The Generic Loudspeaker Library (GLL) concept was published in in the year 2005. At the 119th AES in New York, an EASE 4.2 Preview was introduced along with the new GLL interface definition. Two conference papers have been presented in that respect:

>> 119 AES Preprint 6631: New Data Format to Describe Complex Sound Sources

>> 119 AES Preprint 6632: The Significance of Phase Data for the Acoustic Prediction of Combinations of Sound Sources

Another conference paper presented at the 121st AES in San Francisco 2006 discussed in detail the advantages of utilizing high-resolution data. It was shown that employing the GLL concept allows to achieve more accurate prediction results.

>> 121 AES Preprint 6987: Modelling of Loudspeaker Systems using High-Resolution Data

The above concepts were summarized in an article published by the Journal of the AES in Jul/Aug 2007:

>> S. Feistel & W. Ahnert, Modeling of Loudspeaker Systems Using High-Resolution Data, J. Audio Eng. Soc., Vol. 55, No. 7/8, 2007 July/August

A fourth conference paper presented in New York highlights the application of the GLL format as a tool for crossover design and directivity optimization. It demonstrates that high-resolution data can aid the loudspeaker design process significantly.

>> 123 AES Preprint 7254: Simulating the Directivity Behavior of Loudspeakers with Crossover Filters

The GLL format is a new data format that allows for modelling of complex sound sources, such as line arrays, clusters, columns or multi-way loudspeakers in a very natural way. In addition to acoustic data it includes mechanic and electronic data too. Some of the most interesting facts are that multiple sources can be defined per loudspeaker box, along with crossover filters and other properties. Additionally acoustic data can be stored in its native resolution rather than in a fixed tabular data format. Please refer to our GLL White Paper as well as to the above preprints (www.aes.org) for more details.

After several years of development, we think that the GLL will allow to overcome most of the problems connected to conventional data formats (such as the EASE SPK file format), like for example the definition of power handling, storage of high-resolution complex data, mechanic interaction between boxes as well as external/internal crossovers and parametric filters.

The GLL format is fully supported by EASE 4.2. Additionally, the newly developed EASE SpeakerLab software is available to design, compile and utilize GLL files directly. With this design software importing and viewing balloon data in high resolution has been made very easy. Also crossover filters and parametric EQs can be entered and their effect on the radiation pattern can be examined immediately.

Loudspeaker manufacturers and loudspeaker designers are invited to join the EASE Beta group. Please contact us through info[AT]afmg.eu.