud provides remote monitoring and control for LEA amplifiers and gives system integrators robust, reliable, and secure monitoring and control capabilities. Now, LEA Cloud users will be able to perform over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates, ensuring all installations are kept up to date with the latest firmware. Status information will be even easier to monitor through the new dashboard view, which allows users to see the health of all their LEA installations on a single screen.
Additionally, LEA Cloud now supports event and fault notifications via text or email alerts, allowing integrators to be notified of system alerts immediately. These notifications allow for proactive communication and system maintenance so that issues can be addressed promptly, often before end users are even aware a problem occurred — and it provides an additional service that integrators can add to their recurring revenue models.
“LEA Professional leads the pro audio industry in cloud-based technology, and we will continue to do so by regularly adding features to the LEA Cloud that benefit all of our customers worldwide,” said Brian Pickowitz, Vice President of Marketing at LEA Professional. “Our latest platform enhancements provide integrators with more ways to proactively support their customers, adding a layer of support none of our competitors can match.”
UK: In a repeat of their successful deployment at OVO Arena Wembley for the 25th MOBO Awards, SWG Events this time headed north with their flagship Martin Audio WPL Line Array to the Utilita Arena, Sheffield for this year’s event
They had to overcome the challenges of providing balanced sound reinforcement for the live audience inside the 12,500-cap arena, while preserving the integrity of the set and striking a balance between the presenters’ mics and the live showcases, in a fast-paced show.
These live performances ranged from UK rap to Afrobeats, Dancehall to Pop/R&B and Garage, with back-to-back performances from Soul II Soul, Ghetts, Sugababes, Cristale, Byron Messia, King Promise and Camidoh, plus a Garage set from DJ Spoony. The event was hosted by Babtunde Aleshe,IndiyahPolack andZezeMills.
It required SWG Events to increase the WPL box count from 16 to 18 elements for each of the main L/R hangs, compared with last time; but more significantly, was the increased number of outhangs, comprising 12-a-side WPC—all driven in 2-box resolution from iKON iK42s.
Explaining the rationale SWG Events’ Head of Audio, Simon Purse stated, “It was a fairly standard arena set up, and [Sheffield] is a very pleasant-sounding space as far as arenas go. But the additional outhangs enabled us to better cover the raked seating in the nearfield. That was a massive benefit as the tonal response from WPC and WPL is really similar, so when you walk around the rig it just really works well.
“There’s the additional benefit of being able to use the same amp racks in the same configuration, in terms of the LK connectors, breakouts and big multicores that Martin Audio can provide. All of that worked brilliantly at the stage end.”
WE GOT THE VOCAL PRESENCE RIGHT OUT OF THE PA, AT AN EVENT WHERE INTELLIGIBILITY WAS THE NAME OF THE GAME.
As with the previous MOBO Awards, which took place in November 2022, they chose an 18-box SXH218 sub array in end fire configuration, with three rows of six subwoofers delayed to a central point. That works well in these arenas because you can achieve the broadside array coverage without intruding on the set design—it can sometimes be quite challenging with such a visually oriented set.”
To avoid interference with the LED screen the PA was trimmed at little higher than normal. Below, there was just a single stage but with a catwalk thrust on stage left, while on stage right there was a smaller thrust for the guest presenters.
SWG Events turned their attention to the stage, providing a number of Martin Audio’s top-of-the-range dedicated XE500 monitors for foldback and adding stage sidefills on each flank in the shape of TORUS T1215 stacked on a pair of SXC118 cardioid subwoofers on each side.
Purse formed an effective tag team with colleague, freelance engineer Matt Pope, who handled system tech and alternated FOH duties. “Matt focused on the musical performance elements while I handled presenter mics and guests,” he explained.
“There were a lot of different intricacies, and the infrastructure behind the show was complex compared with a standard headline arena show. We had our stage system, which was split to FOH and monitors, and another split to an OB truck, which is handling the live broadcast mix. Finally, there were further split heads to a TV truck that was dealing with the presenter microphones and presenter IEM units as well as a separate broadcast mix for presentation later in the week.”
And then there was the speed of turn-around to contend with and imponderables encountered when one merges a live show with an awards presentation. “But the PA element helps tremendously. If it goes in easily—which this did—we can focus on the job in hand.”
Other challenges included striving for good gain before feedback, and trying to adequately project a quietly spoken vocal.
To meet these obstacles requires a highly skilled crew. And these included Will Fisher(monitors); Ian Williams (Playback/Comms); Phil Hughes (RF Tech); Fraser Wilks, Sam Jones, Laura Evans (Stage Patch & general Audio engineering); Mark Bott (SWG Operations Manager) and Henry Roper (SWG Production assistant. All worked under overall production manager Rob Smalldon (of Marvellous Incorporated Ltd), as last year.
Having Martin Audio’s flagship WPL as their front-line PA has enabled SWG Events to push ever further into the world of arena shows. However, Simon Purse knows that fastidious prep now becomes ever more important.
For the MOBOs, having received the CAD files from the venue the SWG Head of Audio was able to plan ahead, arriving on site with all presets stored and ready to go. “For due diligence I then always take additional measurements. You never know exactly what you will find so I was able to fine tune it and utilise the array snapshot feature to update my array optimisations.
Summing up, Simon Purse said, “I was extremely happy with the sound. We got the vocal presence right out of the PA, at an event where intelligibility was the name of the game.”
Rob Smalldon agreed. “The team worked tirelessly to make sure we had a great sounding show especially with a few curve balls thrown in during the weeks leading up to the event,” he said.
“The support pre-event was magnificent, ensuring all the acts got what they needed audio wise, and the system sounded great in the arena. A show like this only works when the experts in their particular field bring their A game and work together with the rest of the production teams to deliver. It felt very calm on site, and everyone did a magnificent job.”
INDONESIA: In partnership with its Indonesian distributor, Goshen Swara Indonesia, Generation AV presented LEA Professional to an invited audience in Jakarta.
Generation AV MD David McKinney and business development engineer Joseph Jeremiah provided an overview of the Connect Series amplifiers. Highlighting the many features including AP, Wi-Fi and wired connectivity, the duo also explained the inherent 96kHz DSP technology. Dante connectivity in addition to combined control and network management was practically demonstrated.
Emphasising why “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts”, McKinney described the US brand as a technology provider rather than a company that produces amplifiers. “The Connect Series was designed with the systems integrator in mind to make their lives easier.”
Other benefits were also demonstrated, including IT and Smart Power advantages. With 12 API drivers currently available, the Connect and Dante Connect Series offer full redundancy in addition to LEA Cloud and web UI connectivity for free remote-control management.
Suitably enlightened, the assembled gathering of 50+ dealers, systems integrators and consultants participated in a lively Q&A session at the conclusion of the presentation.
Check out the original article published in Pro AVL Asia: https://lnkd.in/gKskaxdk
We are pleased to announce the Connect Series Half-Rack has won in this year’s Best of Show awards at ISE 2024 in the Sound & Video Contractor category. 
The awards recognize the very best products and solutions on display at ISE 2024, with hundreds of products and solutions considered. Factors taken into account include: how diverse and comprehensive our product’s features are, how easy it is to use and integrate with other products, and how innovative and unique it is within the market.
These smaller form factor, Half-Rack smart amplifiers deliver one of the most feature-rich experiences available in the industry — featuring onboard DSP, WebUI, Cloud Connectivity, third-party API control, and more.
Each of the new Half-Rack models (CS34, CS64, CS124, CS34D, CS64D, and CS124D) are built with fully-routable analog inputs, 4 amplifier channels with Low-Z, 70V, or 100V selectable by channel and the D units include Dante and AES67 connectivity. All models also boast three different ways of network connection: using the built-in Wi-Fi Access Point, connecting to an existing Wi-Fi network, or using a Local Area Network Ethernet connection.
The Half-Rack models join LEA Professionals’ extensive technology catalog, featuring smart power, industry-leading DSP, and intelligible IT solutions. These offerings and more equate to The LEA Advantage. Always resolute in this approach, while prioritizing exceptional customer service, based on intrinsic company values.
“With the significant adoption rate of Connect Series amplifiers, commercial, corporate, marine and residential integrators wanted a product that delivered the same punch, while taking up less space,” said Brian Pickowitz, Vice President of Marketing at LEA Professional. “Our half-rack solutions can be installed anywhere and are perfectly suited for small to medium-scale installations.”
Check out the original article published in LEA Professional: https://leaprofessional.com/
US: A sensitive installation of Martin Audio’s ADORN ACP-55T pendant speakers has been undertaken at the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) West Building Gallery in Raleigh, NC, by RMB Audio.
Knowing that the installation required multiple architectural and art curator approvals, the integrators knew instinctively that the stylish pendants would provide the most aesthetically discreet, yet consummately effective means of sound distribution.
According to RMB Audio owner, Cooper Cannady, 16 of the shallow pendant speakers were selected for their 150° conical coverage (117 Hz to 20 KHz ± 3dB, -10db @73 Hz) and off-white finish which matched the ceiling. These were approved by the architectural committee after careful review.
The speakers are paired to cover the wall-to-wall open space. Three areas of the gallery were zoned for audio isolation to control the social gathering adjacent to the art exhibitions. The ACP-55T pendants were hung at 15ft height across three selected zones in the gallery to mitigate sound leakage into other areas.
THE ADORN PENDANT DESIGN BLENDS INTO THE GALLERY CEILING.
“Well-articulated speech is the most critical parameter for the sound system application,” notes Cannady, “and Martin Audio ACP-55T pendants deliver high sound pressure level for speech and background music for daily operation.”
The Martin Audio partners had reviewed there options carefully. But according to Cooper Cannady the choice was obvious. “I knew the project needed a 150° cabinet spaced symmetrically across the gallery,” he said. “Ceiling units could not be considered in these circumstances.”
The installation coincides with the 12th anniversary of NCMA’s Thomas Phifer–designed West Building—home of the ‘People’s Collection.’ It is the first sound system to be permanently installed in the gallery. Previously, mobile carts would be delivered to the space, and without the ceiling elevation, clarity was lost.
The building’s 2010 completion marked not only an award-winning architectural achievement in museum design but also a breakout project for New York City-based Thomas Phifer and Partners.
The continuous ceiling sky light design brings natural light to the exhibits. The continual skylight introduced the challenge to examine how sound can be introduced into the space that is intelligible coverage for the gallery and blending into the ceiling vaulted lighting.
Martin Audio’s compact two-way ADORN ACP-55T were specifically designed for background and foreground applications requiring premium performance and cost competitiveness in spaces with open ceiling architecture such as this.
Stated Martin Audio’s director of marketing, James King, “Adding these pendant speakers to our popular ADORN range has proved to be a winner. In retail spaces and venues with open ceiling architecture specifiers are coming to realise that not only do they meet the aesthetic requirement, but sonically they also provide consistent all-round coverage with absolute clarity, due to their wide-dispersion pattern.”
Summing up the installation, Cooper Cannady also confirms their discreet profile. “If you didn’t know where to look for [the speakers] you simply wouldn’t see them.
“The ADORN pendant design blends into the gallery ceiling; it does not distract the museum attendees and most significantly, spoken word is highly intelligible in the large space.”
Click here for the original article : https://martin-audio.com/news/press-release/martin-audio-adorn-pendants-perfect-for-museum-of-art
UK: The King’s Head is popular pub in the village of Bwlchgwyn, not far from Wrexham in North Wales. As well as serving high-quality food and drink, the pub stages a variety of events, ranging through karaoke, live performance, bingo, televised sport and quiz nights. Providing a valuable focus for the community, owners Eddie and Abbie always strive to deliver the best customer experience possible, and recently took the decision to upgrade the pub’s sound system, which they no longer considered fit for purpose.
Specialists Pivotal Sound & Lighting of Wrexham were engaged to design and supply a solution for The King’s Head. Pivotal cover every facet of audio for live events, hire and installation, and their vastly experienced team has a reputation for excellence across the region. Pivotal recommended an Optimal Audio system to meet the pub’s varied programme.
Darren Hughes, Director at Pivotal Sound & Lighting describes the brief:
“The existing system comprised a number of loudspeakers driven by a home cinema amplifier which was running as a single zone, including in the outside area. Given the range of events that the pub hosts, a zoned system was essential. This would allow for example, a ‘loud zone’ around the bar area, a ‘quieter zone’ in the snug, or perhaps keep the outside area audio-free during karaoke or DJ sets. They also wanted the facility to input audio from their TV screens. Ultimately, it was about having better quality audio and better control.”
Pivotal have worked on many projects supplied by distributor Audio-Technica, and were aware of the Optimal Audio ecosystem. Darren immediately settled on the Zone 8 controller for the new system because of its flexibility, internal DSP, HDMI in/through (for the local TV input) and WebApp for easy operation on staff members’ phones. He continues:
“I chose the Optimal Audio Zone 8 controller straight away, but to be honest I’d looked at using another speaker brand we regularly use for this kind of job. As it turned out, there was an availability problem with those, so I went back to Audio-Technica and they suggested Optimal Audio speakers which came in right on budget. Now I’ve used them, they will definitely be my commercial install speaker of choice moving forward.”
For complete coverage of the pub, including its outside covered area, Pivotal installed two Cuboid 3, four Cuboid 5 and three Cuboid 8, two-way, full range loudspeakers (3”, 5” and 8” respectively) as well as a single Sub 10 low-profile sub-bass unit. A Zone 8 8-zone audio controller completed the picture, with the pub’s staff confident in its operation via smartphone and tablet.
Co-owner Eddie is pleased with the new system:
“The Optimal Audio system that we’ve had installed has been fantastic. It was really noticeable during the Christmas period when we had lots of different events going on. We’re extremely happy – the sound quality is unbelievable, and the install does Pivotal great credit.”
Darren concludes:
“The system sounds great and actually surpassed my expectations. Optimal Audio will definitely be my first thought when it comes to installations of this kind!”
Click here for the original article : https://optimal-audio.co.uk/news/optimal-audio-proves-good-fit-for-kings-head/
Martin Audio took full advantage of their new stand location at the Fira de Barcelona, ensuing they would drive heavy traffic to their booth at the recent ISE 2024.
By taking up a position front and centre of Hall 7 they were able to place major focus, not only on themselves, but brands across the Focusrite Group—thereby helping to demonstrate synergies and opportunities. Equally, in Martin Audio’s celebrated demo room, the integration of recent Focusrite acquisition, TiMax immersive sound, was showcased as well as localisation with stage tracking, helping to enhance the specific Martin Audio presentations.
According to Marketing Director, James King, “This was a deliberate strategy and one that really paid off. We have a wealth of expertise and product solutions for the pro audio industry within the Group now, and the with the recent addition of TiMax it made perfect sense to help shine a light on them too, while also helping to augment Martin Audio’s own showcase.
“The stand’s location helped enormously to bring fresh interest while our audio demonstrations gave a tour de force review of key product lines from our strongest ever line-up.
While it was too late in the day to fully integrate TiMax to the wider Focusrite Group stand in time for ISE 2024, all the promotional activity and cooperation undoubtedly helped drive increased interest to TiMax, who had a stand towards the back of Hall 7.
James King also noted that the week had been a near record one for Martin Audio’s website traffic. “It showed conclusively how favourably offline and online activity can intersect.”
Meanwhile, he promises that the Group will return to ISE 2025 with “an even bigger and better stand in the same location … and this time it will be with full TiMax integration.”
LEA Amps For Coffee Shop Chain | Barista Parlor
When Barista Parlor needed an audio system to match its unique method of entertainment — a record player — they chose LEA Professional to carry the tune. 
Let’s dive in! 
LEA Amps For Coffee Shop Chain | Barista Parlor
Venue: Barista Parlor | Indiana & Tennessee Locations
Integrators: Hazelwood Laboratories
Audio Spaces: Dining Areas
Product Used: Connect Series 702 (2) One Each Location, Connect Series 354 (2) One Each Location
The Stutz is a world-renowned, reimagined factory that originally served as the headquarters for luxury car manufacturer, Stutz. Always favorable to the finest designs, The Stutz has become an adaptive reuse home for makers, artists, and small businesses, where all can embody the Stutz Motor Company’s legacy of hard work, artistry, and innovation.
Hazelwood turned to LEA Professional for the audio technology that fits the unique set of needs of Barista Parlor. Since Hazelwood performs lots of custom work, he looked for a solution that was flexible and that he could adapt to his own specific needs. LEA Professional has an open API where he could develop equipment around its platform, allowing Hazelwood to build a system that perfectly fits his and Barista Parlor’s needs.
“I worked with the LEA team directly, and they were extremely accommodating in answering my questions about development,” said Hazelwood. “They were just really supportive throughout the process, and I found LEA’s products to be amazing and effortless to use but still flexible for my needs. The adaptability truly pushes the LEA amplifiers ahead. No matter how specific my needs are, I know they’ll live up to the task.”
Hazelwood specified the Network Connect Series 702 and worked with the LEA Cloud to deliver impeccable quality that can be controlled from near or far. The CS702 is a 2-channel amplifier with 700 watts per channel. As part of the Connect Series, the world’s first Internet of Things- (IoT) enabled professional-grade amplifiers, the CS702 features the flexibility and power needed for this installation.
“The LEA Cloud service is a huge benefit to me and Barista Parlor. The fact that I can log in from here in Nashville and troubleshoot issues or make adjustments for them if they need, it’s game-changing,” said Hazelwood. “There’s very little that we can’t access remotely, and it saves our customer money in the long run because we don’t have to dispatch the local technician, or we don’t have to drive up there.”
Hazelwood has specified LEA Professional amplifiers in four Barista Parlor installations, including the CS702 in Indianapolis and Sylvan Supply in Nashville, as well as the CS354 in Hillsboro Village in Nashville and 500W in Louisville. The adaptability and accessibility of LEA Professional amplifiers have led Hazelwood to standardize on them in these past installations, with plans to continue using them in future projects.
“Barista Parlor is a wonderfully unique coffee chain that requires a sound system just as special. Our amplifiers allow each store to customize their audio experience however they need to, ensuring every song is heard beautifully from those record players,” said Scott Robins, VP of Sales at LEA Professional. “This installation reflects our goal to provide the perfect audio system for every customer, no matter their needs, and we hope every Barista Parlor customer enjoys how perfectly the music will pair with their cup of coffee.”
A special thanks to the teams at Hazelwood Laboratories and Barista Parlor for choosing our amps for this installation. We look forward to delivering top-notch sound quality for years to come.
Do you have an upcoming event or project and need assistance on product selection? Or do you need expert advice? Drop us a note, we are ready to help.
