Article from MONDO DR (January/February 2025 edition)
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At ISE in Barcelona, Linea Research will officially launch its new System Engineer 8 control and telemetry software. Mark Tomlin, Research and Development Project Manager, explains why SE8 represents a new generation of amplification control and the design hallmarks that mark it out as a Linea Research product.
“It seems incredible that traditionally, amplification control has not been designed to be simple. When we started designing System Engineer 8 (SE8) that one objective, to make to make feature-rich software intuitive to use, was positioned firmly at the top of the agenda.
The new SE8 control and telemetry software from Linea Research will be officially launched at the ISE Show in Barcelona, where visitors will be able to get hands-on with the software before downloading it from the Linea Research Website: www.linea-research.com.
SE8 features a graphical workflow that mirrors the natural set up and configuration routine undertaken by a sound engineer, whether for installation or in a live touring environment. The software communicates all the system device information necessary to keep an audio network operational, on one easy-to-read screen and in a simple graphical format.
What makes SE8 stand apart – and what users will immediately appreciate – is the speed of start-up: fast auto-synchronisation to devices is a driving principle of the software’s design. The amplifiers on a network sync automatically and very quickly so that the system is immediately ready for configuration – either in a touring environment or for installation. The workflow is so simple and intuitive that users will have a system ready to use in no time.
From my first days with Linea Research, the design ethos has always been, ‘users should not need a three-day training course to use any of our products’. It was the simple philosophy of Paul Williams, now-retired Linea Research director, and SE8 strongly adheres to it.
Linea Research is a company with a strong pedigree of innovation. Founded in 2003 in Hertfordshire, UK, the company designs and manufactures – all in-house – the finest high performance audio products and associated control software.
The company was awarded the coveted King’s Award for Innovation in 2023, honouring the design expertise behind the demanding technologies of Switched-Mode Power Supplies, very high power Class D amplifiers and networked Digital Signal Processing, in which the company excels.
System Engineer 8 is the next step on that path. It’s an innovative software solution that provides the level of accuracy and control that sound engineers have been hoping for.
SE8 features a graphical, workflow-based design which, from feedback, is already proving popular with sound engineers, system technicians and integrators. Users can arrange device modules – these are a block representing an input and any number of outputs – in any desired arrangement. This makes it very easy to layout your system, and amplifier modules can be named for easy identification. Any and all of the amplifier parameters can be affected with a few clicks of the mouse, either independently or simultaneously, using the multi-select feature.
The workflow is comprised of three steps: Set up view, Preset View and Tune View. Set up view is the first screen and in here users establish the amplifier configuration such as choosing the primary and secondary input sources, establishing the input and output routing, and setting up network and power options.
Preset View is where the loudspeaker preset libraries are stored and they can be loaded on to one or more devices. Loudspeaker presets can be made from scratch or manufacturer-approved presets can be downloaded from the Linea Research website. Presets can be exported and shared between users which takes audio system pre-configuration to a new level, not only saving time but ensuring consistency across systems.
Tune View is where sound engineers can shape and contour the audio signal – and in this view we’ve added some clever features – just as you’d expect from Linea Research.
One of my favourite features as a user and system designer is the full-screen visibility of the EQ and crossover which also features curve dragging control. The limiter suite is also accessible from this view, so that excursion limiting (XMAX), thermal limiting (TMAX) and RMS limiting (VX) are not only clearly visible but also within easy reach. Full-screen visibility is an essential feature that allows you to see the detail and granularity of the system – especially when your working environment is not particularly well-lit.
In the EQ section, users will find multiple EQ palettes on all inputs, all outputs and groups. SE8 provides the capability to toggle between edited EQ’s. As a user myself, I can assure you this function quickly becomes essential for tuning loudspeakers.
There’s so much to discover in the new SE8 software, so do drop by stand 7A300 for a demonstration, or visit www.linea-research.com and download it for free.”
www.linea-research.com
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