Turbosound's new bi-amped professional wedge is already gaining acceptance from influential monitor engineers.
The TFM-560 is the latest in a long line of highly popular Turbosound monitor wedges - from the large-stage TFM-350 still much favoured by Led Zeppelin to the lightweight all-neodymium TFM-450 that has appeared on more concert stages than perhaps any other wedge in recent years. Turbosound knows how to design floor monitors.
We enlisted the help of Chris Wade-Evans (Rolling Stones), Gavin Tempany (Missy Higgins and Eskimo Joe), Gary Young (Ian Brown's Tour Manager) and Mikey Gibbard (Leftfield and Britannia Row) from the ranks of the UK's top flight monitor engineers to assist us in selecting components and fine tuning the 560's voicing in endless listening sessions. The results of these collaborations have been very encouraging.
Dance music innovators Leftfield are currently headlining on the UK festival circuit, ending the year with UK indoor dates, and are loving them. ”We are using the 560s and the new amps on Leftfield, and I am very happy", says Mikey Gibbard. The band love them and won’t use anything else - which says a lot.”
The design process involved the careful selection and customisation of the drive units to achieve just the right balance between HF and LF components, and to give voicing that can cut through a busy mix. “We worked closely with Turbosound R&D throughout the wedge’s development," confirms Chris Wade-Evans, who mixes monitors for the Rolling Stones, "helping to choose specific components and tailoring the box to create the overall sound. I think Turbosound really has a winner. The 450s we worked on are still amongst the best there is, and when put against them (and the competition) the 560 is even better. I can’t wait to take it out and do some live shows with it.”
TFM-560 is packaged as part of a highly efficient and controllable monitor wedge package with the 4-channel RACKDP-50 Class D amplifier, providing up to four monitor mixes - with either one or two wedges per mix - from only three amplifiers. Two channels in bridged mode can drive up two LF sections while one amplifier channel drives up to two HF elements. With the BVNet network protocol built right in, the amplifiers can be conveniently networked, grouped and controlled using TurboDrive software.
Another highly regarded engineer, Gavin Tempany (Missy Higgins and Eskimo Joe) assisted in the beta testing of the TFM-560 and found it to be natural-sounding and very accurate. “These wedges sound fantastic. I talked in the mic and with no EQ it sounded like me, but louder... much louder. I can’t believe how a speaker that weighs so little sounds so loud, clear and solid.”
Designed for a minimal footprint, the TFM-560 uses side-by-side custom neodymium 12" LF drivers and a 1" exit (3" dome) neodymium HF compression driver on an asymmetrical HF horn that gives good coverage both up close and further away from the monitor. The net weight comes out at a very comfortable 31kg (68.2lbs).
Ian Brown toured his solo project in sold-out venues around the UK at the end of 2009, kicking off in Ireland and winding up in Manchester in front of an appreciative home crowd. Production Manager Gary Young has this to say about Turbosound's new floor wedge: “In the last two years I have used all the new toursound developments from Turbosound for Ian Brown. Flex Array on the last tour was simply amazing and the wedges are no different - we simply won’t tour anything else.”
The new TFM-560 monitor wedge is destined to set a new standard for many years to come.
