EPISODE 75
Warkwyn Audio Design Consultants Explain the Klippel SCN+NF Laser Scanning Vibrometer
Kent Peterson and Jason Cochrane from Warkwyn join to present the Klippel laser scanning tool. Warkwyn is an acoustic R&D company that helps our customers develop superior transducers and loudspeaker systems for the professional and consumer marketplaces. We operate the most sophisticated independent acoustic measurement lab in North America and offer Klippel analysis for transducers and systems developed in-house and elsewhere. We are comfortable working alongside your existing development team or as the sole developer. Either way, Warkwyn will help your products be more competitive and cost effective.
EPISODE 74
Soundskrit Bio-inspired Directional MEMS Microphones Improving Audio Pick Up In Speakers Phones ETC
Sahil Gupta and Stephane Leahy founders of Soundskrit from Montreal, Canada join to tell us about their directional MEMS microphone technology. Soundskrit aims to enable the next generation of consumer audio by bringing directional microphones concepts from the recording studio into everyday devices.
People use microphones to interact with our devices and each other every day. Modern consumers expect perfect audio pick-up in every environment. Soundskrit directional microphones are robust to environmental noise to ensure that users are always heard the way they expect to be. Their bio-inspired MEMS shrinks the functionality of multi-microphone arrays into a single chip so product designers can improve performance, decrease power consumption, and simplify integration.
EPISODE 73
OHMIC.AI Ear Detection Touch Control & Biometric Feedback Using Existing HW In Earbuds & Headphones
Mohamed Ashraf, Co-Founder and Product Lead at Ohmic joins to discuss their approach to adding ear detection, touch control and biometric feedback using the existing hardware in earbuds and headphones. Ohmic is a Montreal based technology start-up with the goal of enabling biometric sensing and interfacing using in-ear technologies. Our technology focuses on using a headphone’s existing hardware to enable sensing without the additional sensors.
EPISODE 72
Entering China Under COVID Zero – Two Experiences of the Process To Get Into China as a Foreigner
We have two tech veterans based in Shenzhen, China explain their experiences in crossing into Shenzhen, China with the current entry and quarantine requirements. The process has relaxed slightly in the last few months but it is still difficult. Some people really need to get into China to work with their partners in manufacturing so we felt this was a timely discussion that is slightly ajar from our usual technology discussions. However, the tech does not matter if you cannot get to the factory to make it 🙂
EPISODE 71
China Speaker Factory Tells the Good and Bad About Manufacturing Audio Products in South China
Philip Richardson, CEO of TrueAnalog, joins to give an update on the good, the bad and the ugly of manufacturing speakers in China. A unique and timely perspective on the loudspeaker manufacturing industry from an expert that has spent over 20+ years in southern china manufacturing speakers. TrueAnalog is a bespoke driver and speaker systems assembly facility located in Panyu, Guangdong.
EPISODE 70
USOUND MEMS Speakers Manufacturing Small Reliable with Intelligence
Andrea Rusconi and Paul Kutschera from USound in Austria join us for an update on their MEMS speaker technology. Some new innovations in design plus a trend for 2way systems in TWS plus other topics are discussed. USound GmbH is a fast-growing audio company developing and producing the most advanced audio systems for personal applications based on MEMS technology.
USound is disrupting the audio industry, setting new standards in audio experience, and maximizing the degrees of freedom in the manufacturing of wearables and hearables.
With the introduction of MEMS technology, we aim to reach market leadership of advanced acoustic solutions in mobile communications and consumer electronics by developing revolutionary system solutions that augment and enhance the sound experience and create new ways to interact with sound.
EPISODE 69
GREENWAVES DSP and AI Processors for the Next Generation Hearables and IOT Devices
Martin Croome, VP of Marketing at Greenwaves Technologies joins to tell us about their processors for power constrained devices. Greenwaves are a fabless semiconductor company, based in Grenoble, France. They design highly efficient and easy to program ultra-low-power RISC-V processors. They interpret and transform rich data sources such as images, sounds and radar signals using AI and signal processing.
Greenwaves’ application processor GAP8 enables embedded machine learning in battery-operated IoT Sensors. It allows image sensors for applications like people counting and attention awareness to run for years on a single AA battery.
The second-generation GAP9 processor revolutionizes TWS products with ultra-low latency noise cancellation, neural network-based background elimination and 3D sound.
EPISODE 68
AI IOT Voice Embedded Hardware Software Modules Alexa Google AirPlay LIBRE WIRELESS
The commercial director of Libre Wireless, Mr Scott Steinberg, joins to tell us all about how their modules provide a plug and plug solution for streaming audio and IOT products. Everything from light switches to coffee machine to audio systems can be connected for streaming services and control. Adding Alexa, Google, Airplay to a device takes a lot of work and moving parts. Libre literally connects your devices with a plug and play solution.
Libre Wireless Technologies is a leading provider of WiFi and Wireless technologies for IoT, media streaming, voice interface and AI applications. Libre delivers comprehensive embedded hardware and software SDK solutions that are scalable across ecosystems, features, power and price. Libre offers a range of approved and certified electronic modules and devices along with extensive software that can manage virtually all aspects of system, voice, connectivity and cloud features. Libre offers the world’s smallest, lowest power complete mic-to-cloud voice/AI solutions in single devices enabling all new portable, wearable, CE and industrial applications. The Libre solutions provide ODM’s, CE Brands and commercial product designers the most complete, flexible and ecosystem leading technology available for fastest time to market and superior product differentiation.
EPISODE 67
Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) Using AI and 3D Audio to Understand Voice KARDOME
Dani Cherkassky, CEO of Kardome, joins to tell us about how their software solves the puzzles of accuracy, cost, speed and privacy in voice recognition technology. Whether in a crowded cafe, working at home, or in the family car, Kardome’s AI-driven speech-clustering technology treats each person in the environment as if they are the only person talking. No more frustrations of repeated commands or having to find a quiet corner.
EPISODE 66
TACTION TRANSPORTER® HAPTICS Provide Bass You Can Feel Gaming Audio VR AR Headphones
The CEO of Taction Technology John Steinberg joins to tell us about their Transporter® Haptic Motors. With headphones with applications in gaming, music, VR/AR, and therapeutic, the Transporter® is a patented transducer that goes lower, gives flatter frequency response, and delivers faster, more honest, accurate bass than you’ve ever experienced. Imagine 200 pounds of subwoofer in a 1-ounce module.
An American firm Founded by Dr James Biggs (Stanford/MIT) in 2017, Taction are building a haptic motor that goes lower with a flatter frequency response, and delivers faster, more honest, accurate bass than competitive haptic motors. The hybrid 2.1 system on your head can improve response time in e-sports and gaming applications. In addition, the user does not need to crank the volume for a heavy bass listening experience which protects user hearing long term.
EPISODE 65
NTI AUDIO Production Quality Test and Measurement Systems
Gregor Schmidle of NTI joins to discuss their world class audio test and
measurement systems. NTi Audio AG is a manufacturer of test and
measurement instruments for acoustics, audio and vibration applications.
With headquarters in Schaan, Liechtenstein, the company specializes in
end-of-line audio testing for manufacturing quality control purposes,
provides instruments for testing public address systems in
safety-critical environments and also produces handheld Audio Analyzers
and generators aimed at the professional audio industry.
Their Youtube channel is full of informative lessons on test and
measurement so we encourage you to check out their channel!
EPISODE 64
TRILLBIT Data Over Sound Technology Make Any Device A Data Receiver Authentication
Bhaskar Deo, CEO/Co-Founder, and Dr Robert Poor, President, of Trillbit join to introduce and explain their exciting technology. Trillbit is a Techstars & Cisco-backed startup building the “internet of sound”. Internet of sound is a concept of connecting devices in proximity over inaudible sound waves (near-ultrasonic). There are more audio speakers than people on the planet and every smart device has a microphone. Trillbit is using this ubiquitous distribution of hardware to build a seamless authentication and proximity communication product.
Trillbit has proprietary (patent pending) data over sound technology. We can add data on top of any existing audio/video thus converting any audio speaker into a data transmitter and any device with a microphone into a data receiver. This data can be any digital data from authentication information to cryptographic data. Application Areas: We sell our solution for user authentication, IoT & MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication).
Trillbit’s team has a strong technical and business background who is committed to creating the Internet of Sound. The company is operational based out of Boston and Bengaluru. Trillbit is growing fast and we are currently working with clients who are Fortune 500 companies. Trillbit have been judged best emerging IoT startups by various forums like TiE, Nasscom, IoT India Congress, Network World, and have been covered by major news platforms like Yourstory, Computer World, Business Wire, Yahoo Finance, etc.
EPISODE 63
xMEMS Disrupting the $10B Speaker Market with Worlds First True MEMS Piezo Speakers
Michael Ricci, Director of Electroacoustic Engineering at xMEMS, joins us to tell us all about the world’s first truly piezo MEMS speaker. The xMEMS team of audio and piezo MEMS semiconductor experts are disrupting the $10B speaker market with the first True MEMS speakers. xMEMS addresses in-ear personal audio devices delivering a new combination of audio fidelity, size, energy consumption and uniformity not possible with traditional voice coil or hybrid MEMS approaches.
Until now, the industry has relied on antiquated, centuries-old multi-component voice coil speakers requiring labor-intensive, high variability factory assembly lines. xMEMS leverages semiconductor precision and manufacturing scalability. Micron-level precision and scalability of semiconductor process permits Speaker-to-speaker uniformity and repeatability. The Piezo MEMS drive creates speakers with faster mechanical response than possible with legacy technologies. We are bringing a new era in sound by replacing decades old, manually-assembled, highly-variable voice-coil speaker technology including dynamic drivers and balanced armature drivers, with a high-precision, high consistency, monolithic semiconductor process.
EPISODE 62
KAERTECH PHILIPPINES Virtual Electronics Factory Tour Medical Audio Products
Mickael Bouffaut and Rick Modina join the podcast to introduce their engineering and mass production facility. We think this is what people need to see in terms of how products are built. There is a massive gap between the shelf and the mind in what it takes to make a product. Kaertech focuses on advanced med-tech type products and we felt this was the perfect factory to give our viewers a factory tour.
EPISODE 61
TREBLE Sound Simulation and Rendering Software MODEL ACOUSTICS IN BUILDINGS CARS VR
Dr. Finnur Pind, CEO of Treble Technologies, joins to tell us about their cutting-edge sound simulation technology and processes. They are bringing this next generation technology to market with the vision of enabling designers of the built environment to create a better sounding world. The technology revolves around using sound simulation and rendering software to model acoustic behaviour in buildings, structures, or other enclosures such as cars. There are also applications in VR and gaming that hold great promise.
The research work which serves as the basis of Treble was done at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), in close collaboration with Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) and Virgina Tech. This work was led by leading scientists in the field of acoustics and scientific computing, most of whom are closely involved in Treble Technologies today. The company is based in the city center of Reykjavík, Iceland.
EPISODE 60
CHATABLE – ANC Transparency Mode Using AI to Enhance Conversation MARK CUBAN INVEST
Giles Tongue, CEO of CHATABLE joins to explain their technology that utilizes AI to enhance transparency mode and ultimately enhancing conversation. They have established a new partnership with Knowles Corporation on the IA8201 DSP TWS development kit, which received a CES Innovation Award Honoree. An exciting new company that lists Mark Cuban as one of the main investors.
EPISODE 59
VM SOUND Liquid Silicon Rubber Based Earbud Driver Production Line – MADE IN CHINA
We take a look at VM Sound’s brand new production facility in Dongguan, China. VM Sound is a global leader in precision constructed liquid silicon rubber based earbud and headphone drivers. Utilizing optical grade injection molding process to apply to micro transducer assembly results in the best performing micro speakers possible.
EPISODE 58
GRAPHAUDIO World’s First 100% Pure Graphene Proprietary Electrostatic MicroSpeakers
Ramesh Ramchandani, CEO of GraphAudio, joins us to tell us about how using their 100% pure graphene acoustics platform delivers superior size, quality, cost plus ESG benefits versus existing options.
GraphAudio is launching a revolutionary new acoustic platform for consumer electronics and enterprise systems integrating the first-ever 100% graphene proprietary electrostatic micro transducers (speakers/ microphones/sensors), proprietary electronics, and proprietary contextually aware voice operation software.
GraphAudio’s 100% graphene transducers have no distortion, run on much lower power, have better form factors and weigh much less than the vast majority of current technology, and can be economically produced in high volume utilizing high technology foundries. GraphAudio is finally bringing the promise of 100% graphene acoustics to commercial reality for mobile and connected devices — and beyond.
EPISODE 57
KNOWLES Talks Trends in TWS Earbuds, Health Hearing, HD Audio and Balance Armatures
Andrew Bellavia and Erik Wiederholtz from Knowles in Chicago join to discuss the latest trends in TWS earbuds including the hearing health convergence, and HD Audio. The conversation segues to the balanced armature technology from Knowles and how it provides performance benefits across all the latest trends. Links to the mentions in the podcast are listed below.
EPISODE 56
Composite Sound Thin-ply Carbon Diaphragms Engineered to Control Resonance
Martin Turesson of Composite Sound in Sweden joins to tell us about thin-ply carbon fiber speaker diaphragms. Starting with a new approach to processing the carbon fiber, Composite Sound controls the horizontal and the vertical. To expand, the cones can be designed using various controllable input elements. The results thus far have been getting rave reviews with the early adopters.
It is a deep and detailed discussion on the Composite Sound technology targeting acoustic engineers and people designing speakers.
EPISODE 55
Infineon MEMS Mics for Interactive Voice Applications Smart Speakers IOT
Infineon Technologies joins to discuss their MEMs microphone product line and the nuances in designing the microphones plus the application of using them in voice command applications. Somu Goswami and Julian Kornprobst join the THD podcast from their location near Munich, Germany to provide very detailed information on the design on MEMS microphones. We discuss the application into systems plus the history and roadmap on the MEMS microphone technology.
Infineon Technologies AG is a German semiconductor manufacturer founded in 1999, when the semiconductor operations of the former parent company Siemens AG were spun off. Infineon has about 46,665 employees and is one of the ten largest semiconductor manufacturers worldwide.
EPISODE 54
Ambiq Enable Battery Powered Edge Devices to Operate Better and Last Longer
Scott Hanson and Roger Serwy from Ambiq join us to discuss their ultra-low power edge processors. Ambiq is a fabless semiconductor company developing the world’s most energy-efficient integrated circuits. Built on Ambiq’s patented Subthreshold Power Optimized Technology (SPOT™) platform, Apollo family of microprocessors (MCUs) and System-on-Chip (SoCs) provide the most power-efficient processing solutions in the market. Optimized in both active and sleep modes, the Apollo processors are designed to deliver an ultra-long lifetime and higher performance for Wi-Fi-connected, battery-powered wearables, hearables, remote controls, Bluetooth speakers, and portable and mobile IoT devices.
EPISODE 53
NativeVoice.AI Multiple Voice Assistants Making Bridges for Brands Using AI / ML
Perry Teevens joins to tell us about NativeVoice.AI. Native Voice is the on-demand voice services library for access to the brands you rely on every day to help you get more done. They’re on a mission to help you stay in the moment, keep your phone in your pocket, and do more using just your voice
If you’re a brand, you already know it’s competitive out there. Customer attention spans are short and their expectations high. Native Voice can help your brand bridge the gap between their needs and your offerings. Together, they can level the playing field in voice services by using the Native Voice SDK to distribute your voice service to the latest audio devices. Don’t have a voice service? Use your Alexa skill to have users connect with a branded wake-word.
As a hardware provider, voice technology may be on the product road map. Naturally, you are actively seeking ways to make your products more competitive and provide greater value to your customers. Native Voice can be an ally in creating a powerful voice solution through the proprietary platform, real time learning, and a nimble global team who has decades of audio hardware experience. Make your products more competitive, immediately. Effortlessly integrate the latest voice technology as Native Voice continues to innovate and deploy. Enable unrivaled access to the growing library of brands.
EPISODE 52
All Types of Permanent Magnets in Loudspeakers Explained NeoDymium Ceramic Ferrite
Salvador Magdaleno-Adame joins as the principal of Salvador Consultant to tell us all about permanent magnets. A deep explanation of the different materials used and how magnets are designed. Specifics on how to design for loudspeakers is also discussed.
About the Guest:
Salvador has a diverse engineering background with valuable experience in the magnetic and electromagnetic industry in US. He contributes strong skills, solution of problems, and professional communication skills that help bridge gaps between engineering and manufacturing. From his experience managing his own consultancy business, Salvador developed excellent project management and communication skills, allowing for a smooth transition to any engineering environment. Salvador enjoys the challenge of managing multiple magnetic projects at once, and the reward of successfully guiding a project from conception to completion. His experience working in large, medium , and small magnetic companies allowed him to learn diverse parts of the business and execute numerous roles in order to complete projects on time for different magnetic and electromagnetic industries. He has utilized his experience using finite element software and experimental tests to validate magnetic and electromagnetic designs or projects and to propose real solutions to real magnetic engineering problems.
EPISODE 51
Loudspeaker Test Chambers Designed for Consistently Stable, Affordable Measurements
Geoff Hill of Hill Acoustics joins to introduce and explain the theory behind their Tetrahedral Loudspeaker Test Chambers.
Hill Acoustics was formed, to promote loudspeaker test chambers based upon the Tetrahedral Test Chamber principle expounded by their Chief Technical Officer – Geoff Hill. Loudspeaker measurements have long been a source of excessive variability with typical tolerances of +/- 3dB being the norm, whilst a tolerance of +/-0.1dB is typical for virtually all the rest of the equipment chain. Long frustrated by the state of loudspeaker measurements, Geoff set out to provide a better alternative. Launched in 2013, they built various sizes of chambers whilst refining the theory an design. And understanding that international standardization was a necessity they pursued this through the publication of the principles through: The Audio Engineering Society, ALMA, ISEAT and working with the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC-TC100), on updates to IEC 60268-5, 60268-21 & 22, he worked with the AES SC-04-03 on the Loudspeaker Measurement Chambers, Information Document, AES73id-2019.
Geoff’s book on loudspeaker design is available here:
amazon.com/Loudspeaker-Modelling-Design-Practical-Introduction/dp/0815361335