L-Acoustics just introduced the M1 suite of measurement and monitoring tools for data acquisition and live monitoring. The M1 suite pairs system measurement and control software to work natively as one solution for calibration. Tuning of a venue requires both data capture and analysis and calibration processes typically involve estimating optimum EQ and alignment settings, measuring these settings via mic placement, and then capturing the data. For each setting, mic placement and capture must be performed multiple times to obtain measurements throughout an entire venue. Any adjustments made to EQ or alignment would naturally require the user to repeat the mic placement and capture process.

M1 is a dual-channel FFT measurement platform that automates this process — sequentially muting and unmuting different parts of the system that need to be measured, capturing audio, labeling measurements and automatically storing data to the proper groups. With M1, mic placement and capture throughout the venue is done only once. Data is acquired and compiled in the software, and measurements can be visualized individually, as spatial averages and sums of elements. If adjustments to EQ are needed, they can be done virtually, and subsequently analyzed and optimized within M1, meaning that the user attains the best calibration for the venue much faster. And once the measurements have been captured, the sound team can even leave the venue and finish the calibration offline, freeing up time and resources for the setup of other production elements.

All data capture in M1 is storable. If the user has a “eureka” moment days or months after calibrating a venue, M1 is ready. Simply adjust calibration settings virtually in the control software and upload it to the venue for automatic improvement from anywhere in the world. Every adjustment ever made is tracked in the software and can be recalled and reanalyzed.

When proper calibration has been attained and a performance begins, M1 provides live system monitoring via a Real Time Analyzer (RTA), evaluating the system’s behavior and keeping it optimized at all times. During a show, atmospheric conditions like humidity and temperature can fluctuate; content can vary from pianissimo to forte; crowds ebb and swell, affecting room excitation. Each of these variables can lead to changes in system performance. To compensate, M1’s RTA gives the operator a graphical understanding of the system’s behavior, while LA Network Manager continually analyzes the new atmospheric conditions and proposes corrections accordingly.

Here’s a video on the new M1 suite: