Today we have a more than interesting and versatile 2.1 product to try out on our test bench, but first let’s see who EAW is. Eastern was founded in 1978 by partners Kenneth Berger and Kenton Forsythe in Framingham, Massachusetts, and relocated in 1988 to Whitinsville, in the same state.
After several years of research and development and building various custom products for different rental companies, its real breakout did not come until 1985, when it put its KF850 system on the market, a system that really put it on the audio map.
Following this success, EAW built a very good reputation for designing loudspeakers for very specific projects and applications. Thanks to the brand’s forays into various sectors of audio, many of its products incorporate solutions and know-how imported from the other sectors in which it participates.
In 2000 EAW was acquired by Mackie Designs Inc., today called Loud Technologies Inc.
Redline Series
Introduced in April 2015, the Redline series consists of three elements: the RL12, RL15 and RL18s. As you can imagine from the nomenclature, there are two two-way tops or floor monitors with 12- or 15-inch cones and an imposing 18-inch sub.
Both the RL12 and the RL15 incorporate a 1.75-inch driver for the high-frequency section, with 90x60-degree dispersion. Their power amps are all Class D, with 1000W to drive the 12- or 15-inch cones and 250W for the high-frequency section. The tops or monitors have three operating modes, or voicings as the brand itself calls them: Main, Main+Sub and Monitor. Depending on the use we have in mind, we must select the appropriate voicing to get the maximum performance out of the system. On the rear panel there is also a line input with gain and a Loop Out to send the signal to another system or cabinet. The RL12’s response is 55Hz-19kHz and the RL15’s is 50Hz-19kHz. Both cabinets feature EAW’s Focusing and DynO DSP system.
Both cabinets include carrying handles, a tripod mount and M8 rigging points. The RL18s (subwoofer) is something truly different in this type of configuration. Different for several reasons, mainly its size and performance. The subs in these systems are normally 15 inches; here Eastern breaks from the pack and decides to build a powerful, big subwoofer (it is really bulky, hence its performance). One of the things that caught my attention and that I liked most was the ability to create a cardioid polar pattern, in the simplest way possible, if you have two or more RL18s units. On the sub’s rear panel, just like on the tops, there are three usage modes: Normal, Cardioid Front and Cardioid Back, so with a simple change in the system’s DSP settings we can “clean up” the rear of the sub and make the system perform more effectively. This is really interesting in many cases, but especially when we use it as a sidefill or main PA in smaller venues or places with dubious acoustics. The RL18s’s response is 30Hz-160Hz.
In Use
While I had the system in my hands, I got the chance to work a corporate event, and of course I didn’t hesitate to take it along and try it in a real-world situation. The event consisted of a talk and dinner by the company for its employees, an awards ceremony and then musical entertainment from a five-piece cover band. Once I arrived at the venue, I wondered whether the system would be able to comfortably cover the size of the room, since it was not exactly small and there were about 200 people at the dinner.
Once the system was set up and the tops were placed with care and discretion (we all know how clients are in these situations about how much of the gear can be seen), I came to the following conclusions. First, to move and place the sub without damaging or scuffing it, it is better to move it with two or three people, not so much because of its weight, as it is lighter than it looks at 37kg, but because its imposing dimensions make it a bit awkward to move; in return it delivers incredible power and clarity. Second, with a 2.1 system installed, the power was more than enough for the size of the venue and the number of people.
After making the corresponding adjustments on the RL12s and setting the corresponding voicing (Main+Sub), it was ready to fire up. After listening to recorded music, I decided that the system would handle the fully miked band well: drums, bass, two guitars, keyboard and three vocals.
After the soundcheck with the band, several things surprised me. The power of this simple configuration, and how easy it was to bring the singers’ vocals forward when the band was at the loudest moment of the song. Another thing that pleasantly caught my attention was how little I had to touch the console’s graphic EQ to balance the system for the room. I am practically convinced that in many situations you wouldn’t even have to touch the master graphic EQ to make the rig sound very good right out of the gate. We know that these decisions are often based more on the acoustic conditions of the venue we are in than on shortcomings of the equipment itself, unless we want to add or cut X frequencies out of taste and/or the needs of the mix.
Conclusions
I truly think it is a very interesting system for many situations. It can be used as a main PA, as a sidefill, or as stage monitoring (the RL12 and RL15 can be set up in this configuration with a very well-judged throw angle toward the musician). If only the tops are used, they are a great option as a vocal PA for bands in rehearsal rooms or for small bars that don’t need the power of a sub for acoustic gigs.
Rental companies of any size should take a look at this system, as should bands or bars looking for a rig that lets them provide sound with power, clarity and quality.
