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Speaker Coverage · Touring line array

K-array Mugello KH5: SPL & Coverage for Touring Rigs

Problem. A touring line array cabinet like the Mugello KH5 has to hold usable SPL across a large live-event floor while its horizontal and vertical dispersion decide how many listener positions actually stay inside the pattern. In a 40 x 25 m room, the real question is not just ”is it loud enough at the mix position” but whether the -6 dB coverage angle actually reaches the back and sides of the floor without over-driving the box.

Answer. At a 20 m listener position and 70% drive, this preset estimates SPL at the listener at approximately 112 dB, against a rated maximum of 140 dB at 1 m. The 110 deg horizontal dispersion gives a -6 dB horizontal coverage radius of approximately 28.6 m at that distance, which the planner uses to judge whether the stated room width is covered.

02 / In depth

How this preset reads — the engineering view.

The Mugello KH5 is rated 140 dB SPL at 1 m under full drive. SPL falls with distance under the inverse-square relationship, so at a 20 m listener position the same full-output level works out to approximately 114 dB before any drive reduction is applied. Running the cabinet at 70% of rated drive for this preset brings the estimate down further, to approximately 112 dB at the listener.

The quoted 110 deg x 7 deg dispersion (horizontal x vertical) is what turns that SPL figure into a usable coverage pattern. The wide 110 deg horizontal spread is the basis for the approximately 28.6 m horizontal coverage radius calculated at 20 m, while the narrow 7 deg vertical pattern is intended to hold the throw down the room and limit spill onto ceilings and rear walls. The cabinet is self-powered, so this estimate does not depend on a separate external amplifier channel count.

Inside the planner, drag the listener distance and drive level sliders and watch the SPL figure move in response — this shows how quickly level falls off as a listener position moves further from the array. The box-count figure shown alongside is a front-coverage estimate based on room width and dispersion angle; treat it as a separate check from SPL adequacy, since a layout can have enough boxes for width coverage while still falling short on loudness at the back of the room, or vice versa.

This planner does not model room reverberation or RT60, so it cannot say how a space's acoustic treatment will affect intelligibility at the estimated SPL. It does not handle zoning across multiple distinct listening areas, subwoofer pairing or crossover alignment, array mechanical rigging and rated angles between cabinets, or DSP and delay tuning between hangs. Each of those needs a separate acoustic or structural review before a rig is finalised.

What this preset deliberately does not solve

  • SPL figures are a straight-line inverse-square estimate from the 140 dB @1 m rating and do not account for room absorption, air loss, or reflective surfaces.
  • The -6 dB coverage radius assumes a single cabinet's nominal 110 deg x 7 deg pattern in isolation, not the combined pattern of an assembled multi-box array.
  • Drive level is treated as a simple percentage of rated maximum; it does not model the cabinet's actual gain structure, limiting, or thermal compression at sustained high output.

How this preset differs from its siblings

The Mugello KH5 sits at the higher-output end of touring line array formats, with a 140 dB @1 m rating and a 110 deg x 7 deg dispersion pattern that trades a wide horizontal spread for a tightly controlled vertical throw. Other touring line array cabinets in the catalogue carry different rated SPL and dispersion combinations, so the same room dimensions and listener distance can produce a materially different coverage radius and SPL-at-listener result. This preset exists to show that specific combination for the Mugello KH5 rather than a generic touring line array average.

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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