JBL Launch New Marquis Dance Club Series

I'll have the big one please. 6 of them.

Despite the name, I doubt you'll come across these in your local Fitness First, though that may get even me through their doors. We are talking nightclubs here. Oh yeah. Serious sound, and lots of it. Hang on to your hat.

Those of you who have had the dubious pleasure of my company will be aware of my background in some of the world's better known nightclubs, assuming of course that you could understand what I was saying given my Glasgow accent, but I will set that to one side for a moment while we take a look at what's on offer here.

The new Marquis series consists of 4 separate components that can be configured as 2 types of floor stacks, or a flown cluster, depending on what suits your venue best. Ask your architect. Actually, best not. Accompanying these are 3 stand alone speakers; a 12" two way and a 15" two way, plus a double 15" four way in either 90° x 50° or 60° x 40° dispersion patterns.

All components except the 2 way boxes are active multiway designs.

The full dance floor stack shown on the right consists of 6 separate speaker boxes, crucially, all designed to work together. A collection of random boxes this is not.

From the top then, a pair of JBL UHF compression drivers mounted into a speaker called the MD-1. Great for that HF sparkle, and they look like two eyes staring you out.

Moving down, we have some technology acquired from JBL's world leading cinema series speakers and renamed the MD-2. The waveguide in the MD-2 affords 90° horizontal and a very handy 20° up and 30° down vertical dispersion to allow coverage both close to the speakers and reasonable throw across a dance floor without wasting energy bouncing off the ceiling and leaving the system designer to deal with those ensuing reflections. This is a high power component and can produce 128dB SPL continuous and an ear popping 134dB peak SPL. What? Louder? Are you kidding! Must be a DJ.

Next in line is an LF section consisting of two 15" drivers in a horn loaded enclosure that will take a rather large 1350w AES and from that produce a remarkable 138dB SPL.... continuous! Bloody hell! And it can go on and peak at 144dB too. And.... there is a pair of these! I reckon we could call these speakers a supershaker, but the Americans would rather call it an MD-3. I reckon my name is way cooler.

Anyway, if the club hasn't shaken itself apart by now, then you can fire up the subs upon which everything else sits. Called an MD-7 (no idea what happened to MD-4 or MD5) this little fella sports a pair of 18" drivers which will flap your trousers with some 134dB SPL constantly, and perhaps relieve you of them altogether at its 140dB peak. Stand well back. Another horn loaded enclosure is this, coupling ultra low distortion with fantastic (not fantasy) response to 25Hz. And there are 2 of these as well!

Now we just need a club big enough to stick these in!

The little 2 way boxes are interesting in themselves in that they are both multiway cabinet designs, and as such allow for use as a stage wedge, feature a rotatable horn and even a 35mm pole socket plus carry handles in addition to the regular complement of M10 flypoints. Mounting bracketery is also available.

The floor stack is held together by a selection of custom hardware which bolt securely to the M10 inserts and in the cased of the MD1 and MD2 allow for precise aiming of the upper boxes through 0°, 5°, 10° and 15° downward firing angles to suit the installation. Planar array brackets are available to fly MD1, MD2 and a pair of MD3 cabinets

The little 2 way boxes are interesting in themselves in that they are both multiway cabinet designs, and as such allow for use as a stage wedge, feature a rotatable horn and even a 35mm pole socket and carry handles in addition to the regular complement of M10 flypoints. Mounting bracketery is also available.

Add in the 4 way MD46 and MD49, which also feature multiple fly points and rotatable waveguides and you have the building blocks for premium nightclub sound both on and off the dance floor whether you have a massive superclub or a more compact operation. All created by JBL, who led the way in nightclub loudspeaker designs through the 70's, 80's and 90's when nearly every notable nightclub system utilised JBL components.

Admittedly, JBL have taken their eye off this market in recent years and we have seen other brands expand into this area, but make no mistake, the daddy is back and he is better than ever.

Partner these with Crown next generation MacroTech i series amplifiers plus BSS Audio Soundweb London DSP and you have a world class audio solution.

List price on the premium dance system shown above sneaks in under $40k. Hope you were sitting down!

The more modest 2 way designs start at under $2500.00

Jands