HARMAN has announced that the JBL Professional VerTec line array system will be inducted into the TECnology Hall of Fame at the 2019 NAMM show.
Founded in 2004 by George Petersen and presented since 2015 by the NAMM Museum of Making Music, the TECnology Hall of Fame honours and recognises audio products and innovations that have made a significant contribution to the advancement of audio technology.
VerTec was selected by a panel of more than 50 recognised audio experts, including Authors, Educators, Engineers and other professionals for its groundbreaking acoustic technologies, lightweight yet powerful design and innovative rigging system. VerTec joins other groundbreaking audio products such as Harvard’s 1943 anechoic chamber, Bell Labs’ 1964 Electret Microphone, and the 1964 Modular Moog Synthesiser. Past JBL inductees into the TECnology Hall of Fame have included the original JBL D130 15-INCH transducer, the classic JBL 4311 studio monitor, and the groundbreaking JBL EON moulded-enclosure powered portable sound system.
“JBL brought its all of its engineering prowess to bear on our first professional line array,” said Mark Gander, former JBL Professional Vice-President. “It embodied many unique and patented innovations, including Differential Drive dual-coil, gap lightweight high-power transducers, the Radiation Boundary Integrator for a seamless mid-high transition and directivity control, beryllium-diaphragm compression driver, composite enclosure, a flexible and elegant rigging system and more. The resulting loudspeaker was embraced by the industry and has stood the test of time. I share great pride in its success with all of the many JBL engineers and product developers that contributed to it.”
Unveiled in 2000, the JBL VerTec line array system introduced numerous innovative audio technologies that were designed to exceed the array physics of other commercially available systems on the market at that time. JBL’s RBI (Radiation Boundary Integrator) reduced unwanted diffraction and optimised high-frequency energy and coverage while ensuring optimum radiation characteristics of VerTec’s high -powered midrange cones.
Differential Drive loudspeakers with neodymium magnets provided more low-end and punch with lighter weight than competitive products, while also delivering solid presence and a rich, full sound. VerTec’s enclosure included advanced composite materials and weighed just 152 pounds (69 kg) including rigging, a one-third weight reduction compared to competitive products. Finally, VerTec’s rigging hardware was carefully designed to enable safe, secure arrays that could be positioned at extreme angles if needed.
“We are extremely honoured that JBL VerTec was selected for induction into the NAMM TECnology Hall of Fame,” said Brian Divine, Senior Vice President, Products & Customer Solutions, HARMAN. “This award bolsters JBL Professional’s rich legacy of creating groundbreaking live sound solutions that audio professionals worldwide depend on to deliver the highest quality sound with proven reliability. We are excited to continue to push the bounds of what is possible in live sound and professional audio.”