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Eminence is proud to introduce three advanced high-power additions to the Professional Series: the Impero 12A, 15A, and 18A. Italian for “empire”, Impero sets the tone for this elite offering of high quality, hand-built loudspeakers.

Using high motor strength with balanced Vas and Mms, the Impero series plays extremely loud and low in compact vented designs. Advancements include a 1/2” thick by 7.5” diameter machined top plate, one piece machined T-yoke, and a 4” deep wound fiberglass voice coil. These features combined with an ultra-linear long-excursion suspension and bumped motor assembly allow the Impero series to move serious air, generate serious SPL, while handling tremendous amounts of power.

At 1,100 watts continuous / 2,200 watts program power, the 12” Impero 12A has a usable frequency range of 56 Hz to 3 kHz, making it perfect for two-way top boxes, full-range two-way boxes, bass guitar boxes, and small subwoofers.

The 15” Impero 15A is suited for two-way top boxes, full-range two-way and three-way boxes, bass guitar boxes, and small subwoofers, and is rated at 1,200 watt continuous / 2,400 watt program. With a frequency range of 46 Hz to 2 kHz, this 15” has the extension at both ends to go low and high, perfect for small vented boxes with conventional sized horns. This model is also available in a 4 ohm version, the Impero 15C.

The 18” Impero 18A is also rated at 1,200 watt continuous / 2,400 watt program power, has a frequency range of 39 Hz to 820 Hz, and is suited for full-range three-way boxes, bass guitar boxes, and small subwoofers. This model is also available in a 4 ohm version, the Impero 18C.

“The Impero series has it all while being arguably the most attractive speaker we’ve designed so far.” said Jerry McNutt, Design Engineer at Eminence. “Incorporating CNC machined zinc plated motor parts, water resistant treated cones and dust caps, and sanded-edge cast aluminum baskets, it’s beauty AND the beast.”

Like all Genuine Eminence branded professional audio and musical instrument loudspeakers, the Impero 12A, 15A and 18A are built by hand in the USA, and are backed by our industry-leading 7-year warranty. See the Impero series at the Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA on January 19, 2012.

Continue reading]]> Here’s another great demo from our good friend Jon Bloomer at Guitar Noize. In this demo, Jon uses one of our most popular combinations of 12″ speakers, the Governor and the Man O War, both from our British-voiced Red Coat Series of guitar speakers.

“The frequency response of each of these speakers are slightly different, The Governor has a great classic speaker response with a nice full and even tone whereas the Man O War is more pronounced around the 1kHz range and you can hear that in the Overdriven guitar parts in my demo in particular. The Man O War also seems a little tighter and is well suited to heavier Rock and Metal. When you blend these speakers together you get the best of both worlds resulting in a detailed punchy tone great for any genre you throw at them. I tried to show this in my demo video by layering clean, crunchy and high gain overdriven guitars on top of a Jamtrackcentral.com backing track. For each part I placed a single Audix i5 Dynamic Mic on the edge of the dust cap a couple of inches off the grill cloth. I used my Suhr Modern and Ceriatone Chupacabra 50 amp in 60′s mode for the clean rhythm guitars and added the Suhr Shiba Drive for the clean solos. For all other guitar parts I used the 80′s mode and added the Shiba Drive for the Overdriven lead guitars.”- Jon Bloomer | GuitarNoize.com

Check out more of Jon’s great posts at GuitarNoize.com

Continue reading]]> Chances are, if you’ve turned on a TV, radio or video game console within the last several years, you’ve likely heard the infectious music of Steve Ouimette. From his awe inspiring work behind the epic Guitar Hero video game series, to his composition and song writing heard in many popular TV shows and studio recordings, Steve is quickly becoming known for the creativity he brings to every project. With the myriad of options available to recording artists today, one thing remains consistent in Steve’s tone toolbox – Eminence speakers. We had the pleasure of catching up with Steve recently, here’s what he had to say.

Eminence: Was the guitar your first instrument? When did you first pick it up?

Steve: I wish I could say it was but my first instrument was the organ. My parents had bought one and signed my sister and me up for lessons. I did that for 2 years from 5-7. When we moved to California I started playing drums but I was more Bobby Brady than John Bonham so around 11 or 12 I switched to guitar. It was Ace Frehley who originally inspired me. After that it was Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Yngwie and Angus Young.

Eminence: At what point in your life did you decide you were going to make a career out of your musical abilities?

Steve: From the first time I picked up the guitar I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. Computers were in their infancy and MIDI had just come out so I was fascinated with the potential. I majored in music in college and during and after that worked in studios and was fortunate enough to learn a metric ton from Eric Valentine during his early years of running his own studio. The combination of all of that and working in the game industry sort of dovetailed into my forming my own company and doing this full time.

Eminence: Over the last several years you’ve been heavily involved in the wildly popular Guitar Hero video game series, writing nearly 100 tracks for gamers to play along with. Was it a conscious decision to get into the video game industry, or did it come about by accident?

Steve: It was definitely a conscious decision, but with a little push to get rolling. I’ve been involved in the tech and video game business since 1993 but in 2005 I was laid off when the company sold off their assets. It was at that point I decided to go full time in the freelance direction rather than do some work on the side with yet another job that wasn’t fulfilling. In 2007 I met up with the Guitar Hero guys just as they were getting close to the end of Guitar Hero 3 development. It turned out to be a great relationship and that game put me on the map. In all I worked on 8 games with Activision/Neversoft until they put it on hiatus earlier this year.

Eminence: Now that Guitar Hero is on hiatus, what’s keeping you busy?

Steve: It’s been a combination of music for television, video games and film trailers. Lately I’ve been doing re-records of classic dance tracks for Just Dance 3 (Ubisoft) as well as a lot of heavy guitar music for TV licensing. I find it ironic that the majority of shows that use my music are the cooking and home shows. HGTV and Food Network seem to use my music the most outside of sports shows. Who would have thought cooking and heavy guitars would pair up?!

Eminence: You obviously record a lot of guitar tracks, each with it’s own unique tonality. How important is the guitar speaker on each project? Do you change speakers to alter tonality?

Steve: The speaker is the final voice of the amplifier and crucial to the tone. I have 6 different cabs right now ranging from 4×12’s to 2×12’s to 1×12’s. Recently I picked up an amazing amp selector that lets me plug in 8 different heads and 8 different cabs. Then with a selection knob for amp and speaker I can choose which head routes to which cabinet. On the fly I can play the amp and switch through the various speakers to find the exact tone I’m looking for. Being able to do this has radically changed the way I record. It’s a dream setup.

Eminence: What would you list as the five most important things to achieving great guitar tone for recording.

Steve: Great question! Here are my five:

1. Back off on the gain. When you think you’ve got enough gain on the amp, back it down until it’s just about uncomfortable. The tones with less gain most always sound bigger than the super-distorted ones, which end up collapsing in the mix

2. Match the amp to the speaker. With the amount of options available there is no reason you have to settle on just one speaker. I like to load my 4×12’s with 4 different speakers and then choose the one I feel fits best in the track, then mic it up. It sounds a little weird in the room but is ultra-flexible for recording. My current favorite cab has a Texas Heat, Swamp Thang, Man-O-War and a Red Fang in it.

3. Matching guitar to amp. It probably sounds obvious but for every track you need the right combination of guitar and amp. Whereas a single coil guitar with a Tweed style amp might be right for one track, a humbucker with a Tweed might be perfect for another. How it sounds in the room also helps to determine how it will sound in the track.

4. The little things. Strings, pick type and cables. All of these little things add up, especially under the microscope of a recording. If I want more zing in my tone I’ll switch to a lighter string gauge. Alternatively the heavier strings don’t “give” as much and contribute to a more muscular tone. It’s a choice that makes a difference in the sound AND performance.

5. The part. More important than 1-4 is the actual part performed on the recording. I’m amazed at how simplifying a performance or adjusting it to fit around a vocal makes the recording sound so much better. Time and time again the coolest parts can overshadow the point of the song and sound busy. Although a lot of people laugh at KISS for being a simple band, Paul and Ace were masters of creating monster riffs out of simple parts and different voicings of chords played together. Malcolm and Angus are another duo that comes to mind. It’s the space in between the notes that makes the sound so big, and it translates to the recording very well. All about the part.

Eminence: There’s been a lot of discussion about mic’ing a guitar amp/cabinet for recording. What’s your method?

Steve: I don’t have one set method for mic’ing but I tend to like a 57 straight on the center of the cone with an additional mic about 3 feet back to capture the room. Of course that depends on the track and what it needs but a little bit of room makes the speakers come alive. It really depends but when is the last time you jammed your ear right up on a speaker to listen to it? Like drums the room has a lot to do with the sound of the amp although for modern production the immediacy of a close mic is almost just a given. Lately I’ve been using a Royer 101 in tandem with the 57 and getting amazing results. It’s no secret but it is a great sound.

Eminence: Do you prefer open back or closed back cabinets, and why?

Steve: 95% of the time I prefer a closed back design. It’s probably just because I came up on the Marshall side rather than the Fender side. That said, more recently I’ve been playing a few open back cabs and have enjoyed their open sound. It’s all-enveloping rather than directional. I won’t call it 3D because that term shouldn’t exist…3D is one of those terms people throw around a lot but hardly makes sense.

Eminence: Do you prefer high or low SPL speakers, and why?

Steve: Both. Low SPL speakers are great for adding more grind to non-master volume amps to my ears. The flip side is master volume amps and how they like a good, high headroom speaker. They’re also great for cleans when you don’t want any give or breakup. Because I do so many styles of music there is no one particular choice, it’s all of them. Oh yeah, and I never use the term “cone cry”…not acceptable!

Eminence: How do you break your speakers in?

Steve: The old fashioned way. Beat em up with old Marshalls full-up. There’s no better way to break a speaker or a sneaker in than use, and my speakers get a workout!

Eminence: What made you decide to work with Eminence for your loudspeakers?

Steve: For me it was for the quality, Made-In-USA manufacturing and variety. But in the end it came down to relationships. Eminence is good people that are so dedicated to their customers and artists I immediately felt like one of the family. And that is worth its weight in “insert your favorite precious metal here”.

Eminence: What Eminence speakers do you use the most, and why?

Steve: So many! I’m a huge fan of the Reignmaker because not only is it a great sounding speaker, I can ditch the external attenuator and just turn the volume down on the speaker (never thought I’d see that day). Aside from that I regularly use Texas Heat and Swamp Thangs together as well as the Man-O-War.

Eminence: What’s next on the horizon for Steve Ouimette?

Steve: “I just signed on with Rappapd Media Group for film and TV representation so there are new projects in the works right now. In January I will be speaking at NAMM on a panel on sound designer which came about through my virtual instrument “Cinematic Guitars” from Sample Logic. And finally, along with the ongoing work on game soundtracks you’ll still see my articles and reviews as a writer for Premier Guitar Magazine. 2012 is shaping up to be a great year.”

As a direct response to his popularity with guitar fans worldwide Steve released “Epic”, a solo CD and companion DVD on Sumthing Else Music Works in the Fall of 2010. Critically heralded as a dynamic and diverse album featuring an eclectic mix of guitar-laden virtuosity and wide reaching styles, “Epic” shines new light on guitar instrumental music by fusing cinematic drama and intensity.

Photo courtesy CovingtonShoots.com

Continue reading]]> Jon Bloomer knows a thing or two when it comes to guitar tone. He’s been playing since he was 12 years old, and since 2007 he’s been the brains behind GuitarNoize.com, a website that is loaded with everything a guitar enthusiast loves. This video features one of our most popular combinations of classic American tones, the Texas Heat™ and Swamp Thang™, both from our Patriot Series of guitar speakers.

“In this demo I loaded an Eminence Texas Heat and an Eminence Swamp Thang speaker into my Blackstar HTV-212 Cab and setup a single Audix i5 on each speaker. There are two rhythm tracks panned 50% left and right (Texas Heat on the left) and then 2 lead tracks which alternate and I have made it clear in the video which speaker is being used when by switching the title and speaker graphic. ”

“The Texas Heat is a little darker than the Swamp Thang and creates some great Eric Johnson style lead tones. The Swamp Thang breaks up nicely when you play hard and has a little more presence and as you can hear combined they are a perfect match for a great rhythm tone.” – Jon Bloomer | GuitarNoize.com

Check out more of Jon’s great posts at GuitarNoize.com

Continue reading]]> Eminence Speaker LLC proudly announces an exclusive license agreement with Evenstar, a wholly owned subsidiary of SLS Audio, to use and sub-license their revolutionary new D-fend™ technology within the Professional Audio and Musical Instrument markets.

D-fend™ is the industry’s first all-digital, programmable loudspeaker protection and attenuation circuit designed to solve the age-old problems associated with protecting loudspeakers from excessive power conditions. D-fend™ has eliminated the headaches for speaker engineers – no more hassling with polyswitches, blown lamp filaments, lossy resistors, or slow relays. Incorporating such features as digital signal processing with on-board digital filtering, customizable microprocessor and MOSFET construction, the D-fend™ protection circuit enables a designer to use this technology prior to passive filtration and allows different sensitivity settings in specific frequency bands, such as woofer over-excursion bands or high frequency peak damage regions.

“Think of the D-fend circuit as a high power, speaker-level compressor/limiter that will allow an audio designer to guarantee unmatched levels of protection for multiple components in their unpowered loudspeakers”, states Evenstar’s Chief Engineer, Joel Butler.

“We’re are very excited about the unique opportunity to partner with Evenstar to offer our customers the ultimate in loudspeaker protection.” said Eminence President Chris Rose. “Not even the most carefully designed systems have been free of failure and the risk of thermal compromises in today’s varied applications. By incorporating D-fend in their products, system designers, brand owners and facilities will enjoy a new level of assurance that their passive loudspeaker systems will remain protected and that venues will be safer. The technology is economical and easy to integrate into both new and existing designs. We expect it will become an industry standard protection device for virtually all passive professional audio and musical instrument applications.”

See the D-fend™ technology in action at the Eminence InfoComm booth #164 in Orlando, Florida June 15 – 17, 2011, or contact Josh Martin, Technology Sales Manager, at 502.845.5622 ext. 245, or via e-mail to josh.martin@eminence.com for more information.

Continue reading]]> Guitar World Tech Editor Paul Riario puts the ReignMaker guitar speaker with FDM™ Technology through its paces. Of course, the speaker sounds incredible, but Paul has some serious chops too!

Paul points out the advantage of our proprietary FDM™ Technology, noting that there is no need for any expensive electronic attenuators. The speaker does it all for you, and also give you the sound and feel of playing a cranked-up amp but at lower volume. He also clearly illustrates there are many positions between full-output and max-attenuation that let you dial in the sound and volume you’re looking for. Whether you’re in a small club, recording studio, or practicing in your bedroom, you can turn down the volume while maintaining the saturated tube tone you’re looking for. The next night you might be in a larger venue where volume isn’t an issue. No problem, just turn the dial and crank it up!

Paul enjoyed checking out the British-voiced ReignMaker from our Red Coat Series of guitar speakers, and we know you will too. Also check out its American-voiced cousin, the Maverick, also with this truly unique FDM™ technology. Both speakers are now available in 16 ohms.

Continue reading]]> Eminence, KY – Eminence Speaker LLC proudly announces the addition of an ultra-lightweight 15” guitar speaker designed for the steel guitar player: the EPS-15C.

Now available in the Patriot™ Series of guitar speakers, the EPS-15C is a 4 ohm, cast-aluminum frame guitar driver featuring a lightweight neodymium magnet. Weighing in at less than 8 lbs., the EPS-15C delivers the highly sought after classic pedal steel tones at a fraction of the weight of most suitable drivers on the market. The addition of an aluminum dust cap lends chimey, extended highs that have come to define the classic pedal steel sound.

“We’re delighted to offer a solution to our pedal and lap steel friends who have been telling us they desperately need to lighten the load without sacrificing tone.” said Tom James, Product Design Manager at Eminence. “Aside from the significant weight savings, the EPS-15C has all the classic Nashville tones steel players look for in a speaker.”

Check out the EPS-15C here. For more information on the EPS-15C or any other Eminence products, please contact Gary Morrison, Distribution Sales Manager, at (502)845-5622 ext. 225, or via e-mail at gary.morrison@eminence.com