Four years have gone by pretty quickly since Scott Pizzo joined EAW to provide invaluable sales services in the U.S., and much more. He's definitely an EAW person you should know, and we recently got him to sit down for this Q & A. (Scott is pictured at left just "a few years ago" in full musician mode.)

What does your work with EAW entail?

Scott: Sales (go figure); traveling with our independent sales reps (best in the land); product demonstrations; working with dealers on designs; interfacing with consultants and end users; and solving problems.

What's your favorite aspect of working with EAW?

Scott: I have the privilege of working with cutting-edge products and the brightest, most passionate people in the pro audio industry. Another thing I really like is that I get to meet and talk with inspiring (and sometimes insane, in a good way!) folks from all over the country, and learn from them. My position has afforded me the opportunity to make some close friends across the U.S. and mix a great band or two as well.

Tell us about your previous audio-related experiences.

Scott: Let's see, I've been a product specialist for Lexicon as well as a live sound mixer, wire puller, in retail pro audio sales, and a studio owner (back when you had to have a 2-inch machine!). I was also assistant engineer at 321 Studios in New York City (the old Record Plant) - and - a full-time musician.

What's your favorite thing to do outside of work?

Scott: Spend time with my wife, Julie (still haven’t figured out why she married me), our son Anthony, almost 9, and our daughter Rachel, 4 months. Oh, and I can't forget to mention Earl the Killer Parakeet, 2 years old.

Any hobbies?

Scott: Singing and playing guitar with my band; mixing various local and national artists on my EAW rigs; playing baseball with my son; dusting off and occasionally riding my motorcycle; and going mountain biking. (Scott is pictured at right in an earlier incarnation as rock 'n' roll idol.)

Best rock 'n' roll band ever?

Scott: Led Zeppelin.

What's the best live show you've heard/seen, and why?

Scott: Radiohead, OK Computer Tour, Harbor Lights/Boston 1997. The performance, song choice, sound, and lights were simply amazing. Radiohead actually said that was one of their best shows ever in a subsequent Rolling Stone magazine article.

What's your favorite EAW product?

Scott: Wow, it's tough to choose just one. So I won't. KF730, KF300z, and the NT Series, for its compact form factor and pleasure to mix on.

Trade shows are ... ?

Scott: The best way to see if your shoes and immune system are any good.

What's the most overlooked yet beneficial aspect of EAW?

Scott: Our engineering department. These folks are rock stars - some of the friendliest, most accessible and knowledgeable people you’ll ever meet. EAW products do what the spec sheet says they’ll do (and sound superb doing it) because of these people.

Last question. What was the best thing before sliced bread?

Scott: Beer…Or going back further…Fire - so you could brew beer.

Reach Scott at scott.pizzo@eaw.com.

Posted by EAW at 1:41 PM | Permalink

Moscow-based systems integrator and distribution specialist MS Max has been named the EAW distributor for Russia. MS Max is one of the largest distributors and installers of professional audio and AV equipment in Russia, and also has offices in Beverly Hills, California. (The MS Max team is pictured at right.)

MS Max Managing Director Katherine Shesternina is excited about the collaboration: "EAW is a prestigious international loudspeaker brand that both complements and adds value to our existing portfolio. It has just the sort of high-end, high-tech profile we were looking for, yet at the same time, offers a huge variety of products that will be of great interest to our installation wing. EAW is an excellent fit for us."

EAW European Sales Manager Sean Martin agrees: "From our point of view, MS Max has everything EAW requires from a distributor, including a full sales team, a service center, technical support and marketing, in addition to almost 20 years experience in the business. From their point of view, EAW is a valuable addition to an already high quality portfolio.

"Indeed, in order to demonstrate their commitment to both the brand and the relationship, MS Max kicked off proceedings with a bold $100,000 order, which I believe is proof of both their belief in the brand and their willingness to put in the necessary work to make it pay off in their territory. I am confident that together we can build and grow EAW into the number one professional loudspeaker brand in Russia."

Posted by EAW at 11:46 AM | Permalink

EAW's distributor for Australia, Production Audio Services, reports that Sydney-based company DJ Warehouse has completed the supply and installation of a system headlined by EAW Avalon loudspeakers at Dragonfly Nightclub located in Kings Cross.

DJW Technical Director Dave Coxon comments: “DJW was commissioned by the owners of Dragonfly to design a world class audio system that would fulfill all the requirements for both the local and international acts that perform at the venue. After extensive evaluation of the various systems on the market, we chose a combination of EAW cabinets including four Avalon DC4, two Avalon DCS2, six EAW Commercial VR62 and four VR21, as well as an EAW Commercial DX810 digital processor. The result is a system regarded as the envy of all local competition." Click here for more info about this project, including a selection of great photos.

Posted by EAW at 3:16 PM | Permalink

The EAW LA400 portable subwoofer recently enjoyed some well-earned high praise from a group of audio professionals on ProSoundWeb's LAB Lounge. The LA400 uses bass horn technology that was developed for the EAW KF940 SuperSub, loading a powerful 12-inch woofer on an expanding bass horn that is eight feet in length, providing extremely high output sub bass response in a compact, portable enclosure.

Commenters pointed out the numerous advantages of the LA400, and in fact, one of them notes that four LA400's will out-perform any set of four dual 18-loaded subs in their price category. To find out more, click here to go to the LAB Lounge to check it out.

Posted by EAW at 3:42 PM | Permalink

The 800-seat Meng Concert Hall at the beautiful new Performing Arts Center at California State University, Fullerton, features a high-end sound reinforcement system designed by Multi-Media Consulting Inc. (MMC) of Los Angeles that is headed by EAW AX Series loudspeakers and SB Series subwoofers.

MMC Founding Principal Rick Wells took the lead role in the system design process, specifying three sets of dual EAW AX366 loudspeakers to provide seamless full-range coverage. They're flown in a "one above the other" configuration at carefully selected positions above the front edge of the room's large stage, and each set is joined by a single EAW SBX220 subwoofer. All loudspeaker cabinets are painted with a custom color carefully selected to blend in with the aesthetics of the space.

Wells, who's firm provides full-service media systems design and consulting, selected the AX Series loudspeakers for this prestigious project following an extensive demo process that included numerous leading competitive loudspeaker models. MMC also supplied system designs for several other live performance spaces housed within the venue.

Criss Niemann of Audio Geer contributed valuable input at the early stages of the design, with expert system installation by GroggWorks Inc. of San Diego. Thanks to Alan Geer for supplying the photos here that do a fine job of displaying the loudspeakers and their configuation within the concert hall.

Posted by EAW at 1:46 PM | Permalink

Design/build firm John Lyons Systems of Los Angeles, California selected a wide range of EAW loudspeakers to provide premium sound reinforcement at the newly-opened Social Hollywood, a $12-million restaurant/lounge complex on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Social Hollywood is headed by New York-based restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow, who also created Social Miami at the Sagamore Hotel in Miami Beach, and its nine rooms are housed in the revamped structure of the former Hollywood Athletic Club originally designed by Egyptian Theater architects Meyer & Holler in 1923. The building’s designation as a historic landmark posed an added challenge for John Lyons Systems, which responded with a multifaceted system design and installation approach incorporating the right blend of flexibility and quality performance.

The 2,800-square-foot main dining room’s vaulted ceiling presents a naturally reverberant and reflective space, and restored fresco artwork on this ceiling dating back to the 1920’s ruled out the addition of acoustical treatment. As a result, lead designer John Lyons took the approach of covering the space with densely distributed audio coverage.

“Four EAW Commercial VR61 loudspeakers are mounted to every pillar in the room,” Lyons explains. “By utilizing this many loudspeakers, coverage is even and intelligible throughout the space without needing to turn up the volume and ‘over-excite’ the acoustics.” Additional low-end energy comes from four EAW SB150 compact subwoofers discretely positioned on the floor.

Another distributed approach was applied in the bar area, which also presents a reverberant environment. Here, eight EAW Commercial VR62 full-range loudspeakers are flown throughout the space, joined again by two SB150 subwoofers for supplemental bass output.

The facility’s 4,900-square-foot main ballroom, created in the former Hollywood Athletic Club gymnasium, features eight EAW MK5396 compact full-range loudspeakers mounted on a ceiling running beneath the infrastructure of what had previously been a running track. Adding flexibility, Lyons also chose to specify eight EAW LA400 subwoofers outfitted with rear-mounted caster wheels so they can easily be moved around the space to help create the desired bass signature for each event.

Two private game rooms, located upstairs, offer premium distributed sound via EAW Commercial CIS400 ceiling loudspeakers, yet again accompanied by SB150 subwoofers.

Meanwhile, the adjacent “Velvet Room” private dining hall, which can also host smaller ballroom-type events, is outfitted with eight EAW L8CX2XO high-fidelity ceiling loudspeakers and, for higher output needs, Mackie SA1532z full-range powered loudspeakers have also been installed.

“Social Hollywood is exactly the kind of place I would visit for dinner or drinks, and I just couldn’t pass up this great opportunity to make the entire venue sound great,” Lyons concludes.

Posted by EAW at 8:52 AM | Permalink

Kicking off 2007 in nice warm-weather style, Dave and Bernie's latest B3 (Brains, Boxes & Beyond) Tech Tour sessions are slated for Florida in the coming days. Specifically, the next two sessions will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 10 at Full Sail Live in Winter Park, and Friday, Jan. 12 at the Kendall Campus of Miami Dade College.

For the uninitiated - each B3 seminar session runs for a full day and offers diverse audio coursework in a live lab setting. Two subjects covered in-depth include point-source theory and line-array theory, as well as various mechanical, acoustic and operational topics. Attendees utilize EAW systems to evaluate and refine the points being presented.

A big thanks to Quest Marketing for their help in organizing these Florida sessions! Almost 20 B3 sessions were conducted around the U.S. in the last quarter of 2006 in the highly successful kickoff to this invaluable real-world educational program.

Keep an eye on the B3 Schedule page for news about upcoming sessions.

Posted by EAW at 1:20 PM | Permalink

Seattle Pro Audio, headed by Michael Gardner and a leading system provider and dealer based in the northwest U.S., played a key role in the selection of EAW DSA (Digitally Steerable Array) Series loudspeakers implemented with great success at Qwest Field in Seattle, home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks NFL franchise. And in fact, the stadium will be rockin' this coming weekend as the Seahawks enter the playoffs against the Dallas Cowboys in looking to make it to the Super Bowl for the second straight year.

Just prior to the current season, Gardner introduced Fred Micera, head of audio at Qwest Field, to the numerous advantages of DSA loudspeakers when the two were discussing new sound reinforcement options for the venue's seven club spaces.

The biggest challenge of these spaces is that they're all comprised of thousands of square feet of coverage area dominated by multiple reflective surfaces, many of them parallel. Enter Gardner and Seattle Pro Audio, who in addition to offering full-service turnkey system design and installation services also specialize in providing relevant product demonstrations that help guide customers to optimum solutions, which was fully in evidence on this project.

Very quickly into Seattle Pro Audio's DSA demo process, Micera understood the advantages presented by these loudspeaker systems for this critical application. He then specified two sets of single DSA250 and DSA230 topped by a single EAW SB120 subwoofer to serve the three larger club spaces as well as a single DSA250, again topped by a SB120, to serve the four smaller spaces.

"We always take a hands-on approach because it's the best approach," explains Gardner. "The idea is to fully support all of our customers in whatever way possible in order to assist their decision-making processes so that the right direction is the consistent result.

"Our goal in every case is to facilitate a 'win-win' for all involved," he continues. "We aim to please and the success of our customers is our success as well."

To find out more about how the DSA Series loudspeakers were implemented at Qwest Field, click here.

Posted by EAW at 7:12 AM | Permalink