What was the initial goal in the research, creation and development of the PANTHER system?
“PANTHER comes out of our ongoing discussions with the industry, looking at how productions are changing and importantly, what the users need out of modern audio systems.”
Has the pandemic affected the R&D process?
“The R&D and production teams have performed nothing short of a miracle in bringing this product to market in what has been a rapidly changing world. Of course, most of our rental customers and users have had their work dramatically impacted by the pandemic, possibly one of the few small benefits from that has been the opportunity to spend extended periods of time in direct communication with end users understanding what the industry needs to make the recovery long-lasting and meaningful.”
What benefits does the PANTHER line array system bring to the live events market?
“Size, weight, and performance were key drivers for the users on site. PANTHER meets all of those needs and brings large-format performance into a package that owners can deploy every day for shows of all sizes. Alongside that, we heard clearly that the industry is increasingly being asked to respond to concerns about the environmental footprint of live events. PANTHER offers huge environmental benefits by reducing both the amount of power needed and saving on space and weight to reduce the logistical impact of events.”
What features will end users benefit from?
“Users will benefit from PANTHER’s size and weight, making deployment quicker and easier. The new PANTHER-L horn has a smooth coverage area, something we already know our users love in the LEOPARD and ULTRA-X cabinets. Ultimately, PANTHER is redefining what the form factor for a large system should be, not just with the physical size of the cabinet, but the entire package, including cabling and rigging infrastructure. Delivering this level of performance – in a flexible package that is ready for everyday use – gives rental owners the opportunity to simplify their inventory in a way that hasn’t been possible since line arrays became the dominant format for live productions. PANTHER is also the first line array loudspeaker with a Milan Certified input. A future-proof system starts with the right connections: Analogue XLR and Milan AVB inputs make it easy to scale up within existing infrastructures while providing a path to tomorrow’s digital platforms.”
How has PANTHER been integrated into the design of Ed Sheeran’s upcoming tour?
“It was clear to us that the desire for a lighter, more compact solution had universal appeal, but also would prove to be a key problem-solver for this incredible tour. When + – = ÷ x Tour (The Mathematics Tour) hits the road later in the year it will be clear how much of an industry-wide collaboration this production is.”
What has the response been like since the announcement and release of the product?
“We are delighted with the initial response. It feels as if all the hard work the engineers have put into this system is really proving its worth as we have had an exceptional number of users purchase the system even before we have the chance to host live demos. That shows we have a package that is compelling and a marker for what the industry needs to move forward.”
This article originally appeared in issue #268 of TPi, which you can read here.