Austrian Audio - Martin Seidl

Martin Seidl, Founder and CEO of Microphone & Headphone manufacturer Austrian Audio, chats to Sam Inglis about the company origins, current products and future technological developments, plus why their core range of products will remain analogue at heart.Chapters00:00 - Introduction00:39 - Austrian Audio heritage02:12 - Audio Engineer beginnings02:55 - Manufacturing the CK-12 capsule06:24 - Materials used in new capsule07:16 - OC18 OC818 without valves08:32 - Head basket shape09:55 - Digital control of OC81812:32 - Polar pattern designer15:02 - Future digital advances16:12 - Products in development17:54 - Hi-X headphones20:34 - Closed vs Open back22:18 - Digital processing in headphones23:46 - Currently manufacturing25:05 - Research and testing services27:07 - Austrian Audio USPAustrian Audiohttps://austrian.audio/Martin Seidl BiogMeet Martin Seidl, CEO of Austrian Audio, the microphone and headphone company that emerged like a Phoenix from the ashes of AKG and has been on a steep trajectory with technologically superior microphones and headphones ever since. Martin is the former VP of AKG Acoustics, Microphones and Headphones and Director for JBL’s European loudspeaker business. He’s been in the pro audio industry for all his professional life, and Austrian Audio is his latest brainchild. Following the closure of the AKG offices in Vienna, he set out to create something new, challenging, and respectful to the AKG heritage. In 2017, he asked his former AKG team of engineers to join him to produce products embodying the sound and engineering excellence. Austrian Audio started with a core team of 22 former AKG personnel from management, acoustics, electronics, test and measurement, mechanical design, RF/wireless, and software and firmware. Backed by over 350 years of cumulative engineering experience, Martin now leads his team in building high-quality and innovative microphones and headphones. Currently, the flagship mic is the OC818, a large-diaphragm, multi-pattern condenser microphone with a unique dual-diaphragm ceramic capsule. At NAMM 2020, the company launched a line of professional headphones, the Hi-X55 and the Hi-X50.Sam Inglis BiogEditor In Chief Sam Inglis has been with Sound On Sound for more than 20 years. He is a recording engineer, producer, songwriter and folk musician who studies the traditional songs of England and Scotland, and the author of Neil Young's Harvest (Bloomsbury, 2003) and Teach Yourself Songwriting (Hodder, 2006).Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts