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— Speaker Coverage · Install line array

d&b audiotechnik Y8 SPL & coverage

Problem. A 30 x 18 m conference auditorium needs enough level at the back rows without over-driving the front seats or spraying sound onto side walls. The d&b audiotechnik Y8, an install line array cabinet with a narrow 80 x 10 degree dispersion, is a common candidate for this kind of long, level-critical throw.

Answer. At a 15 m listener position and 60% drive, the Y8 delivers roughly 111 dB SPL. Its 80 degree horizontal pattern gives a -6 dB coverage half-width of about 12.6 m at that distance.

02 / In depth

How this preset reads — the engineering view.

The Y8 is rated 137 dB SPL at 1 m. Sound pressure falls off with distance under the inverse-square relationship, so at a 15 m listener position that same output arrives at roughly 113 dB at full drive, and roughly 111 dB once drive is set to 60%.

The 80 x 10 degree (H x V) dispersion is what sets the roughly 12.6 m horizontal coverage half-width at 15 m: the wide horizontal spread covers the seating plan, while the tight 10 degree vertical pattern keeps the throw controlled and reduces reflections off the ceiling and floor. The Y8 is a passive cabinet, so it needs a matched amplifier channel rather than built-in electronics.

In the planner, drag the listener distance and drive level sliders to watch the SPL figure move in real time. The box-count estimate shown alongside is a front-coverage guide only — treat SPL adequacy at the back row as a separate feasibility check from box count.

The planner does not model room reverberation or RT60, coverage zoning across multiple seating areas, subwoofer pairing for low-frequency extension, array mechanical rigging, or DSP and delay-line tuning between cabinets. Each of those needs a dedicated acoustic review alongside this estimate.

What this preset deliberately does not solve

  • SPL figures are free-field inverse-square estimates, not a room acoustic simulation — real rooms with reflective surfaces will read differently.
  • The 12.6 m coverage half-width assumes a single cabinet on-axis; overlapping or arrayed cabinets change the effective pattern.
  • Rated maximum SPL is a manufacturer figure for the cabinet alone and does not account for amplifier headroom, cabling losses, or drive electronics matching.

How this preset differs from its siblings

Other install line array cabinets in this catalogue carry different maximum SPL ratings and dispersion angles, so the same room and listener distance will not produce the same coverage half-width or SPL figure. The Y8's 80 x 10 degree pattern and 137 dB @1 m rating suit a narrow, long-throw seating plan; a cabinet with a wider vertical pattern or lower maximum SPL would need a different listener distance or drive setting to reach a comparable result. This preset exists so the Y8's own numbers, not a generic average, are what a visitor sees first.

02 / What that means, drawn

Plan view, drawn to one scale in both directions. The room is 30.00 m deep by 18.00 m wide, with the cabinet on the front wall and the listener 15.00 m down the axis. d&b Y8 line array has a nominal horizontal pattern of 80°, so the covered shape is a wedge whose apex is at the CABINET, not a circle around the listener. The wedge is drawn at half that angle either side of the axis. At the listener's distance that wedge is 25.17 m across — 12.59 m either side of the axis. That width is the published figure, and it is the only coverage quantity this tool establishes. The room is 18.00 m wide there, so one cabinet covers the full width with 7.17 m to spare across the two edges combined. The wedge is the nominal beamwidth drawn with straight edges. It is not a measured -6 dB contour, and it is a HORIZONTAL quantity only: no vertical coverage, and no covered area, is claimed here. This cabinet's vertical pattern is 10°, and the difference between the two is exactly why a single circular figure would misstate the covered patch.

This preset’s geometry, drawn to one scale in both directions from the same derivation the calculator below uses. The wedge is d&b Y8 line array’s nominal 80° horizontal pattern, not a measured contour, and no vertical coverage or covered area is claimed. Move the controls below to change it.

03 / Hydrated calculator

Try the configuration — live.

The calculator below is preloaded with this preset’s state. Adjust any input — your URL stays shareable.

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