C4 system

Why it mattered

1. 01

   d&b sold the C4 as an integrated system — loudspeakers, dedicated amplifiers, rigging and software aligned together — rather than as a box to be paired with any amplifier.

2. 02

   Its flying hardware was developed with MAN flying systems, with load-rated parts, planning software for flown set-ups and rigging training forming part of the package.

3. 03

   UK rental company Entec chose d&b after a 1995 multi-manufacturer shoot-out arranged by its head of sound Dick Hayes, and the C4 system soon became a working part of its fleet.

Engineering record

C4-TOP

Two-way horn-loaded cabinet, 12-inch and 2-inch drivers, 35° × 35° dispersion, 140 dB maximum SPL[2]

C4-SUB

18-inch bandpass subwoofer extending the system to 50 Hz (50–150 Hz, −5 dB); 580 × 580 × 620 mm, 48 kg; marine plywood with MAN CF4 rigging points[3]

C3 companion

Two-way active module, 2 × 10-inch and 3 × 1.3-inch drivers, 35° × 5° dispersion, 144 dB maximum SPL; same cabinet shape and flying hardware as the C4[2][3]

Control

Driven by d&b amplifiers (later D6, D12, D80/D90) with centralised computer set-up, control and maintenance[1][3]