On 25th January 2017, D.A.S. sparked high interest in the industry, prompting a large number of rental and international services to travel to Madrid to attend the global launch of the Sound Force Series. ZioGiorgio.com was able to attend and complete an exclusive report on the event, thanks to the invitation by D.A.S. and their Italian distributor, Audiosales.
The day before the event, we had the chance to visit the D.A.S. headquarters in Valencia. Here Ignacio Chulia, D.A.S. Export Sales Manager and Raffaele Minicozzi, sales manager of the Italian distributor Audiosales, gave us the opportunity to closely observe the company’s entire production cycle, and the specific areas of research and development and testing that clearly show the quality level of a brand with more than 40 years activity.
The special care and attention put into their products, made entirely in Spain, starts within the R&D area. Here you can see how the sound systems are created, and all of the involved procedures that go into the testing and analysing of products before proceeding with their production. Curious is the use of a red substance on the magnet that, after the sending of a complex audio signal, allows the limits of the system to be checked. This allows for a thorough understanding of the maximum sustainable power level, so as to properly size the rest of the components, such as the amplifier or DSP. Another test phase happens in a special soundproof room called the “torture chamber”, where the systems blare for 100 hours and are then checked before being sent to the assembly departments.
In short, from the planning to the finishing phase we noticed high levels of attention being paid to even to the smallest details, with a fair balance between the use of automated systems and labor to obtain quality products. The choice of third-party components is also clearly thought through, as evidenced by the presence of the Powersoft amplification modules in many series produced by D.A.S.
The morning after the journey trough the D.A.S. universe, we travelled to Madrid for the long-awaited presentation of the company’s Sound Force series, which took place at the prestigious Spanish rental company Fluge, inside a huge hall dedicated to production staging.
An audience full of rental companies, sound engineers and industry journalists from all over Europe listened with interest to Daniel Neumann (Sound Engineer, David Guetta), who spoke about approaching the EDM (Electronic Dance Music) market with sound amplification in mind. Neumann said, that “we are in the presence of a particularly new phenomenon, for which you cannot apply the standards used in pop or rock music”, with the need to pay attention to two important factors that Neumann locates in “emotionality and intimacy”. In particular, with the advent of large festivals around the world, “you must recreate the sensations of a club in a much larger environment, insisting on the physical sensation of sound, the need to hear the music even with the body and as a result put high attention to the sound coverage and the low frequencies”.
Neumann gave some very useful recommendations on the settings of the system and concluded his speech with an interesting observation on DJ monitoring. The monitor systems are often composed by sub and line array modules that are normally designed for long distances and not for a distance of only a few centimeters from the console. A paradox that should be taken in account when it comes to configure and mix the stage.
Daniel Neumann and Joel Damiano
With this background Javier Navarro and Joel Damiano, respectively Chief Engineer and Systems Engineer of D.A.S. Audio, stressed that in the EDM field “sound is part of the image”. Good coverage and an accurate configuration of the lows is very important. Just to meet this need, D.A.S. has radically changed its vision when creating Sound Force, a series of products that stimulate the feelings, essential for those who are attending such an event.
Before taking a close look at the characteristics of this particular series, dedicated to clubs and discos, it must be said that, beyond the technical specifications, these are beautiful systems, with eye-catching design and colorus, grills and wavy and uneven finishes, able to add a touch of elegance to a venue, making it an even more pleasant environment.
The SF-26, with its peak power handling of 1600W, employs twin 6P woofers for low frequency reproduction and a M-34 compression driver that can generate extremely bright frequencies. The birch plywood cabinet construction offers an ultra-compact design, weighs only 9 kg and is also available in black and white, in addition to the original red-black design. The 80° x 80° horn symmetry allows for both horizontal and vertical positioning , ensuring precise control and coverage. The rigging system, provided by 4 threaded fixing points, also allows for various combinations of positioning. A robust steel grille, internally lined with acoustically transparent filter cloth, protects the internal components.
SF-26 and SF-10
The SF-10 employs a 10” woofer and a M-60N 1″ compression driver, that delivers 1600W peak power, 400W RMS, and works over a range of frequencies from 55 Hz – 20 kHz to -10db. Weighing in at only 11kg, the cabinet features a 110º x 50º horn geometry. The rigging system is similar to the SF-26, with 4 threaded fixing points for multiple configurations.
SF-112 is a special and original three-way loudspeaker dedicated to the mid-high frequencies, within a 12” woofer for the mid-range frequencies, and a M-75N compression driver and a pair of tweeters for high frequencies. It is ideally suited to a pair of SF-215, dedicated to medium-low frequencies, featuring 15” neodymium speakers in a cabinet made of birch plywood, with an elegant design. It provides the punch and definition we’ve spoken about before, essential for today´s dance music, with a power handling of 1400W RMS (5600W peak).
SF-112 and SF-215
Another special feature is the SF-30A, a subwoofer that employs an innovative and unique transducer based on the patented M-Force® moving magnet linear motor structure. It is capable of expressing a peak power equal to 15000W and 7500W continuous thanks to the Class D high-powered M-Drive® amplifier and the DPC® (Differential Pressure Control) processing system, able to control and improve the system’s performance. M-Force®, M-Drive® and DPC® are trademarks of Powersoft S.p.A.
The new SF-Monitor (SF-M) is a powered DJ monitor system designed by D.A.S. for discerning DJ´s world-wide. The impressive SF-Monitor comprises two parts, the SF-20A powered mid-high unit and the SF-1521A, an innovative two-way low frequency system. Specially designed stacking hardware allows the SF-20A to be mounted on the SF-1521A subwoofer and angled as per the DJ’s preference. Both the SF20A and the SF-1521A are DASnetTM capable, allowing for remote monitoring and control of the systems.
The SF-Monitor is a true plug-and-play system. The audio signal can be sent to the SF-1521A directly from the DJ mixer and then looped to the SF-20A thanks to the system presets located on the SF-20A and SF-1521A, which align the two units without the need of an external DSP.
At the end of the accurate Sound Force Series presentation, all that was left was for us to listen to the systems. Within a very short time, the Fluge technical staff made the presentation podium disappear, and so began the live performance from renowned Spanish DJ, DJ Nano. LED walls slowly moved to a position above the console and system, which had previously been hidden behind some blacks backdrops. The Sound Force systems were set up in a 4-point configuration around the room, with SF-112, SF-215, SF-30A subwoofers and two SF-Monitors. In this configuration, the speakers produced a sound that could have transported the participants to nearby Ibiza.
D.A.S. has created a series of products with ideal characteristics for applications in clubs and venues dedicated to dance music. They have placed great importance on the design, a characteristic that is often overlooked in the EDM market, where the visual aspect forms part of an aesthetic ensemble, providing added value in terms of beauty to any location.
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