Eastern Acoustic Works Otto
NewBay Media’s Best of Show Pro Audio Group Winner at InfoComm 2014 EAW Otto is the world’s first Adaptive subwoofer. A term first coined in association with EAW’s full-range loudspeaker system, Anya, Adaptive Performance characterizes systems that are designed to:
1) Assess the required three-dimensional coverage area of a space, determine the processing needed to achieve that three-dimensional coverage pattern and tonal balance, and then implement this processing in DSP hardware to achieve the needed performance over the entire listening range.
2) Achieve this assessment, implementation and modification at show speed, without any physical reconfiguration.
3) After the system is configured, continually analyze system output for faults. If a fault occurs, the system will analyze the location of the fault and adapt processing to maintain optimal performance to the extent possible.
4) Autonomously determine the physical configuration of the system (i.e. quantity of modules, their respective orientation to one another, horizontal and vertical angles, etc.) and present this to the user as unified entities (i.e. arrays) in software.
In these ways, Otto is perfectly paired with Anya. With the two systems together, users are offered the unique opportunity to provide ideal full-bandwidth coverage for any venue size, from the smallest clubs (using just a few modules) to stadiums (using up to 12 flown Otto modules per column). Otto and Anya are scalable for any application and performance requirement.
Each Otto module offers analog, AES/EBU and redundant Dante inputs as well as on-board amplification and Adaptive processing. Additionally, each Otto module includes a built-in measurement microphone to measure the response of each transducer. This response is then compared with a factory-stored measurement to verify proper operation – the user is alerted as soon as a component falls out of tolerance. Users can verify module status at any time via Resolution software, or by pressing a battery-powered “Test” button on the rear of the enclosure. If no errors have been reported in the module’s logs, the LED illuminates green. If any errors have been reported, it turns red, indicating to the user that a more detailed self-test is needed. Further, each module is able to detect it’s position within an array via on-board IR transceivers on all faces. Arrays are then presented to the user as cohesive entities in Resolution software, as compared to many m odules which must be assigned or designated. Like Anya, cabling for Otto is standardized and self-contained. Distro Racks provide power and redundant network connectivity for up to 12 modules (of Anya, Otto or a combination). Distro Racks can be ground-stacked or flown adjacent to arrays for the cleanest setup possible.
Otto is also designed for portability and life on the road. Incorporating EAW’s signature RoadCoat finish, Otto enclosures are truck-pack friendly and fit through a standard door, stacked three-high on included caster pallets. Otto also incorporates a unique stack pad design to allow positioning on multiple faces (not just the bottom) without compromising output.
Acoustically, Otto is designed to be both nimble and powerful. Each module includes two high-output 18” woofers incorporating Offset Aperture loading, a hallmark of Anya. By concealing each woofer behind a baffle and utilizing the corners of the enclosure as radiating apertures, a number of benefits are realized including directivity improvement and reduction in distortion, while still allowing the system to achieve 136 dB peak output (unadapted) and provide extension to 22 Hz (-10 dB) from an enclosure just 31.5 x 31.5 x 24. Combined with four-corner rigging, Otto can be rigged with all woofers within an array in the same orientation (i.e. front-back), or alternating (one module front-back, the next side-side, etc.) to form 3D arrays capable of nearly any directivity pattern.
Additionally, because of the opposed orientation of the woofers, Resolution allows users to balance coverage consistency, impact, SPL and off-axis rejection without the need to perform any calculations or enter any processor settings manually. In short, Otto and Anya provide FOH engineers and system technicians with a unique opportunity to focus on the performance goals, not the means of achieving them.
