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A

MPLIFIER SELECTION FOR USE WITH 

RS15

 

  

Page 

19/58

 

  In cases where you don't know the gain of your amplifier (or want to check it) please follow this 

procedure: 

1)  Unplug any loudspeakers from the amplifier outputs 

2)  With a signal generator, feed a sine wave at 1000Hz at a known voltage (say 0.5V) to 

the input of the amplifier under test 

3)  Measure the voltage at the output of the amplifier 

4)  Calculate the gain using the formula Gain = 20 * LOG

10

(Vout/Vin). 

Some examples: 

Vin / Gain 

20dB 

26dB 

32dB 

37dB (1.4V sensitivity / 1350Wrms) 

0.1 V 

1 V 

2 V 

4 V 

7.1 V 

0.5 V 

5 V 

10 V 

20 V 

35.4 V 

1 V 

10 V 

20 V 

40 V 

70.8 V 

 

Remember that constant sensitivity settings will give a different gain value when the amplifier power is 
different. 

NEXO recommends low gain amplifiers: +26dB is recommended, as it is at the same time adequately 
low and quite common amongst amplifier manufacturers. This gain setting improves signal to noise ratio 
and allows all preceding electronic equipment, including the NX242 TDcontroller or GEO S12 
TDController, to operate at optimum level. Remember that using a high gain amplifier will raise the 
noise floor proportionally. 

Operating Mode 

Most two channel amplifiers available on the pro-audio market have the following operating modes: 

 Stereo: two fully independent channels deliver identical power into identical loads 

  NEXO recommends Stereo Mode for all amplifier channels feeding RS15’s. 

 Bridge-Mono: the second signal channel processes the same input as the first channel, but with 

reversed phase. The (single) load is connected between the two positive channel outputs using a 
suitable connection. While the total output of the amplifier remains the same, the available output 
voltage, the minimum impedance that can be connected and the voltage gain are doubled as 
compared with stereo operation. Typically, only channel 1 input is active. Positive and negative 
output connections vary depending on amplifier manufacturers. 

  NEXO does not recommend Bridge Mono Mode unless amplifier power is clearly not sufficient. 

IMPORTANT 

When in Bridge-Mono mode, check your amplifier user manual for proper connection of 
outputs 1(+) and (2+) in relation to input phase. 

 Parallel-mono: the output terminals of the two channels are configured in parallel using an 

internal relay. The (single) load is connected either to the output of channel 1 or to that of channel 
2 (as if in stereo). While the total output of the amplifier remains the same the output voltage level 
is also the same as in stereo mode. The minimum impedance that can be connected is reduced 
by half due to the fact that current capability is doubled. Typically, only channel 1 input is active. 

  NEXO does not recommend Parallel-Mono Mode for RS15 amplification. 

Warning on amplifiers signal processing features 

Some high-end amplifiers may include signal processing functions similar to those found in the NX242 
TDcontroller or in GEO S12 TDController ("loudspeaker offset integration", "limiter", "compressor," etc.). 
Moreover, when this processing is digital, computation latency time can introduce a few milliseconds 
delay from input to output. These functions are not adapted to specific system requirements and may 
interfere with the complex protection algorithms used in the NX242. 

Summary of Contents for Ray Sub Series

Page 1: ...Ray Sub Series RS15 Subwoofer User Manual RS15 Subwoofer User Manual V1 02 Date 31 08 2010 ...

Page 2: ...rs provide an elegant solution to the above issues based on a technology that is a simple transposition to sound sources of what has been applied for decades in microphones radiated field derives from pressure differences generated from two or more sources Rear radiation is lowered by more than 12 dB which benefits to stage as well as to neighbours Direct to reverberant ratio is increased by nearl...

Page 3: ... direction and cancel in the rearward direction Used as a single cabinet RAY SUB Technology allows the same cabinet to be configured for any polar pattern omnidirectional as a standard direct radiating subwoofer when speakers are facing the audience or highly directional when cabinet is rotated speakers sideways or upwards Used in arrays RAY SUB subwoofers can be set back to back front to front in...

Page 4: ...rsonnel if the device installation requires construction work and make sure to observe the following precautions Mounting precautions choose mounting hardware and an installation location that can support the weight of the speaker system do not use speaker system handles for suspended installation do not expose speaker system to excessive dust or vibration or extreme cold or heat to prevent possib...

Page 5: ...replacement of the obsolete outlet US market Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs convenience receptacles and the point where they exit from the apparatus Only use attachments accessories specified by the manufacturer Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel Servi...

Page 6: ...excess of the limits as set forth above To ensure against potentially dangerous exposure to high sound pressure levels it is recommended that all persons exposed to equipment capable of producing high sound pressure levels such as this amplification system be protected by hearing protectors while this unit is in operation DISPOSAL OF OLD ELECTRICAL ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT This symbol on the product o...

Page 7: ... rating 18 3 1 2 Amplifier settings 18 3 2 RS15 and NXAMP TDControllers 20 3 2 1 NXAMP connectors 20 3 2 2 RS15 and NXAMP recommended configurations 20 4 RS15 Setups on NEXO TD Controllers 21 4 1 Analogue GEOS12 TDController 21 4 2 Digital NX242 ES4 and NXAMP TDControllers 21 5 Connection diagrams 22 5 1 RS15 with GEOS12 TDController Mono Omni Mode 22 5 2 RS15 with NX242 ES4 TD Controller Stereo O...

Page 8: ...oint 41 8 4 2 Precautions 42 8 4 3 Alignment with distance measurement 42 8 4 4 Alignment with phase measurement 43 8 5 Recommended installation tools and equipment 43 9 RS15 System Check List 44 9 1 Are the NX Digital TDcontrollers properly configured 44 9 1 1 NX settings 44 9 2 Are the amplifiers properly configured 44 9 3 Are the amps and the NX properly connected 44 9 4 Are the speakers proper...

Page 9: ...r with NX Tension Card 54 10 6 1 Specifications 54 10 6 2 Front and Rear Panel view 54 10 7 NXAMP4x1 NXAMP4x4 Powered Digital TDControllers 55 10 7 1 Specifications 55 10 7 2 Front and Rear Panel view 56 11 RS15 Parts Accessories List 57 11 1 Modules Control Electronics List 57 11 2 Accessories List 57 12 USER NOTES 58 ...

Page 10: ...xcursion Neodynium direct radiating drivers mounted in a dual volume vented enclosure with aerodynamic profiled vents its coverage ranges from omnidirectional to highly directional and its frequency response extends from VLF to LF ranges 35Hz 200Hz Painted and Carpeted versions are available a full range of accessories that provides safe flexible and simple means of transporting and installing RS1...

Page 11: ...e equipped with NX Tension Card ES4 or CAI to access RS15 setups NXAMP4x1 and NXAMP 4x4 are Powered Digital Controllers providing full control and amplification for RS15 in multiple configurations Both devices feature 4 analogue inputs and 4 speaker outputs When equipped with optional card 4 digital inputs in EthersoundTM digital audio network format as well as remote control for all units in the ...

Page 12: ...ace to face or in vertical columns alternating speaker side However users might prefer to have all RS15s configured identically in which case they should all be RS15 RIGHT so that skids are opposite to pole stand hole Tools TORX 25 and ALLEN key 6mm 2 1 1 RS15 LEFT Mounting skids on the pole stand hole side defines a RS15 LEFT In such a case front grid must be removed flipped over and reinstalled ...

Page 13: ... and screws provided with the RS15 HANDLES kit and tight them INSTALLING RS15 HANDLES IMPORTANT RS15 handles must not be used to fly RS15 s through illegal use of straps for example 2 2 2 RS15 Flying Plates with handles touring applications IMPORTANT Tools TORX 50 Remove the four screws on each side of RS15 Fill each screw hole with Loctite 243 or equivalent Position flying bars so that articulate...

Page 14: ...S15 back panel Fill each screw hole with Loctite 243 or equivalent Position wheels according to below drawing Insert the 8 washers and 4 screws provided with the RS15 WHEEL kit see detail in below drawing and tight them Holes to be filled with Loctite 243 Link Bars going upwards opposite to skids Vertical Openings opposite to loudspeakers ...

Page 15: ... RS15 S CAN BE SECURED TOGETHER 2 RS15 DOLLY IS DESIGNED FOR UP TO 3 RS15 S AND BUMPER NEVER EXCEED THESE QUANTITIES The first RS15 must be locked to the RS15 dolly using four push pins according to below drawing Subsequent RS15s are stacked on top using four push pins per additional cabinet to secure the assembly Bumper is to be attached to the top cabinet ...

Page 16: ...ult configuration CONNECTOR PLATE IN DIRECTIONAL MODE CONNECTOR PLATE IN OMNI MODE 2 3 2 RS15 connectors RS15 is connected through Speakon NL4FC plugs not supplied A wiring diagram is printed on the connection panel located on the back of each cabinet The 4 pins of the 2 Speakon sockets are connected in parallel within the enclosure Either connector can be used to connect an amplifier or to link t...

Page 17: ...alues for 3 common sizes Load Impedance Ω 2 4 8 Cable section Maximum Length meters 1 5 mm AWG 14 3 6 12 2 5 mm AWG 12 5 10 20 4 mm AWG 10 8 16 32 2 3 4 Example Each RS15 driver has a 8 Ohms nominal impedance in omni mode both loudspeakers can be driven in parallel on one amplifier channel presenting therefore a 8 2 4 Ohms load impedance The maximum acceptable 2x2 5 mm2 AWG 12 cable length Lmax fo...

Page 18: ...ate Amplifiers are generally specified by continuous RMS power into resistive loads however the only useful information about current capacity is the specification into a 2 Ohm load It is possible to perform an amplifier listening test by loading the amps with twice the number of cabinets considered for the application 2 speakers per channel instead of one 4 instead of 2 and running the amps up to...

Page 19: ...ingle load is connected between the two positive channel outputs using a suitable connection While the total output of the amplifier remains the same the available output voltage the minimum impedance that can be connected and the voltage gain are doubled as compared with stereo operation Typically only channel 1 input is active Positive and negative output connections vary depending on amplifier ...

Page 20: ...hms NXAMP4x4 4 x 1900 Watts 8 Ohms 4 x 3300 Watts 4 Ohms 4 x 4000 Watts 2 Ohms 2 x 6600 Watts 8 Ohms 2 x 8000 Watts 4 Ohms 3 2 1 NXAMP connectors NXAMP4x1 and NXAMP4x4 rear panels feature 4 analog inputs outputs links on XLR3 connectors 4 digital inputs outputs on RJ45 connectors with optional card 4 speaker level outputs on NL4FC connectors Figure below shows connectors implementation on the rear...

Page 21: ...sive Wideband 1 x RS15 cardio 35Hz 90Hz 2 x PS15 Passive Wideband 2 x RS15 omni 35Hz 90Hz 2 x PS15 Passive X Over 1 x RS15 cardio 35Hz 90Hz 2 x PS15 Passive X Over GEO S830 2 RS15 omni 35Hz 90Hz 2 S830 Wideband 1 x RS15 cardio 35Hz 90Hz 2 x S830 Wideband 2 RS15 omni 35Hz 90Hz 2 S830 X Over 1 x RS15 cardio 35Hz 90Hz 2 x S830 X Over GEO S805 2 RS15 omni 35Hz 90Hz 2 S805 Wideband 1 x RS15 cardio 35Hz...

Page 22: ... 1 1 N C 2 2 FULL RANGE Speakon 4 1 1 VLF 2 2 N C TO AMPLIFIERS BALANC ED IN PUT S RIGHT LEFT 6dB 12dB 0dB OUT PUT LEVEL BALANC ED OUT PUT S RIGHT LEFT SUB L R EARTH LIFT FROM AMPLIFIERS 3 2 1 SENSE IN PUT from amp terminals CAUTION Sense must be connected for speaker protection SEE USER MANUAL STEREO IN GEOS12 LEFT GEOS12 RIGHT SUB OUT GEOS12 LEFT GEOS12 RIGHT SUB VLF1 and VLF2 on one amplifier c...

Page 23: ...4 TD Controller Stereo Omni or Directional Mode LEFT RIGHT SP4 OUT LEFT FRONT OUT LEFT REAR IN RIGHT IN LEFT TO AMPLIFIERS STEREO FROM AMPLIFIERS LEFT REAR LEFT FRONT 2 1 SP4 SP4 STEREO 3 4 OUT RIGHT FRONT OUT RIGHT REAR RIGHT REAR RIGHT FRONT SP4 SP4 SP4 ...

Page 24: ...Page 24 58 CONNECTION DIAGRAMS 5 3 RS15 with NXAMP Stereo Omni or Directional Mode SP4 SP4 SP4 SP4 SP4 SP4 SP4 SP4 SP4 SP4 SP4 SP4 SP4 SP4 IN A IN B OUT C OUT A ...

Page 25: ...fety equipment should deploy RAYSUB Arrays Misuse of the RS15 Rigging System could lead to dangerous consequences Used and maintained correctly the RS15 Rigging System will give many years of reliable service in portable systems Please take the time to read and understand this manual 6 1 1 Flown Systems Safety Always inspect all the rigging components and cabinets for damage before assembly Pay sp...

Page 26: ...age is clear Always survey the supporting structure upon which a ground stack is to be built Always look beneath PA wings to inspect the deck support and if necessary ask for the stage scrims and dressings be removed to allow access If the stage surface slopes as it does in some theatres ensure that the system is prevented from sliding forwards due to vibration This may require the fitting of timb...

Page 27: ...with loudspeaker flying systems NEXO recommend that users contact local industry associations for information on specialist courses Information for International training agencies can be obtained by contacting either The Production Services Association PSA School Passage Kingston upon Thames KT1 SDU Surrey ENGLAND Telephone 44 0 181 392 0180 Rigstar Training and Testing Center 82 Industrial Dr Uni...

Page 28: ...ates RS15 FPLATES for N cabinets 4xN Quick release pins BLGEOS for N cabinets 1 hoist not provided 6 2 1 Hoist Rating N being RS15 quantity within cluster cluster weight is given by Wcluster 17kg 38lbs Nx 70kg 154lbs NB this formula includes cable weight up to 5kg 11lbs per RS15 Typical cases are 3 RS15 cluster ton hoist 6 RS15 cluster ton hoist 12 RS15 cluster 1 ton hoist 6 2 2 Connecting first R...

Page 29: ...quipped with wheels clusters gravity center of a single RS15 with wheels precisely matches geometrical center Top center bumper rigging point 17mm ahead of geometrical center RS15 without wheels clusters all speakers facing same direction gravity center of a single RS15 is precisely 17mm ahead of geometrical center Other available rigging point positions Cable weight influence over gravity center ...

Page 30: ... not forget to secure the axis with R clips once horizontality is achieved Assembly is now ready for second RS15 connection 6 2 4 Flying the second RS15 Lift assembly to sufficient height in order to connect a second RS15 Connect second RS15 to first RS15 flying system link plates ensure quick release pins are properly locked OMNI MODE DIRECTIONAL MODE BACK TO BACK DIRECTIONAL MODE FACE TO FACE ...

Page 31: ...orizontally to prevent it from rotating IMPORTANT Do not attempt to make any change to the bumper rigging point once the cluster is lifted Secure bumper with secondary safety steel IMPORTANT The requirements for secondary safety systems vary with territories However the secondary safety steel MUST have a SWL equivalent or greater than that of the rigging system ...

Page 32: ... the grid screws attaching the grid to the cabinet the screws attaching the connecting plates to the cabinet These fasteners should be regularly checked and tightened as necessary Cleaning The exterior of the cabinet and the rigging system can be cleaned with a damp cloth soaked in mild soapy water On no account use solvent based cleaners which may damage the finishing of the cabinet After cleanin...

Page 33: ...venues Stereophonic implementation of subwoofers introduces very strong interference patterns these are related to Left and Right path length difference to listener location while pressure levels are comparable for Left and Right arrays while always maximum at the center where distance to Left and Right arrays are equal pressure level can severely drop at locations where path length equals half th...

Page 34: ...cy from first to last rows will be important Flying cabinets above centre stage will reduce first to last rows discrepancies significantly CENTRE STACKED DIRECTIONAL SUBWOOFER CENTRE FLOWN DIRECTIONAL SUBWOOFER When using a larger amount of cabinets these can then be installed all across the stage provided distance between units does not exceed half the wavelength of the upper frequency limit 1 7m...

Page 35: ...ds Therefore main axis efficiency must be orientated outwards through use of delays or curving the array outward as in below figure Such arrays must be experimented playing one side only to check if above condition is fulfilled and then summed left and right for interference evaluation see below drawings Although pressure level will still drop in the centre vicinity overall level in the audience a...

Page 36: ... 1 2 RS15 arrays IMPORTANT RS15s arrays must be installed with bumper set horizontally and all cabinets at 0 Design procedure should be in agreement with what has been described in the preceding section See following section on Steered Arrays 8 2 Directional Mode IMPORTANT RS15 can be installed Left or Right see section 2 1 Left means grid is Left when looking from front Right means grid is right ...

Page 37: ...be installed Right 8 2 2 RS15s pair There are three ways of using pairs of RS15s in directional mode one side back to back and face to face 50cm 20 between grids BACK TO BACK CONFIGURATION FACE TO FACE CONFIGURATION All of these configurations have symmetrical patterns with a smooth 15dB attenuation at the rear over the entire RS15 bandwidth but significantly different horizontal coverage back to ...

Page 38: ...Page 38 58 RAY SUBS IMPLEMENTATION BACK TO BACK CONFIGURATION AT 100 HZ FACE TO FACE CONFIGURATION AT 100 HZ ...

Page 39: ...taining 15 to 20dB attenuation on stage see figure below 12 RS15 CLUSTER OVER 75M 200FT 8 3 Steered RS15s arrays 8 3 1 Steering technique RS15s arrays must be flown vertically with bumper set horizontally and all cabinets at 0 Coverage adjustments can be efficiently implemented through the steering technique which consists in implementing delays in cabinets to tilt coverage up or down IMPORTANT St...

Page 40: ...ease on lower groups If the coverage is to be tilted up then lower group delay should be set at 0ms and delay should progressively increase on upper pairs Delay value for first group is always 0ms Delay value for second group is τ Delay values for subsequent groups are 2τ 3τ etc Table below lists these values for typical angle values TILT ANGLE 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 DELAY τ ms 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 ...

Page 41: ...resets are optimised to provide the best possible crossover between the RS15 as and PS8 PS10 PS15 GeoS8 Geo12 systems These crossover algorithms are defined for speaker acoustic reference points being aligned The acoustic reference point on all NEXO products is the front of each cabinet therefore RS15 s reference point in Omni Mode is center of the front grid RS15 s reference point in Directional ...

Page 42: ...ndatory to use proper measurement tool to optimize phase response IMPORTANT Before using different outputs of a mixing desk ensure that MAIN and SUB outputs are in phase Never add additional low pass filtering on the SUB output or high pass filtering on the MAIN output Always apply identical processing EQ etc on both outputs so that the phase relationship between MAIN and SUB is not altered 8 4 3 ...

Page 43: ...ts rangefinders provide sufficiently accuracy and are easy to use They have the additional advantage of working very well in bright sunlight Electronic calculator with trigonometric functions to calculate the height from ground level to points in the room The formula to calculate height of a point from measured angle and distance is Height of point Sin vertical angle in degrees x distance to point...

Page 44: ...4 in Directional Mode 2 values for recommended amplifier gain and power should be set in agreement with selected amplifiers specifications 3 Should be in agreement with implemented cluster acts on a shelving filter designed to compensate for LF coupling 4 Disabled when using digital inputs 9 2 Are the amplifiers properly configured Freq Band Mode Gain Switch Limiter High Pass All channels Stereo 2...

Page 45: ...bove checks Make sure that these series of modules sum properly with the modules above them 9 5 Final Pre Sound Check Check Play a CD track preferably generous and periodic in the LF content on the SUB output mono left mono right and then both sides both sides must sound strictly identical when listening at the center level must not decrease at the center when playing left and right simultaneously...

Page 46: ... amplifier channels are required for directional mode operation each rated at 700 to 1200 Watts into 8Ω per channel SYSTEM OPERATION Electronic Controller GEOS12 Analogue TDcontroller NX242ES4 Digital TDcontroller NXAMP Powered Digital TDcontroller presets are precisely matched to RS15 and include sophisticated protection systems Using RS15 without a properly connected TDController will result in ...

Page 47: ...2 2 10 3 Diagrams 10 3 1 Frequency Response and Impedance Frequency Hz 10 20 50 100 200 500 1k dB Level Sound pressure 120 115 110 105 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 OC Response C urve for 2 83Vrms at NX242 input Frequency Hz 10 20 50 100 200 500 1k Amplitude log 2 5 10 20 50 F Omni Mode FC Cardio Mode ...

Page 48: ...Page 48 58 RS15 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 10 3 2 Polar plots Omni Mode 2xRS15 front Directional Mode 2xRS15 side ...

Page 49: ...RS15 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Page 49 58 Directional Mode 2xRS15 face to face 50cm 20 Directional Mode 2xRS15 back to back ...

Page 50: ...5 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 10 4 RS15 Accessories 10 4 1 RS15 BUMPER Dimensions 124 mm 4 86 1113 mm 43 8 555 mm 21 85 10 4 2 RS15 FPLATES Dimensions 439 mm 17 28 495 mm 19 49 57 mm 2 24 10 4 3 RS 15 HANDLES Dimensions ...

Page 51: ...RS15 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Page 51 58 354 mm 13 94 495 mm 19 49 54 mm 2 13 10 4 4 RS15 WHEELS Dimensions 144 mm 5 66 426 mm 16 77 92 mm 3 62 ...

Page 52: ...Page 52 58 RS15 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 8 mm 20 mm 10 4 5 RS15 DOLLY Dimensions 570 mm 22 44 200 mm 7 87 1098 mm 43 22 10 4 6 RS15 Push Pins BLGEOS Dimensions ...

Page 53: ...emovable Strip Terminal Audio Outputs Two L R S12 Audio outputs Balanced non floating 51 Ohm Two XLR 3M One Mono L R LS400 Audio output Balanced non floating 51 Ohm One XLR 3M Controls Gain switch back panel 3 positions 6 0 6dB Peak Limiter trimmer 1200W 600W 8 Ohms for S12 Subbass Sub Overlap Crossover switch Sub Gain Control 6dB Indicators LF speakers Protect Yellow LED s Temp Disp Power ON gree...

Page 54: ...k Ohm 2 XLR 3F Connectors 4 Digital Ethersound Inputs with NXTension ES4 Card Sense Inputs 4 Amplifier Sense Inputs Floating 150 kΩ 18 bit converters 8 Pole Removable Strip Terminal Audio Outputs 4 Audio Outputs 24 bit converters Electronically balanced 50 Ohm 4 XLR 3M connectors 4 Digital Ethersound Outputs with NX ES4 Card enabled for compatible amplifiers only Processing 24 bit data with 48 bit...

Page 55: ...D output current signal green LED Speaker protection yellow LED amp peak red LED Rear Panel 1 NXAMP4x1 or 2 NXAMP4x4 mains sockets RS232 serial communication connector GPIO port expansion slot for digital audio network extension card 4 XLR inputs 4 XLR links 4 Speakon NL4 Power Supply Dedicated versions for 100 120 V or 220 240 V Dimensions Weight NXAMP4x1 3U 19 Rack 457mm 18 Depth 16 5kg 33lbs ne...

Page 56: ...Page 56 58 RS15 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 10 7 2 Front and Rear Panel view ...

Page 57: ... Crossover 80Hz Digital TDController with NXtension Card NXAMP4x1 Power Digital TDController 4x1300W 2Ω NXAMP4x4 Power Digital TDController 4x4000W 2Ω 11 2 Accessories List MODEL DRAWING DESCRIPTION RS15 BUMPER Main RS15 Bumper RS15 FPLATES Rigging plate with handles pair RS15 HANDLES Handles pair RS15 WHEELS 2 Wheels on wood skids pair RS15 DOLLY RS15 Dolly 3 RS15 max BLGEOS Quick Release Pin for...

Page 58: ...Page 58 58 USER NOTES 12 USER NOTES France Nexo S A Parc d Activité de la Dame Jeanne F 60128 PLAILLY Tel 33 3 44 99 00 70 Fax 33 3 44 99 00 30 E mail info nexo fr www nexo sa com ...

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