QSC KC12 | Technical Audio Group | RRP $4499
It’s been more than twenty years since I was first afforded the opportunity to test drive a column style portable PA system. We were all extremely impressed with the ability of these units at the time, especially given the size of the system, and the spread it offered. Whilst they delivered more than anyone expected, this style of portable PA just didn’t quite have the fullness of sound that bigger cabinets offered. They all started to sound a little bit ‘hi-fi’ in the sound reproduction, and left you wanting a little more. Of course, one couldn’t complain, with the ease of transport and small footprint on offer, but as time progresses, I think every musician looks for more in the gear they use. Step forward two decades, through countless reinventions of early designs, and the team at QSC have delivered the ‘more’ which we all look for. Let me introduce you to the KC12, QSC’s powered 3-way column speaker system.
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So, before we talk about the unit, the build, the features, I want to get right to the heart of the KC12, and that is the sound quality. After all, anyone can reel off feature lists all day long, but what any musician will agree matters the most is what the audience hears, and in the case of the KC12, it’s good. This system offers a real full-range sound reproduction, just like what you’d expect from a line array system, just on a smaller scale. It’s not just a sub and a bunch of tweeters trying to fill in the space in-between. The mid-range in the KC12 is what really makes this system stand out.
This is created with the 3-way speaker design to deliver a full sound experience. The base of the unit houses a 12-inch subwoofer, along with a 3000-watt Class-D power amplifier to drive everything. That’s right, 3000-watts! QSC are not mucking about here, they have ensured that the unit has the gas to really drive high SPLs without running out of headroom. They state a maximum SPL peak of 132dB without distortion, I can’t confirm that precisely, as I wasn’t able to drive the system to full volume in the space I was working with. And isn’t it nice to be able to have a little extra even when you’ve hit ‘loud enough’. Of course, this was just with a single unit, you can chain up to four KC12 systems together for some serious movement of air.
Up top, the column offers an angled housing for the high and mid-range speakers. Here we find two 4-inch mid-range drivers that really fill the sound out. Above these, there’s a 1-inch tweeter housed in the proprietary QSC LEAF waveguide, which will be easily recognisable by anyone who has worked with their bigger line array systems. In an overly simplified explanation of this clever design, the LEAF waveguide essentially fans out the sound from the tweeter so the audience in the very front row, and those all the way up the back all fall into its throw. This delivers a crystal-clear high frequency response to each and every spot down the room.
Overall, the combination of 1, 4 and 12-inch drivers, backed with plenty of power from that 3000-watt amplifier do just what you want from a full-range column speaker. They deliver, and they deliver well, too. This makes them ideal as a presentation system that is easy to operate. It’s perfect for an acoustic solo or duo act that need a compact and easily transportable rig. It moves enough air for a DJ that wants a bigger sound in a smaller system. With Bluetooth streaming, it is also going to be an unbelievable party speaker system, with true stereo via Bluetooth when two or four units are linked. After all, if you don’t have a gig on, that doesn’t mean the KC12 has to stay packed away!
The Column design is very clever too. The speaker array is mounted into an ABS plastic housing on the top section of the aluminium column. The central section of the column can be removed to lower the array by about two and a half feet. All the wiring is within the column, with recessed connections in the joints, so it just pulls apart and slides back together, without the need to worry about cables. You can drop it down for a more intimate, seated acoustic performance, or when used up front on a higher stage. Or, add the column extension to have the array up around head height to get the sound across the room when set up at floor level. With an included tote for the array and column, it all sets up, and packs up, in about two minutes!
On the input side of things, there are two channels with XLR/TRS combination connectors. One will accept a Hi-Z signal, the other supplies phantom power. So, you can run a microphone and guitar straight in, all with DSP effects like reverb and delay, as well as the Digital Display allowing you to access Global Parametric EQ, Subwoofer level, Presets & Scenes and Bluetooth.
A third stereo input is available with either a mini jack connector, or wirelessly via Bluetooth. The most obvious setup would involve running a mixer to the two main channels to expand the capabilities of the column system. There are also a pair of assignable XLR outputs which can be used for linking column systems, as a recording output, or even for an additional subwoofer if you want to incorporate a big 15-inch sub into the mix.
In all, the QSC KC12 is a mobile column PA system, being compact and transportable, but harnessing the power of a professional level of sound and audio. It’s incredibly quick to set and take down, easy to move around and delivers more volume and a fullness of sound that goes beyond expectations. It’s available in a black or white housing to suit your style and reminds us all that you don’t need to go big to sound amazing. If you’re in the market for a PA system and had concerns about the sound you can get from a column system, you can set them aside now that the KC12 is here. I think it goes without saying, you need to get into your local QSC dealer and have a listen for yourself, and regardless of what the sales staff say… turn it up!
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