Event/DTG Introduces Ethosô 24-bit/96kHz Digital Loudspeaker Correction Engine
Martin Logan Ltd., Perpetual Technologies Announced as Licensees Event Electronics, an industry leader in innovative and affordable professional recording and playback components, along with engineering partner, DTG, Inc. have announced what the companies say is the first commercially viable DSP solution for the serious acoustical engineerÖethos. Utilizing the new Analog Devices ADSP-21065L SHARCÆ DSP as its platform, ethos proprietary algorithms, say the companies, digitally correct for the phase, amplitude, and frequency response anomalies that plague all present-day acoustic transducers and loud speaker systems. The SCHARC is the most cost effective 32-bit floating point processor available. Unlike 24-bit fixed-point DSP processors, 32-bit mathematics allow true 24-bit/96kHz reproduction. ""Weíre extremely excited to be working with Event and DTG on the ethos engine,"" stated Analog Devices Product Manager, Tulika Hainsworth. ""Itís an ideal project to showcase the SHARCís competitive advantages of power, speed, and flexibility."" The Event/DTG team brings impressive audio credentials to the ethos project. Eventís active direct field monitors have been used to mix multiple ""Best Sounding Album"" Grammy winners, while their digital sound cards are the first choice among recording professionals and hobbyists alike. Peter Madnick and the DTG design group are legendary for analog and digital designs of remarkable musicality and value. Earlier attempts at loudspeaker correction have been hampered by the cost of processing power. ""Itís really exciting for us as engineers and listeners,"" states Peter Madnick, ethos engineering team leader and president of DTG. ""This is technology weíve been working on for over five years. The cost of processing power has finally gotten low enough to where we can put our advanced algorithms into an affordable consumer-oriented package."" Three manufacturers have committed to utilizing ethos in upcoming products, Event (with their new digitalethosô home theatre), Martin Logan Ltd., and Perpetual Technologies. Prestigious loudspeaker manufacturer, Martin Logan Ltd., had announced that they are utilizing ethos in projects under development. ""We are impressed with the results of the ethos technology weíve heard thus far,"" noted Gayle Sanders, Martin Logan President, ""We have ethos digital technology ranked highly on the list of our R&D priorities, as it shows great promise to advance the state-of-the-art listening experience."" Lee Adams, Eventís Vice President of Consumer Products, provided an initial glimpse of their new digital ethos home theatre system at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last January. Each speaker in the system has built-in amplification and utilizes an ethos engine and up to four precision Burr-Brown 24-bit/96kHz D/A converters. The new Event digitalethos loudspeakers, dubbed the Large and Small Stage are also the worldís first open architecture digital loudspeakers, providing S/PDIF, AES/EBU, and de/BUS (Eventís new CAT5/RJ45) system interface) digital inputs. RS-232 access, as well as the FuturePortô (for Phastlink, IEEE 1394, etal.) is also provided. An on-board 24-bit/96kHz A/D converter with single-ended and balanced inputs ensures compatibility with todayís world of analog-output surround processors. The digitalethos active digital loudspeakers, as well as an upgradeable DolbyÆ Digital/DTSÆ Digital Surround/Circle SurroundÆ 24-bit/96kHz preamplifier/processor with de/BUS digital outputs, will be officially introduced at the CEDIA Expo in September of this year. Perpetual Technologies, founded by Genesis Technologies Executive Vice President and former Audio Alchemy President Mark Schifter, has announced that its second generation processor, the Digital Audio Workstation, a.k.a. DAW-1, will be built around the ethos engine. The DAW-1 is complete analog and digital control pre-amp with a built-in high-resolution 24-bit/96kHz DAC section. The DAW-1 incorporates ethos to correct for the phase and amplitude anomalies that are present in all loudspeakers. The product ships as a full-band loudspeaker-correction system, using MLSSA analysis files provided by the speaker companies, while on-board resolution-enhancement provides 24-bit/96kHz output from any digital source. ""Obviously Iím very pleased to be working with Peter again,"" advises Schifter, who further adds, ""The DAW-1 is the perfect product to usher in these new technologies and offer them at a price that everyone can afford."" Perpetual Technologies premiered the DAW-1, incorporating ethos, at this monthís HiFi í99, in Chicago, May 12th through the 15th. For more information, contact Lee Adams at 805 455 0337 or email: la@event1.com.