BUENA PARK, Calif.—Since it began delivering in late December, the new NEXO 45 N-12 12-inch line monitor is receiving rave reviews. Engineer Melissa Britton, had the opportunity to use the new NEXO line monitors for Earl Klugh and his band at a recent show held at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts in California. Although filling in at front of house on a Yamaha PM1D for this particular show, Britton normally mixes monitors using Yamaha digital consoles for Klugh. Brian Rachko mixed monitors for the Cerritos gig on the house Yamaha PM5D.
“I have to say that I could not hear the stage at all while I was at front of house,� states Britton. “The NEXO line monitors were super clean. I went on stage a couple times during sound check and was amazed by the separation from mix to mix.� The NEXO line monitor is a
significant improvement over point source monitors in that there is no interference between adjacent monitors allowing for a very stable, steady frequency response in the coverage area.
Britton said all acts she works with would benefit from the use of the NEXO wedges. In addition to Klugh, Britton is currently working with Dave Koz, Sheila E., and Al Jarreau. “The artists I work with on a regular basis are always looking for high fidelity sound with volume, as opposed to ‘just get it as loud as it will go, no matter how it may end up sounding in the end.’ It is rare that you can turn a wedge on and up and it sounds great with zero EQ and zero feedback. If you have a great desk like a Yamaha PM5D and incredible wedges like the NEXO 45N-12, it would be virtually impossible to have anything but an awesome show.�
On Al Jarreau’s gig, Britton says the overall stage volume is relatively quiet and finds that mixing quietly is challenging in that the musicians have to be able to hear everything clearly without overpowering each other, or Jarreau. “High fidelity is a must, and the NEXO wedges would be perfect in this environment. The sound is so focused and the clarity across the full audio spectrum is great at both high and low volume levels.â€?
The NEXO 45 N-12 provides a higher SPL from the cabinet before feedback and sharp side attenuation. Coverage and SPL are scalable. The arrayable line monitor has a frequency response of 55Hz-19kHz ±3db with 30-degree horizontal coverage, 22.5-degree diagonal (Coupling Plane) coverage and asymmetrical vertical coverage of 60° constant level from zero to 8 ft. A single unit has a peak SPL of 140 db, passive/active internal switching mode. In passive mode 1000 to1600W is recommended at 8Ω, in active mode the 8 Ω LF is 900W to1400 W and the 16 Ω HF is 300W-450W.
Guitarist Klugh said, “the NEXO wedges are great sounding, well-balanced floor monitors. They have a lot of life and the clarity is outstanding; some of the best I have ever heard!�
“The monitors seemed very good to me, quite clear,â€? notes Nelson Rangell, sax and flute player. “I was made aware of the NEXO line monitor’s isolation pattern which seems like a very good element indeed.â€? Bass player Dan Lutz said he thought the sound was awesome and the whole Yamaha/NEXO crew phenomenal. “Thanks to Melissa for a great job and for being such a pro and making the band all sound great.â€?
David Lee, producer, writer, and Klugh keyboardist, who with George Clinton co-wrote Atomic Dog said of the NEXO 45 N-12 â€?oh man, when I walked up to my riser, I only had to hit one note to hear the incredible quality and clarity of the NEXO wedges. When I hit that one note I said ‘oh my god!’
 As a live performer on keys, I’ve always preferred live monitors instead of IEM’s, and these monitors sounded like I had IEM’s on. I will be recommending to Earl that we have the NEXO wedges added to the rider.”
“Working with NEXO wedges makes the day so much easier because you can spend more time getting the perfect mix instead of spending time trying to get the wedge to sound good,â€? adds Britton. “The NEXO wedges sounded great right out of the box. I have to say I was quite impressed with them and I’m looking forward to using them again in other situations.â€? After the show, Britton said she would certainly add the NEXO 45 N-12 to her rider.
For more information on the NEXO 45 N-12 and Yamaha consoles, visit www.yamahaca.com.
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Photo #1 ID: Melissa Britton at Yamaha PM5D
Photo #2 ID Group: L to R: Cerritos Center front of house engineer Jack Hayback, Klugh show engineers Brian Rachko and Melissa Britton, Cerritos monitor engineer Kerry Dowling and Yamaha’s Mark Rush with NEXO 45 N-12 line monitors
About Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc.:
Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. (YCAS) provides a full line of integrated professional audio products offering complete systems solutions for the broadcast, sound reinforcement/installed sound, touring, commercial recording, and post production markets. With the addition of NEXO to the product line, the company remains the official U.S. and Canadian distributor for all NEXO speaker models. YCAS offers comprehensive in-house and field product training for its customers, a dedicated dealer network, and 24/7 technical support.
