ResonantLive Sound Archive

Equipment file · Four-way touring loudspeaker

S-4F

Clair Brothers · 1974 (S-4); 1982 (Series II / S-4F)

Evidence status · documented

Identity and core specifications are documented; some historical fields remain unavailable.

The Clair S-4, designed by Gene Clair with Stan Shaak, was Clair's first all-in-one four-way box, debuting in January 1974 in Japan and Hong Kong. It held two 18-inch bass drivers, four 10-inch mids and HF and super-HF horns in a roughly 420-pound cabinet sized two-wide for a US trailer. The 1982 Series II (S-4F) added a composite back and aluminium corners for rigging.

Introduced
1974 (S-4); 1982 (Series II / S-4F)
Category
Four-way touring loudspeaker
Intended use
Flown and stacked concert sound
Production
Built in-house by Clair Brothers

Equipment photographs · 6

Clair S4 Series II — front with grille removed

1 / 6 · Clair S4 Series II — front with grille removed

Clair S4 Series II — front with grille removed·Clair Global / CLAIR Used Gear·© Clair Global; used for identification and historical commentary

Why it mattered

  1. 01

    It was the first widely used all-in-one four-way touring box, letting companies build arrays from one repeatable block.

  2. 02

    The S-4 family stayed in Clair's inventory for decades.

Engineering record

Drivers
Two 18-inch, four 10-inch, HF horn drivers and two JBL 2405 super-tweeters[1]
Series II
Composite back and extruded aluminium corners (1982); F standard throw, P long throw[1][2]

Original pricing

No reliable period price located

2026 equivalent

Not calculated without a reliable original price.

Public price evidence was not sufficient to publish a defensible original figure.

Use in the field

Debuted January 1974 in Japan and Hong Kong with the Moody Blues, Elton John and Rod Stewart & the Faces[1]

Series II S-4s formed Clair's stadium system for The Who's 1989 North American tour[2]

Professional reactions

Release-period reaction · January 1990

Borthwick described the S-4 Series II goal as better sound for every ticket holder with less hanging and trucking weight. The familiar cabinet exterior concealed a redesign of all its internal parts.

Ron Borthwick, Clair engineering team spokespersonThe Who’s 1989 stadium system; contemporary RE/P article reprinted in 2025. Designer’s account, not an independent review. · Manufacturer representative in trade interview · Paraphrased account[3]ProSoundWeb (reprint of Recording Engineer/Producer) · RE/P Files: Behind The Scenes On The Systems For The Who On Tour In 1989 (originally Recording Engineer/Producer, January 1990)

Manuals & original documents

No authoritative manual or original document has been located for this profile.

Sources

  1. 150th anniversary of the Clair S-4Clair Global · archive · 2024-12-10
  2. 2RE/P Files: Behind The Scenes On The Systems For The Who On Tour In 1989ProSoundWeb (RE/P reprint) · case study
  3. 3RE/P Files: Behind The Scenes On The Systems For The Who On Tour In 1989 (originally Recording Engineer/Producer, January 1990)ProSoundWeb (reprint of Recording Engineer/Producer) · interview · January 1990

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