HARMAN's new 'Connected PA' system

In an interesting move, HARMAN Professional Solutions have announced the HARMAN Connected PA™—a complete, integrated system of live sound products that allows musicians and performers at any skill level to quickly and easily get professional results. 

The HARMAN Connected PA brings together Soundcraft mixers, AKG microphones, dbx stage boxes and JBL speakers that integrate HARMAN ioSYS technology to offer a flexible and scalable solution that makes it easy for customers to get great live sound.

At the centre of the Connected PA system will be the HARMAN Connected PA mobile app, which provides one centralized solution for intuitive setup, configuration and control.

Here's more of what HARMAN have to say:

“Musicians need a fast and easy way to set up their PA system so they can focus on performing instead of worrying about their equipment,” said Noel Larson, Senior Global Manager, HARMAN Professional Solutions. “The HARMAN Connected PA system provides musicians a simple and effective way to set up and operate their entire PA system from one central app, with minimal pro audio skills or previous live sound experience. Now musicians can focus on what matters most—their performance.”

HARMAN Connected PA is an industry first, and streamlines the setup process with one state-of-the-art central app for the entire component system, removing the need for multiple apps and GUIs. The app automatically identifies and configures connected equipment, provides setup wizards for quick and easy system configuration, and offers access from a variety of devices, including iOS and Android tablets, Mac OS and Windows.

The Connected PA solution is enabled via ioSYS technology and initially includes equipment from Soundcraft, JBL, dbx and AKG, allowing musicians to create systems that suit their specific needs. Additional HARMAN equipment can be added to increase performance flexibility and meet the demands of future growth. At launch, compatible products include:

• Soundcraft Ui24R multi-track digital mixing and recording system

• JBL PRX800W loudspeakers

• dbx Di1 active direct boxes

• AKG P5i microphones

HARMAN Professional Solutions plans to add many new products to the Connected PA family to provide musicians with greater versatility and adaptable performance.

Availability

The HARMAN Connected PA app is expected to be available Q2 2017 from the Apple App Store, Google Play, Soundcraft.com and JBL.com. Soundcraft Ui24R is expected to be available April 2017. The AKG P5i microphone will be available February 2017. JBL PRX800W speakers and the dbx Di1 are currently available but may require firmware updates to enable HARMAN Connected PA functionality.

We're hoping to get our hands on a prototype system very soon!