In this brand new column ‘Tested by our technician’ the audio experts of Tau Audio Solutions are testing and review different products and solutions.
Ashly Audio Inc. is recognized as a world leader in designing and manufacturing high quality signal processing equipment and power amplification products for use in commercial sound contracting and professional audio markets. Originally, the products were mainly used for outdoor festivals. But nowadays we see a large variation among the applications. The products are used in churchesm courts, hotels or meeting rooms.
Aslhy mXa-1502 mixer amplifier
The Aslhy mXa-1502 is the first scion in the new mXa range. The name already reveals it, the mXa is a mixing amplifier with two power amplifiers of 150 Watts. That doesn’t sound very interesting yet so we started working on this devices. Just like the Ashly Pema Series, this mixer Amplifier from Ashly also contains a built-in DSP. Operation no longer takes place with the Protea software, but via a built-in web server called Aquacontrol.
Very complete
Pictures sometime says more than words. In any case, Ashly has reduced the height of the mXa-1502 to 1HE. The device provides the necessary information about the status on the frontside. We find here among others Signal and Clip/Mute Leds and so on. Fortunately, the reset button on the mXa-1502 is easier to access than with the Pema were you needed a very thin paper clip. You can use a ballpoint pen to reset the mXa-1502.
Rear connections
The back of the mXa-1502 has many connections. From left to the right:
- 8 balanced Mic/Line Inputs
- 4 Stereo Line Inputs
- 2 auxiliary outputs
- 3 VCA inputs
- One data bus for controllers
- 8 trigger inputs
- 2 GPO’s
- 2 AMP fault inputs
- Ground and 5V connectors
- Standby input
- Ethernet connection
- 2 loudspeaker outputs
- PowerSupply
Easy to controle
Inside the mixing amplifier we find 6 freely programmable DSP blocks per input and output. Virtually everything the audio technician needs can be found on the mXa-1502. The balanced inputs have a switchable 48V phantom power. With other products we often see 12V or 15V, here neatly 48V, as it should be. The gain is adjustable from 0 to 66dB in increments. There are 4 mixers available. Each mixer has an automixer and ducking function. The automixer can be switched on or off on any microphone channel. From the stereo inputs you can choose whether you want to enter your mixer on the left, right or both channels.
The mXa-1502 Mixer Amplifier has 4 outputs. The four outputs can have each mixerblock as an entrance. Two of the four outputs have a 150 Watt power amplifier. Per power amplifier you can choose for low-Z, 25V, 70V of 100V. Of course, the outputs can also be bridged. In addition, there are two more line outputs, these are having the same functions but without Power Amplifier.
Signal chains in input or output are easily to copy to other channels. This does not apply for the mixers and duckers. Quick contact whit the vendor indicates that this is likely to be realized in the next firmware release.
Control and Software
A mixing amplifier with twelve inputs and not a single dail on the front panel, sounds strange. However, in the mXa-1502 we find the complete control protocol based on cURL and JSON. Almost everything can be controlled with this. There is also a virtual mixer built into the software and users who have ‘limited’ rights can be created. In addition, we have 3 VCA inputs and 8 trigger inputs. The trigger inputs appears to contain quite a few possibilities. A screenshot of the trigger input makes it clear. See the picture below.
From Ashly we understand that the are currently busy developing other hardware and software te expand the mXa and also the mXa Serie.
Multitasker
The device is a true multitasker. This mixer amplifier can be used very well for broadcasting, background music and TV sound. This allows the mXa-1502 to be used in versatile, multi-zone environments with very different requirements. This makes the mixing amplifier extremely suitable for use in churches, auditoriums, (small) factories, event centres, gymnasiums, small clubs, lecture halls, hotels, office environments, multifunctional spaces, restaurants/cafes, retail, schools, sports accommodations and fields and presentation rooms.
Some suggestions of products to combine the mXa-1502 mixing amplifier with:
- Clockaudio DMB1 paging desk
- Ohm Bootique speakers, compact speaker for restaurants
- Pan Acoustics P04Pi, speaker for churches
- T-audio MP101, music source for background music
- Work CS323, distribution speaker for factory halls
- Clockaudio C008 boundary microphone, for conference calls (automixer function)
- Clockaudio CRM202, built-in microphone with switch, connected to trigger input
Als je er even over nadenkt dan zijn veel uitdagingen met dit apparaat op te lossen. Vraag bij ons om een demo van de Ashly mXa-1502 en we leggen je graag alles uit over deze mengversterker en zijn vele mogelijkheden.
Conclusie
The mXa-1502 from Ashly is a multi-grown, there are many challenges to solves with this device. The mixing amplifier can be used very well for broadcasting, background music and TV sound. This allows the mXa-1502 to be used in versatile, multi-zone environments with very different requirements. The advanced, compact Class D amplifier is very energy efficient, keeps the head cool and is much less interference-prone than many comparable amplifiers. A budget-friendly, highly reliable solution.
Curieus about Ashly’s possibilities for your projects?
Contact Tau Audio Solutions at +31 (0)50 549 90 90 90 or sent an email to info@tau.nl. Our audio experts will help answer all your questions.
Artikelen reeks
This article is from a series of articles. Earlier we wrote about on www.tau.nl:
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