StepArray Series: Technologies

Why directivity control?

Public address systems are primarily intended to deliver a clear and intelligible message to the audience. But a venue’s acoustic conditions may affect transmission quality, especially in case of significant reverberation and/or background noise.

To overcome the adverse effects of reverberation, loudspeakers with accurate directivity control must be used, so that they project the sound straight to the audience instead of increasing reverberation. Furthermore, loudspeaker directivity ensures that all members of the audience perceive the same sound level. The sound level is fine-tuned to clearly separate speech from the background noise, but without being overpowering to guarantee comfortable listening.

Digital & Geometric Radiation Control (DGRC)

StepArray column loudspeakers enjoy the benefits of the two main current technologies for directivity control by implementing a hybrid principle patented by Active Audio: DGRC digital and geometric radiation control.

The DGRC principle ensures that StepArray loudspeakers are extremely directional while remaining:

• Compact
• Affordable: fewer signal amplification and processing channels
• Secure: all the electronic circuitry is outside the column.Therefore, all the speakers in the StepArray range boast exceptionally clear speech and music.
• External circuitry