[ATTACH=CONFIG]196586.vB5-legacyid=5285[/ATTACH]Berlin, Germany, November 19, 2012 – With more than 1,000 downloads per month, EASE Focus 2 is probably the most-installed sound system simulation tool worldwide. Three simple reasons provide explanation for this success: EASE Focus is the only free loudspeaker system design and simulation software open to all manufacturers; EASE Focus is the only such software supporting a mixture of different brands within one project; and EASE Focus is free for the end user. – With the release of Version 2.2, the sound software professionals at AFMG continue to add further features, making the software even more valuable to system technicians around the world.
Originally starting out as a design study for 2D line array simulation, EASE Focus 1 has quickly found enthusiastic supporters in many renowned loudspeaker manufacturers. The idea of an independent, free tool for the prediction of sound radiation by line arrays proved so successful that public demand soon urged AFMG to continue development. EASE Focus 2 followed, adding 3D simulation and supporting multiple sound sources in one setup. Also, Focus was no longer limited to line arrays. So-called “configurable loudspeakers” (steerable column loudspeakers and other complex, configurable sources) were supported by the new DLL options. Of course, Focus 2 allowed the construction of complete venues with multiple audience areas, calculating sound dispersion from up to eight sources. What was new and unique was that several types of loudspeakers and even different manufacturers could be mixed within the project.
Major Enhancement: Conventional Loudspeakers
As with every AFMG software release, the October 2012 update to EASE Focus 2 brings several interesting features that make work even easier and quicker. EASE Focus 2.2 now supports conventional “box-type” loudspeakers in a mixed project together with line arrays. A maximum of 16 sound sources can be combined to a complex system, opening up an incredible number of use-cases: front-fills, side-fills, under-balcony systems, delay lines, etc. – in all possible combinations with the main systems! This option really provides a leap for the planning work of engineers and system technicians especially in the rental business.
Professional preparation of every medium or large production nowadays implies simulation. Mathieu Delquignies of French manufacturer APG explains the benefits of EASE Focus: “Coverage and SPL predictions are very close to reality. EASE Focus has proven not only to be an indispensable help for touring system techs but also a useful sales support tool.” Gaetan Byk, Marketing Manager at Amadeus, France, adds: “It seemed vital to us to offer our customers such a powerful and above all free interface.” – Both companies provide EASE Focus data for their complete range of products.
EASE Focus provides additional benefit to the engineer with many useful tools. SPL and frequency response can be examined and compared across all audience areas and “Virtual EQ” settings can be simulated. The DLL concept allows manufacturers to provide all control options of their systems (including DSP settings) and users to pre-configure their setups to become turnkey solutions for a production. Monitoring rigging loads and height limitations of a venue during simulation and the detailed reports generated by EASE Focus make installation and configuration on site an easy game and just as quick and precise as the simulation. Further manufacturers are currently supplying conventional loudspeaker data for Focus 2.2 such as LAX, RCF and Renkus-Heinz.
Getting EASE Focus 2.2
EASE Focus 2.2 is Microsoft Windows software, running smoothly under Parallels or in Bootcamp.
For more information and to download the free installation version please visit [url]http://focus.afmg.eu[/url].
Loudspeaker manufacturers interested in supplying their data to the EASE Focus community, please contact AFMG directly: [email][email protected][/email].
Background Information:
EASE – Industry Standard for Acoustical Simulation of Rooms
Since the 1990´s, EASE has been setting the worldwide standard for acoustic simulation both inside rooms and in open areas. Rooms can be defined using a CAD module, absorption coefficients can be assigned to surfaces, and sound sources as well as listener positions can easily be added to the model. Data can then be used to generate an exact simulation of reverberation times, speech intelligibility and other acoustical parameters even before the room itself is built.
This is also very useful especially for predicting the performance of loudspeaker models in a suggested acoustical environment. EASE supports this by providing the most extensive loudspeaker database available on the market. EASE SpeakerLab assists loudspeaker manufacturers in continually providing new data in GLL format. SpeakerLab is frequently implemented by more and more manufacturers, and the GLL format provides possibilities to define loudspeakers and controllers in all their parameters. This is singular to the market; EASE continues to be unrivaled in ease of use, flexibility and precision in simulating electro- and room acoustics.
In 2011 AFMG has expanded the EASE suite of programs by two more remarkable tools. AFMG SoundFlow simulates absorption, reflection, and transmission of sound by multi-layered structures. AFMG Reflex can model the reflection, diffusion, and scattering of a sound wave hitting any 2D structured surface. Both programs provide an immense increase to the accuracy of acoustical simulations by enhancing the wall materials used in EASE.
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EASERA and SysTune – A Pair for all Requirements in Audio Measurement
AFMG´s EASERA is the universal software platform for all acoustical, electronic, and audio technical measurements. It fulfills the highest scientific demands. Beyond that, it has features that allow quick and comprehensive gathering of data in the field which can then be analyzed in depth when back in the office. EASERA has all established measurement signals ready in one coherent and easy-to-learn platform thus providing a multitude of options for measuring and evaluation.
Professionals worldwide value SysTune as the preferred software platform when it comes to analyzing and optimizing sound systems in operation. For this, SysTune provides multi-channel measurements in real time, giving sound engineers precise impulse and frequency responses, as well as delay times – even in the middle of the show with an audience present.
Ahnert Feistel Media Group (AFMG)
Located in Berlin, Germany, AFMG is a worldwide leader in software development for the pro audio industry. AFMG has created the industry standard programs EASE and EASERA for acoustic simulation and measurement, along with related products: EASE Focus, SysTune, EASE Address and EASE SpeakerLab. AFMG works closely with leading university faculties, manufacturers and design clients to apply the latest developments in acoustical research and computer technology. For more information, including the latest news and forum posts, visit [url]http://afmg.eu[/url].
