JBL Intellivox: Beyond Beam Steering

Introduction

When designing an intelligible sound system for a less than ideal acoustic space, the biggest challenge is achieving a high direct to reverberant sound ratio. This means maximizing the sound arriving directly at the listener's ear while reducing the sound energy that hits and bounces off hard, acoustically reflective surfaces like walls, ceilings, windows, and floors.

While the solution may seem simple, achieving it with conventional loudspeakers is difficult. Standard dispersion patterns cover the intended area regardless of its acoustic properties. This is where the JBL Intellivox range offers unique advantages.

JBL Intellivox products utilize advanced Digital Directivity Synthesis (DDS) beam shaping algorithms. This allows for custom shaping of the directivity pattern to precisely match the audience area, directing sound straight at the listener and avoiding reflective surfaces.

The Problem

Sound bounces off hard surfaces, reaching a listener's ear milliseconds after the direct sound. This disorienting effect, combined with background noise, can make a sound system unintelligible.

When listening in any space, you hear a combination of direct sound from loudspeakers, reflected sound from surfaces, and ambient background noise. These arrive at different times, making it difficult for the listener to process. For example, in busy environments like airports or railway stations, excessive reflected sound and background noise can obscure announcements and muffle music.

Diagram Description: An illustration shows sound waves originating from a speaker. One path represents 'DIRECT SOUND' traveling towards a listener. Another path shows 'REFLECTED SOUND (REVERBERATION)' bouncing off surfaces and reaching the listener later, alongside 'BACKGROUND NOISE'. This combination can make sound systems unintelligible.

The Solution

The solution is to avoid hard, reflective surfaces by creating a narrow beam of sound that can be aimed directly at the listener.

Coverage

Thanks to the Digital Directivity Synthesis (DDS) beam shaping algorithm, JBL Intellivox products provide consistent, even, and intelligible coverage even in the most challenging spaces.

The size of a space is not a barrier to clear sound. JBL Intellivox can precisely cover large areas from a single device. For instance, a single JBL Intellivox DS500 can cover over 5,000m² with an even Sound Pressure Level (SPL) across the audience area.

Diagram Description: An image depicts a single JBL Intellivox speaker covering a large area, with text stating it can cover over 5,000m² with an even Sound Pressure Level (SPL).

Intelligibility

Intelligibility, the ease with which amplified speech or music is understood, is crucial in audio installations, from houses of worship to transport hubs. It relies on two key factors:

• The Direct to Reverberant Ratio: The ratio of direct sound to reverberant sound.
• The Signal to Noise Ratio: The ratio of unwanted noise versus desired signal.

Beam Steering Versus DDS Beam Shaping

Beam steering is a common term in commercial audio, but not all solutions are equal. Digital Directivity Synthesis (DDS) offers superior performance compared to less nuanced technologies.

Conventional beam steering can create 'lobing' and 'hot spots' in the listening plane, resulting in uneven coverage and reduced intelligibility, especially when dealing with complex audience planes. This occurs due to interference between multiple beams.

Diagram Description: A visualization shows conventional beam steering resulting in uneven coverage with 'lobing' and 'hot spots' across the listening plane.

Note: With JBL's DDS Beam Shaping algorithm, dispersion is mapped to match the room.

DDS Beam Shaping, in contrast, maps dispersion to match the room, ensuring uniform coverage and a consistent frequency response across the entire audience area, leading to improved intelligibility.

Diagram Description: A visualization shows JBL's DDS Beam Shaping algorithm achieving uniform coverage and consistent frequency response across the listening plane.

Note: JBL's DDS Beam Shaping shows even coverage across the listening plane.

The distinct benefit of Digital Directivity Synthesis (DDS) beam shaping is achieving required coverage without relying on multiple beam sources, which can be destructive to coverage and intelligibility.

Why a Column's Array Length is Important

An array of loudspeakers achieves a radiation pattern not possible with a single driver. Sound waves sum in the target direction and cancel in others, relative to wavelength. Controlling frequencies effectively requires adhering to physics rules: as wavelengths increase, array length must increase; as wavelengths decrease, component spacing must decrease; and driver spacing at half a wavelength maximizes off-axis cancellation. Different column lengths and driver spacings are needed to control specific frequency ranges.

DDS and the Benefits of Beam Shaping

Standard beam steering is useful, but Beam Shaping is the superior technology for controlling audio coverage and intelligibility, offering more precise and even coverage.

Characteristics of Standard Beam Steering:

• Limited control over the array.
• Reduced aiming angle.
• Limited vertical opening angles.
• Multiple beams create undesirable lobes and increase unwanted artifacts.
• Suitable only for far-field coverage; more beams are needed for closer areas, leading to lobing and uneven coverage.

Diagram Description: A cross-section of a Beam Steered array covering a room and a balcony, illustrating uneven coverage patterns.

Characteristics of JBL Intellivox Digital Directivity Synthesis (DDS) Beam Shaping:

• Unrivalled beam control with versatile coverage possibilities.
• Much improved nearfield coverage compared to beam steering.
• Unrivalled frequency response, optimizing both frequency and SPL across listener planes.
• Single coherent beam, even for complex audience planes.
• Independent control of near-field vs. far-field coverage.
• Custom lobe matches the geometry of the space.
• Ability to avoid reflective areas, such as balcony fronts.

Diagram Description: A cross-section of a JBL Intellivox DDS Beam Shaping array covering a room and balcony, illustrating even coverage patterns.

The JBL Intellivox Product Range

A guide to choosing the most suitable JBL Intellivox product:

For high sound pressure levels or full-range sound reinforcement, the JBL Intellivox HP High Power series can be used.

Great Sound, Smart Aesthetics

The JBL Intellivox range offers subtle aesthetics designed to unobtrusively blend with venue decor, prioritizing architectural requirements and listener comfort. These elegant, slim columns are designed for ease of deployment, mounting, servicing, and maintenance.

Reasons to choose JBL Intellivox:

• Slim and unobtrusive design.
• No need for mechanical aiming; units mount flush to the wall.
• Units can be recessed into surfaces right up to the front grill, making them hidden.
• Free color matching service available to visually blend into the building.
• Can be integrated into buildings of all ages and styles.

With an array of sizes and application uses, JBL Intellivox offers pristine sound quality with ultimate control, making it heard but not often seen in various venues worldwide.

Product Details

About HARMAN Professional Solutions

HARMAN Professional Solutions (harmanpro.com) is the world's largest provider of professional audio, lighting, video, and control products. HARMAN's integrated solutions help customers deliver high-quality results for various markets. With brands including AKG®, AMX®, BSS Audio®, Crown International®, dbx Professional®, JBL Professional®, Lexicon Pro®, Martin®, and Soundcraft®, HARMAN Professional Solutions offers proven, innovative, and comprehensive solutions for entertainment and enterprise markets. For more information, visit http://pro.harman.com/.

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