Commercial Integrator May 2023 - 17

notes, " What we all know, and have to
obviously start with, is that this category, in
particular, was the most significantly impacted
by the pandemic. " With concerts and
similar in-person activities coming to a halt
in March 2020, the declines were simply
massive. Equally importantly, the rebound
was far from instantaneous. He continues,
" I'd say even the last eight to 10 months [is
when] we saw a lot of meaningful recovery. "
That said, the recovery does now seem
quite meaningful, which makes the timing of
this Deep Dive report ideal.
Indeed, Wargo points to a recent AVIXA
end-user demand study that revealed the
ascendance of the " venues and events "
market category. " [It] pops right up to the
top of the list in terms of renewed capitalexpenditure
plans, capital-improvement
plans, associated budgets and allocations to
AV, " he states. " And when you look at what's
at the top of their list, it's audio. " In fact,
AVIXA research forecasts the " venues and
events " category to be the fastest-growing
market for commercial AV from '22 to '27,
achieving an anticipated compound annual
growth rate of about 9%. To contextualize
that forecast, Wargo adds, " The average for
the industry is closer to 5% to 6%. "
Examining
Performance-Audio Gear
When asked about demand for various
audio products and technologies, our integrator
interviewees echo much of Wargo's
analysis. For example, Lifeline's Wright
points to line-array sales - both standard
and steerable line arrays - as an engine
driving increased business with churches
and auditoriums. " We had many customers
considering purchasing new systems in
2020, and, with COVID-19, that got put on
hold, " he relates. " Fast forward three years
later [and] the need/want/desire has not
gone away. " Theaters and churches want
to seize on people's craving to get out of
their homes, and they're willing to make
those deferred technology investments to
do it. Kawczynski likewise points to column
line arrays and digitally steerable line arrays
as recent areas of strength for IMS Technology
Services. He cites Community and
Renkus-Heinz as among those he has lately
spec'd most frequently.
commercialintegrator.com
Increasingly, venues are incorporate cutting-edge audio technology, such as immersive
sound systems, advanced acoustics and audio analytics, to create an immersive and
engaging experience for audience members.
Clearwing's Peavey underlines the
demand ramp up, pointing to three
particularly strong product categories.
" The desire for robust wireless systems,
including microphones, in-ear monitoring
and intercom, has certainly grown since
the pandemic has subsided, " he observes.
AVI-SPL's Salto doubles down on wireless,
saying wireless microphones are a component
of nearly every corporate training
room or multi-purpose space - anywhere
that presenters must address large groups
of people. " Even in audio systems supported
by ceiling speakers, some level of
L-Acoustics Deepens Market
Commitment, Builds Upon Heritage
L-Acoustics continues to steadily deepen its commitment to the commercial and residential
installation markets with new integration tools that build upon the company's
heritage of designing powerful and pristine sound systems for the world's top
tours, festivals and live-performance venues.
Soka, the smaller sibling of the powerful Syva, is a perfect example. Launched last
year, Soka is a unique breed of loudspeaker that combines line-source technology
with a sleek aesthetic. The product integrates nine 3.5-inch MF drivers and three
one-inch HF transducers to impart a wide, 140-degree horizontal directivity coupled
with a highly controlled 26-degree vertical directivity. Soka and its new companion
SB6i subwoofer are both an ultra-shallow 3.9 inches, designed so they can be easily
enclosed in-wall or discreetly mounted on-wall, yet they are capable of astounding
power and bandwidth. Soka can also be combined with the larger SB10i subwoofer
and is ideal as a main music system in residential, commercial, luxury and hospitality
spaces. Rounding out the range of solutions tailored to the unique needs of installation
applications is X4i, a superbly unobtrusive and highly weatherized coaxial
loudspeaker for installation applications.
For power and processing, the latest LA7.16i amplified controller surmounts the
limitations of current high-power amplifier configurations used in most installation
projects and significantly improves flexibility and efficiency, especially in multichannel
scenarios, by offering an unprecedented 16x16 architecture in a 2RU chassis
with seamless Milan AVB redundancy. Each of the 16 output channels delivers up
to 1300 watts at 8 ohms or 1100 watts at 4 ohms.
MAY 2023 Commercial Integrator 17
PHOTO COURTESY OF DIVERSIFIED.

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Commercial Integrator May 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Integrator May 2023