Genelec 1234ACM SAM Genelec

The Genelec 1234ACM SAM

The Genelec 1234AC SAM is a 3-way, smart center monitor that can be horizontally or vertically oriented for use with multichannel systems in large control rooms or sound stages that use “perf screens” or hi-res LED displays – Black finish.

The Genelec 1234AC is designed to be a center speaker for multichannel systems in large control rooms with a focus on film production. The directivity and SPL capacity of the 1234AC has been optimized to be compatible with screen channels in commercial cinema. Purpose-built for mixing stages and large control rooms the 1234AC can be horizontally or vertically orientated, either to accommodate for space requirements due to screens or studio glass or to tailor low-frequency directivity to both the room. The 1234AC features Genelec’s acclaimed DCW waveguide, which ensures precise off axis, giving engineers the ability to make accurate mix decisions regardless of chair position – a necessary feature for multi-operator film-post mix sessions. The 1234AC is controlled via Genelec GLM software, which can compensate for adverse room characteristics, perf* screen effects, and time delay, regardless of whether you work with traditional or large immersive formats.

Genelec 1234ACM SAM unique features:

• Rectangular dual-woofer design can be horizontally or vertically oriented in control rooms where space is limited; stand or flush mountable
• Networked Smart Active Monitor (SAM™) systems feature automatic room calibration
• Directivity Control Waveguide (DCM™) provides flat response both on and off axis
• Intelligent Signal Sensing (ISS™) power-saving auto shutoff  

Genelec 1234ACM SAM key features:

• Highly efficient custom Class-D LF and MF amplifiers, custom ultra wide-bandwidth Class AB high-frequency amplifier
• Active crossovers
• Protection circuitry
• Comes with cable kit
• Magnetically shielded
• Black finish (M)

PAD Tech Note: “Perf screen,” which is short for perforated screens. The concept is to allow a center speaker to be placed behind a theater screen and allow sound to pass through the perforations, thus making dialog routed to the center channel more legible. A commercial movie theater screen has 5,500 perforations per square foot, which helps pass audio, but still has an effect on sound transmission, as anything placed in front of a speaker will. There are screens for home theater with 30,000 micro-perorations per square foot that are touted as acoustically transparent, but they’re designed for the smaller, much less powerful speakers built for home use. Regardless, anything placed in front of the speaker will affect its output, particularly in the high frequencies.

Genelec 1234AC SAM – Behind the Grille

The three-way 1234AC comes with an all-active, high-performance Genelec RAM-XL Remote Amplifier Module to power its dual 12″ (305 mm) woofers, 5″ (125 mm) midrange and 1″ (25 mm) high-frequency drivers to deliver a wide, 29Hz to 21kHz frequency response and a short-term level in excess of 125dB SPL, with even higher peak levels.

A member of Genelec’s Smart Active Monitor (SAM) range, it features Genelec Loudspeaker Management (GLM) software with AutoCal, which tunes the response of the 1234AC to your control room. GLM also builds complete monitoring systems, so the 1234AC can easily be combined with other types of Genelec SAM monitors and subwoofers. In operation, GLM doubles as a monitor control application, offering mono and solo functions, monitor switching, SPL calibration, and system delay – without the need for any additional hardware.  

With the RAM-XL amplifier module resident in the enclosure, the 1234AC can be stand mounted. It can also be removed, mounted in a standard 19″ rack, and connected via the included cable kit. And thanks to temperature-controlled, forced-air cooling, the RAM-XL amplifier is quiet enough to be rack-mounted in the control room.

Each 1236A is delivered with the following cable kit:

• One mains cable
• Two 32’9″ (10 m) 4-pole Speakon® cables
• One 32’9″ (10 m) RJ45 cable
• One 16’4″ (5 m) RJ45 cable

Flush wall mounting recommended

While the 1236A can be used effectively as a free-standing monitor, flush mounting is the better way to go for acoustical reasons. Flush mounting forms an infinite baffle*, which improves the bass response and efficiency and enhances the midrange transient and frequency response.

* PAD tech note: The infinite baffle (aka sealed cabinet) is one of three main approaches to speaker design (ported reflex and passive radiator being the other two). Infinite baffle is a theoretical concept that deals with the division of sound emanating from the front and rear of the speaker, with both loaded identically in the same infinite volume of air. Since this can’t occur in the real world, the more accurate description is the sealed cabinet. The sound projecting from the front of the speaker only is called “half space,” which is how monitor performance is measured. The sealed cabinet offers a very linear phase response with a shallow bass roll-off, which enables small sealed speakers to reproduce bass at very low frequencies.

Networked Smart Active Monitor (SAM) Systems

Genelec’s advanced SAM Systems can automatically adapt to acoustic environments and correct for levels, delays and room anomalies. SAM Systems can be controlled via Genelec proprietary Loudspeaker Manager (GLM) network and software, enabling you to build a highly flexible and reliable monitoring system. If the monitors have to move between rooms, you can rely on SAM technology to give you absolute consistency, a neutral soundstage, and low distortion. All electronics, drivers, and enclosures are designed, assembled, tested, and calibrated in Genelec’s factory in Finland. Genelec quality and reliability ensure a secure long-term investment, with environmentally conscious, low energy consumption and outstanding audio quality.

AutoCal room calibration

Genelec AutoCal is a system integrator’s dream and gets you out of stasis and into production faster. It facilitates setup by measuring acoustic response in the listening area and applying the appropriate compensation in the low and low-mid frequencies to minimize the muddying effect of room modes and other unwanted room resonances, while simultaneously accounting for the differences between various listening positions.

All this combines with the color-free accuracy of the Minimum Diffraction Enclosure (MDE), and precise on- and off-axis frequency reproduction of the Directivity Control Waveguide (DCW). The result is the ideal small monitor to fit the way you work.

Directivity Control Waveguide (DCW) Technology

Genelec’s Directivity Control Waveguide shapes the emitted wave front of direct radiating multi-way monitors in a way that allows predictable tailoring of the speaker’s dispersion pattern. DCW technology also minimizes early reflections, providing a wide, controlled listening area with accurate sound reproduction both on- and off-axis.

Another advantage of minimized early reflections and controlled constant directivity is that the frequency balance of the room’s reverberation field is essentially the same as the direct field from the monitors. As a result, the monitor’s performance is less affected by room acoustic characteristics.  

The consistent off-axis frequency response of the waveguide enables engineers to move in and out of the sweet spot without losing perspective while working.    

DCW technology key benefits:

• Flat on- and off-axis response for wider usable listening area
• Increased direct-to-reflected sound ratio for reduced control room coloration
• Improved stereo and soundstage imaging
• Increased drive unit sensitivity up to 6dB
• Increased system maximum sound pressure level capacity
• Decreased drive unit distortion
• Reduced cabinet edge diffraction
• Reduced complete system distortion

Intelligent Signal Sensing function

Genelec’s Intelligent Signal Sensing (ISS) is a power-saving feature that prolongs the service life of the monitor. ISS reduces power consumption to less than 0.5 watts by automatically switching the active monitor to standby when no audio signal has been detected for some time. When playback begins, the mode indicator light on the loudspeaker lights up and the playback resumes after a slight delay (<2 seconds).

Protection circuitry

The protection circuitry prevents driver failure by detecting signal levels and responding accordingly. In the case of sudden peaks or levels that are too high for long periods, the protection circuitry reduces signal level automatically. This feature does not affect the sound quality in any way when working within the specifications of the loudspeaker, but only prevents inappropriate input signals from breaking the loudspeaker.

Protection circuitry features and benefits:

• Reduces the output level when required (e.g. when driver voice coil temperature reaches the safe limit), which highly improves system reliability
• Appropriate protection circuitry design for each loudspeaker and subwoofer maximizes system output level

Room compensation controls

Each room changes the monitor’s response in a unique way, e.g. reflective vs. damped rooms, or placement against a wall vs. on a stand away from the walls. All Genelec loudspeaker systems feature room response adjustments to compensate for the room influences and retrieve a flat frequency response at the listening position. Frequency response can be adjusted to match the acoustic environment by setting the tone control switches on the rear panel of all Genelec monitors.

Optimized amplifiers with active crossover

In a typical 2-way loudspeaker system, the active crossover needs two power amplifiers; one for the woofer and one for the tweeter. Electronic crossovers split the audio signal into separate frequency bands that can be separately routed to individual power amplifiers optimized for the frequency band of their respective transducers.

The power amplifiers are connected directly to the drivers of an active loudspeaker, resulting in the power amplifier’s load becoming much simpler. Each driver-specific power amplifier has only a limited frequency range to amplify (the power amplifier is placed after the active crossover), which adds to the ease of design.

The active design principle offers multiple benefits:

• The power amplifiers are directly connected to the speaker drivers, maximizing the control exerted by the power amplifier’s damping on the driver’s voice coil, reducing the consequences of dynamic changes in the driver electrical characteristics. This may improve the transient response of the system
• There is a reduction in the power amplifier output requirement. With no energy lost in the passive crossover filter components, the amplifier power output requirements are reduced considerably (by up to 1/2 in some cases) without any reduction in the acoustic power output of the loudspeaker system. This can reduce costs and increase audio quality and system reliability
• No loss between amplifier and driver units results in maximum acoustic efficiency
• Active technology can achieve superior sound output vs. size vs. low-frequency cut-off performance
• All loudspeakers are delivered as a factory aligned system (amplifiers, crossover electronics, and enclosure-driver systems)

The 1234AC is multichannel center speaker is optimized for use in film post studios with perf screens or LED displays, as well as large music production studios. For more information, call or chat online with your PAD Studio Specialist today.

Specifications

• Lower cut-off frequency, ”“6dB: 29Hz
• Upper cut-off frequency, ”“6dB: 21Hz
• Free field frequency response, ± 2.0dB: 34Hz-20kHz
• Maximum short term sine wave acoustic output on axis in half space, averaged from 100Hz to 3kHz @ 1 m: >125dB SPL
• Maximum long term RMS acoustic output in the same conditions with IEC weighted noise (limited by driver protection circuit) @ 1m: > 120dB
• Maximum peak acoustic output per pair in a listening room with music material @ 2 m: > 130dB
• Self-generated noise level in free space at 1 m on axis (A- weighted): <0dB
• Harmonic distortion at 95dB SPL at 1 m on axis:
• Frequency 50-200Hz: < 3%
• Frequency > 200Hz: < 0.5%

Drivers

• Bass: 2x 12″ (305 mm)
• Midrange: 5″ (125 mm)
• Treble: 1″ (25 mm)
• (All drivers are magnetically shielded)

Amplifier Section

• Bass amplifier short-term output power: 2x 750W
• Midrange amplifier short-term output power: 400W
• Treble amplifier short-term output power: 250W
• Long-term output power is limited by driver protection circuitry
• Amplifier system THD at nominal output: < 0.003%

Signal-to-noise ratio, referred to full output

• Bass: >116dB
• Midrange: >119dB
• Treble: >115dB
• Mains voltage: 100-120, 220-240 VAC, 50/60Hz

Power consumption

• Standby: <6W
• Idle: 40W
• Full output long term: 1000W
• Full output, peak: 2500W

Signal Processing Section

• Analog signal input connector: XLR female, balanced 10k ohm
• Maximum analog input signal: +25dBu
• Analog input sensitivity (100dB SPL at 1 m): -6dBu
• Analog input gain selection: 0, +6, +12, +18dB
• Digital input connector (XLR female 110 ohm): AES/EBU single/dual wire
• Digital output/thru connector (XLR male 110 ohm): AES/EBU single/dual wire

Digital audio input

• Word length: 16/24-bit
• Sample rate: 32kHz ”“ 192kHz
• Digital input sensitivity (100 dB SPL at 1 m): 30dBFS
• Digital input gain selection: 0, +6, +12, +18dB

Control network

• Type: Proprietary GLM network
• Connection: 2x RJ45, CAT5 cables

Crossover frequency

• Bass/Mid: 420Hz
• Mid/Treble: 3.2kHz

GLM software frequency response adjustment

• Notch filters: 4 LF, 2 HF
• Shelving filters: 2 LF, 2 HF
• System calibration: Genelec GLM AutoCal

Physical

• Weight (monitor with amplifier removed): 175 lb. (79.5 kg)
• Amplifier weight: 25 lb. (11.2 kg)
• Finish: Black

Dimensions (monitor enclosure)

• Height: 19-1/4″ (489 mm)
• Width: 47-5/8″ (1210 mm)
• Depth: 16-1/4″ (412 mm)

Amplifier dimensions (in rack mount configuration)

• Height (front panel): 3U 5-3/16″ (132 mm)
• Width (front panel): 19″ (483 mm)
• Width (amplifier casing): 16-3/4″ (425 mm)
• Depth: 11-1/4″ (286 mm)