Fulcrum Acoustic has extended its product line with the launch of the FL283 line array module.

The FL283 comprises dual 8-inch horn-loaded woofers and three 1.5-inch compression drivers in a compact enclosure shaped to accommodate up to 20° of splay between adjacent boxes, allowing sharply curved arrays to be assembled. It also incorporates Fulcrum’s Passive Cardioid Technology to overcome one of the major challenges of most line arrays, excessive rear LF radiation.

‘The subcardioid behaviour is produced by a meticulously conceived acoustical circuit that balances the horn loading of the low-frequency drivers, the enclosure depth and volume, and specially constructed rear-mounted ports which include a calibrated resistive element,’ Fulcrum co-founder David Gunness explains. ‘It is analogous to a cardioid microphone operating in reverse. By opting for a subcardioid pattern, as opposed to a pure, hyper or super cardioid pattern, the rear rejection increases when the loudspeakers are deployed as a curved line array.’

Unlike active cardioid loudspeakers, Fulcrum’s passive cardioid technology does not require an additional amplifier channel or additional enclosure volume. It achieves low frequency directional control without the loss of efficiency that characterises active cardioid devices.

Each FL283 module is configured for full-range passive operation at 16Ω, allowing eight units to be driven from a single power amplifier channel.