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 April 29, 07
On the bus
One of those memorable moments: 12:45 pm and everyone is upstairs in the rear lounge watching the Bourne Identity. Moray is sleeping in his bunk. I came down to watch the drive for a bit, and as I came down the stairs I could hear a bit of whistling coming from the forward cabin. It’s a bright balmy, lovely afternoon and we’ve just passed immigrations into Switzerland. We’re motoring down the Bahn, passing through the entrance into the Alps. It’s gorgeous, a storybook day.
I sat down in the forward/lower lounge and could hear Werner, our intrepid and wonderful driver (every bit Austrian) whistling along with something. Delightful, delicate, precise, joyful whistling. Not like passive, mumbling, meandering whistling, but flutelike, percussive, trilling Alpine whistling.
Suddenly he turns up his stereo in the driver’s compartment and I realize he’s whistling along with a classical concert on the stereo. Not just some soft, sweet, beautiful concert piece, but one of those Austrian masterpieces, loaded with flourish, undoubtedly written on just such a spring afternoon, where the sun bathes the countryside in clear light and the new leaves on the trees radiate a green that we only get to see in April in the mountains. The panorama is actually postcard.
So I sit quietly, slide down in a lounge recliner and watch with wonderment as the Swiss countryside glides by in a rolling slideshow of hills and church spires, cows and fences, chalets and Swiss flags, yellow mustard fields erupting in full voice, punctuating the rise and fall of Werner’s whistling concerto. He’s hitting every note. He knows this piece. As the concert rises to crescendo, Werner pushes his participation, steadfastly remaining part of the orchestra. Big Finish! Wow!! That was cool…
People can be so happy, so positive.
Life is good. Really good.
From EAW Marketing Director Karen Anderson
On our way via the tour bus to Milan for the next stop of the B4 Roadshow, we stopped for the evening in Wolfach, Germany. All I can say is WOW - this place unbelievably gorgeous! It's a 1,000-year-old walled city on the Kinsig river. I can't really describe how lovely it is, so check out the pictures.
Besides that, it's Jurgen's hometown, and he and his wife Christiane hosted us for a great day of sightseeing and dinner.
Highlights included visits to the world's biggest toilet, the world's biggest cuckoo clock, and the Wolfach glass-blowing museum. We also found time for an Alpine roller-coaster.
Dinner was a traditional Black Forest meal of a variety of smoked, cured and otherwise prepared meats - even the "salad" was made from sausage. Affectionately called the "meat-fest" it left our systems a little meat-shocked.
Those of us who didn't immediately fall into a food-coma decided to head out on the town for some drinks. We ended up at a karoake place where Jurgen serenaded Christiane and entertained us all.
From EAW Marketing Director Karen Anderson
Day two of the B4 Roadshow stop in Cologne was Smaart School day, and Jamie and Ferrit had a full class of 17 people at the Gahrens and Batterman training academy.
A huge thanks to G&B for letting us use their facility! (It's pictured below.)
 While Jamie and Ferrit busily made the world a little "Smaarter" (sorry!), Bernie and Moray headed over to the Cologne Arena to visit Marcus from Gahrens and Batterman as they loaded in a huge corporate event for DHL, utilizing a KF730-based system.
In the meantime, Jeffrey, Kenton and I thought it would be a good time to find an Internet café (since we were having trouble with the hook-up at the hotel), and get some work done. Thus began our two-hour odyssey in search of wireless…
 After walking several miles in 85-degree weather through the city of Bergisch Gladbach (shown at right) in search of a place to flip open the laptops and connect into the glorious world of Outlook, we finally gave up and flopped down in a (non-wireless) café and got some lunch.
It was there I learned that there is nothing that will calm Jeffrey down faster than a popsicle or other frosty ice cream treat. Especially if its of the orange or banana variety. One bowl of orange juice with vanilla ice cream, and happy smiling Jeffrey was back.
Good thing Bergisch Gladback is an extraordinarily pretty town, or else it might have REALLY sucked… :>)
Attendees of the B4 Roadshow in Cologne: Harro Veldhuisen, Martin Biegger, Roland Reuss, Stefan Straub, Michael Hack, Klaus Hubner, Stefan Behr, Jan Saueressig, Christiane Bangert, Bodo Felusch, Ferdinand Mulles, Freek Fokker, Wim Voortman, Michel, Tenhage, Rolf Dykstra, Hele Weerdt, R. Brezinski.
Next up: Wolfach - Jurgen’s home town, and then it’s on to Milan, Italy, for the next B4 Roadshow stop.
Below are more views of the Cologne Smaart School in session, as well as snapshots of Bergisch Gladbach taken as we searched for Internet access. Note that last image of Jeffrey setting up a temporary office at McDonald’s.
From EAW Marketing Director Karen Anderson
The DJP facility in Cologne (shown at left), site of this stop of the B4 Roadshow, was a great old factory which used to make boilers for steam engines. And, although cool to look at… it also came with about 7 seconds of reverb at 125 hz. That was cause for incredulous gasps from the group gathered around Jamie’s Smaart rig.
Bad for sound, but it sure makes a pretty Smaart screen. True to form, Jamie and the guys managed to make the best of the venue and get the rig sounding good.
So what do a bunch of audio guys do when they have a giant old factory, some empty roadcases and time on their hands? Invent the sport of case-luging, of course! Jamie also tried a little case surfing. We were working hard… honest!
After set-up, it was off to the hotel where we all unloaded, cleaned up and got some dinner. Schnitzel, steaks and beer seemed fitting... And were delicious. The following morning kicked off Bootcamp and Tradeshow day, so 30 or so audio professionals had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the big rigs, the board, the new UX8800, and of course all the staff.
After the Tradeshow, we again tore down in record time and returned to the hotel.
Jamie and Steve Badham and I then got back on the tour bus to head into Cologne with our new pals Ferdinand Mulles, Wim Voortman, Michel Tenhage and Freek Fokker, who had traveled over from Holland to attend the Roadshow and Smaart School. (The whole gang is pictured here.)
 Cologne is a really pretty city right on the Rhine river, and we went down to an area by the river, site of the famous Cologne Cathedral (shown at left). It's an amazing place that stayed standing during World War II, even though the entire area around it was bombed flat. We managed to find some Thai food and had a great meal.
Thanks for a really fun night fellas - next time we're in Holland, we’ll look you up! Tomorrow will feature a full day of Smaart School.
More views from day one in Cologne:
 From EAW Marketing Director Karen Anderson
After a much needed change of clothes and some well-earned beers, the B4 Roadshow crew hopped on our tour bus, and with our trusty driver Werner at the wheel, took off for Cologne, Germany. Much merriment was had that first night on the bus… Most of which I can’t post on the web.
But suffice to say it included Moray, Ferrit and Steve practicing their moose mating calls (see picture above) learned the night before from a pair of comely, and drunk, Swedish gals.
 We crossed from Dover to Calais on the ferry sometime around midnight, and after a meal of ship-food and a really bad nap on hard plastic ferry chairs, we landed on the continent about 2 AM. At left we see Ferrit passing his new remote controlled Dalek to Bernie. (Doctor Who fans know what we're talking about.)
Then everyone hit their bunks, and tried to learn how to sleep on a moving, swaying bus. Someone’s Blackberry alarm went off around 6:30 AM and beeped incessantly for the next 90 minutes. Thus instigating the “cell phones off in the bunk area” rule.
 We pulled into the DJP facility in Cologne at about 9:00 in the morning, and met Jurgen, our German Sales Manager. The venue was a great old factory, which used to make the boilers for steam engines. More about this venue in my next post...
As we were all a little sleepy and bus-ruffled, Jurgen met us there with a car full of coffee and Marcus, Uli who helped us load in. Big thanks guys! (Jurgen's "coffee car" is shown below.)
The EAW team had a great time this week presenting the first B4 Roadshow at Bray Studios outside of London. After a full day of Smaart School followed by another full day of System Bootcamp and the EAW Tradeshow, it was time to go. In road-dog fashion, the team broke it all down, loaded it all on the truck, and then boarded the bus to move along to the next B4 Roadshow stop: Cologne, Germany.
Some final notes on the England stop from Karen Anderson: Bray Studios is a great film studio out in the English countryside near Windsor Castle. The facilities were wonderful and the staff could not have been nicer. Big thanks to Nathan Hendricks and everyone at Bray. Highly recommended for anyone looking to do a large format demo in England.
Load-in was relatively painless with the help of four of our pals from Concert Sound, and big high fives to them for all of their help.. not only during load in, but on the Roadshow in general. Couldn’t have done it without them!
With the help of more fine folks from Peak Sound and Concert Sound, who stuck around after the Tradeshow to help us load out, we were torn down and had the truck loaded in less than two hours! Everyone pitched in…. as evidenced by the pictures of Jeffrey and Sean (Martin) humping crates up into the truck. Who says execs don’t get their hands dirty?
 While the congregants of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida, are still enjoying their beautiful worship center built more than a decade ago, the sound reinforcement system has been significantly improved to better serve a myriad of needs, headlined by the addition of a wide range of EAW loudspeakers, including KF730 Series line arrays.
Bobby Taylor of leading systems provider All Pro Sound, Pensacola, worked closely with the Olive Baptist Audio-Video Specialist Kelly Ward to develop the new system. Primary focus was on implementing new loudspeaker technology within the worship center, which offers two levels surrounding the front platform in a fan-shaped configuration, with seating for almost 5,000. (Ward and Taylor are shown below, flanking Olive Baptist Worship Leader Dr. Leo Day.)
 Two new EAW KF730 compact line arrays serve as the centerpiece of a left-center-right (LCR) loudspeaker approach. The original loudspeakers were retained to provide left and right output, with the critical center channel handled by dual arrays comprised of eight KF730 boxes. In between these two full-range arrays is another single array made up of four EAW SB730 flying subwoofers.
With the main loudspeakers located so high above the main floor, dual EAW UB42 compact loudspeakers were installed within the platform steps in order to pull the sonic image “down”, helping to match it with the people on stage. These loudspeakers are carefully time aligned in order to seamlessly achieve their purpose.
Meanwhile, single EAW UB82 compact full-range loudspeakers were added to “flanking” side walls of the platform – and stained to match the décor of their surroundings - to supply a bit more mid-high boost to raked seating zones on the extreme sides of the main floor. Again, careful time alignment keeps this in sync with the mains.
 The original system also included 12 additional UB82 loudspeakers mounted equidistantly at the front of the balcony to bolster coverage to seating zones up there; however, with the improved output provided by the new line arrays, these are no longer needed. In fact, future plans call for them to be turned around to fire at the main floor, creating an immersive surround sound effect.
To bolster coverage to shadowed seating regions far under the balcony (primarily high-frequency energy), EAW JF50 compact loudspeakers mounted in their horizontal cabinet position, have been posted equidistantly. These have been pained to match their surroundings as well.
In the interests of dynamic full-range capability combined with the overall goal of very tight intelligibility, dual EAW BH760 horn-loaded subwoofers occupy each corner of the stage, paired up in corner areas for additional energy coupling. And, for true concert-style productions, four more EAW SB1000 dual-18-inch subwoofers can be rolled out on to platform and plugged in via the ample interconnect capability installed by All Pro Sound throughout the platform.
 Day two of the B4 Roadshow in England featured System Bootcamp, led by EAW Technical Training Manager Bernie Broderick, as well as the EAW Tradeshow, where everyone got a look at current and coming-soon products and technologies. The Bray Studios facility (shown here) proved exceptional for hosting both of these facets.
 Interesting notes from EAW Marketing Director Karen Anderson: "Andrew Rowan owns SurgeSound, the EAW distributor for South Africa, and he came all the way up from there for the event. And Terje Engedahl is from Lyd-Systemer, our distributor for Norway. He brought two of his customers all the way from Norway (his customers are Eivind Boganes and Oyvind Aasen).
 Attendees also had plenty of opportunities to network and get the most up-close looks at all products, including SB Series subwoofers and KF Series line arrays shown here.
Next Up:
Cologne, April 26-27
Full schedule
 OK, we admit it: this post is largely an excuse to post the crazy photo of Ferrit (below).
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 After an intense full day of Smaart School, and with System Bootcamp and the EAW Tradeshow all set for tomorrow at Bray Studios, there proved to be a bit of time for the gang to visit a local establishment and blow off some steam. Well, that is, after Bernie got done spooling his cables.
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 Just one question: Does Ferrit's expression have anything to do with the empty glass in front of him? (Actually, thanks to him for being such a good sport.)
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Below is Jamie Anderson with EAW's Moray McMillin and Steve Badham.
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 April 23, 07
London
1:30pm
Peas and Chips! From mighty ‘ol England!!
First day of B4 European Roadshow and it’s actually working out beautifully. Wow!!
We all made it in on time, luggage arrived, hotel is “reasonable”, had a pint, Fish and Chips, drove on the wrong side of the road, got into the wrong side of the car, sitting by The River Thames, all the stations of the cross…
Today is the Smaart v.6 class, with Jamie Anderson conducting. Well attended and we’re at Bray Film Studios, out near Windsor Castle (Mum’s not in, the flags not waving). This studio is where a bunch of 50’s and 60’s British horror movies were filmed, including Dracula with Christopher Lee. Perfect location to assemble the tour and conduct the first presentations. This is where a lot of tours do pre-production rehearsals. Clapton usually sets up here.
8:00pm: Completed the set up, tested, checked and done for the night. Really good day. This is a wonderful bunch of people to work with.
G’night!!
-Jeffrey
 The Europe leg of the B4 Roadshow has begun! Jamie Anderson and Martyn "Ferrit" Rowe led a very well-attended full day of Smaart School at Bray Studios, outside of London.
The focus, of course, is new EAW Smaart v.6, as well as loads of useful tips and techniques for large-scale system alignment and response optimization.
 At right, we see the group in "classroom" mode, and below, a class photo. In the back row, left to right: George Breacker, John Kingham, Lionel Miller, Andrew Rowan, Tom Williams, Jamie Anderson, Simon Ryder, Patrick Hocken, Sam Brandon, Steve Paefrement, Eivind Boganes. And in the front row: Terje Engedahl and Oyvind Aasen.
Coming up tonight: A bit of fun
Tomorrow: System Bootcamp & Tradeshow
 Long-time EAW user Carlson Audio of Seattle is providing the sound reinforcement system and experienced support for the current concert tour by Billboard chart toppers Modest Mouse, with the system headlined by EAW KF760 Series line arrays. The tour just kicked off last week and is currently crossing the U.S. and Canada before heading on to Europe for an extensive set of dates.
 Carlson Audio, headed by company founder Mark Carlson, has dispatched veteran sound engineer Allan Bagley (shown at left) to serve as head system tech, where he rides herd over a rig that varies from show to show due to the diverse styles of venues being visited by the tour. Generally, the flown main arrays are made up of several KF760 full-range line array modules above two to three KF761 specialized downfill/wide dispersion modules that help meet coverage needs at the front of the audience areas.
 "The KF760 rig is doing its usual fine job of meeting and exceeding whatever full-range coverage needs that happen to come up along the way," Bagley noted during system setup prior to a sold-out show at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre. The system is enhanced with EAW SB1000 dual-18-inch-loaded subwoofers as well as compact EAW loudspeakers placed at the front of the stage when needed to offer additional front-fill to the very first rows. Further, venerable EAW KF850 full-range loudspeakers are supplying stage fill.
To check out the system at an upcoming date of the Modest Mouse tour, click here.
 A new Smaart Forum has launched at the EAW.com Forums section, and in fact, it's already logged 200-plus posts from the Smaart community!
The new Smaart Forum replaces the previous online effort that served very well but had become outdated. Particularly with the recent launch of new EAW Smaart v.6, the new forum is proving invaluable as an efficient way to get questions answered as well as for the sharing of information among the user base.
The forum is expertly moderated by EAW's Calvert Dayton, Martin "Ferrit" Rowe, Joe Fustolo and Scott Jordan. In addition, great input is also provided by Smaart and test/measurement/analysis veterans. Click here to check it out.
 Design/build firm John Lyons Systems recently completed a professional audio design at the world’s first Martini Park located at The Shops at Legacy in Plano, Texas, with EAW loudspeakers used in abundance.
Designed by world-class architect Jeffrey Beers, the 7,500-square-foot Martini Park seats a total of 500 patrons and offers seating choices in the Main bar as well as three other dining and lounging areas – the Stage bar for live music performances, the elevated Round bar and the casual Patio bar.
 Martini Park owner Christopher Barish turned to John Lyons Systems to provide the audio - as well as video and lighting - systems for the unique space. (Barish and nightlife impresario Lyons had previously worked together on Barish’s Light nightclub at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, also utilizing EAW loudspeakers.)
Lyons notes: “Because Martini Park is a high-end, sophisticated bar for the 21-plus crowd, it was important that the sound system provide clarity at a reasonable SPL. The sound needed to envelope the crowd but not be so deafeningly loud as to drive people away. In addition, the sleek lines of the interior design meant that the sound system needed to blend in with the décor and essentially become invisible.”
 The sound system design includes six EAW Commercial CIS400 ceiling speakers, and two each of EAW SB120 and SB250 subwoofers. The design also features six EAW JL12 custom 12-inch coaxial ceiling speakers co-developed by Lyons and EAW. “The design concept was two-fold. High-powered ceiling speakers allowed me to blanket the entire space with sound while keeping the loudspeakers hidden from view,” he notes.
In fact, the Stage bar is the only area at Martini Park with visible loudspeakers, designed to accommodate live music performances. The PA consists of two EAW AX396 three-way full range loudspeakers, two EAW AX122 subwoofers, four EAW VRM12 for stage monitors, and four EAW Commercial SMS5 surface-mount loudspeakers for fill.
“With live music playing there seven nights a week, the PA system is designed so that clarity is more important than volume. It provides an even distribution of loud, clean sound,” Lyons explains.
 Bormann Marketing, a sales representative firm for EAW, will be hosting Smaart School training sessions later this month (April '07) in the Minneapolis area (Bloomington, MN) as well as in Chicago, both in conjuction with its 2007 "Bormannia" Roadshows.
Specifically, noted sound designer and veteran Smaart instructor Arthur Skudra (pictured below) of Sightsound Consulting will be presenting the Smaart School sessions, which will focus on the fundamentals of EAW Smaart and the new Smaart v.6 measurement and analysis software. Tips and techniques for large-scale system alignment and response optimization will also be presented.
 The Minneapolis area roadshow and Smaart School session will be held on Monday, April 23, at the Holiday Inn Select Airport in Bloomington, just south of Minneapolis International Airport. Both will run from 9 am to 4 pm. Cost to attend this Smaart School session is $200; the roadshow is free.
The Chicago roadshow will be held Thursday, April 26 and Friday, April 27, at the Irish American Heritage Center. Roadshow hours are 10 am to 4 pm. NOTE: the Smaart School session will be held BOTH days from 8 am to 4 pm. Cost to attend this two-day Smaart School session is $300; the roadshow is free.
Bormann Marketing will also be hosting a roadshow - without Smaart School session - in Milwaukee on Wednesday, April 25 at the Radisson Hotel Milwaukee Airport. Hours are 10 am to 4 pm. Cost is free.
Smaart School attendees are asked to bring their laptop computers and stereo I/O to get full, hands-on benefit of instruction.
For the ninth consecutive year, the Bormannia Roadshows will provide a great opportunity to check out all of the product lines handled by Bormann Marketing, including EAW. To register for Smaart School, contact Marcy of Bormann Marketing via e-mail at marcy@bormann.com or by calling 952-835-9161. Payment can be made with check or credit card.
For more information as well as to also register via e-mail, click here.
 At the upcoming PALME Middle East Exhibition in Dubai, Josh Evans of PMK International Consultants will be presenting "Smaart v.6 Overview: Additions and benefits of Smaart v.6 over SmaartLive 5." The class will be presented on Sunday, May 20, from 2 pm - 4 pm, in the Sharjah A room of the Dubai International Exhibition Centre.
The discussion will focus on:
- Fundamentals and benefits of dual-channel FFT measurements
- Differences between using a Real Time Analyzer (RTA), and a dual FFT complex magnitude response for the optimization of sound systems
- Determination of loudspeaker polarity
- Optimization of subwoofers using a complex measurement
- Interfacing measurement tools with mixing consoles
- Useful measurements for a live sound engineer
To register, go to the PALME website at http://www.palmeonline.com, click on the "Middle East" option, and then click on "Seminar Info" in the left column of the home page.
By Tim Millkan, Production Audio Services
The Leeuwin Estate Summer Concert is an annual highlight of Australia’s cultural calendar, featuring a top musical artist performing in a beautiful open-air concert setting outside the small town of Margaret River. The Leeuwin Estate being a winery (and a very good one by the way) makes the event quite nice indeed, with talent that is top shelf as well. Sting, Ray Charles, Tom Jones are some of the featured performers of past concerts, and this year, Simply Red took the stage for two consecutive nights in front of audiences numbering 14,000 each show.
I had the opportunity to support the long-time sound company for the event, Audex Concert Sound of Northbridge, West Australia, fulfilling the role of chief systems engineer. My duties included implementing the new EAW UX8800 digital processor in its maiden voyage on a live show, along with aligning, tuning and anything else related to getting the system ready for Gary Bradshaw, Simply Red’s front-of-house engineer. (Click here for more information about the UX8800)
 Audex Concert Sound does an excellent job – supplying gear of the highest quality and audio people to match. Joining company owner Keith Crammond were Alan Thompson (FOH assistant), Ryan Fallis (monitor rigger) and Dave Keys (general audio assistant). Meanwhile, my own experience with professional audio is diverse and dates back about 25 years, from all stripes of work to recording to broadcast to live sound. Now working as an audio engineer with Production Audio Services based in Blackburn, Victoria, my preference lies with live FOH and broadcast.
The Leeuwin Estate concert site is largely a natural amphitheatre, with a stage positioned at the “front” of a large clearing that sweeps gently up and back, all of it surrounded by some fairly dense woods. The coverage area is all lawn seating; the audience brings their own lawn chairs and blankets. Depth from the stage to the winery building is approximately 125 meters (410 feet), with the width measuring up to 500 meters (1,640 feet). And, at the top of the rise, another grassy area accommodates more audience, about 135 meters (443 feet) from the stage.
 Audex Concert Systems provided much the same PA that’s worked exceptionally well for this event over the past several years, consisting of 12 EAW KF750 concert loudspeakers stacked per side, joined by 10 proprietary Audex subwoofers with a single 18-inch-woofer in a horn-loaded cabinet.
At first look, I had concerns about getting even coverage across this extremely wide venue, but this proved to be unfounded. The KF750’s were stacked on scaffold towers to the left and right of the stage. Starting at a height of three meters (about 10 feet) off the ground, each tight-packed KF750 array was four boxes high by three boxes wide, with the subs positioned below each array, about a foot from the ground, in two-high by five-wide sets.
The KF750 has always been one of my favorite cabinets; to this point it’s very effectively dealt with every situation I’ve used them. As a point-source system, it’s less affected by wind than line arrays, always a plus in these large outdoor situations. And, it’s also a great “rock n’ roll” box, going very loud when needed while taking up very little real estate for the output.
 As noted, this was also the first live show ever to utilize the new EAW UX8800 digital processor, and in fact, we deployed two of these 1U, four-input by eight-output units to serve as loudspeaker processors (both units for the gig are shown above). The first time using any new technology there’s some trepidation, largely the sense that the “safety net” (largely bred of familiarity) is not there, along with the reality that everything changes when going from “lab setting” to the much more unpredictable realm of the real show.
The week prior to the Leeuwin Estate concert, I’d heard the UX8800’s on EAW KF760 and KF730 line arrays during a soundcheck for a large show at Acer Arena in Sydney, where the rig was provided by Norwest Productions. Based upon the impressive results I heard there, I was very confident that the KF750’s would sound just as great – a prediction that proved to come true, and then some.
The difference was astounding. Not only were the mids and highs of the KF750’s smoother, there was much more consistency through the entire venue. The clarity and intelligibility resulting from the Gunness Focusing technology was far superior to the previous DSP parameters, which, by the way, were provided by top-quality units and refined to a very advanced degree over time.
Previously I had noticed that the boxes produced a vertical “seam” - a somewhat perceptible lobe that was audible as you walked across a venue. Now, the seam is virtually non-existent, and looks to have shifted to the horizontal, making it only noticeable if you’re walking directly away from the system up raked seating, or in my case here, up the hill of the amphitheatre. (By the way, that's Mr. Millkan pictured below/right, in the Highlands of Tasmania, where he spends as much time as possible chasing wild brown trout on the fly rod.)
 The best way I can describe the difference between previous performance and that provided by the UX8800: cup your hands around your mouth and listen to your voice, essentially turning your mouth into a horn-loaded driver, then take your hands away from your face and speak again. That’s pretty much what Gunness Focusing does to harmonic distortion created from the cone and horn flare. The mids and highs are truly transparent and very smooth.
All in all, the two Leeuwin Estate shows went quite well. Gary Bradshaw, the Audex crew, and the band were all happy, so my work was complete. I didn’t get a chance to tell Gary that he was the first sound professional in the world to use Gunness Focusing with a live PA; there just wasn’t time. But his comment at the end of the gig was “very tasty, very nice - thank you.” For any system engineer, myself included, that’s exactly what we want to hear.
As I reflect on this new EAW technology and what it means, I’m struck by the fact that not only will large production companies benefit from the UX8800, but so too will smaller owner/operators who don’t have the clientele to warrant purchasing line arrays. Many of these companies might very well have an EAW point-source system in their inventory that can be easily outfitted with significantly upgraded audio performance without spending hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Literally, we’re talking about the same level of quality that one would expect from an entirely new system. In my world, it doesn’t get much better than that.
Kicking off EAW’s 2007 education initiative, the B4 Roadshow will be making its way through Europe starting April 23. This is an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in two full days of EAW product training, demonstrations, education and more! Each two-day B4 event will consist of a Smaart School, “System Bootcamp” and mini-tradeshow.
Smaart School:
The specially designed Smaart School is focusing on the fundamentals of Smaart and the new Smaart v.6, as well as tips and techniques for large-scale system alignment and response optimization. Taught by Smaart gurus Jamie Anderson and Martyn Rowe, cost for the Smaart School course is $300 (USD) and includes breakfast, lunch and all course-related materials.
Pre-registration is required - click here to register for the class of your choice. Online pre-payment via credit card is accepted, as is payment on-site at the time of the class (check or cash only). Attendees are responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses.
System Bootcamp:
This intensive, hands-on course will walk attendees through the proper design, installation, powering, processing and alignment of a full scale EAW touring rig featuring some of EAW’s newest products including KF760 line arrays, SB10002 flyable subs, UX8800 processors and the UMX.96 digital console. System Bootcamp will be taught by EAW Training Manager Bernie Broderick, and is free to all attendees and includes breakfast and lunch.
To sign up for System Bootcamp, please send your name, address, phone, e-mail and bootcamp location you wish to attend to this e-mail address: B4EuroRoadshow@eaw.com.
Mini-Tradeshow:
A selection of EAW’s newest installation and EAW Commercial products will be on display for attendees to see and hear. In addition, members of the EAW Application Support Group (ASG), sales team and product development group will be on hand to discuss products and answer questions.
B4 Roadshow/Smaart School Schedule:
LONDON, Bray Studios
April 23, 10 am - 6 pm ---- Smaart School
April 24, 10 am - 3 pm ---- System Bootcamp
April 24, 3 pm - 6 pm ---- Tradeshow
COLOGNE, DJP Gewerbepark Köln-Ost
April 26, 10 am - 3 pm ---- System Bootcamp
April 26, 3 pm - 6 pm ---- Tradeshow
April 27, 10 am - 6 pm ---- Smaart School (at Gahrens & Batterman Akademie)
MILAN, Location To Be Announced
May 2, 10 am - 6 pm ---- Smaart School
May 3, 10 am - 3 pm ---- System Bootcamp
May 3, 3 pm - 6 pm ---- Tradeshow
BARCELONA, Location To Be Announced
May 7, 10 am - 6 pm ---- Smaart School
May 8, 10 am - 3 pm ---- System Bootcamp
May 8, 3 pm - 6 pm ---- Tradeshow
PARIS, Axente
May 10, 10 am - 3 pm ---- System Bootcamp
May 10, 3 pm - 6 pm ---- Tradeshow
May 11, 10 am - 6 pm ---- Smaart School
For more information on attending the B4 Roadshow in your area, please contact your local EAW distributor and visit www.eaw.com/b4.
 Sydney, Australia-based system provider DJ Warehouse (DJW) recently completed an extensive project at the Sobar nightclub of the Cremorne Hotel, utilizing a wide range of EAW loudspeakers that highlight the exceptional depth of the EAW line. (Thanks to Production Audio Services, EAW's distributor in Australia, for this report.)
Located on Sydney’s Lower North shore, the hotel faced tough noise restrictions due to a high-rise apartment block directly on top of the planned nightclub. Some of the obstacles DJW confronted were structural vibration paths, thin ceilings and many escape routes for airborne vibrations. EAW loudspeakers chosen by DJW in overcoming these challenges include DSA250 (Digitally Steerable Arrays), KF730 compact line arrays and highly innovative CP621 concentric array ceiling loudspeakers.
Meanwhile, the majority of low-frequency energy is delivered by a custom-built concrete sub column containing six EAW SBX220 subwoofers. This unique design and configuration enabled the DJW tech team to tightly focus much of the sub signal onto the dance floor.
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