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 Carlson Audio was on hand with the system and support - including EAW KF761 line arrays - for the official launch gig of Microsoft's new Zune digital media player held at Westlake Center in downtown Seattle. Popular indie band The Secret Machines (pictured here with EAW KF750's in the background) provided the entertainment for a large crowd that also heard introductory remarks from Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.
Carlson Audio Production Manager Chez Stock also said that in addition to the four-box KF761 line arrays flanking the stage, the system also featured KF750 full-range loudspeakers for fill applications, while EAW SM Series stage monitors were the choice on stage.
 Carlson Audio is one of the leading sound providers in the Pacific Northwest and regularly handles many of the region's highest profile live sound events. Upcoming shows for the company include "Deck The Halls Ball" at Key Arena and "Jingle Bell Bash" at the Tacoma (Washington) Dome. Go here for more about Carlson Audio, and go here for the scoop on Zune. (Photo credits: MS Zune website)
Gemini Sound of Dallas has just commissioned an innovative new system to serve the Paul J. Meyer Arena at Baylor University (in Waco, Texas), with EAW KF761 line arrays selected for coverage and sound quality criteria as well as their qualifications for a unique dual-use system concept. Specifically, Gemini Sound worked with Meyer Arena Operations Manager Drew Pittman to create a system equally capable of serving basketball games and high-level concerts that frequently appear at the venue.
 We're still assembling details on this new system, but can relay that this dual purpose application is rare in arenas; in fact, there might be only one other venue offering this same capability. The system offers four KF761 arrays, each with seven modules, providing reinforcement to the vast majority of the arena from a truss location flown above "center court." This truss can be quickly lowered and the array modules removed for fast reconfiguration at one "end" of the arena for concert sound applications.
Several other EAW loudspeaker models came in handy to meet fill needs for seating areas shadowed from primary array coverage. More on this exciting new system design and installation by Gemini Sound and Drew will be presented here soon.
 The Rose Center, a beautiful new multipurpose meeting, conference and reception facility located in Westminster, California, is getting the full benefit of EAW DSA (Digitally Steerable Array) Series technology, which has been deployed by systems integrator Be Media to help tame a highly reverberant acoustic environment.
Be Media, headquartered in El Segundo, California with offices in Georgia, Canada and the Bahamas, turned to DSA250 loudspeakers to provide full-range coverage in a highly trafficked concourse/atrium that's comprised of hard, reflective surfaces from floor to ceiling. The result is sound reinforcement that's tightly focused on patrons and directed away from the myriad locations that could generate echo, slap back and other acoustic anomolies. In addition, the very low-profile DSA cabinets, supplied in standard white, blend in seamlessly with the elegant Rose Center surroundings.
 The Rose Center (exterior view shown at left), which also takes advantage of EAW SM Series stage monitors for its theatre stage, is just one of the latest high-profile systems projects by Be Media. Check out more of the company's other fine work here.
The Stones chain of entertainment venues is rapidly becoming one of South Africa's most established and successful hotspots and has been successfully franchised across 19 branches nationwide. Two of the chain's key venues in Cape Town and Pretoria now boast state-of-the-art EAW sound systems throughout, supplied and installed by EAW's South African distributor, Johannesburg-based systems specialists Surgesound.
Offering customers a huge choice of entertainment, Stones venues incorporate chilled lounge areas, upbeat dance floors, live music stages and a relaxed bar and pool table environment, all open seven days per week.
After hearing the EAW system recently installed by Surgesound in the Manhattan Club in Johannesburg, Adam Collingwood, operations manager for the Stones Group, had no hesitation in commissioning Surgesound to supply and install a customised Lab.gruppen-powered EAW system throughout Stones Tygervalley (Cape Town) and Stones Centurion (Pretoria), accompanied by an intelligent lighting system.
Indeed, Stones Centurion now boasts the biggest and most powerful audio and lighting setup throughout all of the Stones venues to date. The loudspeaker components include four EAW MK5366 high-output, bi-amped professional installation speakers combined with four EAW Avalon DCS2 dual 12-inch subwoofers (picture below) for the dance floor/live area.
 Surround sound for the VIP areas is handled by 10 EAW Commercial SMS5 ultra-compact, lightweight, high-efficiency loudspeakers while the surround system for the pool table section comprises four EAW CP499 high-performance ceiling-mount loudspeakers. Finally, a total of eight EAW Commercial CIS400 ceiling loudspeakers featuring a 6.5-inch driver and delivering monitor-like sound quality were selected for the surrounding areas of the club.
The entire system is driven by Lab.gruppen C-Series power amplifiers with processing via an EAW Commercial DX810 full-featured digital matrix mixer that delivers true 8 x 10 mixing, 3-band swept EQ, gates and compressors on each input plus 1/3-octave graphic and 8-band parametric EQ, delays and crossovers on each input.
The results are stunning, as affirmed by South African indie rock band, the Parlotones, who regularly play at Stones countrywide and are now starting to enjoy international recognition (they start their UK tour next month). According to Kahn Morbee, Parlotones lead singer, "We've always enjoyed playing at Stones Centurion but it's great to see that the company is making greater investments into the quality of the audio and lighting equipment. The new system looks and sounds fabulous and I believe that Stones have set a higher benchmark for other venues to follow."
 EAW is reporting massive sales in Europe of the KF730 premium compact line array system. Year-to-date sales alone have topped the $2 million mark with further significant sales scheduled before the end of the year.
According to European technical sales manager Sean Martin, these figures offer ample testament to the fact that KF730 is the leading system of its class, and that the European EAW line array network is a highly productive organization. "We have customers all over Europe, from as far afield as Rumania (where we've just sold another large system via our distributor Stage Expert), Portugal, Spain, and even Iceland, to name but a few," noted Martin.
"We also have an extremely strong network of well over 40 European distributors who, in conjunction with our own application support specialists, have worked particularly hard holding line array demonstrations across the continent," Martin continued. "This commendable effort has been especially fruitful in Eastern Europe, and also in Spain where the sterling work of our distributor, Pro3, resulted in the sale of 48 pieces into a single installation."
Martin puts this success down to a number of factors: "Customers who already own KF760 systems find a natural affinity with KF730. It's a hugely versatile system – the fact that it is as easy to groundstack as it is to fly is as important to some customers as it's immense power: size and weight ratio, and now that we have the ability to hang KF730 below KF760 with EAW's new flyware, the possibilities are endless. It goes without saying that EAW sound quality is legendary the world over. With KF730 in particular, the unique Phase Aligned low-frequency system reduces the overall size of the cabinet enormously while offering unparalleled bass performance."
Martin also went on to cite future technological developments within the EAW family as being of particular interest to KF730 owners. "Early 2007 will see the debut of the new digital loudspeaker processor which offers Gunness Focusing to both our line array products for even greater system performance. This is an extremely important development as it effectively offers customers a complete system upgrade for both KF730 and KF760 for just the price of the processor, transforming what is already a totally modern, world-class system into a truly next-generation product."
 Power - one of the most nagging issues with loudspeakers. Ask any two people about proper loudspeaker powering and you're likely to get two different (and perhaps wrong) answers. EAW has stepped up to provide the important essentials with a technical guide entitled "How Much Amplifier Power Do I Need?"
The guide, available in handy pdf format, addresses the key issues, including an explanation of loudspeaker power handling ratings, selecting an appropriate amplifier "size," preventing loudspeaker damage and much more. Click here to download your copy now. (Again, it's a pdf.)
 Peter Brüning of EAW-Mackie in Germany sent along the following. For those who speak the German language, enjoy. For those who don't, legendary band Deep Purple is currently on tour in Germany with an EAW rig supplied by TDA Rental while up-and-coming band Bullet For My Valentine toured Germany with an EAW-based system provided by GO AUDIO.
Nicht nur DEEP PURPLE, sondern auch die Newcomer BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE setzten jüngst auf den Sound von EAW. DEEP PURPLE, die Urgesteine der Rockmusik, vertrauten auf Ihrer Frankreichtour Anfang September auf die Erfahrung von TDA Rental aus Essen. Inhaber Steve Todeskino verwendete für die insgesamt 9 Gigs 22 x KF760/761 (Main PA), 8 x KF730 (Out fill) und 2 x KF650z (Near fill). Auch die aus England stammenden BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE waren Anfang November auf Tour. 7 Shows in Deutschland wurden von GO AUDIO aus Halver durchgeführt. Insgesamt waren 18 x KF730, 16 x SB1000 subwoofers und 4 x JFX260i im Einsatz.
 How do you overcome a wild, seemingly "untamable" acoustical environment? A good place to start is EAW AX Series loudspeakers, as evidenced by this expert installation at the "Dutch Dome" - also known as the gymnasium of Holland (Michigan) High School.
This system upgrade, provided by Parkway Electric & Communications (also of Holland), was an early application of the AX Series, designed specifically to present an optimum solution in "higher horsepower" fixed installations. With dual-trapezoidal enclosures and rotatable horns, the AX Series provides an unprecedented degree of freedom to configure arrays horizontally, vertically, even in spherical sections, with EAW's exclusive CSA Technology insuring near-perfect coverage in any configuration.
The entire dome receives full-range coverage from just eight AX366 loudspeakers, which also feature a coaxial MF/HF driver that combines an 8-inch cone and a 1.4-inch exit compression driver. Gary Zandstra, sales and marketing manager for Parkway, notes that AX Series loudspeakers were a perfect fit for this project because of their tight pattern control and the ability of the cabinets to reach high SPL levels.
“The gym suffered from insufficient coverage and poor intelligibility due to the dome and to an aging sound system that wasn’t right for the space. This installation replaced an older system that had been upgraded several times over the last decade,” says Zandstra. “The gym’s main uses are for sporting events and graduation as well as sports practices. The school needed an audio system that could handle those uses but also keep up with and get over the crowd noise in the dome.”
Three EAW AX366 loudspeakers per side are flown over the spectator bleachers at 32 feet. One loudspeaker is flown at each end of the gym’s basketball court to provide coverage for end seating. “The 60-degree by 60-degree coverage pattern was perfect for the seating depth and height,” Zandstra concludes. “The pattern control of the AX Series is excellent, and they remind me of a 'baby KF750' because everything is so well time-aligned within the cabinets.”
More images of the Dutch Dome installation...
 EAW Online Forums are a great resource for specific information about "everything EAW" as well as a valuable place to get tips, guidance and "how to" advice.
This week, we highlight a user question regarding tools that are useful in helping to properly set up line arrays. Lasers, inclometers... Laser inclometers? Several good ideas are presented by the community, including a suggestion to take advantage of EAW Wizard software for setting up KF760 Series and KF730 Series line arrays.
 Skylands Professional Audio recently provided all sound reinforcement systems, including EAW KF730 line arrays and EAW SB730 flyable subwoofers, to serve the main performance stage for the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival, the largest poetry event in North America.
Marking its 20th year, the 2006 Dodge Poetry Festival returned to its birthplace of Waterloo Village, a National Historic Site in Stanhope, New Jersey, offering more than 60 live performances on 13 stages over the course of four days with more than 17,000 in attendance. Each stage featured accomplished poets, storytellers and often musicians, with one highlight being a “word jazz” performance by the renowned Sekou Sundiata accompanied by a dynamic live band.
 The year’s festival marked the third consecutive time that Skylands Professional Audio, headed by Mark Clifford, has provided both comprehensive sound reinforcement and live digital multi-track recording at every stage, and they’ve already been contracted to do the same at the next festival. Based in Blairstown, New Jersey, the company specializes in supplying comprehensive systems and technical support to hundreds of clients for events ranging from concerts and entertainment to corporate and industrial.
The Dodge Poetry Festival main stage, offering seating for up to 3,000, requires the largest sound reinforcement system as well as the most attention from the audio crew. The audience surrounds three sides of the stage to create a very wide coverage area, with a downward sloping concrete floor topped by a heavy-gauge vinyl fostering a highly reflective environment.
Clifford and his team deployed EAW KF730 line arrays to overcome these challenges and deliver highly articulate audio throughout the entire region. Each array also included a single EAW SB730 subwoofer expressly designed to fly within the array structure while providing the ideal low-end sonic complement to the full-range KF730’s.
“This is a situation where the KF730’s are an enormous benefit. The wide horizontal dispersion of these line arrays eliminates the need for a center cluster, which we’d previously utilized when going with a point-source loudspeaker coverage approach,” Clifford explains. “In addition, the controlled vertical dispersion, along with careful aiming of the arrays, insures that we’re able to keep energy – high-frequency energy in particular - from bouncing off and around the reflective tent surface.”
 Main left and right arrays offering stereo output were flown from a truss above the front of the stage, each comprised of a single SB730 above just two KF730’s, and coverage to the expansive audience areas to each side of the stage was handled by single arrays made up of the same components. EAW KF730 Wizard software provided Clifford with an assist on array structure, cabinet count and aiming.
“We attained articulate speech reproduction right out of the gate,” notes Clifford. “Once an audience was in place, eliminating stray reflections off the concrete floor, sound was extremely clean throughout a zone that extends about 200 degrees around the stage. The best words to describe the sound quality are ‘remarkable’ and ‘amazing’.”
Clifford explains that he had originally envisioned arrays made up of four loudspeaker modules, but truss load-bearing restrictions led to subtracting one full-range module per array. Yet this proved no detraction to flawless sound reinforcement performance.
“Our experience with the KF730 is that it provides monstrous full-range output in terms of a loudspeaker of its slight scale, truly presenting a ‘less is more’ scenario,” he states. “We’ve also been attaining absolutely phenomenal results using just two- to three-box arrays in good-sized auditoriums and theatres. The KF730 is far more flexible than we’d ever imagined. It’s providing incredibly versatile, while the compact cabinet size makes them easy to load and set-up a breeze.”
Another component proving to be a big hit at several stages was EAW NT Series powered loudspeakers, offering true studio-quality reproduction in a live sound environment. Two NT29 loudspeakers proved the right fit to cover each section of an L-shaped meeting room, in addition to a single flown NT29 that was more than capable of completely covering an 80-foot-long tent. “In the past, we had to use a delay loudspeaker in this location, but this year we just didn’t need it,” Clifford notes. “The NT29 cut through crystal clear all the way to the back of the listening area.”
 One of EAW's many treasures is the EAW Commercial line, a deep and versatile selection of high-caliber products that are up to meeting (and exceeding) challenges presented by even the toughest commercial sound system projects. And one of the "hidden treasures" of EAW Commercial is a series of Application Guides available for free download in handy pdf format.
Applications include House Of Worship, Boardroom, Restaurant, Courtoom, Small Hotel and Mini-Mall. All guides are throughly detailed and offer helpful illustrations, with each discussion covering the best of both worlds: a focus on specific problems and challenges and then recommendations of the right EAW Commercial products (and their uses) to best solve those problems. Click here to check out the full roster of Application Guides.
 Leading club system provider Ohm Productions, headed by John Fiorito, just finished a sound system upgrade for the re-launch of Ultrabar, a Washington D.C. nightclub (pictured left). The renovation of the venue formerly called Home came at the direction of Panorama Productions, which tapped Fiorito to implement a sonic improvement for the main floor as well as a fourth-floor bar area.
Presented with a limited budget, Fiorito drew upon a proven solution he's utilized in the past: EAW FRz Series loudspeakers. Specifically, eight FR129z compact, two-way loudspeakers are installed in stereo pairs, providing even yet dynamic output throughout the fourth-floor bar space. The FR129z's are joined by six EAW FR250z subwoofers to enhance LF performance. "FRz Series loudspeakers are ideal for applications of this type," Fiorito notes. "We've used them before with great results, such as for the system at Spank, another D.C. club. FRz is just hard to beat."
 In addition, Fiorito and company were also asked to bolster LF performance with the main floor system, turning to another EAW solution in the form eight Avalon DCS2 subwoofers (some of these are shown in the photo at right). DCS2 subs (and other EAW Avalon Series dance club loudspeakers) are a staple of Ohm Productions club sound designs, with Fiorito stating, "there's nothing like that huge horn with the 12-inch woofer. It's much tighter, definitely not the sloppy signature that you get with a larger woofer, so there's a more punchy overall LF sound."
It's been a busy time for Ohm Productions, with club sound projects just wrapping at two soon-to-open D.C. nightclubs, Lotus Lounge and Tattoo. We'll be presenting more details on those projects here soon. And click here to check out more about the system work of Ohm Productions.
 Audio isn't usually a matter of life or death, but leave it to Iron Maiden to be the exception, with the veteran metal band's current "Matter Of Life Or Death" world concert tour driven by EAW KF760/761 line arrays, as well as EAW SB1000 subwoofers and KF750 loudspeakers. (Interesting note: In 2005, Iron Maiden celebrated its 30th year as a band.)
ML Executives is the sound company for the tour, and for the U.S. leg, they provided the house control and monitoring system while Brantley Sound of Nashville supplied the house sound system featuring EAW line arrays and loudspeakers. The tour kicked off in Europe, followed by dates in the U.S. before moving along to Japan and then returning to Europe, ending with two shows at London's Earls Court in late December.
 Michael Hackman, a true line array specialist with more than a decade of experience in the genre, is the ace line array technician for the tour, backed up in the U.S. by Brantley Sound's Joe Calabrese and John Roberson. The rig they hand off each night to Iron Maiden's long-time FOH engineer is finely tuned and optimized, with Hackman noting, "this EAW line array system does a great job in terms of coverage, and also in reproducing the specific sonic signature of Iron Maiden in concert."
The tour is also notable because it's the first handled by the new U.S. (Miami) offices of ML Executives. Gary Marks, owner of the company, graciously provided us with the tour's loudspeaker system rider:
MAIN FLOWN ARRAYS
40 x EAW KF760 Line Array Elements
12 x EAW KF761 Line Array Elements
24 x EAW SB1000 Subwoofers
GROUND STACK/FRONT FILL
16 x EAW KF750 Loudspeakers
VOCAL INFILLS
6 x EAW KF300 Loudspeakers
Note that the KF750's, stacked atop the SB1000 subs on each side, were added only at the request of the band to provide them with additional "feel" of the house sound, with Hackman adding that the KF760/761line arrays are easily capable of delivering complete full-range coverage at the desired sound pressure levels at any of the arena venues on the tour. The entire system is processed using XTA DP226 signal processors, and Hackman uses the XTA WLAN "Walkabout" to do remote EQ.
For monitoring Iron Maiden uses 6 x EAW KF850 cabinets, 3 per side for vocals and 6 more full-range cabinets (3 per side) for band fills. Lead singer Bruce Dickinson uses dual 2 x 15-inch-loaded monitor wedges for vocals downstage and 6 EAW SM200 monitors on top of the set.
Here's a photo look inside the tour and system. Big thanks to Joe Calabrese of Brantley Sound for the great band and crowd images!
 "NT Series loudspeakers are simply outstanding for reinforcing whatever style of music is being presented. They’re able to bring out both the subtlety and the impact of more delicate acoustic music like bluegrass, but they’re equally adept with rock ‘n’ roll and any other style you can name.” – John Senior
John Senior didn't get into the sound reinforcement business until last year, but he's making up for lost time by doing it right. Among the first gear joining the inventory of John Senior Sound, based in Paradise, California, is six EAW NT Series loudspeakers.
Senior (pictured above along with an NT Series array deployed at a recent festival) is a performing bluegrass musician who decided to provide live sound reinforcement for the specialized needs of acoustic instrument music forms such as bluegrass. Rather than blindly making the leap to invest in the first gear that came along, instead he did a good deal of research and also worked with Leo Gunther, head of Leo Gunther Enterprises of Orland, California, who recommended evaluating the EAW NT Series.
Very much liking what he heard, Senior chose six NT26 loudspeakers to serve as the basis of his main sound reinforcement system, joined by six EAW EP1 subwoofers. He recently deployed these loudspeakers and the rest of his new system at the annual “Bluegrassin’ In The Foothills” festival in Plymouth, California. Featuring top bluegrass acts over the course of three days, the event proved a great test for his new rig.
It passed with flying colors, meeting with rave reviews from the audience and organizers alike, including promoter Larry Baker of L & S Promotions, who’s also a coordinator for the California Bluegrass Association. "Literally 30 people who have been up to their necks in bluegrass music for more than 25 years told me it was the best sound they had ever heard at a bluegrass festival," Senior notes.
Specifically, the system was comprised of dual arrays flown left and right, each comprised of three NT26 loudspeakers in a relatively tight array pack, with Gunther providing consultation on optimizing the array structure and configuration. Two EP1 subs per side resided beneath the mains, with the system easily capable of blanketing the entire listening area. (The above photo shows the festival layout.)
"There was smooth, even coverage from front to back and side to side. I walked the entire grounds, and there were no hot or dead spots, just beautiful solid full-range sound reinforcement throughout," he notes. "We even had people coming from as far as the front gate to deliver compliments."
Based upon this success, Baker contracted John Senior Sound to do a larger bluegrass festival in March in Arizona, with Senior planning to expand his system with more NT Series loudspeakers to serve the event. He adds that his company is also being hired for an increasing number of local events, with business doubling every month.
"It’s just so great to be able to bring true studio quality sound to a large-scale live audience, and on a consistent basis. The NT Series delivers that capability," Senior concludes. "I've had the great fortune to meet a lot of good sound people who have given me some fantastic advice. This business is great - every gig is like Christmas Eve."
 The ongoing EAW “Brains, Boxes & Beyond” (B3) Technology Tour recently appeared in Chicago at the auditorium of the Irish American Heritage Center, with numerous Chicagoland audio professionals on hand for the education-intensive seminar.
Subjects covered in-depth include point-source theory and line-array theory, as well as various mechanical, acoustic and operational topics, and there's also plenty of opportunity for discussions and Q & A with instructors and fellow attendees. Click here for more information about B3, including the most current tour schedule. (Next up: New York, New Jersey and then a swing through the Southeast U.S.)
A big hat tip to Bormann Marketing, EAW's rep firm in the region, for their considerable support in guaranteeing a highly successful event. Check out more of the "Chicago B3 Scene" on the next page, kicked off by an image of Bormann Marketing's Jon Bormann and Hugh Daley flanking EAW audio professors Dave Raneses and Bernie Broderick.
 EAW Online Forums are a great resource for specific information about "everything EAW" as well as a valuable place to get tips, guidance and "how to" advice.
This week, we highlight a user question regarding development of a system for a wide performance space that accommodates up to 1,000 people. Will KF760 line arrays do the trick? How about a KF760 and KF761 combo? And what about subwoofers? Several interesting and useful replies are provided by several members of the community. Click here to go directly to this thread.
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