BASSBOSS Kraken MK3

All about the Kraken MK3 8000 Watts

BASSBOSS Kraken MK3 Quad 21" - Crazy Output!

BASSBOSS Kraken MK3 with 10,000 Watts - Overview by BC Helmick

Venues with BASSBOSS Systems - SV9, DiaMon, AT212, AT312, SSP118, VS21, SSP218, ZV28, Kraken

Kraken MK3 Technical Overview

The Kraken embrace is a monstrously beautiful thing. It’s crushing, it’s inescapable, and it fills any space with excitement and wonder... and you’ll love every minute of it! Capable of almost brutal force, every time there’s a Kraken on site, the energy level goes up. When your events need to be intense... Release the Kraken!

How does the Kraken pack the output of at least four double-18” subwoofers into the size of just two? While it’s possible to tune a small cabinet to a very low frequency using very long ports, those ports would tend to take up more than half of the cabinet volume, requiring bigger cabinets or higher tuning.

On the other hand, tuning a very large cabinet to a very low frequency is possible using shorter ports. The bigger the cabinet volume, the shorter the ports need to be to tune it to a low frequency. The shorter the ports are, the smaller the percentage of interior cabinet volume they occupy, effectively leaving more room for more woofers. Sure, the Kraken is big for a single speaker, but the point is not the size of the cabinet, it’s the scale of the output. Think of it as a subwoofer with the economy of scale The Kraken delivers the highest SPL relative to subwoofer size, bar none.

Technically, the Kraken is a vented, short-horn, quad 21” bandpass subwoofer. The four drivers are loaded into a large acoustical volume that is tuned to a low frequency, and the front of each driver is loaded into a short horn. The vented enclosure section provides extended deep bass performance and the foreshortened horn sections provide increased upper frequency sensitivity, which results in improved transient response, aka “punch”.

To bring the whole thing to life, each woofer is powered by a discrete 2500W amplifier, making the total power per cabinet an impressive 10,000 Watts. This ensures the amps aren’t the limiting factor in the output of low frequencies. Providing abundant power prevents overheating issues and virtually eliminates the damage that clipping a toosmall amp can cause.

The big beast is kept under your control by an integrated, comprehensive DSP. The DSP provides high-pass filters, low-pass filters, equalization, alignment filters and limiting. A variety of different filter settings are available in presets. Eight presets are available at the touch of a button on the amplifier, and the DSP can store up to 100 presets on-board, all of which can be accessed via software and a LAN connection.

To take further advantage of the Kraken’s output density, aligned arrays are facilitated by interlocking sliders. Block arrays, side-by-side arrays and front/back cardioid configurations can be deployed with the cabinets interlocked. The optional transport carts can support two cabinets, allowing unparalleled truck-pack density. The carts feature recesses into which the sliders fit.

There are two interesting advantages to the dual-opposed, force-canceling nature of the Kraken design. One is the absence of front-to-back rocking motion, which both reduces the amount of lateral energy transmitted into floors, and makes the cabinets less prone to “walking”. The other is relatively little secondary radiation from the rear of the cabinet. This, along with the directivity associated with its size, makes the area behind a Kraken fairly quiet compared to an array of conventional cabinets capable of similar output. Ultimately, cardioid configurations of Krakens tend to require fewer rearward-facing cabinets to achieve effective cancellation behind the array.

The cabinet itself is made from 18mm, 13-ply Birch plywood and is extensively braced. It is coated in hightemperature bonded poly urea and features powder-coated, perforated steel grilles. The cabinets are axially symmetrical, featuring UHMW Polyethylene sliders and steel bar handles on 4 sides.

The Kraken Powered Subwoofer was designed to provide body-and-face-melting bass on a massive scale for festival systems, touring systems, high-intensity nightclubs, art cars, carnival floats and, not to be forgotten,
BASSHEADS, who need a lot more than they have ever had before...

Specifications

Acoustical

Loudspeaker Description: Quad 21” Self-Powered 6th-order Hybrid Subwoofer
Frequency Response (±3 dB): 27 – 100 Hz
Maximum Sustained Output: 145 dB 1m (half-space)
Max SPL (Peak): 148 dB 1m (half-space)
Nominal Dispersion (H° x V°): 360 x 360 – Cardioid Mode Available with Multiple Boxes

Electrical

Amplification: 10000 Watts Class D (4 x 2500W)
Processing: Integrated comprehensive DSP. 96kHz sampling rate with 8 pushbutton presets. All presets include high pass filters, low pass filters, phase alignment, equalization and multi-stage limiting. Storage capacity for up to 100 presets
Electrical Connectors, Amp: Neutrik powerCON True 1 TOP - IP65 rated waterproof connectors
Electrical Connector, Mains: USA 3-pin grounding 120V electrical plug NEMA 5-15; Outside USA alternate connectors provided
Voltage Operating Range: 100-240V AC, 50-60Hz (Auto-sensing, auto switching universal supply)
Current Draw, Nominal: 120V 18A (nominal); 240V 7A (nominal)
Signal Input Connectors XLR-F
Signal Output Connectors: XLR-M pass-through only
Data Connectors: 2 x EtherCON RJ45
LAN Connectors: XLR-M pass-through only EtherCON RJ45 (x2) with 2-port Ethernet switch

Physical

Enclosure Type: Vented, short-horn hybrid
Transducer: 4 x 21 in. diameter (540mm) neodymium motor woofer with 4.5 in. (115mm) voice coil
Cabinet Construction: CNC machined 18mm Birch plywood with extensive bracing and dado joinery. 8 steel bar handles. 8 x interlocking Nylon sliders/feet.
Dimensions (HxWxD): 48 in. x 48 in. x 36 in. (48.5 in. high with feet)
Net Weight: 460 lbs. (209 kg)
Shipping Weight: 550 lbs. (249 kg) with pallet
Exterior Finish: High-pressure, bonded polyurea coating. Rugged, waterproof. Textured black
Grilles: Perforated, powder-coated steel
Feet: 8 x UHMWPE strips. 2 on each of 4 sides
Handles: 8 x Steel bar handles. 2 on each of 4 sides
Fly Points: None. Ground-stack only
Optional Dollies: Birch plywood flat cart with 4 locking wheels and recesses to accept the cabinet sliders. Transports 1 or 2 cabinets
Optional Covers: Heavy-duty padded nylon transport covers for 1 cabinet
What’s Included: Loudspeaker, 15’ (5m) Power Cable, Manual, Warranty Card