Samson Live L612

The Samson L612s are the smallest in the Live Series range, which includes a single 15-inch plus horn version, dual-LF driver models in both 12- and 15-inch format, and a dedicated floor monitor. They are all active, bi-amplified speakers, and use heavy-duty drivers throughout the range, with electronic protection circuitry in all models.

The Samson L612 is a conventional-looking, two-way, active full-range speaker, in that it has a 12-inch LF driver and a compression driver with 1-inch exit horn, each driven by their own built-in power amplifier section.

Let's follow the electrons by starting with a closer look at the amplifier module. Separate inputs are provided for line-level and microphone-level signals, which can be used simultaneously if required. The microphone input connector is a balanced XLR, which has 48V phantom power permanently applied, enabling the use of condenser mics or active DI boxes that require remote power. This does mean that you have to be careful not to connect unbalanced sources, although the handbook doesn't specifically say this, and neither is any warning printed on the panel — perhaps it's tolerant of being shorted out, but I didn't try it. The mic input has a rotary level control with a nearby red LED, for indicating when either the mic or line inputs are clipping.

The line input is also on a balanced XLR connector, and has its own level control. It can be used either on its own or mixed with the microphone input. This is a useful feature, and means that in a simple setup with, for example, one mic and a CD backing track or keyboard, the L612 is completely standalone and doesn't need an external mixer. Equalisation is provided for by separate Low and High controls, which provide 12dB of cut or boost at centre frequencies of 100Hz and 10kHz respectively. I noted that the owner's manual refers to a 'selectable low-cut filter', which I wasn't able to find. Below the EQ controls is a small push button, which is used to determine what signal is sent to the line output that appears on a male XLR alongside the two input connectors. If the switch is left out, the line-out signal is exactly the same as what is being fed to the line input, and if it's pushed in then the mixed signal from both mic and line inputs will be output, post-EQ, to the line out. If two or more of the L612s are daisy-chained, this means that you could have the mix and EQ settings of the first speaker sent to the next unit in the chain, or you can choose to have different speakers adjusted independently. This would be useful when using multiple speakers to cover different areas, for example, as theatre foyer relays.

As is the norm with active cabinets these days, the L612 incorporates electronics designed to protect the amplifiers and the drivers. There's an LED indicator labelled Amp/Clip Protection, which lights red when you power up the unit, and remains that way for a second or so until the until the output relay closes, when it turns green indicating that all is ready for action. This LED will also flash red to warn of power-amp signal peaks, and will stay at steady red if the output relay opens for any reason, to indicate a fault condition.

The back panel of the L612 can function as a mini mixer, with the ability to mix microphone and line inputs simultaneously, and adjust their individual level.

The performance specification tells us that the L612 uses a 250W (RMS) Class A/B amplifier driving a 12-inch woofer with a three-inch voice coil, and a 50W (RMS) Class A/B amp powering a one-inch exit compression driver with a 1.75-inch titanium diaphragm, mounted on a non-rotating 60 x 40-degree horn. Crossover frequency is 2.3kHz on a 24dB-per-octave slope, and overall frequency response is given as 50Hz to 20kHz although the (-dB) measurement points are not stated. The performance of the L612s is enhanced by the use of an internal multi-band dynamics processor and soft limiting.

The conventional shape of the L612 means that you can't use it as a monitor wedge, though there is a wedge-shaped version available, the L612M (pictured).

The appearance of the L612s is plain, black and purposeful, which is how I prefer speakers to be. The cabinet is constructed from plywood, and is covered in black carpet with a flat steel grille covering the whole front surface of the enclosure, including the horn mouth. I like this arrangement, as it protects all orifices from the possible ingress of foreign objects, including live ones. The L612 is easy to lift and carry, and I found it much easier to pick it up from behind, as the handles are recessed into the side panels and therefore sit at an angle. The handles themselves are all metal, well fitted and finished, and feel comfortable and secure. Overall weight of this speaker is a shade under 23Kg (about the same as a Mackie SRM450), so it's quite manageable, and getting it on or off a pole or stand didn't give me any difficulty. While we're on the subject of mounting, the integral standard pole mount socket on the bottom of the cab appears strong and of good quality. Also on the bottom panel are four chunky rubber feet, which are better (ie. they are non-slip and offer some cushioning) than the hard, plastic type you sometimes find on this size of speaker.

The steel grille, although flat, is quite sturdy and didn't bend when I applied a fair bit of pressure to its centre. It is neatly installed, recessed and supported by a horizontal bar which runs between the horn and the LF driver, and I like the way the mounting pillars are made of a rubber-like material which should be good for eliminating rattles and helping to keep the fixing screws from working loose.

The carpet covering seems very thick and looks as if it will offer a good deal of protection to the wooden cabinet. There are no protective metal or plastic corners fitted, which might leave the front corners in particular exposed to the odd knock, but that might be a good thing anyway — those metal corners have a habit of catching on adjacent objects and causing more damage than they prevent.

The largest visible component on the rear panel is an enormous finned heat sink, which provides convection cooling for the amp section. There's no fan, so it's important to keep the space directly behind the speaker clear to keep everything within operating limits.

I initially listened to a few favourite CD tracks through the L612s, and they sounded nice and crisp with plenty of bass. When turned up I thought the top end was a bit bright, and I compensated for this by backing off on the HF control a little. I pushed the low end all the way up, and even at uncomfortably loud indoor levels the bass wasn't breaking up or becoming uncontrollable, so I took the speakers outside and ran them for about 30 minutes at more-or-less full chat — they thumped away quite happily, and the heat sink grew warm but not too hot. A rehearsal with a 20-piece band and a couple of singers came up at quite short notice so, since the L612s were handy, I threw them in the car and took them along. As I was very short of time, and the singers were only performing one at a time, I used the direct mic input and was very happy with the results. We were playing swingy numbers, and these speakers were again producing a nice, crisp top end but with a pleasant amount of warmth in the lower range. Both male and female vocals had no difficulty at all projecting over the rather large band, and in a less than ideal acoustic environment we could hear everything clearly.

In physical terms, the L612s are well finished and look good. They are also easy to handle and transport, and they fit quite easily into a modest hatchback. In audio performance terms they have a nice smooth sound and have enough power to cope with small to medium-size gigs. I like the way they handle vocals, and there is enough flexibility available on the back panel to make them useful pieces of kit to have in a range of situations. These relatively inexpensive active speakers appear to represent particularly good value and performance for the money, and I would certainly recommend giving them a proper evaluation, preferably in your intended application, if you are really interested in finding out what they can do. 0

Samson Live L612

Active PA speakers