EAW unveils the new MicroSub stage subwoofer, the latest offering in EAW’s MicroWedge Series of stage monitor products. The single-15" enclosure is a high-quality, high-volume, ultra-versatile stage and small venue subwoofer, designed to address the unique environment of onstage low frequency demands – sonic territory that often goes ignored by stage monitor setups.

The MicroSub can be configured and interlocked in a huge range of different combinations – by itself, with other MicroSubs or with other MicroWedge units. Small pads and recesses are located on its sides, top and bottom. The loudspeaker is mounted at a 45-degree angle and that the cabinet height is exactly half of the cabinet width when the MicroSub is laid flat (features which facilitate a variety of arrangement options). Due to its small profile, it serves as an excellent side fill monitor, particularly in a club setting: the 13" height allows the MicroSub to be used as a building block to achieve the optimum height for the top cabinets. It is versatile enough to fit in the monitor wedge line downstage or as an addition to many different types of stage monitor setups, understage and front-of-house.

The MicroSub is particularly ideal for drummers. The box projects at a 45-degree angle, and it can stand on its side. When placed on stage directly next to the drum riser, the MicroSub points directly at the drummer rather than the drums. As the chief timekeeper of the band, drummers should have a particular punch and clarity to their kick’s low end and the bass player’s low end to go along with a finely-tuned rest of the mix, and that is what the MicroSub offers.

For optimal performance, it is tuned at 35Hz, operating in the range from 27Hz to 150Hz. It features external DSP with one-way filter. Axial SPL Sensitivity is 92dB (LF – whole space) or 98dB (half space) at 27-150 Hz. Nominal input impedance is 8 Ohms LF, with minimum input impedance of 7.6 Ohms at 165Hz. The unit’s High Pass Filter is a 12db/octave Butterworth filter at 28Hz. Able to produce high sound pressure levels, the MicroSub has a calculated SPL Axial Output Limit of 122dB average/128dB peak (LF – whole space) or 128dB average/134dB peak (half space).

The MicroSub will be available in standard black, matching the other EAW MicroWedge units. The Baltic birch cabinets are protected with EAW’s proprietary RoadCoat^™ finish, highly resistant to dings and scratches, and the rugged steel grille keeps its distinctive shape, even when stood upon. Additionally, all transducer components are highly liquid tolerant.

The EAW MicroWedge Series MicroSub stage subwoofer will be available August 2009. For more information on the MicroSub and the entire EAW MicroWedge Series, please visit www.eaw.com.

Doha, Qatar-based Creative Communication Group (often known as "CCG") is a thriving full-service event management/Production Company and a major player in Qatar and the Middle East for live pro light and sound rental requirements. CCG recently supplied the Doha Tribeca Film Festival with light and sound equipment, including KF760 Long-Throw Line Array Modules from EAW®, a world leader in audio system technology.

The Doha Tribeca Film Festival kicked off on October 29 and lasted for four days, with activities and screening held at several venues. The venue Souq Waqif hosted a special screening of The Mummy (Al-Momia), recently restored by Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Foundation.

Jalal Dudin, Managing Partner of CCG, stated, "We used EAW KF760 at Souq Waqif to provide the sound for the screening of The Mummy. The sound quality and surround-sound configuration of EAW speakers projected the movie's sound effects magnificently, especially since it was an open air screening." Dudin added, "We have also used EAW KF730 Compact Line Array Modules at the auditorium, which was set up at the Qatar Museum of Islamic Art gallery for special screenings of the festival movies for celebrities and VIP invitees."

"We have worked in association with Michael Rome from Boston Sound and Light, and it was a successful collaboration," commented Philip Venter, CCG Sound Engineer, adding, "All set-up was up to the standards of Dolby Surround Cinema specifications."

Inside the Gallery over the festival's four days, there were screenings and premieres of such films as Cairo Time, Coco Before Chanel and Team Qatar, which won a best film audience award of $50,000, presented by legendary actor and Tribeca co-founder Robert De Niro.

Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles, recently enhanced its sound system with custom loudspeakers from EAW, a world leader in audio system solutions. The stadium opened its doors in 2003 and has since hosted a number of notable sporting events. Eagles fans are notoriously passionate, and an upgrade to its P.A. system was needed to effectively match and cut through their volume. A/V consulting firm Coffeen Fricke and Associates, Inc. developed a complex specification for the stadium's system, and after considering several manufacturers, EAW was chosen, as they could provide that solution and manufacture the product to exacting specifications to meet the installation deadline. The sale was made by Columbia, Maryland-based Audio Associates, and the installation was handled by the Columbia-based Large Projects Group of the A/V integration company AVI-SPL (headquartered in Tampa, Florida).

EAW's Whitinsville, Massachusetts facility houses the EAW Strategic Engineering Group, which is itself charged with providing custom loudspeaker solutions for very precise installations, including Build-to-Order (BTO) projects. The stadium needed sound coverage of very specific sections of the venue with enclosures that would also deflect weather in a particular manner, so that fans would get great sound without getting wet. To suit these needs, the Strategic Engineering Group team created the new EAW PE83-WP and PE123-WP models especially for the stadium. Forty-five PE83's and more than 700 PE123's were installed in the venue for rich, powerful sound reinforcement.

The PE83 and PE123 cabinets are both designed as a columnar line source of 3" woofer (8 or 12) in a custom cabinet adapted for horizontal mounting with a specified down-angle to the face. All wiring runs through the cabinets to adjoining ones, with 140-Volt transformers in each cabinet. The drivers use neodymium magnets for reduced weight and are inherently weatherproof. The Group took the PE Series concept from an existing EAW line-source speaker array, the type used commonly in houses of worship on columns to project sound without interfering with sight lines, and adapted it for horizontal mounting. The custom solution worked so brilliantly that a version of this design is under consideration to become a standard offering in the EAW product line.

"The custom loudspeakers developed and provided for the Eagles project have again exceeded our expectations in every aspect," stated Pat McConnell, Sr. Projects Manager for AVI-SPL's Large Projects Group. "The sleek cabinet design immediately pleased the client and blended seamlessly into the established architectural detail of the facility. The call to detail for mounting and performing hundreds of electrical connections was a significant plus for our contractor."

Joe Blacker, President of Audio Associates, EAW's Rep for the region who was intimately involved with the sale and installation, remarked, "Once again, EAW was called on to be the manufacturer of the large scale retrofit system needed for the Philadelphia Eagles. It was a pleasure working with AVI-SPL, and I was very pleased that EAW could undertake the gargantuan task of designing, building and implementing 740 custom loudspeakers in a matter of two months directly out of their Whitinsville factory."

McConnell continued, "With over 700 custom loudspeakers fabricated and shipped in stages to coordinate with installation timelines, EAW consistently maintained communication to ensure our flow of work was never interrupted. Our Large Projects Group has completed many professional sporting venues utilizing EAW and always benefits from their total commitment to the project."

It is no secret that Pearl Jam puts on intense, expansive live shows, and that they have a very loyal fan base, as proven by recent sold out tour dates across the U.S. in support of their new release, Backspacer. The band is now back on the road, with their long time sound provider Rat Sound Systems Inc. For the band's on-stage mixes, monitor engineer Karrie Keyes again selected MicroWedge MW12 Stage Monitors from EAW, a world leader in audio system solutions.

Easily one of the most influential bands of the past 20 years, Pearl Jam continues to be a top concert act, noted for their dynamic, deeply compelling live performances. The legendary band is fronted by Eddie Vedder, (lead vocals, guitar), with Mike McCready (lead guitar), Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar) and Matt Cameron (drums) generating a tight, cohesive, truly one-of-a-kind rock sound.

Keyes met the band in 1991 as she was working for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, whom Pearl Jam was supporting as an opening act at the time. She has been with them ever since and knows their needs extremely well. Among the challenges she faces this tour are the sheer volume on the stage, small stage space and each band member's different sound needs, including individual monitor mixes or occasional crossfire sound patterns. The goal is to have no pockets on stage without sound, with Eddie Vedder being the loudest and the clearest, as he thrives on the volume. For this reason, Keyes chose to once again use the EAW MicroWedge MW12's,which she had previously used for Vedder's and Ament's mixes in 2008.

Keyes notes that for Pearl Jam, the monitor system is straightforward, elegant in its simplicity, and devoid of gates, compressors and elaborate effects packages. She notes that, in the past, she utilized previous MicroWedge models to a limited extent, but that's changed given the significantly upgraded performance of the new EAW MicroWedge Series.

"I am using the MicroWedge MW12 for Ed's guitar mix," explains Keyes. "They are wonderful and I can get them to sound very close to his guitar rig's sound without much EQ or trouble! So far I have found no other wedge that comes as close. The small footprint helps as well, as we have limited stage space. We are also using MicroWedge 12's for Matt's drumfill, with a left and right mix plus a sub. We have had challenges in the past with Matt getting his drumfill world right, so finding the right combo has been a crucial hurdle we have overcome. Large drumfills and in-ear systems left him fatigued and with ears ringing! They need very little EQ and the smooth high end does not add to ear fatigue! The band thrives on the stage volume, which provides the energy to rock. We are all very happy!"

Pearl Jam are just completing their tour's U.S. and Canada leg and will soon be going to Australia and New Zealand, where EAW MicroWedge MW12's will again be the stage monitor of choice. Keyes notes, "There are two types of wedges: those that are loud, and those that sound good. Usually a wedge is not both, but the new EAW MicroWedge is the exception."

The equipment list included four EAW JFL210 Compact Line Array Modules and four EAW JFL118 Subwoofers. The upgrade was specifically geared toward the school's Division of Music and Sound, which will feature the JFL Series units in a new facility.
Glen Thompson of A.C. Entertainment Technologies was one of the main on-site contacts for the project. He stated, "These JFL210's and JFL118's will be an integral part of the School's music and sound curriculum. They will be used mainly in a classroom environment to help students understand live sound reproduction and how different cabinets are used. It is also possible that they will be used in a 'Live Gig' situation. When I realized the requirement for a portable Line-Array System and the client's preference for a 10-inch driver, I had no problem in suggesting the JFL210. I am very pleased that the recommendation was met with approval."

When the units were demonstrated to Mairead O'Reilly, who is a Lecturer in sound technology at the Cardiff School and a former industry professional, she was instantly won over. Thompson added, "From our initial meeting, it was evident that Mairead had a discerning ear, and I thought the JFL210s would tick all the boxes on her wish list."
O'Reilly stated, "I am excited to be a part of this project, in as much as we are helping to educate the future of the industry and giving these students the chance to hear and study the quality of sound that EAW brings to the table, and instill in them an appreciation of and passion for powerful, crisp and clear audio."

Hailing from one of the nation's most vital music scenes, the Seattle area's audio professionals know great sound; even still, consensus is sometimes hard to come by. That is why it is of particular note that the NTL720 Line Array Loudspeaker System from EAW, a world leader in audio system solutions for the past 30 years, has quickly - but not quietly - become the reference standard for the greater Pacific Northwest. The self-powered, true three-way NTL720 features numerous EAW-patented and proprietary technologies, all housed in an extremely compact package, and it has become the new favorite in the region thanks to its great sound, high reliability, exceptional flexibility and its good-sense economics. Leading regional S.R. providers including Carlson Audio Systems, Audio Media, Inc. and Triamp Group have all found the EAW NTL720 lives up to their expectations.
"The NTL720 is possibly the most versatile box we've ever had," comments Mark Carlson, who, with partner Jonathan Stoverud-Meyers, built Seattle-based Carlson Audio from its beginnings in a garage 20 years ago, to the region's largest sound reinforcement provider, regularly handling sound for major festivals including Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival and the Sasquatch Festival at the Gorge in George, Washington.
"The 720 is a compact box that we can use for small and mid-sized venues like hotel ballrooms, and it's becoming popular for house-of-worship installations" - Carlson Audio has installed the NTL720 in two Seattle-area churches since purchasing 20 boxes last October - "but it can also extend the reach of our existing EAW systems." That's how they've used the NTL720 at recent outdoor venues, such as the KWJZ Music Festival at Château Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Washington, and at the Sasquatch Festival, where the 720 was arrayed for offstage coverage in conjunction with the company's EAW 761 Line Array system. "There's nothing else out there that can take in the 100-plus-degree coverage angle," Carlson explains, noting that in one instance it took the 100 degrees of coverage of the main P.A. to a full 180 degrees. "It's got very predictable coverage, it's self-powered so it's easy to set up and it sounds great. It's a great asset for our inventory."
Audio Media, Inc. is a Seattle-based P.A. provider specializing in the  corporate and award-show market categories throughout the region. Audio Media has done work for major area clients including Microsoft, Boeing and the Bellevue Symphony. The NTL720 was Audio Media's introduction to EAW P.A. technology, and company President Steve Midkiff is duly impressed. "When we did a comparison of what was out there in this type of box, the 720 was simply the best package at the best price and with fabulous sound," he says. Audio Media purchased 16 NTL720 boxes and bought additional bumpers because, Midkiff explains, some corporate events require more than two clusters to maintain speech intelligibility as well as serve music properly. And in a unique twist, both Audio Media and Carlson Audio coordinated their NTL720 purchases so that they would be able to support each other if one or the other needed additional boxes. "We've already had a few instances where we have cross-rented with Carlson, and it's been working out very well," says Midkiff.
The Seattle-area-based Triamp Group is another early NTL720 adopter who has had great experiences with the system. An NTL720 they installed at the Wildhorse Casino in Pendleton, Oregon, consists of six 720 boxes flown per side and augmented with four ground-stacked EAW SB1000z Large Format Subwoofers and two EAW VR62 Compact Full-Range Loudspeakers used as delay speakers, played 60 feet back in the 120-foot hall. The new system had its debut earlier this year with Frank Sinatra, Jr. and his orchestra, followed not long after by Poison front man Bret Michaels. "The sound was amazing for both performers, which really shows how versatile the NTL720 is," says Kevin Hill, National Sales Manager for Triamp Group. "We chose it because of the enclosure's low profile, which made it a great fit in a room this size, which holds about 900 people. Bret's band reached between 115 and 120 dB during rehearsal, measured from the front rows, and I didn't think the system would be able to handle it, but it not only kept up but also sounded great doing so. The drivers are very efficient, so it still sounds pristine even when it's being pushed. It's just a great sound system."

Hully & Mo Restaurant and Tap Room in Dallas, Texas, opened earlier this year, and it features stellar sound thanks to loudspeakers and amplifiers from EAW, a world leader in sound system technology. Gemini Light Sound & Video was the contractor chosen for the project, and they selected a number of EAW products for the restaurant's unique audio system needs. The sale was made by Cowser-Lee Marketing, EAW's sales rep for the region.

Hully & Mo, named after the co-owners, former Dallas Stars right wing Brett Hull (a recently-announced NHL Hall-of-Famer) and current Stars center Mike Modano (the leading American-born scorer in NHL history), is Dallas' newest premier sports bar and restaurant. Located in the McKinney entertainment district, Hully & Mo is a sports-inspired restaurant reflecting a neighborhood feel with Texas Hill Country limestone, custom-designed black and Godiva brown leather booths, dark woods, open theater kitchen and tap room lounge with a courtyard view of fountains. The restaurant houses a front patio, a private dining room, a VIP leather booth to seat large groups and a curtained table offering privacy for national celebrities and special occasion diners. Televisions/drop-down big screens are strategically positioned throughout the restaurant, patio and tap room. The Tap Room Lounge offers a neighborhood-feel atmosphere with imported beers, specialty cocktails and a premium wine list served from the lounge bar designed with dark stone and warm woods. Hully & Mo strikes a delicate balance between an upscale dining environment and a spirited sports establishment, so the speaker system has to have enough control and finesse to meet the restaurant's audio requirements
The main dining area has 12 ceiling truss-mounted EAW SMS1990 Surface Mount Loudspeakers powered with an EAW CXA160 Power Amplifier. The SMS1990's in the main dining room effectively blend in to the background of the black ceiling while providing excellent coverage throughout. Additional SMS1990's were also selected to cover the foyer (one SMS1990 unit) and outsider patio (two SMS1990 units), where surface mounting was necessary. These three units are powered by an EAW CAM80 Integrated Mixer-Amplifier.
In the lounge and the private dining room, flush mounted speakers with high output performance and excellent low frequency response were needed, and several EAW CIS400 Ceiling Loudspeakers were chosen. The lounge has nine CIS400's, powered by a CXA160. The private dining room features six CIS400's, powered by a CAM80. A matrix switcher allows any one of eight DirecTV sources or a DVD player to be routed to any of the speakers in dining or lounge areas - especially useful for hectic game days.
Jerad Garza, Sales Manager for Gemini Light Sound & Video stated, "This restaurant has one of the best atmospheres of any dining establishment I have seen, and the EAW units are appropriately powerful, elegant and low-profile. Because of the nature of a sports bar, several different channels of audio must be piped through different speaker channels throughout the dining room and bar without turning into a muddled mess, and EAW's SMS1990's and CIS400's provide the kind of crisp, clean audio that is just as classy as the restaurant itself."

Britain's Top of the Pops (TOTP) has been a BBC institution since 1964, broadcast weekly until 2006 and occasionally as one-off specials in the years since. The latest such TOTP special, broadcast on BBC2 in spring 2009, featured performances from Franz Ferdinand, Flo-Rida, Oasis, Take That, Tom Jones, James Morrison and more, live from BBC's Studio 4, as part of this year's Comic Relief charity fundraising special. Aside from the significance marked by convergence of these great artists, a TOTP revival and the world-renowned Comic Relief organization, this program was notable for being the U.K. television debut of the JFL210 Line Array from EAW, a world leader in audio system technology. The JFL210s were supplied and installed by John Henry's Ltd. (JHL), a leading multi-media sound reinforcement provider for the entertainment industry in the U.K. and Europe.
"Rigging the JFL210 hangs was a breeze," commented JHL staff engineer Simon Panos, who looked after the audience sound for the show. "The studio hoists have a maximum capacity of 112 kg, so each hang of four including a flybar came in at a total of 109 kg, which made everyone happy. Additionally, once the four hangs were in the air, the sound was pin sharp and needed very little additional tuning. The FB121 flybar gave us the flexibility to rake the hang just how we needed it. The system was very versatile and had amazing coverage in spite of the cluttered ceiling space it inhabited."
Panos' fellow engineers Robin Tombs and Aden Gregory were equally enthusiastic about the system's hi-fi sound and ease of use, pronouncing it perfect for the job at hand.

The Christian Life Assembly (CLA) church in Langley, British Columbia is a tech-savvy multi campus congregation that offers both media streaming and podcast downloads of its services from its website. When the church began an extensive upgrade of its facilities last year, a state-of-the-art sound system for its 1,500-seat sanctuary was high on its list of priorities, and that's exactly what they got with equipment from EAW, a world leader in audio system technology. Three clusters made up of the EAW KF730 Compact Line Array Module, the SB730 Compact Line Array Subwoofer and the SB1000z Large Format Subwoofer provide a touring-class P.A. system that serves all the needs of the congregation, from music to speech, with high intelligibility and full frequency response. Vancouver-based audio, video, lighting and multimedia systems design and integration firm Sapphire Sound was chosen by the church as its design/build partner on the renovation.
"This is a very contemporary, technologically-aware church, so we knew we had to bring in the most advanced sound system equipment available for it," explains Harold Wiens, President and Head Designer of Sapphire Sound. The stage thrusts out into the sanctuary, with seating in a 180-degree arc around it. Technical Director for CLA Kurtis Witt, together with Sapphire Sound decided on three arrays in an "exploded cluster" configuration, with the KF730 enclosures loosely spaced to take full advantage of the KF730's Phase Aligned^TM LF design that extends its horizontal pattern. A center array consists of four KF730 enclosures with an SB730 designed to fly above the KF730. This array is flanked on either side by an array of six KF730 boxes topped with an SB730 subwoofer. These are buttressed by eight EAW JFX88 Compact Full-Range Loudspeakers installed as under-balcony fills and five EAW UB52 compact full-range loudspeakers for front fill, controlled by a UX8800 Digital Signal Processor with proprietary Gunness^TM Focusing technology.
"The dispersion pattern of the KF730 is fantastic," says Wiens, noting that when the room was analyzed for tuning purposes after the system was installed, every one of the 1,500 seats was within 1.0 dB of the others at any selected frequencies. "The consistency and the quality of the sound throughout the room was all you could have asked for. It's excellent for speech intelligibility and it's just as great for music," which Wiens says typically exceeds 100 dB during Sunday services. To add an even bigger bottom to the sound, four SB1000z's were installed in poured concrete bunkers underneath the front of the stage, to eliminate low-frequency vibrations to the stage. With the addition of a Digidesign Venue console at FOH, the system would be at home on any major tour. In fact, says Wiens, "Several of the top live sound mixers in the greater Vancouver area have told us it's one of the best-sounding P.A. systems they're ever heard. It's really a fantastic sound."

Peak Hire Ltd., based in Cheltenham in Gloucester, England, serves as one of the U.K.'s leading sound and lighting contractors. They provide skilled technical support for productions, concerts, theaters, conferences, outdoor events, etc., throughout the U.K. and Europe, and their hire inventory of sound, lighting, rigging, power, set and stage equipment is varied and extensive. Recently, they bolstered their inventory of products from EAW, a world leader in audio system technology, with the purchase of eight EAW KF850 Series Virtual Array^TM System Modules and eight EAW SB1002 Large Format Flyable Subwoofers.

Peak Hire's EAW arsenal was already sizeable, including 16 EAW KF730 Compact Line Array Modules and eight EAW SB730 Compact Line Array Subwoofers, along with a good stock of EAW JFX88 Compact Full-Range Loudspeakers, EAW JFX200i Compact Full-Range Loudspeakers and EAW SBX220 Compact Subwoofers. The purchase of KF850 and SB1002 units is a significant investment in large-scale EAW systems, further enhancing Peak Hire's commitment to their market sectors and clients and dedication to the EAW brand.

Peak Hire Managing Director Karl Ashman stated, "EAW has long been a staple in our inventory of sound reinforcement components, and over the years, our clients have always commented about the outstanding sound quality of their modules. That being said, we have increased our warehouse of EAW System Modules and Subwoofers to meet the equipment demands from our clients in live sound and corporate conferences, as well as theatrical productions."

Leading Spanish multi-media/audio provider FOCUS, S.A. was recently contracted to furnish sound reinforcement for Pride Barcelona 09, a huge GLBT event attended by an estimated 15,000 people. The event was held June 28 at Avenida Maria Cristina in Barcelona, Spain. As they often do, FOCUS turned to EAW, a world leader in audio system solutions, for loudspeakers and processors for the night's main stage concert, which featured several live musical artists and DJs performing well into the early hours of the morning.

The main P.A. system consisted of 16 EAW KF760 Line Array Modules (eight on each side of the stage), eight EAW KF730 Compact Line Array Modules (four on each side) and 16 EAW SB1000z Large Format Subwoofers, all processed by EAW UX8800 Digital Signal Processors. Onstage sound for the bands was accomplished with eight EAW JFX260i Compact Full-Range Loudspeakers, and for stage monitoring for the DJs, FOCUS used two side fills formed by one EAW SB730 Compact Line Array Subwoofer and two JFX260i modules per side. All components were amplified by Lab.gruppen FP Series amplifiers, and FOCUS used Smaart Live 5.4 for the adjustment and alignment of the system.

  
  Pepe Ferrer of FOCUS, S.A., stated, "We are big supporters of EAW's products and technological innovations. For this event, we were particularly delighted that the UX8800 gave us access to EAW's proprietary Gunness Focusing Technology. That allowed us to phase all of the EAW speakers in very specific ways, giving us the possibility of multiple configurations."

Hailing from one of the nation's most vital music scenes, the Seattle area's audio professionals know great sound; even still, consensus is sometimes hard to come by. That is why it is of particular note that the NTL720 Line Array Loudspeaker System from EAW, a world leader in audio system solutions for the past 30 years, has quickly - but not quietly - become the reference standard for the greater Pacific Northwest. The self-powered, true three-way NTL720 features numerous EAW-patented and proprietary technologies, all housed in an extremely compact package, and it has become the new favorite in the region thanks to its great sound, high reliability, exceptional flexibility and its good-sense economics. Leading regional S.R. providers including Carlson Audio Systems, Audio Media, Inc. and Triamp Group have all found the EAW NTL720 lives up to their expectations.
"The NTL720 is possibly the most versatile box we've ever had," comments Mark Carlson, who, with partner Jonathan Stoverud-Meyers, built Seattle-based Carlson Audio from its beginnings in a garage 20 years ago, to the region's largest sound reinforcement provider, regularly handling sound for major festivals including Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival and the Sasquatch Festival at the Gorge in George, Washington.
"The 720 is a compact box that we can use for small and mid-sized venues like hotel ballrooms, and it's becoming popular for house-of-worship installations" - Carlson Audio has installed the NTL720 in two Seattle-area churches since purchasing 20 boxes last October - "but it can also extend the reach of our existing EAW systems." That's how they've used the NTL720 at recent outdoor venues, such as the KWJZ Music Festival at Château Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Washington, and at the Sasquatch Festival, where the 720 was arrayed for offstage coverage in conjunction with the company's EAW 761 Line Array system. "There's nothing else out there that can take in the 100-plus-degree coverage angle," Carlson explains, noting that in one instance it took the 100 degrees of coverage of the main P.A. to a full 180 degrees. "It's got very predictable coverage, it's self-powered so it's easy to set up and it sounds great. It's a great asset for our inventory."
Audio Media, Inc. is a Seattle-based P.A. provider specializing in the  corporate and award-show market categories throughout the region. Audio Media has done work for major area clients including Microsoft, Boeing and the Bellevue Symphony. The NTL720 was Audio Media's introduction to EAW P.A. technology, and company President Steve Midkiff is duly impressed. "When we did a comparison of what was out there in this type of box, the 720 was simply the best package at the best price and with fabulous sound," he says. Audio Media purchased 16 NTL720 boxes and bought additional bumpers because, Midkiff explains, some corporate events require more than two clusters to maintain speech intelligibility as well as serve music properly. And in a unique twist, both Audio Media and Carlson Audio coordinated their NTL720 purchases so that they would be able to support each other if one or the other needed additional boxes. "We've already had a few instances where we have cross-rented with Carlson, and it's been working out very well," says Midkiff.
The Seattle-area-based Triamp Group is another early NTL720 adopter who has had great experiences with the system. An NTL720 they installed at the Wildhorse Casino in Pendleton, Oregon, consists of six 720 boxes flown per side and augmented with four ground-stacked EAW SB1000z Large Format Subwoofers and two EAW VR62 Compact Full-Range Loudspeakers used as delay speakers, played 60 feet back in the 120-foot hall. The new system had its debut earlier this year with Frank Sinatra, Jr. and his orchestra, followed not long after by Poison front man Bret Michaels. "The sound was amazing for both performers, which really shows how versatile the NTL720 is," says Kevin Hill, National Sales Manager for Triamp Group. "We chose it because of the enclosure's low profile, which made it a great fit in a room this size, which holds about 900 people. Bret's band reached between 115 and 120 dB during rehearsal, measured from the front rows, and I didn't think the system would be able to handle it, but it not only kept up but also sounded great doing so. The drivers are very efficient, so it still sounds pristine even when it's being pushed. It's just a great sound system."

London, England's Clapham Grand nightclub, located in a historic theater space, was recently renovated, and the club's P.A. system features outstanding sound thanks to loudspeaker and processor components from EAW, a world leader in audio system technology. South Africa-based pro audio distributor/installer Surgesound supplied the equipment, and the London branch of the SSE Audio Group installed the system and is in charge of its maintenance.
The system consists of four EAW DC4 Medium-Format Dance Club Loudspeakers, four EAW DCS2 Bent Horn Dance Subwoofers, 10 EAW JFX100i Compact Full-Range Loudspeakers and one EAW UX8800 Digital Signal Processor. Lab.gruppen FP+ Series and C Series units are used for amplification.
The owner of London's Clapham Grand also has several venues throughout South Africa, many of which feature EAW units supplied by Surgesound. Andrew Rowan, Managing Member of Surgesound, stated, "We have equipped many of those venues with EAW, including the award-winning Manhattan Club in Rivonia, Johannesburg, as well as Tiger Tiger, which is located in Cape Town. And at the same time Clapham Grand London was set up, we were installing a similar system at another Clapham Grand in Durban, South Africa. For that system, we used EAW JFX88 Compact Full-Range Loudspeakers instead of JFX100i's, but other than that the specifications are identical."  Rowan continued, "We have supplied EAW products for spaces throughout South Africa and even in different parts of the world, and everyone is always pleased with EAW's sound quality, power and control. A venue like London's Clapham Grand relies on keeping the sound energetic and loud, yet with a balanced clarity, and EAW components exceed the demands of club-goers and audio professionals alike."

EAW is now shipping the DX1208 DSP Matrix Mixer. The direct result of end-user feedback, the market-driven, easy-to-use DX1208 represents the next generation of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) from EAW, maintaining EAW's highest standards while providing end users with an intuitive, high-performance, yet cost effective solution. Its expandability options, combined with its deep feature set, make this mixer ideal for a wide range of commercial and install applications.  

"The DX1208 was introduced at InfoComm 2009 in June, and it received an overwhelmingly positive response from contractors and system integrators," stated EAW Commercial Product Manager Dave Raneses. "Six weeks later, we are shipping the product, and we look forward to meeting the demand that has spread since InfoComm."

The DX1208 is a 12-input, 8-output 1U-rackspace DSP matrix mixer. Eight inputs are mic/line capable, with selectable 48-volt phantom power provided when the user selects mic level. Four additional inputs on unbalanced RCA connectors allow the users to "stack" inputs, increasing the number of audio sources that can be connected. An additional four digital inputs are available on S/PDIF with sample rate conversion to 48 kHz. All 12 inputs are included in the audio matrix and can be assigned DSP functions prior to distributing signal at line level.

The DX1208 can also receive up to six logic inputs and send up to three logic outputs, combined on a single 18-pin connector and programmable via the included EAW DX Navigator software. The DX1208 has serial RS-232 remote capabilities via a DB9 connector on the rear panel, for control by AMX®/Crestron® and other third party integrated control systems. Two RJ-45 connections are provided as well, for linking multiple (up to eight) DX Link-enabled products together in a ring network topology.

A remote control port (RJ-25 connector) is included on the rear panel, facilitating the linking of two different types of remotes, all mounted on wall panels. Up to 10 remotes can be attached to the DX1208, and each is individually addressable.

The DX1208 is supplied with EAW DX Navigator software that allows access to all of the system's settings and configurations. The expected range of user-adjustable processing such as EQ filters, gates, compressors/limiters, priority assignment, delay, gain and crossovers are included. In addition, up to 24 programmable presets are available per DX1208; the programming interface is flexible, with connection via the USB port on the front panel or the Ethernet jack or DB9 connector on the rear panel. The DX1208 employs a universal power supply, 100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz.

DX1208 Features:
- 32-bit DSP and 24-bit analog-digital conversion
- Eight balanced mic/line inputs and four unbalanced line inputs
- Four digital input channels via S/PDIF
- Six programmable logic inputs, three programmable logic outputs
- 16-channel DX Link expansion bus
- USB, Ethernet and RS-232 connectivity

Building on the success of recent EAW® product launches, and in keeping with its commitment to support the North American contractor market, LOUD Technologies Inc. announced the appointment of veteran salesman Kurt Metzler to the position of North American Sales Manager, EAW.

"EAW is on a roll," commented Ernie Lansford, LOUD's Director of North American Sales. "The combination of EAW's innovative product line - including the new JFL, NTL, MicroWedge and MicroSub - and Kurt's rock-solid reputation will make EAW the most preferred vendor to our consultant customers," added Lansford.

In his new role, Metzler will lead the existing EAW internal sales support team, North American rep force and distributor network to build EAW and EAW Commercial's market position, and share, among contractors and consultants. Metzler will report to Ernie Lansford, LOUD's Director of North American Sales.

Metzler joins LOUD from Meyer Sound where he managed Meyer's A/V consultant relationships. This is his second stint at LOUD -- prior to joining Meyer, Metzler spent three years as LOUD's National Sales Manager, Installed Sound.

Whitinsville, MA, USA, July 20, 2009 - EAW, a leader in audio system solutions, has today announced that its MicroWedge Series of stage monitors has been nominated for outstanding technical achievement in the category of Sound Reinforcement Loudspeaker Technology. The announcement was made by Jeffrey Cox, VP Pro Audio.

The EAW MicroWedge was nominated for the upcoming 25th Annual Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards (TEC) by top industry pros -- engineers, studio owners, producers and other leading industry figures -- further underscoring the company's stature within the professional audio industry.

In regards to the EAW nomination, Jeffrey Cox commented, "We're very proud to be acknowledged for our MicroWedge by the top industry professionals. It is truly an honor to receive such accolades from our peers!"

The TEC Awards, presented by the Mix Foundation for Excellence in Audio, was established in 1985 to honor outstanding achievement in professiona l audio production and product innovation. The nominations are made by a panel of more than 100 audio industry professionals. Members of professional audio and sound production organizations, including the Audio Engineering Society (AES), the Society of Professional Audio Recording Services (SPARS) and the Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) will determine the winners via online balloting beginning August 10th, 2009.

The winners of the 25th Annual TEC Awards will be announced at a ceremony to be held Friday evening, October 9th, 2009, at the 127th AES Convention. The convention is being held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.

When EAW officially opened its doors 30 years ago, Kenton Forsythe had already been a very busy fellow in terms of advancing professional loudspeaker design, developing numerous "world's first" approaches.

Click Here to read the entire article from the July edition of Live Sound Magazine.

England's Eurohire Sound and Light, a long established turnkey supplier for Europe's events and entertainment industries, recently decided to bolster its arsenal of stage monitors and processors. After closely considering the options, Eurohire selected a complement of products from EAW, a world leader in sound system technology. Included in the sale were over 20 EAW MicroWedge Series MW15 Stage Monitors, a pair of EAW MicroSub Stage Monitors/Subwoofers and four EAW UX8800 Digital Signal Processors. With the purchase, Eurohire now holds the largest European rental stock of EAW MicroWedges, a line of products developed by EAW in close partnership with Rat Sound Systems, Inc.

Eurohire has, in recent years, provided equipment and services for such varied events as rock and pop concerts by UB40, Steve Winwood, Dionne Warwick and the Kooks, classical showcases by the likes of the Royal Philharmonic, and a number of festivals, plays/musicals and corporate events.

"With our busy and varied itinerary, we needed versatile products that can withstand the rigors of these types of concerts and events," stated Eurohire Owner Mervin George. "That is exactly what we found with the EAW MicroWedge Series stage monitors and subs and the UX8800 processors. These are sturdy, durable units with wonderful directivity and clarity of sound. We cannot wait to put them to use at a major event. In fact, we are planning on using them at the upcoming Pussycat Dolls performance on July 25th at the South Island Festival in Kent."

Visitors to the newly expanded Pasadena Convention Center will be pleased not only with the additional space that comes with the $150-million facility expansion but also with that space’s sound quality, thanks to the installation of a new sound system extension with components from EAW, a world leader in audio system technology. The expansion saw the implementation of 112 EAW CIS991 Ceiling Loudspeakers, installed by GMF Sound, Inc. of Orange, California, in a new 25,000-square-foot ballroom and two new exhibit halls that bring the facility to a total of 60,000 square feet of exhibition space.

EAW’s state-of-the-art CIS991s, part of the new CIS Series of speakers introduced last year, fit nicely within the high-tech Pasadena Convention Center, which is an LEED-certified “green” facility. Also home t o the renowned 3,000-seat Pasadena Civic Auditorium, the Pasadena Convention Center officially reopened over the weekend of April 4-5, 2009 with the 33^rd Annual Home Remodeling & Decorating Show.

“The EAW CIS991s were the perfect choice for this installation,” says Fernando Rico, CTS, Systems Engineer at GMF Sound. “The ballroom has a very high ceiling and is divisible into ten sections. Even though the space has some acoustical treatment, the speakers had to be of a very high quality to make sure that we had very good speech intelligibility in any configuration of the room. The CIS991 performed flawlessly.”

Rico also notes that the flexibility of the CIS991’s design allowed it to be placed around the architectural and lighting necessities that were already in place when the sound system was installed. “There was a lot of trussing, lighting, and HVAC that we had to get around, and the CIS991’s wide coverage” – it features 80-degree-by-80-degree dispersion – “let us meet Len Kusovac’s (formally of Shen, Milsom & Wilke) specifications for the high speech intelligibility we needed there,” says Rico.

This installation is also one of the first large-scale deployments of the CIS991 ceiling speaker. Rico recalls that they were able to audition the speaker during an EAW road show last year. “It was great that we were able to hear and experience its sound quality locally first,” he says. “That way, we were absolutely certain it was the right choice for the project from the beginning. It’s a robust, great-sounding and cost-effective solution for large open spaces like these.”

EAW’s CIS Series of ceiling loudspeakers provide exceptional performance in large, tall structures while fitting seamlessly within ceiling installation grids. They feature a three-way design with fully appointed steel back cans with transducers already installed and that mount within 24-inch ceiling grids. The CIS991 incorporates four 5.25-inch LF cone woofers, four 4-inch MF cone woofers and a 1-inch-exit HF compression driver mounted on a large horn that fosters superior pattern control. The application of proprietary frequency shading techniques facilitates the eight cone woofers working together to provide LF output and impact equal to that of a 12-inch LF woofer.

Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia have recently experienced a swell of A/V installation activity, thanks to Ashland, Kentucky-based Newtech Systems, Inc. (also with offices in Lexington, Kentucky, and Dunbar, West Virginia). Newtech has proven themselves a leader in audio/video system integration and installation for the region, and a key component of these installs has been a wide range of loudspeaker products from EAW, a world leader in audio system solutions. Newtech's Bill Banfield takes particular pride in a number of recent "small but great" projects, which have taken place at a variety of schools, churches and community theaters. The EAW components were sold by Erie, Pennsylvania-based North Coast Marketing.

"Our installations take on all number of shapes and sizes, and EAW has the best solutions for just about every application we encounter," stated Banfield. "Ashland, Kentucky's Christ United Methodist Church's install was short and sweet: two EAW VR62 Compact Full-Range Loudspeakers. However, working with Mercer County High School in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, was a different story. There, we installed a multi-zoned system in the gymnasium, featuring six MK5396 2-Way Full Range Installation Loudspeakers and 10 MK2366 2-Way Full Range Installation Loudspeakers. Additionally, we installed a new auditorium system featuring one MK5326 2-Way Full Range Installation Loudspeaker, one MK5364 2-Way Full Range Installation Loudspeaker, four VRM12 Full-Range Loudspeaker/Stage Monitors, eight CIS80 Ceiling Loudspeakers and two SMS5 Surface Mount Loudspeakers. Of course that's not a huge install as these things go, but it was huge for the school, and it sounds great. EAW loudspeakers provided exactly what those projects needed."

EAW's MK Series loudspeakers are a particular favorite of Banfield's: "The MK's are the most flexible boxes in their product category. They have consistent voicing in the crossover region and give the installer a lot of versatility on installation. I am able to mix and match horn patterns to achieve the best seating coverage as needed."

Aside from the products themselves, Banfield notes that working with EAW and North Coast has been an overwhelmingly positive experience: "I enjoy working with North Coast Marketing, and I know that Dennis Cray is always willing to exhaust every resource to make things happen to support his dealers. And the support that EAW gives is always top notch - EAW's Joe Fustolo and the Application Support Group always do a tremendous job when called upon."

Other EAW/Newtech installs have included Ripley Elementary in Ripley, West Virginia; Frank's Community Center in Boyd County, Kentucky; several churches in Ashland, Kentucky; Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Huntington, West Virginia; Elliot County Performing Arts Center in Elliot County, Kentucky; and many more. Banfield continues: "Some integrators might not make it a priority to cater toward these smaller installs, but the way we see it, local schools, churches, theaters and community centers need crisp, clear and powerful audio just as much as anyone, if not more. And sometimes all they need is the right set of two or four loudspeakers. It's up to us to install that right set, and EAW and North Coast Marketing are there with us, providing the loudspeaker solutions that make the difference."

The waters off the northwest coast of British Columbia are deep, cool and clear - the perfect conditions for salmon and halibut - and the Queen Charlotte Lodge, at the north end of the Queen Charlotte Islands, is perfectly situated to be a fisherman's dream come true. Recently, the Lodge decided to update its sound system, and Vancouver-based installers/integrators Sapphire Sound turned to the reliable and innovative engineering of EAW, a world leader in audio system technology.

The main building was fitted with an SMS1990 Surface Mount Loudspeaker, two SMS3 Surface Mount Loudspeaker systems, a weather-resistant SMS4 Surface Mount Loudspeaker system, two VR62 Compact Full-Range Loudspeakers, a VR61 Compact Full-Range Loudspeaker enclosure with a single 6-inch LF driver, two PH30 Paging Horns, an SB48 Very Compact Subwoofer and three CAZ Series amplifiers. The Totem House, which features a bar and restaurant as well as guest suites, had installed one PH30, six SMS4's and six CIS400 Ceiling Loudspeakers. The private Charlotte House residence now has six SMS4's and two PH30's.

The Queen Charlotte Lodge is accessible only by boat or helicopter. The paging system takes on added importance, as it is fairly common to have to call guests across the island to remind them that their ride is ready to depart. "The system is running background music most of the time, so it has to be full-range and smooth," explains John Powell, Project Manager on the installation for Sapphire Sound. "But when the lodge needs to page people to let them know their helicopter is about to take off, the system has to be loud and clear without being piercing or grating. The PH30 is especially good at that." Powell also cited the ease of installation of the SMS Series speakers, noting that the log wall construction of the Lodge's buildings could have made that a challenge. "The SMS was corner-mounted and we ran the wiring in between the logs," he says. "Everything blended in nicely."

Dave Raneses, EAW Commercial Product Manager describes how EAW is a leader in its field because of its engineering, and the VR62's and VR61 used in the bar area is a perfect example. "The rotatable horn design feature of both enclosures made them the best choice for this application," he explains. "Because of space considerations, these boxes had to be mounted horizontally rather than vertically, which is their usual orientation. But because the rotatable horn can be adjusted up to 90 degrees left or right, the horizontal mounting was not a problem, as the horns were rotated to optimize directivity control. They didn't have to trade off sound quality for space."

The EAW SMS1990 was positioned near the plasma display screens in common areas of the Lodge such as the lobby and breakfast room. "What's unique about the engineering of the SMS1990 is that its coverage pattern is a true 90-by-90-degrees and it's that way throughout its entire frequency spectrum," notes Raneses. "The need in these gathering spaces was for a high level of intelligibility, and the SMS1990 delivers that by design."