Meyer Sound M SERIES User Manual

M SE R IES

milo

family

performing arts centers theatres mid-sized live venues sidefill for MILO

MICA

Compact High-Power
Curvilinear Array Loudspeaker

MI CA

milo

family

power size precision

MICA

Compact high-power curvilinear array loudspeaker

The MICA compact high-powered curvilinear array loudspeaker is the newest and smallest member of
the acclaimed MILO family of loudspeakers. MICA brings the very high output and smooth, extended
high-frequency response that is the MILO family’s sonic signature to a smaller package with broad
100-degree horizontal coverage. This makes MICA ideal for applications that do not require quite as
much power and throw distance as MILO or where weight and size are a concern. MICA is suited to a
wide variety of applications such as touring, rental, and fixed installation, and its sonic compatibility
with MILO makes it an excellent component in a MILO family system.

MICA offers all of the benefits of Meyer Sound’s 25 years of manufacturing controller-assisted
loudspeakers and 10 years making self-powered systems, including carrying integral amplification,
complex crossover, driver protection and frequency and phase correction circuitry onboard. MICA’s

compact high-power curvilinear array loudspeaker

FEATURES & BENEFITS

Very high power-to-size ratio

•

Exceptional fidelity and

•

transient response for
intelligibility and high-impact

Seamless integration with MILO

•

Wide and even horizontal

•

coverage pattern

QuickFly rigging system with

•

new captive GuideALinks
simplifies use in flown or
groundstacked arrays

APPLICATIONS

components are all newly designed specifically for it and manufactured at Meyer
Sound’s Berkeley factory to meet stringent performance specifications and rigorous
quality controls. As with all Meyer Sound systems, MICA exhibits flat frequency and
phase response across its wide operating range of 60 Hz to 18 kHz.

MICA is built for touring, with its new QuickFly rigging featuring captive GuideALinks and a
built-in “balcony bar” capability, as well as dimensions that provide an efficient truck pack.

With a peak output of 138 dB SPL, MICA sets a new standard for power-to-size ratio and raises
the bar for performance in a compact curvilinear array system, whether it is on the road or fixed
in one place.

Performing arts centers,

•

theatres, churches, and other
fixed installations

Touring sound reinforcement

•

for mid-sized venues

Sidefill hangs with MILO in

•

large venues

MI CA

“With the success of MILO,
we started hearing from
customers who wanted
MILO’s performance
in a format appropriate for
smaller venues. MICA brings
the exceptional fidelity and
high power-to-size ratio
of MILO to that range of
applications, as well as
smoothly integrating with
MILO in larger systems.”

- John Meyer

milo

family

ALL NEW COMPONENTS: THE HEART OF THE SYSTEM

MICA is a three-way system whose primary components were designed from scratch, building on
everything Meyer Sound has learned to date about making loudspeaker drivers and electronics.

Low/Mid-Frequency Section

MICA covers low and mid frequencies with two high-power, neodymium magnet 10-inch cone
drivers with 2-inch voice coils, each housed in its own vented enclosure within the loudspeaker. The
two drivers operate in a two-way configuration: both work in parallel at lower frequencies to take
advantage of their combined acoustic output, while one rolls off before the crossover frequency to
maintain optimal polar and frequency response.

compact high-power curvilinear array loudspeaker

MICA’s 100-degree
constant-directivity horn

Two compression drivers
mount on a patented REM
coupled to MICA’s horn

High-Frequency Section

MICA is designed to produce the smooth, undistorted high-frequency sound for which the MILO
family is renowned. The high-frequency section located at the center between the two cone drivers
consists of two neodymium-magnet compression drivers with 3-inch diaphragms and 1.2-inch exits.
These drivers are seamlessly combined through a patented Meyer Sound REM (ribbon emulation
manifold) coupled to a 100-degree horizontal constant-directivity horn. The horn’s controlled, very
narrow vertical dispersion is ideally suited for use in curvilinear arrays, allowing minimal destructive
interaction in the high frequencies between adjacent enclosures. REM produces a smoothly controlled
wave front with low distortion and the very high output generated by compression drivers.

The drivers, horn and REM are all next-generation designs created expressly for MICA.

A curvilinear array
of 12 MICA cabinets

MI CA

Making Sense of
MICA’s Power

In order to provide truly

useful information to users,

Meyer Sound has, with MICA,

initiated a new specification

in which amplifier power

is rated in total output

power and watts peak.
The Technical Note Making

Sense of Amplifier Power
Ratings, available from

the Meyer Sound website,

explains why these new

ratings are meaningful,

as well as giving valuable

background that will help

readers better understand

amplifier specifications

and performance.

MICA’s powerful four-channel amplifier

THE SELF-POWERED ADVANTAGE

MICA’s considerable output is driven by a powerful four-channel class AB/H amplifier that produces
3,020 watts of total output power (6,000 watts peak). The field-replaceable amplifier/processing
electronics module includes TruPower limiting to extend the life of the drivers and hold long-term
power compression to less than 1 dB, and incorporates Meyer Sound’s Intelligent AC power supply,
which automatically adjusts for any line voltage worldwide and provides both soft turn-on and
transient protection.

As a Meyer Sound self-powered system, each MICA contains all of its amplification and processing
within the loudspeaker cabinet, providing greater performance, lower cost and more convenience.
Greater performance because all of the electronics and the drivers are designed as an integrated
system from the beginning, eliminating the need for the compromises that come with accommodating
unknown amplifiers or loads in passive systems, as well as ensuring that each cabinet performs
identically to every other. This is critical in line array applications, where performance differences
compromise coupling between cabinets, which is the basis of line array theory. Finally, cable runs are
reduced to a matter of inches; signal loss from long cable runs are a thing of the past.

Lower cost comes from no longer having to buy, outfit and haul amplifier racks on tour, or build
air-conditioned rooms in fixed installations. The space saved also translates into money. Also gone
is the need to buy, carry and run lengths of loudspeaker cables.

Convenience comes from doing away with involved calibration of gain and crossover settings, while
simplifying setup and modifications like adding more cabinets or reconfiguring zones. Load-in,
load-out and flying loudspeakers is a snap.

compact high-power curvilinear array loudspeaker

Newly designed QuickFly rigging features
captive GuideALinks for easier and safer setup.

MG-MICA top grid can hold up to 22 MICA cabinets
with a 7:1 load safety ratio.

*

QUICKFLY RIGGING

Meyer Sound’s QuickFly rigging is the subject of multiple patents and broke new ground in providing rigid
rigging that allowed arrays to travel fully rigged and virtually eliminated the need for pullback cables.

In addition to its all-new loudspeaker components and power amplifier, MICA also features a brand new
design for its QuickFly rigging. The new rigging features captive GuideALinks that make rigging arrays both
simpler and safer. With MICA’s QuickFly rigging, it is never necessary to put hands between cabinets while
pinning links.

The front links also feature an integral “balcony bar” setting, allowing a wide splay angle to be introduced
into an array, making it easy to minimize reflections off of balconies and other architectural obstacles.

The MG-MICA top grid can hold up to 22 MICA cabinets with a 7:1 load safety ratio* for large MICA arrays,
while the MTF-MILO/MICA transition grid facilitates using MICA as downfill for a MILO main array. The
MCF-MICA caster frame allows up to four MICA cabinets to be transported fully rigged, and is dimensioned
to provide tight packing in both U.S. and European trucks. To make MICA entirely road-ready, durable
nylon covers for up to four cabinets are also available.

*

Restrictions apply: Rating depends on grid angle and the array’s center of gravity, which can be determined using MAPP

Online Pro’s rigging calculator.

The MG-MICA allows for groundstacking of MICA
as well as 600-HP subwoofers (with optional
QuickFly rigging)

The MCF-MICA caster frame allows up to four
MICA cabinets to be transported fully rigged.

MI CA

ALONE OR WITH FAMILY, MICA DOES THE JOB

MICA’s compact profile and high output make it extremely versatile. On its own, MICA is perfect for
tours or rental systems working in mid-sized venues. Performing arts centers, theatres, churches and
other locations that require a powerful system but do not have the scale of large-scale installations
such as arenas and stadiums will also find MICA to be an ideal solution. Where size or weight limits
are an issue, MICA presents an elegant answer.

MICA has been designed to be fully compatible with other MILO family loudspeakers and integrates
seamlessly into systems built from them. Where main arrays are built from MILO, MILO 120 or MILO
60 loudspeakers, MICA is the best choice for sidefill arrays. MICA can also be used as an alternate
downfill in situations where the wider vertical and horizontal coverage of MILO 120 is not needed. In
fact, tours playing in a variety of venues can use MICA for sidefill in larger houses and as the main
arrays in medium to smaller ones.

The “balcony bar” setting in the MICA QuickFly rigging makes it easy to avoid bouncing sound off of
architectural obstructions. The RMS remote monitoring system, included as standard, makes it easy to
watch critical performance parameters.

Three MILO 60, six
MILO, one MILO 120-I,
and one MILO 120

12 MICA

SUBWOOFER INTEGRATION

MICA’s prodigious output calls for equally powerful support for the
low frequencies. The 700-HP ultrahigh-power subwoofer supplies

this support in abundance, boasting an

operating frequency range of 28 Hz to

150 Hz and a maximum peak output

of 139 dB SPL. The 700-HP can be

groundstacked or flown in its own

array with its optional QuickFly rigging.

It can even be configured into a horizontal
line array to provide even low-frequency

coverage over a large area.

For applications where it is desirable to fly a subwoofer as part of a

MICA array, the new 600-HP offers extremely high output in a form

factor compatible with MICA. The 600-HP’s optional QuickFly rigging

MICA can be rigged directly
to the 600-HP.

provides seamless integration with MICA cabinets, as well as the MG-MICA

multi-purpose grid and the MCF-MICA caster frame.

700-HP ultrahigh-power
subwoofer

MICA AND MAPP ONLINE

Meyer Sound knows that building the
world’s best loudspeakers is only part
of the job; ensuring they are well used
is the other part. Good tools can make
all the difference in achieving optimal
loudspeaker use. Meyer Sound MAPP
Online acoustical prediction software,
available free from Meyer Sound, gives
users accurate predictions of how Meyer
Sound loudspeakers will work in use in a
given venue. MAPP Online lets users view
coverage, and, using the included Virtual
SIM feature, SPL and frequency response
at any spot in the venue. MAPP Online Pro
also integrates a comprehensive rigging
calculator which allows users to instantly
locate an array’s center of gravity.

compact high-power curvilinear array loudspeaker

A MAPP Online soundfield plot of a MICA array.

Running under the Macintosh or Windows
operating system, MAPP Online’s powerful
features makes it easy to design MICA
arrays by themselves or complete systems
incorporating MICA. Propose a loudspeaker
configuration and graphically view the
resulting coverage within seconds with
confidence that reality will closely match
the prediction.

A MAPP Online soundfield plot of a system with a MILO main
array and a MICA sidefill array (splayed 40 degrees from the
main array) on each side of the venue.

Instantly locate the center of gravity of an array using
Meyer Sound’s MAPP Online.





MI CA

“The MILO family

represents the combination

of all of Meyer Sound’s years of

experience making low-distortion,

self-powered loudspeakers with the

knowledge we’ve gained from our
curvilinear array systems. The market is
looking for high power, clarity of sound

and well-engineered packaging, and

all of the MILO family loudspeakers

deliver those things.”

- John Meyer

MILO FAMILY

Since the 2003 introduction of the MILO high-power
curvilinear array loudspeaker, it has become the “gold
standard” for touring and installed line array systems.
With the widespread acceptance of MILO, users started
asking for those same qualities in products optimized
for synergistic functions, and Meyer Sound responded
by releasing the MILO 120, whose 120-degree horizontal
and 20-degree vertical coverage angles make it the

MILO

angle for situations where tight directivity control is crucial,
and now MICA, for applications that don’t quite need
MILO’s extraordinary power and throw.

Compatible in terms of sound, power and rigging, MILO
family loudspeakers seamlessly integrate in virtually any
combination, representing a complete solution for fixed
installations of any size, and total flexibility for touring or
rental applications, where every show may demand a
different system configuration that, nonetheless, must
setup and sound the same as the show before.
With four distinct variations on a successful theme,
the MILO family offers a comprehensive solution that
allows every audience member to enjoy the power and
transparency of MILO in venues of any size.

ideal downfill loudspeaker in a MILO family array, the
MILO 60, with its narrow 60-degree horizontal coverage

MILO 120

MILO 60

MICA

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MICA SPECIFICATIONS

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compact high-power curvilinear array loudspeaker

ACOUSTICAL

Operating Frequency Range

Frequency Response

Maximum Peak SPL

1

60 Hz - 18 kHz

2

75 Hz - 17 kHz ±4 dB

3

138 dB

COVERAGE

Horizontal

Vertical

100°
Varies, depending on array length and configuration

TRANSDUCER S

Low/Low-Mid Frequency

Two high-power 10" cone drivers with neodymium magnets
Nominal impedance: 4 Ω
Voice coil size: 2"

5

High Frequency

Power handling capability: 1200 W (AES)4; 1800 W peak

6

Two 3" compression drivers
Nominal impedance: 8 Ω

Voice coil size: 3"

Diaphragm size: 3"
Exit size: 1.2"
Power handling capability: 360 W (AES)4; 720 W peak

AUDIO INPUT

Connector

Female XLR input with male XLR loop output or VEAM all-in-one
connector (integrates AC, audio, and network)

AMPLIFIER

Four-channel complementary MOSFET output stages (class AB/H)

Type

7

Output Power

Total Output

3020 W (four channels; 2 x 950 W, 2 x 560 W)

8

6000 W peak

AC POWER

Connector

Automatic Voltage Selection

Turn-on and Turn-off Points

Max Long-Term Continuous Current (>10 sec)

RMS NETWORK

250 V AC NEMA L6-20 twistlock, IEC-309 male, PowerCon, or VEAM
Automatic, two ranges, each with high-low voltage tap (uninterrupted)
85 V AC - 134 V AC; 165 V AC - 264 V AC

9

8.7 A rms (115 V AC); 4.3 A rms (230 V AC); 10.0 A rms (100 V AC)

Equipped with two-conductor twisted-pair network, reporting all
operating parameters of amplifiers to system operator’s host computer

PHYSICAL

Dimensions

Weight

Enclosure

Protective Grille

Rigging

41.40 w x 13.37 h x 17.78 d
(1052 mm x 340 mm x 452 mm)
150 lbs (68.04 kg)
Premium birch plywood
Black textured

Finish

Powder-coated, hex-stamped steel, black mesh
QuickFly rigging with four captive AlignaLinks in the bottom
corners of two aluminum and steel end frames, secured with
quick-release pins

5

1. Recommended maximum operat­ing frequency range. Response
depends on loading conditions and
room acoustics.

2. Free field, measured with 1/3­octave frequency resolution at 4
meters.

3. Measured with music referred to 1
meter.

4. Power handling is measured under
AES standard conditions: both
transducers driven continuously for
two hours with band-limited noise
signal having a 6 dB peak-average
ratio.

5. Peak power handling is measured
with both transducers driven for
100 milliseconds with pink noise
signal having a 12 dB peak-aver­age ratio.

6. The two drivers are coupled to a
100-degree-horizontal constant­directivity horn through a propri­etary acoustical combining manifold
(REM).

7. Amplifier wattage rating based on
the maximum unclipped burst sine­wave rms voltage that the amplifier
will produce for at least 0.5 seconds
into the nominal load impedance.

8. Peak power based on the maximum
unclipped peak voltage that the
amplifier will produce for at least
100 milliseconds into the nominal
load impedance.

9. AC power cabling must be of suf­ficient gauge so that under burst
current rms conditions, cable trans­mission losses do not drop voltage
below specified operating range at
the speaker.

Meyer Sound Laboratories Inc.
2832 San Pablo Avenue
Berkeley, California 94702

T: +1 510 486.1166
F: +1 510 486.8356

www.meyersound.com

MILO, MICA, REM, RMS, MAPP Online Pro, GuideALink, and all alphanumeric product designations are trademarks of Meyer Sound. Meyer Sound MAPP Online, QuickFly and the
Meyer Sound wave logo are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. All third-party trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.
Patents pending.

18.147.004.01 B