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Challenge. Solution. Outcome.  This is the mantra of EAW’s Build to Order (BTO) Group. Systems installations are becoming more complex as venues become more competitive and advances in technology allow for more complicated systems designs, but the increase in the amount of custom work that the BTO 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,” explains Kenton Forsythe, EAW Executive Engineer.
To meet the needs of these complex installs, EAW combines the ingenuity of dedicated engineers, the astute assessment of the ASG Group and the flexibility of in-house manufacturing to design and build custom versions of EAW loudspeakers for nearly any situation. You can read more about the “brain trust” behind EAW’s ability to create solutions for your install. While many standard EAW loudspeaker products are available in versions with weather-protection and choice of black or white finish, this may not always suffice. Architectural concerns, extreme weather and difficult coverage areas often require a custom solution. Here is a sampling of what is possible when working with the BTO Group. Click Here to visit the updated webpage that includes a gallery of custom installation projects.
 DX Navigator, the control software for the EAW DX1208, has been posted to the EAW website.
DX Navigator can be downloaded under the "Downloads" section of the following page: http://www.eaw.com/products/dx1208/specs.html If needed, DX Navigator installation instructions can be found on pages 10 thru 13 of the DX1208 manual under the "Documents" section of the following page: http://www.eaw.com/products/dx1208/specs.html
 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.
 Rational Acoustics have confirmed 2 new Smaart Training Classes. One in Southern California and one in Indianapolis.
The Southern California class will be held on August 17th - 19th at the San Manuel Indian Casino in Highland, California (about 45 miles east of Los Angeles). The Indianapolis Class will be held on September 29st - October 1st at Mid-America Sound in Greenfield, IN (about 15 miles east of Indianapolis). Both classes will be 3-day formats and will be taught by Harry Brill Jr. Days 1 and 2 will be the Fundamentals and Applications class and Day 3 will be the working practicum/Advanced Class. Registration for both classes is now open on the training registration page, or by calling Barb Mattson at 860-928-7828. Click here for a full training schedule.
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."
 Spanish firm FOCUS, S.A. continued to show their support for EAW products by recently holding an in-depth seminar and workshop for freelance sound technicians. FOCUS serves as a rental company for many high-profile touring companies in the area, so it is very common for third party and freelance technicians to be setting up and operating FOCUS-supplied EAW units. This seminar was intended to prepare those individuals to properly handle EAW equipment and make educated decisions on the setup and configuration of such products, along with some basic discussions of the technology involved. Pepe Ferrer and Ferran Diez of FOCUS acted as the event's primary lecturers.
Part 1 of the seminar focused on the basics of acoustics, including signal coherence, phase issues, crossovers and LP/HP filters, acoustic and electric delays, sub-bass characteristics and pointers, and vertical and horizontal speaker arrangements. Part 2 was a more pointed dissection of Line Arrays technology and tips, with emphasis placed on EAW KF730 Series/KF730 Compact Line Array Modules, KF760 Series/KF760 Long-Throw Line Array Modules, SB730 Compact Line Array Subwoofers and SB1000z Large Format Subwoofers and UX8800 Digital Signal Processors, along with EAW's proprietary KF730/KF750 "Wizard" and "Pilot" software. Also discussed were Lab.gruppen FP 10000Q and FP 13000 Touring Amplifiers and pointers for configuration using Device Power Control. Part 3 of the seminar discussed more EAW-proprietary and EAW-related technology, including Gunness FocusingTM and SMAART Live, along with more helpful tips for engineers. "FOCUS has great enthusiasm for EAW, so it's no surprise that the event was a huge success," noted Xavi Oliver of Pro3 & Co., EAW's Spanish rep. "Pepe and Ferran did a great job. The audio professionals in attendance all seemed very satisfied with what they learned. Specifically, everyone was impressed with the great number of benefits that the KF730 and KF760 offer: how easy they are to set up, the amazing sound quality, etc. Several attendees remarked on the UX8800 processor too, and the noticeable difference in sound when it's in use. People were blown away." "We are big supporters of EAW's products and technological innovations," stated Pepe Ferrer of FOCUS, S.A. "It is important that when we are charged with providing equipment for a large project, especially if EAW is involved, that every person dealing with the system knows and appreciates the technology, and that's what this event set out to accomplish. This clinic was hugely successful, and we look forward to hosting more events like this in the future."
 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 33rd 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."
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This is the mantra of EAW’s Build to Order (BTO) Group. Systems installations are becoming more complex as venues become more competitive and advances in technology allow for more complicated systems designs, but the increase in the amount of custom work that the BTO 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,” explains Kenton Forsythe, EAW Executive Engineer.
