The latest addition to the MicroWedge, the MicroSub was well-received at InfoComm 2009.  Click on any of the links below to check out editorial coverage:

Live Sound pg.14

Mix

Pro Sound Web

FOH Online

Gear Wire

Harmony Central

InfoComm Daily: Day2 pg.49

LSA Online

LSI Online

Mix Briefing Room

Mix Online

NSCA

SVC Online

Pro Sound News pg. 44

InfoComm Daily: Day 3 pg. 68

Posted by EAW at 8:44 AM | Permalink

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." 

Posted by EAW at 8:24 AM | Permalink

Please click here if you would like to view the June 2009 version of the EAW Catalog.

Posted by EAW at 3:57 PM | Permalink

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.

Posted by EAW at 10:33 AM | Permalink

EAW is pleased to introduce 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 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

Posted by EAW at 3:35 PM | Permalink

When Coffeen Fricke and Associates, Inc. developed a complex specification for the Lincoln Financial Field (home of the Philadelphia Eagles) audio system, they went to several manufacturers of sound technology seeking a solution. EAW was chosen, as they could provide that solution and manufacture the product to exacting specifications. At the EAW Strategic Engineering Group’s offices in Whitinsville, Massachusetts, Kenton Forsythe, EAW’s co-founder/Vice President, Strategic Engineering; Jeff Rocha, Senior Director of Engineering; Joe Fustolo, Director of EAW’s Applications Support Group; and Janet Yacino, who supervises the Build-To-Order (BTO) projects, constitute a brain trust that continuously develops customized solutions for a wide range of applications and users. In the process, those solutions often end up turning into products that benefit the broader industry.

A perfect example is the work EAW’s Strategic Engineering Group did for the Eagles stadium sound system, which 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. The Group took the concept from an existing EAW line-source speaker array, of the type used commonly in houses of worship on columns to project sound without interfering with sight lines, and adapted it for horizontal mounting. Not only did the custom solution work brilliantly, but additionally a version of the design is under consideration to become a standard product in EAW’s speaker systems line, providing the benefit of the Group’s collective innovation to other users. Another ongoing custom engineering project involves developing a compact, high output design with exceptional pattern control that, when completed, will allow more targeted placement of better-sounding boxes for venues such as theme parks where architectural considerations become paramount.

In another example, a customized version of EAW’s full-range AX364 Arrayable Install Loudspeaker, modified to fire simultaneously forward and down, was developed for the newly opened New York Mets ballpark Citi Field. Working closely with systems consultants WJHW of Dallas, Texas, and integrator TSI Global Companies, LLC, several of these precisely modified enclosures were installed at the clubhouse level, one of the most challenging spaces in a stadium of this design, with a pair of 10-inch woofers aimed downward to cancel out low-frequency buildup in an architectural bass trap. Other solutions have been developed for venues including the Red Sox’s Fenway Park in Boston and the Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

In fact, this kind of customized-solution approach to engineering has already led to elegantly converged market and engineering-driven breakthroughs in sound systems design by EAW. “It’s a key aspect of our product development,” says Forsythe. “A significant portion of EAW’s product ranges come from specialized work our engineering and manufacturing divisions have developed to provide specific solutions to our customers. These ‘solutions’ have then become products within the EAW line.” Systems installations are becoming more complex as venues become more competitive and advances in technology allow for more complicated systems designs, but Forsythe says the increase in the amount of custom work that the Strategic Engineering Group has been doing is driven as much by the fact that EAW has such a broad range of products upon which custom solutions can be based. “We have a pretty broad scope of product, so we have a lot of things that would address a wide range of challenges,” he explains.

But engineering is just one piece of the customization process. Manufacturing resources also need to be in place to execute the design. The Baltimore Orioles’ Oriole Park at Camden Yards recently benefited from the installation of a brand new distribute d sound reinforcement system, featuring nearly 300 loudspeakers from EAW. The installation, completed in time for the Orioles’ April 6th season opener against the New York Yankees, was finished in a highly accelerated time period of three months, which is approximately half the amount of time a system of this magnitude would take to install under normal conditions. To meet these stringent deadlines, EAW drew on the resources at its Whitinsville, Massachusetts R&D/manufacturing facility to supply the complete loudspeaker inventory requested for the installation. In addition to accelerating the manufacturing process to meet the deadline, a customized weatherproof system was developed for the specific requirements of this job, all within the strict delivery requirements.

Customer interface is crucial in this custom design process. The Applications Support Group evaluates new requests as they come in, reviewing which existing EAW products might form the basis of a solution. Engineering will develop the concept further and create prototypes if required. The BTO group will oversee completion of the custom solution. These custom solutions not only address the issues that clients want solved but also deepen the bond between EAW and its customers. “They love it because they’ve got an ownership interest in the idea,” says Forsythe. “We all work together to help that customer solve their problem, and when we turn the system on and they finally hear the results of everyone’s efforts, it’s a very rewarding experience.”

Posted by EAW at 3:59 PM | Permalink

The updated EAW Commercial Coverage Calculator (v1.02) has been updated to include the CIS9 91, CIS961, and CIS120 high-output, ceiling-mounted loudspeakers. Also included are updated 70.7V/100V tap settings for the CIS300 (40W, 20W, 10W, and 5W at 70.7V and 40W, 20W, 10W at 100V).

The EAW Commercial Coverage Calculator (“CoverageCalc”) uses high resolution, complex data, (magnitude and phase responses) to accurately determine multiple source interactions in magnitude, frequency, and SPL. This data is then used to map the selected loudspeakers’ energy distribution onto a user-defined listening plane. Not only does “CoverageCalc” provide an SPL map of the listening plane with adjustable resolution and frequency, it also offers user-adjustable layout density, rectangular or hexagonal layout patterns, manual or automatic cabling estimation, and the required total amplifier power for the design. As in the previous release, “CoverageCalc” is a Windows-based program that uses standard Windows operational conventions.  

You can view the Coverage Calculator on the website http://eaw.com/downloads/ under Software / Coverage Calculator.

Posted by EAW at 2:39 PM | Permalink

Thank you for your outstanding participation in EAW’s, “How Smaart Are You” Contest. The competition was stiff and the competitors turned out to be, well… Smaart!

 With well over 200 entrants we are pleased to announce that the following people have been awarded with one of five Smaart v6.1 Sound System Measurement, Optimization and Control Software packages valued at $595.00 each.

Click Here to See the Winners!

Posted by EAW at 1:04 PM | Permalink