Funktion-One Rig

[phil dekked]

Just my 2p`s worth

 

If you are going for a single stack a side of Res2 and 218 have a think about some Infrabass instead....

I have done enough shows with a single 218 a side and it just doesn`t cut it compared to say a double reflex 18.

But having set up for another company Res2 over Infra a few times it seems to suit the " smaller" setup. The 218`s are great in stacks of 4 - 6 a side but only 1 or 2 a side seems to lack lower down and your not getting the full coupling effect of all those short horns? The Infra`s work in the lower region under the fullrange Res2 which crosses a lot lower than a Res4 / 5 .

 

As you were

 

.p.

[Matt Riley]

I don't think that Funktion one lack the industry penetration because of the quality of their products. I would say that it is largely because the (not necessarily incorrect) views on the nature of speaker design and live sound put forward through the industry press by T.A. are often put forward in quite an agressive way and have the potential to ruffle a few feathers of the kind of companies who would significantly raise the profile of F1 for live events. The most notable one being an article in total production mag which I felt like it was suggesting that because I sometimes use digi desks I was either incompetant or deaf. Also, the major rental providers settled on what brand they thought was best well over a decade ago and appear to have largely stuck with those manufacturers.

 

Another major issue for hire companies and end users is that they are tired of homebrew crossover points and different brands of amps if they hire in extra racks and stacks. In a market where F1 are competing against L-acoustics, nexo, KV2, Meyer and D&B, this self protecting and consistant approach is highly valued in the eyes of major companies and venues, and I don't believe that F1 have chosen to offer it at the moment.

 

 

M

[bigglesuk]

Another major issue for hire companies and end users is that they are tired of homebrew crossover points and different brands of amps if they hire in extra racks and stacks. In a market where F1 are competing against L-acoustics, nexo, KV2, Meyer and D&B, this self protecting and consistant approach is highly valued in the eyes of major companies and venues, and I don't believe that F1 have chosen to offer it at the moment.

You've picked up on a point that I don't think has really been mentioned before. My preference for a system would be d&b as that is the system I know the best. It's also one of the simplest systems to set up given the complete solution of speakers, controller and amps. Why should I spend time having to program in a controller for my speaker system when I know with d&b (and other manufacturers) that I can plug in, change a quick menu option and start making some noise.

 

If Funktion-One partnered with someone like XTA to produce a controller for their speaker systems that is easy to program then I feel people would consider using a Funktion-One rig.

 

Adam

[Brettmasters]

If Funktion-One partnered with someone like XTA to produce a controller for their speaker systems that is easy to program then I feel people would consider using a Funktion-One rig.

I think you will find they already have!!!

 

http://www.funktion-one.com/xo1.htm

 

This unit as many of you will know is a OEM XTA DP226. All of the Funktion-one system settings are Freely available which isn't true with other brands. (no secret correction going on in a locked DSP Programme)

 

Personally I find any XTA unit VERY easy to set up. Anybody in the industry that has been around for more than a few months should have come across a 226 or 448.

 

If you take a look at the XTA website you will find that they advertise settings for most leading brands that endorse xta and if you ask will actually set your 224, 226, 448 etc up over the phone with you.

 

As for the Digital comment, I have to agree in part on both sides. Tony is standing up for what he believes in and I do agree that all the conversion of signals isn't healthy for the signal path and does degrade the quality.

 

When I looked for our new Speaker system (as Turbosound wasn't cutting the mustard) I went with a open mind and listened to everything I could and I only found one system that really stood out in Quality, functionality and progress in design and that was Funktion-one. Maybe if I had read all the forums and listened to the views of some I would of bypassed them and may have missed out on what I strongly believe to be one of the best systems on the market. Personally I don't like line arrays and that is my opinion not TA's but for the same reasons as Tony. That said I do like the adamson Y's, compared to the other line arrays... But, I don't think they are anywhere near as usable as a point source system.. Honesty is really what the industry needs, not sheep who are frightened to be the one to speak out

 

What doesn't help Funktion-one or any other brand is people making half informed assumptions that lead to poorly informed speculation...

 

 

After all, we all have our own opinions, lets just get the facts before we share them..

[SteveAATW]

I think thats a valid point, if you were to ring F1 and ask "what amplifier should I use for this" the answer is often variable and you may end up with more than one possibility depending on the application - one thing is for sure though the conversation will undoubtedly be quite an intresting one.

 

To many people I guess this approach would be frustrating - you will want to know that Speaker X requires Amplifier X and you plug it into port 3 on the manufacturers speaker controller. Even better if its something like a D&B amp and you just select the speaker your driving and press go.

 

I think though, it's something you find a lot in anything involving sound. I also work for a major record label and there are two main different mindsets when it comes to production. The do it fast, take the easy route and the endless pontificating about sound quality, equipment used etc. Both approaches are valid and have their uses in different areas though and I think the same can be said for F1. I know an engineer who still mixes down to analogue tape from an analogue desk and you can hear the difference between doing that and doing it on a digital desk. Some of the more commercially orientated people in the industry would say whats the point, 95% of the people who listen to it won't give a damn, its a waste of time and energy.

 

We need both sets of people though and the world would be a very boring place if it was just full of companies like Peavey, Harman, AKG, EV, Proel etc. - some companies will design down a safe, well established route and shift large amounts of boxes. Some will push the boundaries of whats been done before, be very vocal and very different in their approach, not shift a lot of boxes but may ultimately improve the way speakers are designed in years to come, I think one thing that most people will agree on even if they don't like the colour of the boxes, the shape of the axeheads and the amount of creativity involved in configuring the system is that Funktion One stuff that's setup well sounds fantastic and that there isn't much else around that sounds the same. There's plenty of other systems which would work for any given job, but there is a sound to it that you don't often find in PA systems.

 

If you want an easy, by the numbers approach to sound then F1 might not be up your street, but sound is organic and no two applications are the same so it can quite easily be argued that a by the numbers approach is not the best way of going about sound in the first place :)

 

On the plug and play front though - If dialling in crossover settings to an XTA or XO1 is still too fiddly for you. F1's new active systems may be the answer, ampilfier and DSP on board, plug in a full range signal, plug in a slave speaker and off you go - doesn't get much simpler really!