SPL Systems has been a provider of top level audio services for over 20 years Owner Bill Forbes says that while the company once handled retail and installation as part of their business, they grew to focus exclusively on live sound. As a result, Forbes and his team spend a lot of time transporting gear to jobs that can range from state fairs to corporate events. Looking to overhaul their amplifier rig in pursuit of superior audio performance, next generation DSP and networking, and a more compact amplifier rig, SPL Systems turned to industry-leading power amplifier manufacturer Powersoft and their X and K Series amplifiers.
Tough Decision, Easy Choice
Multi-Tool Player
Since the changeover in June of this year, Forbes has been harnessing the power of Powersoft’s Armonía software to get the most out of his new amplifiers. “What’s great about Armonía is that I can change any amp to any role on the fly, so my racks aren’t limited to just one use,” he says. “I used to have a specific rack for monitors, one for my KF 730 speakers, one for my KF 740 speakers, and so on. Now I’ve just got my two racks and I can designate any amp for any task on the fly through the DSP platform.” Forbes also harnesses the power of Armonía’s presets, which provide optimal settings for his EAW speakers, as well as other manufacturers. “Powersoft always has the most up-to-date presets from EAW, so I simply load them onto my amplifiers and I’m good to go,” he says. “They also have great libraries for other manufacturers, which is good to know because if I ever rent out my amp racks I know the user will find whatever presets they need.”
Lightening the Load
One such recent event was the Eastern State Exposition—or “Big E”—in West Springfield, Massachusetts. “It’s one of the top attended fairs in the country and this
Fairground Tough
Reliability has been a shining quality of the new Powersoft amps already. “I’ve been putting these amps through their paces this summer as far as heat and general environmental nastiness and they don’t let up,” Forbes says. “With all the outdoor fairs we’re in the dirt, the dust, the rain, and the humidity, pretty torturous conditions for an amplifier, and these things are just loving it.” Forbes has also tested their capacity for handling low-resistive loads. “I’ve purposely loaded them down to 2 ohms to see how they’d handle it and they make it look easy. I didn’t have a single issue with the amps all summer; it was a real breathe of fresh air.”
Welcome Change
While it wasn’t an easy decision for Forbes to overhaul his amplifier stock, he knows he made the right choice with Powersoft, and Powersoft’s excellent support has made the transition as easy and seamless as possible. “The support has been great,” he says. “Any question I’ve had has been answered promptly and thoroughly, but to be honest the product has been really easy to navigate on my own. The interfaces all make sense, which is important for somebody like me who doesn’t like to read manuals!” While winter is a slower season for SPL Systems as outdoor events wind down in the Northeast, Forbes is already looking forward to hitting the ground running in the spring with his new rig. “I can’t wait to get the Powersoft rig out again and take it through its paces.”