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“The Quadra is a digital IEM solution that is unlike anything else currently on the market.”
Early this year, I had the opportunity to run monitors for the Taylor Guitar stage at NAMM in Anaheim, Calif. Karl Winkler, director of business development at Lectrosonics, was kind enough to let me use their new Quadra IEM system for the artists that came through. I was impressed with the piece and asked Winkler if I could take it out for a week of worship nights with Darlene Zschech and the Hillsong team at various churches in the states. He was kind enough to send me a unit to use at the first church we would be at in Calif. I opened the box and read the serial #000001 on the transmitter ... pretty cool. Since I had already used the Quadra before, I was already accustomed to its features and got straight to setting things up.
The Quadra is a digital IEM solution that is unlike anything else on the market currently. It provides analog and digital inputs, 24-bit 48 kHz audio, digital RF modulation, and discrete four-channel mixing.
A look … and a listen
The transmitter is a half rack-size box that accepts up to four inputs. The four inputs can be configured as four channels of analog, 2 x 2 channels of analog and digital, or four channels of digital. The connections are locking XLR that accept balanced XLR or AES/EBU inputs. The transmitter is constructed of metal, and very sturdy. Lectrosonics did not skimp on the construction—this is a solid piece. Because the unit is a half rack, you can mount one unit with the appropriate rack ears, or you can mount two transmitters side by side in a rack.
The receiver can be configured to provide either two or four channels of audio to the performer. The receiver is a bit larger then other IEM receivers that you may have worked with, but that is because instead of the typical single volume pot, the receiver provides four pots that can be assigned to control different channels of audio. With this unique feature, the performer can customize their mix and get “more of me” at any time.
Let me say, on the outset, that from purely an audio standpoint I was impressed by the performance of the Quadra from day one. I’ve tried virtually every wired and wireless IEM system out there, and the Quadra sounds the best to my ears. The unit has a low noise floor, a flat frequency response and, by operating in the licensefree 900 MHz range, there is much less RF conflict. The Quadra also has ultra-low latency, which I find extremely critical to vocalists. The latency on Quadra is 1.0 ms for an analog connection and .5 ms for digital. These are incredibly low numbers, making the Quadra the closest thing I have heard to having a wired pack.
For the first worship night I decided to run the receiver as a typical two channel stereo mix. Four channel mixing aside, I wanted to see how the Quadra would compare from a straight performance standpoint. I handed the pack to Darlene and said, “I’d like to try something new tonight. I think it sounds really good. If you don’t like it we can always use the old system.” She was happy to try it out. Darlene used the Quadra for about 20 minutes of the rehearsal, then asked if she could hear her other usual receiver. I handed her the other receiver, which had the same mix. After using it for about 5 minutes, she noticed the difference and said, “I’ll just use the new one, it sounds so much cleaner.”
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Nolan Rossi is a mix engineer and owner of RF Productions. When he’s not touring with artists he is producing records at his studio in East Nashville. He really likes Mexican food. www.nolantherossi.com
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