ResonantLive Sound Archive

Equipment file · Three-way all-horn-loaded line array

W8L Line Array

Martin Audio · 2002

Evidence status · documented

Identity and core specifications are documented; some historical fields remain unavailable.

The Martin Audio W8L was billed as the first three-way all-horn-loaded line array, with a horn-loaded 15-inch driver, twin 8-inch mid horn and HF section. It introduced 'band zoning': short, medium and long-throw sections processed separately to fix bright front rows and dull back rows.

Introduced
2002
Category
Three-way all-horn-loaded line array
Intended use
Open-air, arena and concert-hall sound
Production
Martin Audio; succeeded by Wavefront Precision

Why it mattered

  1. 01

    Band zoning anticipated Martin's later optimised arrays such as [[martin-mlα|MLA]].

  2. 02

    Horn loading gave high output and bass without subs for many jobs.

Engineering record

LF
Horn-loaded 15-inch with Hybrid reflex loading[1]
Output
136 dB continuous, 142 dB peak; 50 Hz–18 kHz[1]
Processing
Band zoning via six channels of an XTA DP226[2]

Original pricing

No reliable period price located

2026 equivalent

Not calculated without a reliable original price.

Public price evidence was not sufficient to publish a defensible original figure.

Use in the field

No named deployment could be tied to this exact item by a checked source yet. Know of one? Suggest it on the contribute page.

Manuals & original documents

Sources

  1. 1W8L DatasheetMartin Audio · manual
  2. 2The road to Wavefront PrecisionAudio Media International · case study · 2021

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