Martin Audio has announced the latest major update to its 3D prediction software featuring a new sub-array tool as well as a host of additional features and workflow improvements.

DISPLAY 3 is a tool for both live and installation projects, and uses SketchUp for venue modeling, allowing for simpler venue and shape creation. Incorporating many of Martin Audio’s line array, constant curvature, point source and subwoofer solutions, DISPLAY 3 is ideal for cohesive system design and prediction in a 3D environment.

This latest beta version incorporates, for the first time, a new sub-array tool enabling the rapid design of ground-deployed linear arrays of subwoofers. Traditional techniques have been employed to determine the EQ required to approximate and steer far-field beams. Martin Audio says emphasis has been placed on the speed of design using a handful of parameters, rather than requiring the manipulation of individual loudspeakers and associated EQ elements.

In this version, two sub-array types are supported with “Broadside Stack” and “Castellated” configurations. For Broadside Stacks any sub loudspeaker can be selected, while for Castellated scenarios only subs that have cardioid settings available can be utilized — but more will be added over time.

Castellated arrays have three styles defined as presets, with “Bookend” where the end parts of the array are two boxes high; “Buttress” where the array is one box high at the ends; and “Uniform” consisting of an array of L shaped elements. Beam width can be set from 1 degree to 180 degrees, where setting to 1 degree will generate the narrowest beam possible from the array and by incrementing the width users can get closer to the coverage required.

The Beta 5 release also includes other notable updates including the following: an early version of a tool to display the frequency response at any position on a surface; flown deployments of Martin Audio’s latest product, TORUS 8; a new control in the Loudspeaker Property Inspector to optionally constrain aiming angles to those available for the pin locations in the lift bar; default speaker insertion heights, and the inclusion of BlacklineX point source and subwoofer solutions.