Have you ever had goosebumps while listening to music on a good system? That is exactly what makes me happy. And what motivates me to make sure that with every new system that goose bumps appear again when I have finished my work!

I am Jochen, 40 years old and I love good speakers and measurement technology. I want to help sound engineers and music lovers get the most out of their speakers.

I can still remember when I first got my hands on a 31-band equalizer when I was 16 (of course analog at the time, the Yamaha 2031). I spent days and weeks playing with each controller and trying to improve my home-made speakers. Without measurement technology, all I had to do was trust my ears and slowly pre-scan with third-band noise from a measurement CD. The result was impressive for me. And I was already wondering about the (amateurish) improvements: why should I put a lot of money into expensive speakers if I can also make my cheap speakers sound with an EQ?

So much has changed in the meantime. Speakers are generally of higher quality. DSP is cheaper than ever, with endless possibilities for EQ bands, delay times. Many power amplifiers and studio speakers are already equipped with DSP as standard. And measuring technology has also become affordable for everyone.

My passion for good sound has remained over the years. After studying to become a sound engineer in Detmold (Germany), I worked as a sound engineer at the Hamburg State Opera (Germany) for six years. You could say that the most important task of the sound department was to be “inaudible”, to leave the viewer under the illusion that everything is acoustic - even if some things are amplified through loudspeakers, of course. Of course, this is only possible if the speakers sound as natural as possible or are measured (which does not necessarily mean linear).

My enthusiasm for modern sound engineering then brought me to the project business, where I am not only responsible for a single house, but also constantly plan and set up new projects. The part that I always enjoy the most is the last step in commissioning: measuring the loudspeaker system. When, after all the preparatory work, the wiring, the assignment of hundreds of IP addresses and the configuration of each individual device, you can finally hear the result that is ultimately at stake: Enjoying music. Emotions. Goose bumps.

With every measurement it is astonishing how much sound quality can be improved with a few DSP settings. Adjust level ratios, optimize delay times, set a few EQ filters. In most cases, the hardware is already available. The only question that needs to be clarified: how best can I systematically proceed to determine these attitudes?

I would like to bring the many experiences that I have gained over the years with SMAART and other measurement software into the world. In every city there are countless theaters, operas, concert halls, clubs, recording studios and hi-fi systems that deserve to be hired in the best possible way. It is my greatest wish that we eliminate the myth about measurement technology in the audio industry and that everyone has the opportunity and confidence to experiment with their system and to make themselves and their guests and customers more happy listening to music.

Are you ready to get an insight into audio measurement technology?