EAW Resolution Reference manual

An introduction to

Introduction to EAW Resolution™
Resolution is proprietary EAW software created to aid end users in the proper prediction and
application of EAW loudspeaker products.
Its intuitive work surface and exceptional modeling accuracy is based largely on the fact that the
engine driving it is derived directly from EAW’s internal usage only software F-Chart.
F-Chart is the software responsible for not only modeling EAW loudspeaker designs but also to dene
the algorithms used in the proprietary acoustic correction signal processing known as “Focusing”. For
this reason, the accuracy of the Resolution software is unrivaled as the end user is using the same
calculations used to develop the loudspeakers in the rst place.
Resolution is not limited to just line array systems. The software has the capacity to also implement
subwoofers and standard trapezoidal enclosures from EAW. The long-term goal of the software
designers is to have a program that can calculate as many EAW products as is necessary to aid the end
user in creating the best sounding systems possible.

The Work Surface: Venue Tab, Array Tab and Mapping Area
The Venue tab is where the work begins.
It is the area in which you will build the room that will house your loudspeaker array design.
The default view for Resolution is a section but a plan view can also be selected to see horizontal
coverage and interaction between adjacent loudspeakers or arrays.
Once the venue has been designed the user can now click over to the Array Tab work area.
This is where you will select and place the desired loudspeakers within your room model.
You have the option of manually entering all of the necessary data, using the software’s very powerful
“Array Assistant” or use a combination of both to achieve the perfect balance of what the computer
calculates and what you see as the perfect design.

The “Array Pane” is where the virtual arrays will be presented.
This is your opportunity to visualize the arrays shape and to also review the mechanical data required
to install a system that is both accurate in its deployment and also safe in its capacity.
The power of Resolution is realized in the SPL“mapping area”.
This is where hundreds of calculations are performed by the software and the results of all your hard
work are displayed.
Not only can you view the arrays individually or combined in the mapping area, you can also see these
arrays displayed in both section and plan views for nite array adjustment.

Windows Toolbar Menus
The toolbar across the top of the work area holds many valuable options that will aid you in setup and
execution of the software. While many of the menus are common in software programs, some include
Resolution-specic options.
File Menu
New – Creates a new Resolution design le
Open – Allows you to open a previously stored design le
Save – Allows the user to quickly save a design le (best when you already have the design stored
under a unique name)
Save As – Opens the option to save the design le with a unique name and in a unique location on
your PC
Import – This is where the user may import an EASE le into the software.
Export EASE File – This feature will create a“single-balloon” le that can be imported into the
EASE software which is excellent for speeding up the modeling process. Instead of calculating each
individual loudspeaker in the design, EASE receives a le that is already pre-calculated by Resolution
and hence only needs to process a single entity!
Create PDF – This will create a PDF of all pertinent data in the current design. This is handy for riggers
and stagehands in system assembly
Create CSV – Creates an “Excel” spreadsheet with all pertinent data of the design.
Recent Files – Remembers the last design les you were working on for quick reload.
Exit – Exits the Resolution program

Edit Menu
The “Edit” menu is very small.
This is where you can Undo or Redo previous keystrokes.
Undo - If you dislike what you just did to the perfect design you can “Undo” the move.
Redo - If you decide that you liked it after-all you can redo the move again with “Redo”
View Menu
The “View” menu has many options that are extremely helpful to the operator of the software.
Aiming Lines – This will toggle on or o green lines that extend from each individual loudspeaker in
the array to the point where it impacts a surface. The aiming lines extend perpendicular to the face of
each enclosure but do not dene the absolute coverage. They are a visual reference for the user to see
where each enclosure is projecting.
Aiming Coverage Lines – This will toggle on or o two red lines that dene the usable upper and
lower extremities of the arrays coverage. The aiming coverage lines can be used as the upper limit
of focus in venues where back wall reections or noise levels o-site are a concern. It represents the
soft edges of the systems coverage. If the user is required to obtain maximum throw and SPL to the
back of the venue, the green aiming line of the top enclosure of the array should be used as the top of
coverage. This will have the side-eect of some wasted energy above the coverage area and some loss
of coverage down front so take this into account when designing.
SPL – This toggles on or o the entire SPL routine in Resolution. It may seem obvious that the SPL
routine is why you are using the software to begin with but this option allows you to turn it o while
you are in the process of building both the venue and the intended arrays saving valuable RAM
energy. The number crunching that takes place in the routine can be intense!

SPL Map – Toggles on or o the SPL mapping feature. The surfaces themselves will continue to plot
the SPL for the design but the overall vertical and horizontal map will be bypassed. Again, this is a
time-saving and RAM-saving feature.
Contour Lines – In each design, it is possible to show vertical and horizontal isocontours dened in
various stages of SPL loss. These plots will overlay on the SPL map and are useful to clarify the shape of
the coverage and how well it matches the audience geometry. The contours can be viewed even when
the SPL mapping has been toggled o.
Frequency Response – Once frequency / SPL points have been dened (more on this later), the
frequency response at each location can be viewed. This feature, like all features in Resolution, works
in an anechoic environment and does not include any reective data. Consider each of the points as
virtual measurement mics giving accurate SPL and equalization data.
Array Pane – Toggles on or o the Array Pane within the design work area (allowing more visual space
for the other two panes)
Venue Pane - Toggles on or o the Venue Pane within the design work area (allowing more visual
space for the other two panes)
Property Pane - Toggles on or o the Property Pane within the design work area (allowing more visual
space for the other two panes)
Insert Menu
The “Insert” dropdown menu provides to simple functions:
Array – This will automatically launch the Array Assistant feature within the software providing the
user with an extremely fast and accurate way of placing arrays.
Floor – This will place a new oor within the model. Be advised that this is a “new” oor and not an
addition to a currently implemented oor already placed within the model.

Options Menu
Like the View menu, the Options menu has many powerful features that enhance the experience of
using the Resolution software.
Automatically Check for Updates – By selecting this feature, Resolution will periodically check for
new, revised versions of the software when connected to the internet. The user will be prompted
when there is a newer version and you will have the option to install or not install the newer version
Temperature And Humidity – This opens up a congurable box that allows
the user to include the current temperature and humidity into the design using
EAW’s very powerful air-loss calculations. These values will vary the overall
outcome of the mapping so be certain that the values are correct.
Without Air Absorption – By default, Resolution plots its SPL mapping data with the inclusion of air
loss. This is only practical as sound is always aected by air over distance. However, if one should want
to see the dierence that air loss is making on the design, the feature can be disabled by toggling it o
here.
SPL Interpolation – This allows the user to set the resolution of the SPL mapping. Three choices are
oered from fastest to best. Fastest takes less time to calculate but provides plots that are more coarse.
These are ok for rough calculations but should not be relied upon for the nal design review. Normal
provides better resolution of the mapping but is still somewhat coarse. Best is the option of choice for
obtaining extremely accurate mapping. The trade-o being that it takes longer to crunch the numbers
than the other two options.

Side View Contour Lines – When the option to see contour lines has been selected, the user will have
three choices as to how these contours will be viewed in the section.
Top View Contour Lines - When the option to see contour lines has been selected, the user will have
three options as to how these contours will be viewed in the plan.
Design Factor – This is the most important feature within Resolution and every care should be
taken that it is set accurately. This feature modies the limits of the mechanical rigging and there
are four options available (5:1, 8:1, 10:1, 12:1). The design factor that you decide to use should match
the acceptable level of safety in your particular country. In the United States, a 5:1 design factor is
generally considered to be acceptable but other countries such as Germany are much higher at 10 and
even 12:1! Using higher ratios in the design factor will limit the number of enclosures one can hang in
an array and also limit the tilt both up and down that one can achieve. The option opens a dialogue
box that reviews the safety considerations one should be aware of before altering the design factor.

SI Units – Selects the Metric option for entering all data in Resolution
US Units – Selects the Imperial option for entering all data in Resolution
Cartesian Venue Measurements – Used when measurements are based on known points of
intersection in width, height and length. Recommended when working from scale drawings and for
venues where heights of objects are known relative to one another.
Polar Venue Measurements – Used when measurements are based on height and distance of the
starting point of an object where an objects length and angle (if known) to an end point are known.
Recommended for measurements made in a venue where relative measurements are unknown but
start and end points of individual objects are.
Laser Venue Measurements – Measurements are relative to a single point in a venue dened as
a beginning and end point of an object in angle and distance from the same point of observation.
Recommended when a laser range nder and inclinometer are used together to collect data.
Max SPL – SPL is measured as a maximum loudness for any given frequency.
Flat SPL – SPL is measured as the highest loudness level where all frequencies can be sustained at the
same output level
Tools Menu
Under Tools, you will nd the following:
Inventory Manager – A helpful tool that allows you to tailor the
software to match your existing equipment roster. By selecting or
deselecting from the inventory menu, the software will omit products
which you do not own. Any products highlighted in blue in the
inventory manager list are hyperlinks to the EAW website for product
pdf’s (requires internet hookup). The version number of the product
in Resolution is to the far right. Clicking on the version number will
open a box detailing “release notes” for that particular product. To add
or remove a product from Resolution, check or uncheck the circle to
the left of the Inventory Manager menu. All products remain within the
software but do not show themselves in any menus.

Auto-adjust SPL Range – Allows the user to match the SPL mapping to the capabilities of the
products being displayed on-screen.
Check For Updates – By default, the Resolution software will check automatically for updates to
the software if the computer is connected to the internet. The user can also command for a check of
recent software updates by clicking on this feature.
Keyboard Shortcuts – Allows the user to dene up
to three dierent keyboard shortcuts per feature.
Click on the + symbol to the right of the shortcut
display and follow the prompt to insert your own
personal shortcut preferences. By clicking on the
shortcut box for each action, you may also change
the keystroke combination for that particular
shortcut or remove the shortcut altogether and
start over. At the bottom right of the display, you
can click the button “restore to defaults” to erase all
custom keyboard shortcuts and return the feature
back to original.
Help Menu
Two brief choices under the Help menu:
Help – Opens the user help les for the software as a PDF le. This le can then be easily printed out
and kept for future reference.
About – Displays the version of Resolution that you are currently running.

Building a Venue
Here are the steps to building a venue within Resolution:
1) Select the type of measurement data you are going to use to build the surfaces (Cartesian,
Polar, Laser). We have selected Cartesian for this example. Using Cartesian measurements
assumes that you have access to room drawings with accurate depth, height and width
dimensions for the venue.
2) The three data points you will need to enter are (X = Range, Z = Height, Y = Width). Enter Start
X to dene where the surface begins on the rst surface. Start Z will dene the height from the
0 reference (lowest possible point). This can either be the oor itself or you may choose to use
the oor surfaces instead as listening levels (ears of the audience). For simplicity, we will enter
0 as the oor.
3) Now you may enter End X. This is the total depth of the rst oor surface.
4) Once this has been dened you can enter the height of the oor at the rear. The angle of the
oor is now dened if the second Z is dierent than the rst Z. If they are the same, a at oor
will be created.

Rake
Now that we have a single oor surface, we should look at attaching a rake to it as this is fairly
common for most theaters in North America.
1) Use the + button to the right of the oor we have just built. This will drop in a rake that
attaches itself to the end of the oor you have just built but the data points will of course need
to be modied.
2) Enter in the additional data required to complete the rake.
3) Now you should enter in a name for the completed oor so as to keep track of what surfaces
are what as the design gets more involved.
4) If you are just experimenting, you may remove the rake again by clicking on the – button to
the far right of the rake dimensions. This will restore you back to the rst surface that was
drawn. You can also left-click and drag the surfaces around to approximate the dimensions
you looking for and then rene them once you are happy with the basic shape.
Balconies
More than occasionally, you will nd yourself needing to enter balconies in your venue. This is
accomplished in a dierent manner than entering a rake.
1) At the bottom right of the venue tab, you will nd a button marked“Add Floor”. Clicking on
this button will drop in a generic oor to your drawing that is completely separate from the
oor and rake you have previously built.

2) The oor must be built just like the main oor. Enter in the X, Z co-ordinates for the start and
end point of the oor as dened in the room drawings.
3) You can also rough the dimensions in by clicking on points within the oor to drag it around. If
you want to remove the oor, you can click on the button in the bottom right of the Venue tab
that says“Remove Floor(s)”
4) Don’t forget to name the surface once you are happy with the results. It helps to keep track
when building complicated venues.
Front-of-House Position
If there is a free-standing FOH location within the venue, it is a good idea to position it accurately.
Resolution may modify the aiming of the system slightly to account for the FOH position when the
user decides to use “Array Assistant.”
1) Start by selecting which surface the FOH will be located on. If there is only a single surface, this
won’t be necessary but if there are balconies involved and the FOH is located on one, you can
dene this now. FOH will default to the rst surface.
2) Enter in the X coordinates for FOH in “Distance To FOH”. This denes how far back from the
origin the position will be.
3) Finally enter in the“Y Oset Of FOH”. It is not uncommon for FOH to be located o-center
in a venue. It is usually preferred by many engineers to locate themselves outside of the
power alley.

Width (Plan View)
Now is the time when we should switch over to the“Top View” in the design to set the Y coordinates
(width) of the venue.
1) Located in the mapping area is a drop-down box that allows the user to switch views from side
view to top view. Let’s select top view.
2) Now that we can see the venue from above, go back to the Venue tab above and to the far
right of each oor surface we have entered, you will see the cell for entering the Width of the
venue. Enter the width of each surface here. (Currently, Resolution is limited to absolute width
measurements. Fan-shaped and asymmetrically shaped rooms are not currently possible but
we are working on it.)
3) As in the side view, there are numerous click and drags that you can do to the surface if a
coarse design is all you are looking for. Absolute measurements should always be rened in
the cells of the Venue tab.
4) Also note that I have oset the FOH location. It can be seen clearly in the Plan View but will
disappear in the side view as we may not be on the axis of the FOH location. We can change
that later once we have entered some loudspeaker data.

Storing a Venue
If you are happy with the design and it is a venue that you may have to do repeatedly but with
dierent loudspeaker arrangements, you can save the room data as its own le.
1) In the bottom left corner of the venue tab, you can click on “Save Preset”. This will allow you to
give the venue a name and store it in a folder of your choosing. No loudspeaker data will be
stored in this le. This is for storing room data only!
2) If you want to reload the le or load a le from a previous design work, use the “Load Preset”
button to navigate to your folder of stored venues. Double-click one to open it up for editing.

Array Assistant
About Array Assistant:
Array Assistant is a tool provided in Resolution that is extremely powerful when setup correctly. The idea
behind AA is that the user sets up a series of parameters for the feature and then allows the software with
its powerful F-Chart engine to derive the array deployment that best suits the venue using hundreds of
calculations based on intimate knowledge of the loudspeakers you are using. No other software comes as
close to perfection with its modeling abilities as it is the same math used to build the loudspeakers in the
rst place.
When creating a new Resolution le, clicking on the array tab will display the Array Assistant within the
lower left corner of the “array” panel. Subsequent arrays being placed with AA will require the user to
click on the “Insert” menu at the top of the screen and then select “Add Array”. This will launch a new
Array Assistant panel.
1) Speakers - Start by selecting the loudspeaker you will be using from the dropdown menu called “Top”.
2) This is also the time to tell the software whether you will be “ying” or “ground stacking”the array.
3) Tell the software how many of these loudspeakers you have at your disposal. This is not to say
that the AA will always use the number you enter. It is basically setting a limit so if you only have 8
loudspeakers per side, AA will not design for 12 or 16 per side.
4) Each loudspeaker may have a variety of “Greybox” DSP settings available to it based on the size
and / or conguration of the array. The drop down menu under “Top” will reveal the choices available
to you. This insures that any mapping done for a particular loudspeaker / Greybox choice will be
accurate in the modeling.
5) If the Top loudspeaker has a companion like 740 with 730; you can select the companion speaker
here and set a limit for its numbers as well. AA will use up to the maximum number you have entered.

6) As with the top element of the array, the bottom element may also have a variety of “Greybox”
DSP settings available to it based on the size and / or conguration of the array. The drop down
menu under “Bottom”will reveal the choices available to you. This insures that any mapping
done for a particular loudspeaker / Greybox choice will be accurate in the modeling.
7) Flybar – Normally, there is only one default choice of ybar for any given enclosure selected.
However, there are exceptions such as the KF760 which has two generations of ybars. If this is
the case, the user may select which version of the ybar they are currently using.
8) Once the appropriate ybar is selected, the “Hang Style” must be dened. For KF740 there are
three choices, Front / Rear, Single-Point, Left / Right.
9) The last set of parameters on the rst panel of“Array Assistant” has the user dene where the
array will be placed within the model. The user is free to dene the “X” location, minimum trim
and maximum hang height before proceeding to the next page.
On the second panel of “Array Assistant”, the user denes the coverage goals of the array. By
default, the coverage is as close to zero “Z” as possible and as far out as the model has been
dened in the venue measurements. However, the user may want to dene lesser amounts of
coverage in a larger venue. As an example, a theater that sells the full house on a Friday night
but only half-house for a children’s Saturday matinee? The absolute coverage of the array can be
dened on this panel.
10) Array Options - The rst option allows some restriction on how the array angles will be
deployed. You can select or deselect the use of “Non-Incrementing Splays”. Some designers
adhere strictly to a spiral-array” approach of deploying line arrays. This means that the angles
between enclosures will always increase from top to bottom. Others will allow the angles of
the array to adapt themselves to match the contour of the audience. If you choose to create
spiral arrays, you would deselect
this feature.

11) Front splays may also be selected. By default, the software has this feature turned o. Opening
the fronts of EAW line array enclosures is possible but not highly recommended. Best results
are obtained when the fronts are tight together but there are occasions when audio triage
is necessary either to cover the entire audience due to an insucient number of enclosures
on hand or to try and split an array to miss reections from a balcony face, etc. The feature is
normally o so you will have to turn it on.
12) Coverage allows the user to modify the start and end of coverage as was mentioned earlier.
Checking the “Modify Coverage” button opens the feature and allows the user to dene new
start and end of coverage conditions for the array. These modications will be displayed on the
mapping page as a set of vertical, dashed blue bars.
13) The user may also select “Allow Upper Overshoot”. This uses the top enclosures green “on-
axis”aiming line to dene the top of coverage as opposed to the red “Top Of Coverage” line
normally used to dene the end of coverage. This can be a desirable change as it can mean
more SPL being delivered to the back of the audience however care should be used as it also
means there could be enhanced slap back and reections caused when using this feature
indoors.
14) Next the coverage goals are dened using a simple pair of sliders. The rst slider named
“Coverage Goal” basically controls the trim height of the array. By ying the array higher
and tilting it down more, we can provide a more even coverage of the SPL front to back of
the venue. This is not always desirable as it does raise the array away from the front of the
audience. Certain types of music such as Heavy Metal may actually prefer to have the array
quite loud at the front. This feature is also limited by available trim height in the venue as well.
15) Finally, the “SPL Requirement” slider can be used to dene how many enclosures the software
will pull to create the array. With the slider all the way left to“spoken word”, the software will
pull the least amount of enclosures possible to cover the audience area. If the slider is pulled
full right to “11”, the software will pull all available enclosures as you had dened on the
previous panel maximizing SPL for that particular audience conguration.

Storing an Array
As with the venue, the array(s) itself can also be stored independently from the venue.
This is useful if the there is a dened set design where the same arrays will always be used but the
venue will change from show to show. It allows the user to plot all of the arrays in a dened manner
and then drop and modify those arrays in dierent venues.
You must be in the “Array” tab to select this feature.
In the bottom left corner of the Array tab you will see two buttons. One button will save the current
array le to a name of your choosing and the other will open your array les to place in subsequent
venue layouts.
The Array tab now displays all of the data derived from Array Assistant. Angles, positions, placement,
etc., are all displayed and can be manually modied from this point.
Let’s take a look at some other features already at work on the design!
1) Hover your mouse over any of the surfaces in your design. You will notice that the SPL at that
particular location and the name of the surface will be displayed. This can be done anywhere in
the design regardless of whether or not you are hovering over an actual surface.
2) You can use the “Zoom” slider in the mapping display
area to zoom in on the design to get a closer look at
specic areas. This is helpful when the venue is very
large.
3) The “Y” location of the array can be modied. Useful
when you have a FOH location that is not center.
Matching the “Y” location of the mapping to the
location of FOH will reveal what the engineer will hear.