Hailing from one of the nation's most vital music scenes, the Seattle area's audio professionals know great sound; even still, consensus is sometimes hard to come by. That is why it is of particular note that the NTL720 Line Array Loudspeaker System from EAW, a world leader in audio system solutions for the past 30 years, has quickly - but not quietly - become the reference standard for the greater Pacific Northwest. The self-powered, true three-way NTL720 features numerous EAW-patented and proprietary technologies, all housed in an extremely compact package, and it has become the new favorite in the region thanks to its great sound, high reliability, exceptional flexibility and its good-sense economics. Leading regional S.R. providers including Carlson Audio Systems, Audio Media, Inc. and Triamp Group have all found the EAW NTL720 lives up to their expectations.
"The NTL720 is possibly the most versatile box we've ever had," comments Mark Carlson, who, with partner Jonathan Stoverud-Meyers, built Seattle-based Carlson Audio from its beginnings in a garage 20 years ago, to the region's largest sound reinforcement provider, regularly handling sound for major festivals including Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival and the Sasquatch Festival at the Gorge in George, Washington.
"The 720 is a compact box that we can use for small and mid-sized venues like hotel ballrooms, and it's becoming popular for house-of-worship installations" - Carlson Audio has installed the NTL720 in two Seattle-area churches since purchasing 20 boxes last October - "but it can also extend the reach of our existing EAW systems." That's how they've used the NTL720 at recent outdoor venues, such as the KWJZ Music Festival at Château Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Washington, and at the Sasquatch Festival, where the 720 was arrayed for offstage coverage in conjunction with the company's EAW 761 Line Array system. "There's nothing else out there that can take in the 100-plus-degree coverage angle," Carlson explains, noting that in one instance it took the 100 degrees of coverage of the main P.A. to a full 180 degrees. "It's got very predictable coverage, it's self-powered so it's easy to set up and it sounds great. It's a great asset for our inventory."
Audio Media, Inc. is a Seattle-based P.A. provider specializing in the  corporate and award-show market categories throughout the region. Audio Media has done work for major area clients including Microsoft, Boeing and the Bellevue Symphony. The NTL720 was Audio Media's introduction to EAW P.A. technology, and company President Steve Midkiff is duly impressed. "When we did a comparison of what was out there in this type of box, the 720 was simply the best package at the best price and with fabulous sound," he says. Audio Media purchased 16 NTL720 boxes and bought additional bumpers because, Midkiff explains, some corporate events require more than two clusters to maintain speech intelligibility as well as serve music properly. And in a unique twist, both Audio Media and Carlson Audio coordinated their NTL720 purchases so that they would be able to support each other if one or the other needed additional boxes. "We've already had a few instances where we have cross-rented with Carlson, and it's been working out very well," says Midkiff.
The Seattle-area-based Triamp Group is another early NTL720 adopter who has had great experiences with the system. An NTL720 they installed at the Wildhorse Casino in Pendleton, Oregon, consists of six 720 boxes flown per side and augmented with four ground-stacked EAW SB1000z Large Format Subwoofers and two EAW VR62 Compact Full-Range Loudspeakers used as delay speakers, played 60 feet back in the 120-foot hall. The new system had its debut earlier this year with Frank Sinatra, Jr. and his orchestra, followed not long after by Poison front man Bret Michaels. "The sound was amazing for both performers, which really shows how versatile the NTL720 is," says Kevin Hill, National Sales Manager for Triamp Group. "We chose it because of the enclosure's low profile, which made it a great fit in a room this size, which holds about 900 people. Bret's band reached between 115 and 120 dB during rehearsal, measured from the front rows, and I didn't think the system would be able to handle it, but it not only kept up but also sounded great doing so. The drivers are very efficient, so it still sounds pristine even when it's being pushed. It's just a great sound system."