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X-Array™ Loudspeaker Systems

badge is right side up, maintaining a consistent
appearance. In addition the high-frequency horn
may be rotated, offering the choice of a 60°H x
40°V pattern or a 40°H x 60°V pattern.

All of the half-size X-Array™ models – the Xcn,
and Xcb – also have identical dimensions and ap-
pearance with grilles on, and have rigging that is
identical to the full-size models. The Xcb is acous-
tically symmetrical side to side and top to bottom
and, therefore, does not need to be rotated up-
side down for any reason when designing arrays.
The Xcn, however, is not acoustically symmetrical
top to bottom (the high-frequency horn is offset
slightly to one end inside the mid-bass horn),
which may necessitate that some enclosures be
turned upside down for optimal array perfor-
mance. The Xcn is shipped from the factory with
the high-frequency horn offset towards the bot-
tom. If the enclosure is turned upside down so
that the high-frequency horn is at the top, the
alignment feet on the enclosure must be swapped
around so that the male feet (protruding feet) are
on the bottom and the female feet (concave
dishes) are on the top as arrayed. The grille
should also be rotated so that the grille badge is
right side up, maintaining a consistent appear-
ance. In addition the high-frequency horn may be
rotated, offering the choice of a 60°H x 40°V pat-

tern or a 40°H x 60°V pattern.

2.2 Adjusting the Vertical Angles

Using the Xrsl (long wire-ropr rigging strap)
Between Enclosures:
  The long Xrsl rigging
straps are the primary recommendation for setting
the angle between enclosures because they pro-
vide the widest range between a pair of enclo-
sures. 

Figure 9a

 shows the round cutouts (or

“holes”) in the front rigging tracks of a pair of en-
closures, each numbered 0 through 5. These
twelve positions allow a range of angles between
enclosures from 0° (enclosures parallel to each
other) to 18°down in 1.8° increments. For in-
stance, when the fittings of the Xrsl rigging straps
are inserted into cutouts #0 on both the  upper
and lower enclosures (position “0-0”), as shown in

Figure 9b

, the resulting angle between the two en-

closures is 0°. Notice in 

Figure 9b

 that the rigging

strap and fittings cover up all of the track cutouts
so that there are no round cutouts (or “holes”)
showing. Thus, the “0-0” position can also be
thought of as the “0-holes-showing” position. An
equation can be written that predicts the relative
angle of the enclosures when the Xrsl is used:

   Angle = - (Holes Showing) x 1.8°

  for the Xrsl

where negative (“-”) angles indicate down-
ward angles and positive (“+”) angles indicate
upward angles.

If the double-stud fittings of the Xrsl strap are in-
serted into cutout #3 in the upper enclosure and
cutout #4 in the lower enclosure (position “3-4”),
as shown in 

Figure 9c

, a total of 7 holes are show-

ing, making the angle between the two enclosures
-(7 x 1.8°) = -12.6°. This system makes it easy to
obtain the desired vertical array shape without
having to experiment with balancing the enclo-
sures.

Using the Xrsl (long wire-rope rigging strap) at
the Grid:  
The long Xrsl rigging straps may also
be used to attach the top enclosure in an array
column to the ATM Fly-Ware

TM

 MEGS-4000-T

grid. The Xrsl rigging straps allow the top enclo-
sure to hang at 0° (parallel to the grid) to 10.8°
down relative to the grid in 1.8° increments.

Figure 10a

 shows the two cutouts in the track on

the front of the ATM grid, numbered 0 and 1, and
the six cutouts in the enclosure track, numbered
0 through 5. The same equation discussed in the
previous paragraph for determining angles be-
tween enclosures also applies to the Xrsl when
determining angles between the top enclosure
and the ATM grid:

page 10

Summary of Contents for X-ARRAY

Page 1: ...Flying Manual and Structural Ratings X ARRAY CONCERT SYSTEMS ...

Page 2: ...es as commonly recognized in the United States and is believed to be accurate at the time of the original printing As such the information may not be directly applicable in other countries Furthermore the regulations and requirements governing rigging hardware and practices may be superseded by local regulations It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that any Electro Voice loudspeaker syst...

Page 3: ...igging strap Between Enclosures 11 12 Using the Xrss at the Grid 11 Multiple Enclosure Angles 12 2 3 Adjusting the Horizontal Angles 12 13 2 4 Balancing and Distributing the Load 13 14 Array Load Distribution 13 14 Balancing the Grid 14 2 5 Using Pull Up Lines 14 15 Pull Up Line Techniques 14 15 CAUTIONS for Pull Up Lines 15 3 RIGGING STRENGTH RATINGS SAFETY 15 23 FACTORS AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATION...

Page 4: ...sl NH32102 2 Xrss short wire rope rigging strap Overall Enclosure Structural Strength Rating 21 CAUTIONS for a Complex Structural Rating Analysis 21 3 5 Special Considerations 21 23 Double Stud Fittings 21 23 Flying a Single Enclosure 23 3 6 Electro Voice Structural Analysis Procedures 23 4 RIGGING INSPECTION AND PRECAUTIONS 23 24 5 REFERENCES 24 Rigging References Mechanical Engineering Reference...

Page 5: ...180B 457 mm 18 in woofers The Xds utilizes the double wide X Array enclosure shell and does not have flying hardware Xcn Compact near field two way MB HF loud speaker system with a rotatable 60 x 40 cover age pattern The system has one ND12A 305 mm 12 in MB driver and one ND5 16 76 mm 3 in HF compression driver The Xcn utilizes the half size X Array enclosure shell and the standard X Array flying ...

Page 6: ...osure may be hung parallel to the top enclosure or angled downward substantially relative to the top enclosure When the short Xrss straps are used between enclo sures the bottom enclosure may be hung parallel to the top enclosure or angled downward a mod erate amount relative to the top enclosure When a grid is used each array column must be balanced by adjusting the position of the grid hanger to...

Page 7: ...16 67 in 457 2 mm 18 00 in FIGURE 2b Xn SYSTEM TYP 9 0 584 2 mm 23 00 in 353 8 mm 13 93 in 733 2 mm 28 87 in 758 8 mm 29 88 in 914 4 mm 36 00 in 441 3 mm 17 38 in 409 2 mm 16 11 in C L WEIGHT WITHOUT EXTERNAL RIGGING 87 1 kg 192 lb WITH EXTERNAL RIGGING 90 2 kg 199 lb O FIGURE 2c Xb SYSTEM TYP 9 0 584 2 mm 23 00 in 353 8 mm 13 93 in 733 2 mm 28 87 in 758 8 mm 29 88 in C L 914 4 mm 36 00 in 457 2 m...

Page 8: ...econd as sembly ties into the right side top and bottom of the enclosure The front track extends from the top to the bottom on both sides of the enclosure eliminating the load applied to the enclosure shell These track dimensions are also similar to the widely used heavy duty aircraft L track New Haven NH34030 3HD or ATM Fly Ware ATM TRACK On both sides of the enclosure the front rigging track has...

Page 9: ... in pairs and must be installed with the chain near the ends of the track as shown in Figure 5a Note If one grid hinge is installed in correctly with the chain at the center of the track the second grid hinge will not fit into the track cut out Key dimensions for the Xrhg grid hinges and the enclosure are presented in Figures 4a and 5a To install an Xrhg grid hinge into the track of an enclosure g...

Page 10: ...nge bases sideways towards the end of the track until both spring loaded locking pins drop into the hinge locking pin holes in the base of the track on both enclosures Once the locking pins are fully engaged the linking hinge bases will be immovable in the track ALWAYS CHECK TO MAKE SURE THE LINKING HINGE BASES ARE SECURELY LOCKED INTO THE TRACK AND THAT THE LOCKING PINS ARE FULLY EN GAGED IN THE ...

Page 11: ...in Figure 6a and the long Xrsl wire rope rigging strap shown in Figure 6b are identical except for their length Both consist of two New Haven NH32102 2 double stud swivel ring fittings connected together with a 4 76 mm 188 in di ameter galvanized and black plastic coated air craft wire rope See section 3 Rigging Strength Ratings Safety Factors and Special Consider ations for a detailed discussion ...

Page 12: ...LY LOCKED INTO THE TRACK AND THAT THE SAFETY PIN IS EXTENDED OVER THE LOCKING RING BEFORE LIFTING ANY LOUDSPEAKER ENCLOSURE OVERHEAD 1 5 Grid Details ATM Fly WareTM manufactures the MEGS 4000 T grid shown in Figure 8 specifically for the X Array loudspeaker systems The grid is com pletely compatible with the X Array systems and has track on the front and rear for connecting to the top enclosure in...

Page 13: ...hile maintaining a consistent appear ance The Xf and the Xb are acoustically sym metrical side to side and top to bottom and there fore do not need to be rotated upside down for any reason when designing arrays The Xn how ever is not acoustically symmetrical top to bottom the low frequency section is at one end while the mid bass high frequency section is at the other end which may necessitate tha...

Page 14: ... a pair of en closures each numbered 0 through 5 These twelve positions allow a range of angles between enclosures from 0 enclosures parallel to each other to 18 down in 1 8 increments For in stance when the fittings of the Xrsl rigging straps are inserted into cutouts 0 on both the upper and lower enclosures position 0 0 as shown in Figure 9b the resulting angle between the two en closures is 0 N...

Page 15: ... be four more holes showing when the short Xrss rigging strap is used compared to the long Xrsl strap This results in an additional 7 2 upward angle when the short Xrss is used Thus the equation for the Xrss becomes Angle 7 2 Holes Showing x 1 8 for the Xrss where negative angles indicate downward angles and positive angles indicate upward angles For example if the fittings of the short Xrss strap...

Page 16: ... lower in the array This is best illustrated by the ex ampleshownin Figure13 An Xrss rigging strap is attached at position 1 5 between the ATM grid and the top enclosure resulting in a relative angle between the grid and enclosure of 3 6 See the sections immediately above for how to calculate the relative angles based on the rigging strap attachment locations Since the grid is level at 0 the absol...

Page 17: ...n while maintaining a safety factor in excess of 8 1 If the total weight of a column of loudspeakers is greater than 454 kg 1 000 lb but less than the 726 kg 1 600 lb maximum the user must be concerned about the weight dis tribution front to back to ensure that a safety fac tor of 8 1 is maintained in the front rigging straps Typically the most common array configurations used in touring and perma...

Page 18: ...sure was free hanging To force that enclosure to angle down more than gravity would allow a pull up line would need to be attached to the bottom of the enclosure at the rear Pull up lines are usually attached to the bottom back corner of the bottom enclosure in an array column Pulling back and up will force the enclo sure to angle down more until the front straps are taut Even if the enclosure wit...

Page 19: ...the front straps the grid will become unbalanced resulting in the front of the grid tilting down and the back tilting up This imbalance could cause a sudden shift in the load that could be dangerous If multiple grids are coupled together horizontally and one grid be comes unbalanced there could be dangerous twisting forces between the unbalanced grid and adjacent balanced grids The second concern ...

Page 20: ... of 5 1 Electro Voice insists that the working load limits of the X Array components never be exceeded resulting in a safety factor of 8 1 still being maintained for the Electro Voice components The user is cautioned that some lo cal regulations may require safety factors higher than 8 1 In that circumstance Electro Voice in sists that the user maintain the higher safety fac tor as required by the...

Page 21: ...l weight of all enclosures and rigging hardware suspended below it The absolute enclosure angle is the ver tical angle of that enclosure where 0 represents an upright enclosure facing straight ahead 0 elevation angle These working load versus angle limits take into account the complex forces generated in the front rigging straps the rear rig ging hinges the enclosure and the optional pull up line ...

Page 22: ...AYS BASED ON THE A VERTICAL ANGLE OF EACH ENCLOSURE B TOTAL WEIGHT OF EACH ENCLOSURE PLUS ALL ENCLOSURES AND RIGGING SUSPENDED BELOW IT C RELATIVE ANGLES OF THE FRONT RIGGING STRAPS D RELATIVE ANGLE OF THE Xrhg OR Xrhp HINGES WORKING LOAD RATINGS OTHER ARRAY CONFIGURATIONS MAY BE FOR WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION CALCULATIONS BY UTILIZING CONSERVATIVE PERMISSIBLE FOR THOSE APPLICATIONS CONSULT THE X ARRAY F...

Page 23: ...of the enclosures and rigging suspended below If however the top enclosure in a column was angled up 10 the total allowable weight would then only be 499 kg 1 100 lb including the weight of the top enclosure plus all of the enclo sures and rigging suspended below The enclo sure working load versus angle limit shown in Figure 19 not only applies to the top enclosure in an array column but also appl...

Page 24: ...back ratings are valid over the entire side to side range of 10 The front to back structural strength ratings for the Xrhl linking hinges shown in Figure 20b cover a full 360 rotation Although it is not possible to put the hinge into tension over 360 it is possible for the linking hinges to go into compression when pull up straps are employed Therefore the 360 rating is necessary to accommodate bo...

Page 25: ...s CAUTIONS for a Complex Structural Rating Analysis WHEN APPLYING A COMPLEX STRUCTURAL RATING ANALYSIS TO ANY X ARRAY LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM SUS PENDED OVERHEAD THE USER MUST OBEY THE FOLLOWING RULES 1 For the front of every enclosure in an array never exceed the working load versus angle limit for the Xrss rigging straps the Xrsl rigging straps or any custom rigging straps 2 For the back of every enc...

Page 26: ...X Array Loudspeaker Systems page 22 ...

Page 27: ...ts and enclosures to be analyzed for loudspeakers as sembled into arrays in both static and dynamic conditions Structural testing and computer modeling were used throughout the engineering development of all of the X Array individual rigging components and complete loudspeaker systems described in this manual Testing and modeling involving both anticipated use and anticipated misuse were per forme...

Page 28: ...snagel L R Higgins J A MacDonald Handbook of Rigging for Construc tion and Industrial Operations McGraw Hill Book Company New York NY USA 1988 2 J O Glerum Stage Rigging Handbook Southern Illinois University Press Carbondale IL USA 1987 3 P Carter Backstage Handbook Broad way Press New York NY USA 1988 4 ATM Fly Ware Riggermeister Produc tion Rigging Guide ATM Fly Ware Carson CA USA 1995 5 Wire Ro...

Page 29: ... together at the rear Each hinge consists of two precision machined steel rigging track fittings connected by a heavy duty steel hinge Part number 510 2998 Electro Voice 600 Cecil St Buchanan MI 49107 USA 616 695 6831 Xrsl Long Rigging Strap Two Xrsl long rigging straps are used at the front of two enclosures to adjust their relative vertical angles The Xrsl may also be used to attach the front of...

Page 30: ...X ARRAY Flying Manual Part Number 534637 9821 600 Cecil Street Buchanan MI 49107 Phone 616 695 6831 Fax 616 695 1304 www electrovoice com Telex Communications Inc 1998 Litho in U S A ...

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