Bose® L1™ Cylindrical Radiator™ Loudspeaker: A Unique Approach to Live Music Amplification
Ever gone to a concert where it’s so loud you think you’re ears will start bleeding, and in spite of the volume level you can’t understand the lyrics? Bose® Corporation is trying to change all that, and revolutionize the entire amplified performance paradigm with their new L1™ Personalized Amplification System (PAS).
Bose® Corporation’s approach to solving this problem is pretty radical, and at the same time surprisingly simple. It involves nothing less than changing the fundamental properties of loudspeakers and yet the idea, once it’s explained, seems obvious.
This new product from Bose® is called the L1™ Cylindrical Radiator™ Loudspeaker. It’s shaped like a flagpole and because of its shape has very unique properties. First and foremost, the sound level diminishes very slowly with distance when compared to a conventional speaker. It also sends sound in a very wide-angle pattern across the stage and throughout the audience and almost no sound up or down.
The Cylindrical Radiator™ loudspeaker is a key element of the new Bose® Personalized Amplification System™ family of products. These new products amplify any instrument, including voice, and can be used by musical groups of almost any size playing in any popular genre. They are equally effective for small venues and for larger audiences of 300 people or more.
There are 24 small speaker cones in the L1 column instead of one BIG speaker cone (with a conventional PA system). You can stand very close to the speaker without being blasted. The spread of sound is truly remarkable and is easily loud enough for dancing without being too loud for conversation. It's an incredible dynamic that has to be experienced to be believed!
The Cylindrical Radiator™ loudspeaker is placed behind the performer on the stage, providing sound for both the performer and the audience. This is a total departure from the traditional amplified sound system, which requires separate amplifiers and speakers for the audience and the performers, a mixing console, miles of cabling, and a sound technician to make it all work, and even then it often works poorly.
There’s much less reverberation generated because these speakers do not send much sound to the upper walls and ceiling, resulting in significantly higher clarity. The problems of directional guitar amplifiers are gone because the sound is now radiated evenly across the stage and throughout the audience with little change in tone or level. And finally, the musicians – and no one else – are back in complete control of their music…as they were throughout history until just the past thirty or so years.
Read more about this remarkable technology on www.bose.com or refer to the sticky note of this issue.
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