Meyer Sound has introduced the VLFC very low frequency control element, the latest addition to its LEO Family of line array systems.

VLFC is ‘the first large-scale loudspeaker system specifically engineered to create visceral impact at frequencies below the threshold of hearing.’

By focusing energy into a narrow band between 30 Hz and 13 Hz, VLFC is capable of generating extreme variations in air pressure that translate to compression waves and a thunderous bass sound.

The VLFC is a self-powered system housing two low resonant frequency 18-inch cone drivers. The on-board power is supplied by a two-channel Class AB/H bridged amplifier with complementary MOSFET output stages for high peak power and clean transient reproduction. Cabinet porting and internal baffling have been optimised to deliver maximum acoustic output in one octave that extends across the lower limit of human hearing.

The VLFC shares the same exterior footprint as the company’s 1100-LFC low frequency control element, allowing use of the same rigging grids and caster frames. When the VLFC is paired with the 1100-LFC, the combination produces linear, coherent bass response from 13 Hz to 100 Hz.

The VLFC is designed to add very low frequency, visceral impact to hard rock and electronic dance music in concerts, festivals and clubs, while also adding explosive impact to special effects in cinemas, themed spectacles, and theme park attractions. A limited early production run of VLFC elements was supplied for Metallica’s ongoing Worldwired tour, where as many as 42 VLFC cabinets are utilised.

“You actually feel the effect of the VLFC much more than you hear it,” explained Pablo Espinosa, Meyer Sound’s vice president of research and development and chief loudspeaker designer. “It truly is a chest-slamming experience. And because the VLFC’s very long wavelengths have lesser impact on hearing and fall below most weighting curves, you can add bone-rattling power to your performance without running afoul of noise limits.”