Harman Professional Ships JBL HiQnet Performance Manager Version 1.0

Following six months of Beta system testing and refinement, Harman Professional announces the market availability of JBL HiQnet Performance Manager sound reinforcement system design software.

"JBL HiQnet Performance Manager is the product of considerable research, a comprehensive engineering and design effort, and equally committed beta program that included 60 audio professionals drawn from the tour and theatrical communities " noted Adam Holladay, market manager, Harman system development and integration group. "As a result of today's introduction, our customers in the marketplace can deploy an easy-to-use yet eminently powerful tool that allows them to be more effective and efficient at designing high-performing, consistent sound systems for an array of applications."

Winner of a 2011 PLASA Award for Innovation and a 2012 InAVation Awards finalist, JBL HiQnet Performance Manager is said to provide a comprehensive, step-by-step workflow that directly corresponds to real-world system configuration, taking the workflow paradigm introduced in System Architect 2 to a higher level of functionality for any live performance audio application. It is fully integrated with JBL's Line Array Calculator II loudspeaker configuration and acoustic modeling software.

"Performance Manager is an integral part of Harman Professional's turnkey system solution for the recently-released JBL Professional VTX Series and provides an ideal simulation and control environment that allows system engineers to fully leverage the power of VTX and Crown Audio VRACK", commented Paul Bauman, Sr, manager -- tour sound, JBL Professional. "The work flow approach is consistent with what has been taught throughout VerTec training for the past six years and there is an exciting roadmap ahead for additional product and optimization integration into Performance Manager. I'd like to personally thank all of the Beta testers who provided invaluable input as well as the SDIG software team for doing a fantastic job on the software development side."

JBL HiQnet Performance Manager version 1.0 is available for $399 per license at http://hiqnet.harmanpro.com. Volume discounts are available. An in-depth series of online training videos can also be viewed and a public Performance Manager training session will be held during the PLASA trade show in London, England in September.

The Performance Manager work flow forms the very foundation of the software with an appropriately- tailored user interface for each and every stage. The user begins by loading templates of the speaker arrays used in the system, and then runs Line Array Calculator II for each array as part of the initial sound design task of determining how many and which type of loudspeakers are required to cover a given venue. For each array, Performance Manager automatically loads the passive VERTEC or powered VERTEC DrivePack DPDA line array configuration into the main application workspace -- the first of many automated design processes native to the software application. Loudspeakers can also be manually loaded into the templates if desired.

Once the user defines the required amplifier parameters for the passive loudspeakers within the arrays, Performance Manager automatically loads the correct number of Crown Audio VRACK or other user-determined amplifier racks into the audio system. The software then associates the amplifier outputs with the bandpass crossover inputs for the selected array and programs the amplifiers with the correct JBL preset data, as well as gain shading and JBL Line Array Control Panel equalization parameters that are determined in JBL's Line Array Calculator II as part of the modeling process to optimize sound pressure level and frequency response over the defined audience geometry.

Representations of the bandpass inputs for each loudspeaker section are overlaid onto the arrays, enabling the user to easily visualize the array configuration, whether JBL DrivePack-powered or driven by external Crown power amplifiers. Performance Manager software also significantly simplifies system-networking configuration -- the user can simply drag and drop devices discovered on the network onto the pre-configured devices within the Performance Manager workspace to synchronize all addressing and parameter values.

In addition, the Performance Manager graphic interface provides embedded control panels for array calibration, time alignment and system EQ which utilize input section digital signal processing resources available in either Crown I-Tech HD (and legacy I-Tech) power amplifiers or JBL DrivePack-powered loudspeakers with DPDA digital audio input modules. Input attenuation, equalization, delay settings, and bandpass controls are all readily accessible directly within the main application workspace along with flexible grouping and comprehensive solo/mute functionality for system testing.

Once system tuning is complete, Performance Manager's Show Mode display is optimized for the actual live performance, offering appropriate adjustment control ballistics for equalization and dedicated monitoring interfaces for levels, speaker loads, thermal conditions and AC power requirements. The workspace for all stages of Performance Manager's workflow has a common design motif, with monitoring functions overlaid on top of the same loudspeaker bandpass representations within the workspace, making visualization easier and more consistent across various workflow screens.

Harman says HiQnet is the world's first connectivity and control protocol that integrates all product categories in the signal chain for professional audio systems of all types, size, and applications. It no longer requires the user to manage multiple disparate operating systems or be responsible for programming individual signal processors, speaker controllers, wireless microphone systems, and mixing consoles. Itbwas developed by engineers from across Harman's Professional Division and is coordinated by the system development and integration group), a team of dedicated systems specialists based in Salt Lake City, Utah.