MANUFACTURER PROFILE
EAW // INTERVIEW WITH T . J . SMITH , PRESIDENT | Steve Sattler
I recently had a chance to sit down with T . J . Smith , President of Eastern Acoustic Works ( EAW ) to get his insights on their company values , some of their key products and what they mean to the House of Worship market .
[ WM ] Can you tell me a little about yourself and how you became president of EAW ?
[ T . J . Smith ] I have been part of the Pro Audio industry since the beginning of my teenage years . Just like a lot of people , I started out doing sound in my church and got hooked on Pro Audio . I gained an engineering degree so that I could stay in the industry . My career began at Harman as an amplifier engineer , and then eventually through many turns of events , I ended up being offered the opportunity to run EAW . That was back in 2016 when EAW was owned by LOUD Technologies . The premise of me coming on board was to help LOUD sell EAW .
T . J . Smith , President of Eastern Acoustic Works ( EAW )
I had literally grown up with EAW , so I was excited to come lead the company . The original plan was to stay for two years until the company was sold . In two years , we had a buyer . The difference was the buyer wanted me to stay and help reestablish EAW as the number one American loudspeaker brand . Awesome . So that is why we are here today .
[ WM ] Worship Musician magazine ’ s audience covers everything from small congregations that tilt up on a Sunday in impromptu locations like a gym or a school , all the way up to large , fixed installation congregations with full line arrays and top of the line PAs . Can you talk a little bit about what solutions you offer for the House of Worship market ?
[ T . J .] EAW is a unique company . The product line spans portable systems , engineered systems , which require more of a design build approach , and Professional rider-ready
Systems . All of which can be deployed in a House of Worship environment depending on your needs .
[ WM ] I was checking out the AC6 , which I know is one of the products you were showcasing at this year ’ s Winter NAMM show . Why do you think that product ’ s unique , and why is it a good solution for the House of Worship folks ?
[ T . J .] The AC6 stands out primarily because of power density . There are thirty-six individually amplified processed transducers in every AC6 , and every one of those transducers has its own amplifier and processing channel . This means we can get amazing clarity and output from a single column loudspeaker . People typically do not expect what they hear coming out of that form factor . Despite its relatively small size , the AC6 has a unique ability to direct sound only
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