Summer is the season of the doof—that goes without saying. However, unlike seasons past, this year I have increasingly found myself taking a mental note of the kinds of portable PA setups and DIY rigs employed at these kinds of events.

Electro-Voice EVERSE 12 

Maybe it’s a byproduct of old age or maybe I’m just a massive gear nerd, but there is something truly fascinating about the kind of guerilla logistics these parties entail and the kind of technical considerations that come with putting on a gig somewhere you shouldn’t.

Things like power source, portability and flexibility of built-in features like onboard mixing and stereo linking etc, all become extremely important factors when you’re talking about lugging equipment out to the middle of nowhere and when there is a genuine risk of the powers that be shutting things down at a moment’s notice. Needless to say, pack down time is paramount in these kinds of high stakes applications.

Now, we here at Mixdown would never condone putting on a show without the correct council approval, but if you have gone through all the correct procedures and procured the necessary permits, then all that is left is the sonic considerations. After all, what’s a doof if it’s not doofing. 

Suffice to say, the new Electro Voice (EV) EVERSE 12 provides all this and then some, serving as the perfect middle ground between mobile, self powering PA rig and floor filling sound reinforcement and all without any sacrifice on audio quality and dispersion in the open air.

Whether you are from a recording or live sound background, hearing the name Electro-Voice is sure to elicit a feeling of instant confidence when it comes to anything pertaining to transducer design. The American manufacturer has long been synonymous with producing some of the highest quality and best microphones and loudspeakers on the market and the brand’s new EVERSE 12 box more than lives up to this lineage for impeccable build quality and exceptional performance. 

The newer, larger sibling to the highly touted EVERSE 8, the 12” option is aimed for users looking for bigger sound and maximum projection – perfect for those summer outdoor shows, whilst also making full use of the best-in-class battery performance and wireless-friendly feature set that made its 8” counterpart such a success.

EVERSE 12 and the EVERSE 8

Weighing in at 14.16kg and housing a lot more in the way of components, the 12” was always going to be a slightly larger box than its 8 inch kin, but it still is in no way a cumbersome box. The lightweight polypropylene enclosure helps keep additional weight to a minimum and the tradeoff in footprint size is made up for and then some, by way of the big leap in sound output between the EVERSE 12 and the EVERSE 8.

Employing EV’s own patented signal synchronised transducer for both the woofer and ferrofluid cooled 1” compression driver, the sheer amount of air that can be moved by the Evolve 12 is something to behold.

Driven by a high-efficiency 400 W Class-D amplifier and DSP module developed in collaboration with the world-class audio electronics engineering team at EV’s sibling brand Dynacord, the EVERSE 12 comes equipped with a built-in four-channel digital mixer, complete with studio-quality effects and processing as well as mode/location/subwoofer presets, making it extremely flexible in terms of being paired with additional speakers and subs, or for carting it to various different acoustic environments.  

What’s made even more impressive is the EVERSE 12’s ability to move this larger and more powerful componentry at no cost to the overall battery life, offering 12+ hours at 100dB compared to the 12+ hours at 95dB SPL average on the EVERSE 8 (an improvement of 5dB of output on the same battery life, for a box that provides a lot more in the way of digital features and low frequency extension).

EVOLVE Series

With a Maximum SPL of 126dB and a low-frequency extension all the way done to 45Hz, rest assured there is some notable heft involved at the auditory level. DJ’s mixes can be felt in the chest and through the ground, without the aid of a sub (but if you’ve got one, why not?)

For the bandier types or for anyone looking for the ultimate in small ensemble rigs, the 48V phantom power, feedback suppression and audio ducking, are sure to be handy additions, providing a truly self-contained setup from input to output.

In terms of connections, all the usual suspects are there, including 2 XLR/TRS combo jacks, a charge port for external devices like phones and iPads, a standalone XLR output for linking multiple units as well as a 12V DC power output, perfect for powering a wireless microphone system. Bluetooth connectivity as well as a 3.5mm stereo input also gives us plenty of choices in terms of media type, so the party doesn’t have to stop once the DJ has.  

Another particularly handy addition is the ability to tune your PA remotely via the EV QuickSmart Mobile app to adjust all audio, effects and mix options, meaning you can really optimise your output to suit your working environment with too much back and forth. An intuitive user interface makes it simple to shape your sound to the space, so you can focus on the show.

When it comes to providing scalable, awesome sounding portable PA speakers there is arguably nobody in the game doing it better than Electro-Voice. From their small-scale column speakers like the recent EVOLVE series, through to the EVERSE 8 and now the EVERSE 12, the brand have been on a tear of late, redefining the kind of sound quality that can come from these small footprint offerings. The new EVOLVE 12 with its remarkable output, 400w Class D amplification and swathe of digital features is proof that this same approach can be scaled up to larger boxes and larger parties, all while keeping weight and size to a minimum.

For local enquiries, visit Jands.