Renkus-Heinz Launches Next-Gen Iconyx and RHAON Update at AES in New York

At AES 2011 in New York Renkus-Heinz is unveiled two major enhancements to its family of digital beam steering loudspeaker products.

The IC8R-II is billed as a major evolutionary update to the Iconyx range, introducing significant performance improvement over its predecessor, the IC8R, combining a new triple tweeter high-frequency array coax with the equally new RHAON [Renkus-Heinz Audio Operations Network] v1.8 beam steering module.

The new triple tweeter design creates a continuous, close spaced high frequency line source that pushes the onset of gradient lobes out past 10Khz, while the new RHAON v1.8 beam steering module offers a variety of new features to make setting up and commissioning Iconyx arrays faster and more consistent than ever.

First, a new automated beam shaping algorithm, developed from the feedback of years of practical implementation, maps consistent coverage and sound pressure level throughout the audience areas, the company says.

In addition, the frequency response of the beam shaping filters can now be optimized prior to uploading into the column, meaning that very little, if any, additional equalization is required during commissioning process. As well as these new time saving features, the basic filter sets have been updated for improved directional consistency over a wider frequency range for near perfect, out of the box, performance, the company says

Ralph Heinz, the company's senior vice president, comments: "This new triple tweeter configuration represents the pinnacle of transducer design for steerable column applications, and the improved performance is immediately demonstrated in BeamWare and EASE simulations."

The IC8R, equipped with RHAON, is one of the best selling products in the Iconyx Series, with hundreds of installations worldwide to date.

Renkus-Heinz's marketing manager, Margie Ulm, added: "These two important upgrades to our hardware and software maintain our digital beam steering family's market position as technology leader."