Why we invested in Danley Sound Labs
After a demo in our warehouse we bought a Danley J7 system. A summer of festivals, racecourse shows and visiting engineers later, here is why a true single-source PA made sense for us.
In 2023 we took delivery of a new Danley Sound Labs system. After a product demo at our warehouse we were struck by the fidelity of the loudspeakers, and in particular by the output and coverage of the tops for their size.
Over the events the system went out on that summer we had excellent feedback from visiting engineers, crowds and clients. It allowed us to cover larger audiences than in previous years and helped secure the following year’s bookings. At the race and cider evening at Bath Racecourse, fans of The Wurzels told us it was the best sound they had heard at one of their shows.
The initial purchase
- 2 x Danley J7-95
- 4 x Danley BC415 subwoofers
- 6 x Danley DNA20k amplifiers in Danley triple racks
- 2 x Danley SH95HO infills
Why not another line array?
For years we looked for ways to speed up deployment of our line array systems while keeping high standards at front of house and good rear rejection. Line arrays have served us well, but after running the calculations, around 90% of the open-air productions we provide sound for used the same splay settings every time. Another well-known European manufacturer has reached the same conclusion with its latest touring product.
The industry moved from point source to line array for the benefits of coupling multiple elements into a single source of energy, giving more consistent levels across a crowd. Each manufacturer then set about solving the resulting problem of multiple high-frequency sources and comb filtering, some with DSP, others with mechanical waveguides.
Danley took a different route: combining the driver coupling you find in a line array with careful placement inside horn designs, to make true single-source loudspeakers that can cover large crowds. The results are lower distortion, a smaller footprint (and less trucking) and quicker rigging.
“Could have done it with one Danley”
We were sceptical of any manufacturer claiming you can do big shows with small boxes. The spec explains the reputation: a single J7-95 outputs 141dB SPL continuous with 147dB peaks, and inside each one are eight 1-inch high-frequency drivers, four 6.5-inch mids and six 10-inch low-frequency drivers. There is a lot going on inside the box, because there is a lot in the box to begin with.
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