Line Arrays and Subwoofers Benefit from a Range of Powersoft’s Compact, High-Performance OEM Amplifiers
Monday, August 14, 2017 — Houston, TX, August 14, 2017 – Father and son duo Gerardo Tovar Sr. and Gerardo Tovar Jr. began building amplifiers together at Clear Lake Audio in 2004, setting down roots in Houston, Texas. Shortly after they commenced manufacturing amplifiers based on Tovar Sr.’s designs, they noticed that the market for their technologies was different than what they expected. “We started out designing speakers for conventional live music applications,” says Tovar Jr. “but we started to notice that there was much greater demand from churches and houses of worship.” Since then they have managed to address the needs of this market while still designing loudspeakers that are perfectly capable of delivering sound for the largest of live music venues. This has all been done with the help of Powersoft amplifier modules.
With many churches featuring fully-fledged live music on a weekly basis, the Tovar’s knew that compact and high-powered speakers offered at a competitive price would be a perfect fit. “Our products are all built in Houston, but we source the best components from around the world,” Tovar Jr. explains. “We have worked with a lot of different amplifiers over the years, and we did an extensive search in 2006 where we tried amps from many manufacturers,” Tovar Jr. says. “We were looking for the best sound possible with the best components at a good price, and that’s how we chose Powersoft.”
The Beating Heart of a Great Loudspeaker
For their flagship Guga line array, a three-way loudspeaker featuring a 12” inch woofer, dual 6” mid-woofers, and two 2” high frequency drivers, Clear Lake Audio turned to Powersoft’s ultra-compact Lite Mod amplifier module. This lightweight Powersoft module, capable of delivering up to 2 channels of 600 W on 4 ohms per channel, provides plenty of power and headroom for the Guga’s 450 Watt at 4 ohms output — up to 136 dB of SPL. Clear Lake Audio also offers Powersoft’s optional DSP for users who want to take advantage of the flexible tuning capabilities it offers.
Powersoft’s Lite Mod is also at the heart of Clear Lake Audio’s Timo DSP: an ultra-compact self-powered line array tailored for smaller scale events that still require the clarity and power of a professional line-array sound system. These full-range speakers feature two 6” woofers and a ring radiator driver, and deliver 127 dB of SPL despite their diminutive size. “The compact form factor of the Lite Mod was critical for Timo DSP given its small enclosure,” Tovar Jr. explains. “We wanted to offer a DSP option for Timo and Lite Mod was the only amplifier small enough that delivered both the performance and the on-board DSP processing.”
Perfectly Tailored, Digitally
In addition to enabling in-amplifier tuning for their end users, Clear Lake Audio uses Powersoft’s DSP capabilities to pre-load their built-to-order speakers with equalization curves suited to their intended application. These are easily implemented via Powersoft’s Armonía desktop application. “We will ship the speakers with EQ suited to whether they will primarily be used for live music or recorded music, for example, or with Guga whether they are for outside or indoor use,” Tovar Jr. says. “Powersoft’s support has been great in helping us design these application-specific presets in Armonía.”
Clear Lake Audio’s high-powered Decca line array meantime turns to Powersoft’s dual-channel Digmod 2000HV module, which offers up to 1050 watts per channel at 8Ω. With a peak spl of 139 dB, Decca is well-suited to touring sound and stadiums looking for a powerfull full-range solution, but is also in demand at some of the larger houses of worship that Clear Lake is popular with. Dual 12” woofers joining with a 2” coil mid snail ring radiator driver and a 2” coil high snail ring radiator driver to offer a frequency response of 60Hz to 20 kHz, which can be shaped and fine tuned using Powersoft’s DSP.
The Digimod 2000HV also powers Clear Lake’s dual-18” subwoofer, the Cubicx 218. “For this subwoofer, we really wanted to deliver the highest acoustic output capability possible with great fidelity in as lightweight a package as possible,” Tovar Jr. says of the decision to use the Powersoft module. “Digimod 2000HV was perfect.” Delivering 2400W at 16 ohms for 137 dB of peak SPL, optional DSP rounds out the package for maximum control over the speaker’s performance. For the even more portable single-18” Cubicx 118, a Powersoft Digimod 1000 handles power duties, its 1000W at 8 ohms in bridged mode offering plenty of low end authority.
Superior Monitoring
Even Clear Lake Audio’s PQ-12M monitor benefits from the capabilities of Powersoft amplifier modules. Utilizing a Lite Mod amplifier, its clarity and low distortion at high sound pressure levels helps it stand out from other stage monitors. It combines the high output offered by Powersoft with wide vertical coverage that allows performers plenty of flexibility to move around on stage while staying tuned into their monitor mix. “The Powersoft module really separates this monitor from the pack with its high output,” Tovar Jr. notes.
Amplifiers that Build Bridges
Tovar Jr. and his father have been Powersoft OEM users for ten years now, and they see no reason to change. “Switching to Powersoft was a great choice back then and it still is,” says Tovar Jr. “It has really helped our loudspeakers perform to a higher standard, and we are able to do that while still offering them at a lower price than some of the big name brands out there.” As the team continues to innovate and gain popularity with their designs, they are also looking to expand their market outside of the United States. “We are now looking to generate interest in other countries, and with Powersoft modules we know that we can offer a superior product at a great price that will appeal to any market in the world.”
For more information about Powersoft, please visit: www.powersoft-audio.com
For more information about Clear Lake Audio, please visit: www.clearlakeaudio.net/
More about broadcasting and cable
Latest
