Content is KING at ALTI-EXPO & Conference!
What to look for.
What to expect.
ALTI-EXPO & Conference ’23 (AE’23) seeks to present content presentations of new, cutting edge technologies, timely information and education focusing on technical, business, marketing, and general education related to the audio signal chain and all related technologies.
ALTI-EXPO & Conference ’23 (AE’23) returns to the DoubleTree by Hilton at the entrance to Universal, Orlando. Look for many new presentations from new Members and technologies that we are confident our Members and attendees will find of great value.
Presentations will be technical content and business content as well as product specific trainings.
Presentation formats include:
Our conference schedule is now full.
Papers: 20 minutes or less in length. Presentations of academic nature and not self, corporate, or specific product related.
Advertorials: 20 minutes or less in length. These are intended to promote your company, or products and services. Advertorials will be at no charge for exhibitors.
Seminars: May be from 1 to 4 hours. Presentations of purely academic or educational value and no commercial promotion.
Some upcoming highlights of AE’23 content*
Analog Devices will demo Microspeaker amplifiers, Sigma DSP/SoundStudio, and Precision signal generator. Plus a deep dive into using SigmaStudio and more.
Speaker Builders Workshop Volume 2 (SBW2) will delve into the digital world where analog speakers meet digital tuning.
Andrew Bellavia of AuraFuturity will hold a seminar on Branding and why it is a vital component of products, companies and people.
Dr. Sean Olive of Harman will be giving a Paper on the all important headphone segment and the need for personalization.
Watch for more releases soon!
*some offerings subject to change or updates
The schedule below is still being built with a lot of content still to come. It is subject to edits and changes and will be updated daily. One thing is certain; There will be a very full and busy schedule with fresh content! Latest update: 24-Apri; 2023.
APDA Conference sessions in the graphic below start/stop times are approximate. See abstracts further down the page for exact start/stop times. All APDA presentations are the property of APDA. ALTI Association is not responsible for any content presented.
APDA Brings You Day 3 of Cutting Edge Content!
Be sure to sign up for this optional 3rd day of outstanding content!
3 ways to participate in ALTI-EXPO ’23 Conference sessions:
- Our regular 2 day All Access Pass covers all conference sessions and activities on June 11 & 12, 2023 Just $499*
- Our extended All Access Pass covers all 3 days of content and activities . Just $699*
- Day 3 ONLY sessions sponsored by DSP Concepts. Only $2oo
See your options and Get Registered here
*Includes Breakfast and lunch both days plus the annual Banquet on Sunday evening
Keynote Presentations
The Need For Headphone Personalization
By Sean Olive, Senior Fellow, Harman International
Sunday, June 11, 2023 at the annual Banquet starting at 6″30PM
Recent research into the perception and measurement of headphones has identified a preferred frequency response or target curve that satisfies a majority of listeners. However, there exists different segments of the population whose preferences may deviate from this target, and are associated with differences in age, hearing loss, listening experience, gender, anthropomorphic features, and personal taste. My talk explores the need for headphone personalization, and discusses some of the current research and solutions that aim to deliver better headphone experiences for more listeners.
Conference Presentations
SBW2
Speaker Builders Workshop 2
June 11: 9AM to Noon in Breakout F
2 will expand upon the basics of designing and building a loudspeaker as presented in SBW1. In SBW2, we go digital by adding power and DSP to a loudspeaker to customize for specific applications.
We will discuss the proper use of DSP, and go hands-on to apply what we have learned.
COMSOL will demonstrate modeling a driver for specific application. Parts Express, and Analog Devices will present an overview of using DSP to fine tune, or adapt to specific environments. Using electronic crossover versus passive crossovers will be demonstrated, and then we are hands-on to tune systems and learn great tips on what to do with DSP, and what NOT to do. This will be a great workshop with practical applications.
SBW2 is included with your All Access Pass.
Jason Merriman started as an engineering intern with Parts Express in 2018 while finishing his computer engineering degree from The Ohio State University. Since earning his degree in 2019, Jason has worked full time as an Engineer at Parts Express lending his computer and technology expertise to the company, with a special interest in bridging the gap between computers and audio systems. He works in particular with app controlled and DSP systems, and has a strong proclivity for consumer electronics as a whole.
As a long-standing employee of Parts Express Brian Myers has been passionately working in the loudspeaker/audio business since 1996. Brian has held many positions at Parts Express from Technical Advisor to Project Manager. Experienced in transducers and acoustics by spending countless hours of measuring raw drivers, passive radiators, enclosures and amplifiers. Unknown to most, for the past 15 years, he has designed raw drivers for the Parts Express house brands Dayton Audio, GRS and Epique. Not surprisingly, prior to Parts Express he was an audio fanatic and avid speaker builder. Deemed by many as an adept loudspeaker designer by day a “car guy” on the evenings and weekends.
Modeling Loudspeakers in COMSOL Multiphysics®
June 11: 9AM to 10AM in Breakout F
By Jinlan Huang
Loudspeakers are multiphysics in nature, with electromagnetics, mechanical vibrations, and acoustics as the primary phenomena that describe the underlying physics. In the COMSOL Multiphysics® software it is easy to either set up a full vibroelectroacoustic model using the built-in multiphysics couplings or connect a lumped speaker representation with a finite element model for system analysis using the lumped electroacoustics couplings.
For modeling all aspects of a loudspeaker — from the motor and driver to the sound distribution — COMSOL Multiphysics includes several methods that can be used at different stages of the design process. In this session, we will present why and how to use the available methods as well as how to combine them to get the most efficient model setup. We will also showcase the latest features that further enhance the speaker modeling experience in COMSOL Multiphysics.
Jinlan Huang is a principal applications engineer for vibrations and acoustics and often leads acoustics-based training courses. She received her PhD from Boston University, Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, investigating acoustic wave propagation in complex-tissue environments and ultrasound-induced tissue heating and bleeding control. She joined COMSOL in 2011.
High-Fidelity Microacoustics Simulations with COMSOL Multiphysics®
June 11: 2PM to 3:30PM Breakout F.
By Jinlan Huang
When devices have geometric details comparable to the thermal and viscous boundary layers, thermoviscous losses become important. This typically occurs at the millimeter and submillimeter length scale in air, hence the name microacoustics. Typical applications where the effects are important include microspeakers, smartphones, hearing aids, MEMS components, microphones, perforates, meshes, and many others.
Using the COMSOL Multiphysics® software, you can easily model such devices with built-in features for modeling thermoviscous losses. For multiphysics simulations, the losses can be included in vibroacoustic settings or transducer models, where electromagnetic forces can be coupled. Additionally, there are integrated solutions available for combining and coupling with lumped electroacoustic representations. With several enhanced features introduced in the latest release of the software, version 6.1, COMSOL® provides a complete package for you to create high-fidelity numerical models for the design and analysis of your mircotransducers and microacoustic systems.
In this session, you will learn modeling techniques for capturing these effects and setting up multiphysics models. You will also get an introduction to modeling microacoustics systems and their nonlinear effects.
Jinlan Huang is a principal applications engineer for vibrations and acoustics and often leads acoustics-based training courses. She received her PhD from Boston University, Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, investigating acoustic wave propagation in complex-tissue environments and ultrasound-induced tissue heating and bleeding control. She joined COMSOL in 2011.
Microspeakers
June 11: 3:30PM to 4:30PM Breakout F
By: Steve F. Temme
TBA
Steve Temme is founder and President of Listen, Inc., manufacturer of the SoundCheck audio test system. Steve founded the company in 1995, and for the past 28 years the company has remained on the cutting edge of research into audio measurement, regularly introducing new measurement techniques, algorithms and hardware to enable testing of all kinds of devices ranging from basic transducers to complex audio systems. In recent years, Listen’s product development focus has been on perceptual measurements and correlating automated measurement to human hearing, as well as testing today’s more complex audio devices. Prior to founding Listen, Steve worked for many years as an acoustic test and measurement applications engineer at Brüel & Kjær, and also as a loudspeaker design engineer at Apogee Acoustics. He holds a BSME from Tufts University, has authored numerous papers on acoustic testing, and has lectured extensively throughout the world.
June 11: 4:30 to 6PM Breakout F
Introduction to SigmaStudio: An intuitive GUI based DSP design environment
By David Thibodeau
Analog Devices Inc. will host a seminar on SigmaStudio, a GUI based design tool used to program the SigmaDSP line of digital signal processors. These processors are optimized for processing audio and can also perform micro-controller like functions. The SigmaDSP line encompasses a range of products starting with small, cost-efficient DSPs with integrated analog and digital converters to large, powerful DSPs that can interface to a wide variety of converters and other audio processing systems. Using the built-in ASRCs (asynchronous sample rate converters), many external sources can be connected, such as Bluetooth and audio networks. Other features include integrated general-purpose input and outputs (GPIOs), which simplify interfacing to control switches and potentiometers for the adjustments of DSP parameters in real time. SigmaDSPs have been used for over 30 years and SigmaStudio has over 250 proven drag & drop component library blocks. It is also easy to interact with your projects while developing, and changes to parameters are reflected instantly for audio playback.
Our session will consist of developing an application using SigmaStudio, starting from a blank file and quickly coming up with a functioning solution; eventually programming it into an EEPROM while you watch. Other more advanced concepts will be demonstrated using prepared projects that showcase capabilities and ease of programming. Attendees will learn how to easily create projects that include EQs, crossovers, limiters, IV-feedback, loudness compensation, and a host of other useful tools. We hope participants will come away with a better understanding of DSP and how it can solve their challenges effectively, while also helping to create high-performance audio systems and solutions.
David Thibodeau started his audio electronics training in 1977 with the military. He then went on to work at several recording studios including Middle Tennessee State University where he held the position of Chief Engineer while earning his BS in Computer Science. Afterwards, David freelanced in studio repair and design before accepting a position to lead the service department for Pro Audio Design. There, he refurbished and installed more than 100 consoles, as well as designing pro-audio equipment. David would then to go on to the broadcast field, working on commentary audio systems at the Olympics and World Cup. In 2005, he expanded on his pro-audio equipment design work, culminating in the co-design of compressors, mic pre-amps, and an analog audio recording console. In 2012, he joined Analog Devices as an Applications Engineer with a focus on ADCs, DACs, and SigmaDSP products. In addition to his current role, he also teaches evening classes at UMASS Lowell and Berklee College of Music.
A Comparison of Headphone Measurements Made on Humans Versus Test Fixtures
June 12: 9:00AM to 10:00AM Breakout F
By Dr. Sean Olive
A recent study measured the differences in frequency response of nine headphones measured at the blocked meatus of humans and commercial test fixtures. The results show significant variance in response among humans depending on the headphone model and type (open versus closed back). Significant differences were also found among the test fixtures in terms of how accurately they match measurements made on humans. It is clear that no single test fixture can accurately quantify the variance in response experienced across different humans, although some fixtures come closer than others.
Sean Olive studied music at the University of Toronto and sound recording at McGill University in Montreal where received a masters and Ph.D. From 1986-93 he worked as a research scientist with Dr. Floyd Toole at the National Research Council joining Harman in 1993 where he has been since. He is a Senior Fellow in Acoustic Research at Harman International focused on research in sound quality of reproduced sound in consumer, professional and automotive audio spaces. His most recent publication Acoustics Today is “The Perception and Measurement of Headphone Sound Quality: What Do Listeners Prefer?
He has published over 50 research papers for which he received the Fellow of the Audio Engineering Society (AES), two AES publications awards, and the ALMA Titanium Award. Sean is the Past President of AES.
June 12: 10:00AM to 10:30AM Breakout F
A new method for measurement of transient distortion
By: Steve F. Temme
In this paper, we introduce a new method for measurement of transient distortion, or ‘loose particles’ that is more accurate and reliable than current methods. As well as improved performance, this new algorithm also aids understanding of the correlation between measurement results and audibility, since it is possible to isolate and listen to just the transient distortion artifacts. This is a valuable quality control metric because it identifies non-periodic distortion, for example, rattling parts, separately from periodic distortion such as rubbing or buzzing parts. This facilitates troubleshooting of manufacturing issues. Although this analysis method was originally developed for measuring loose particles in loudspeaker drivers, it is also valuable for measuring rattling parts, such as buttons, fasteners, and loose wires on various audio devices, and measuring impulsive distortion or Buzz, Squeak and Rattle (BSR) in automotive audio applications.
See Steve Temme Biography above
TBA
June 12: 10:30AM to 11:00AM Breakout F
Analog Devices Consumer Audio Solutions
By Ryan Boyle
Analog Devices has a portfolio of products and solutions for speaker and audio system designers. We serve a wide variety of customers with applications in personal electronics, smart home, hearables and wearables, unified communications, pro audio, home theater, gaming, automotive, industrial and medical. Our presentation will cover ADI’s Consumer Audio Solutions, which includes our class-leading DSP and amplifier products. We will introduce our easy-to-use SigmaDSP products, a family of cost-effective audio processors with integrated low noise ADC/DACs. Included with any SigmaDSP part is SigmaStudio, a graphical programming environment with proven drag and drop building blocks for system support, functions, and algorithms. Then we’ll talk about our digital input class D plug-and-play amplifiers, which have sold over 1 billion units. Finally, we will walk through our smart amplifiers which utilize IV-sense and Dynamic Speaker Management™ to maximize the performance of your speakers.
Ryan Boyle holds an Electrical Engineering degree from UMASS Lowell with a minor in Sound Recording Technology. Prior to joining Analog Devices, he worked at Bose Automotive Systems in roles for Product Marketing and Concept Development. He has a lifelong passion for audio and music.
Making Your B2B Brand Work For You
June 12: 11:00AM to 11:30AM Breakout F
By Andrew Bellavia
Your brand is more than a logo. It is the impression you leave on your audience whenever and wherever they engage with your company. The best B2B brands are intentional about identifying the needs of their audience and crafting messages that convey why their company is the best one to meet them. These messages employ a carefully-considered mix of logic, credibility, and emotion to strike the right notes and create appeal. Successful brands identify and take advantage of multiple channels to reach their target audience where they are.
Andrew Bellavia of AuraFuturity will share an overview of the process for identifying the needs of your customers, creating messages that speak to those needs, and deploying those messages across channels including websites, written media, presentations, podcasts, and videos to engage people and convert them to customers.
Andrew Bellavia is the founder of AuraFuturity, a go-to-market and branding consultancy in the hearing, hearables, and broader communications markets. Previously he was responsible for market development and branding for the Hearing Health Tech division at Knowles Corp. and has prior experience in international sales, marketing, product management, and general management. Andrew has been involved in the audio industry in various ways throughout his career and has been deeply embedded at the intersection of hearables and hearing health, frequently speaking and writing on innovations in these markets. Andrew is a co-host of the This Week in Hearing podcast and is frequently invited as a guest on others. He has appeared in print in Forbes, Trusted Reviews, AudioXpress, and more.
C2S™️ The Concentric Coplanar Stabilizer for cohesive sound reproduction: A comprehensive approach
June 12: 11:30AM to Noon Breakout F
By Roger Shively
A Concentric Coplanar Stabilizer (C2S)™ is a technology used in loudspeaker design that aims to improve the accuracy and quality of sound reproduction. Work presented during this presentation will cover COMSOL modeling work that was done to compare currently available technology like PR vs C2S™ Technology and it potential use and benefits for current and future products.
Roger Shively is a co-founder and principal of JJR Acoustics (Seattle, WA). He has more than 35 years of experience in engineering research and development, with significant experience in product realization and in launching new products at OEM manufacturers around the world. Before co-founding JJR Acoustics in 2011, Roger worked as Chief Engineer of Acoustic Systems as well as functional manager for North American and Asian engineering product development teams in the Automotive Division of Harman International Industries Inc., a journey that began in 1986.
Roger received his degree in Acoustical Engineering from Purdue University in 1983, and finished post-graduate work in the field of finite element analysis. He is a member of the Audio Engineering Society (AES), Acoustical Society of America (ASA), and Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE). He has published numerous research papers and articles in the areas of transducers, automotive audio, psychoacoustics, and computer modeling. Roger also holds US and International Patents related to the design of advanced acoustic systems and applications, particularly in the field of automotive audio. Roger is Co-Chair of the AES Automotive Audio Technical Committee.
Precision Audio Test & Measurement Solutions
June 12: 2:00PM to 2:30PM Breakout F
By Jordyn Ansari
Accurate measurement of current, voltage, and impedance, as well as the capability to generate high-fidelity signals are required in the various stages of audio engineering, from R&D to end-of-line production testing. Key examples of this are impedance measurement of loudspeakers for crossover network design and electrical performance testing where near-perfect tone generation is required.
Join this session to learn about Analog Devices’ embedded solutions that not only meet these performance requirements but also change the paradigm for cost when compared to off-the-shelf instruments.
Two solutions will be showcased that can be easily integrated into existing systems. The ADMX1002 is an ultra-low distortion and low noise signal generator capable of generating tones with -130 dB of THD. The ADMX2001 is a high-precision LCR meter capable of measuring impedances with 0.05% relative accuracy using test signals above 1MHz.
Jordyn Ansari joined Analog Devices in 2014. She has held various engineering roles in the Precision Amplifier team and is now a System Applications Manager in the Instrumentation Business Unit. She holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Cost-down benefits of Cerium-based Neodymium magnets for acoustic applications
June 12: 2:30PM to 3:00PM Breakout F
By John Ebert
In view of the recent second Rare Earth crisis, price volatility for permanent magnets in acoustic applications has created havoc for many US manufacturers. Combined with inflation and astronomical logistics costs, speaker manufacturers have experienced insoluble pricing issues over magnetic components. However, the development of production-ready, Cerium-based Neodymium permanent magnets may bring significant relief to the speaker and acoustics industry. We will discuss the technical evolution of Cerium-based Neodymium magnets and the cost-down benefits they bring to our industry
John Ebert /Business Manager,Americas Industrial Division, Yunsheng USA
BSc. Joint Honours, Environmental Science/Computer Studies at University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
Roles: P&L, Business development, Quality & compliance, Technical consultation
Specialisms: MCMA Certified Motion Control Professional, subject matter expert (Magnetics & metallurgy, International trade, Commodity futures trading) Foreign languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin, French, Spanish (basic)
Measurement data centralization: Ingesting different forms of parametric data so that everyone can find and use it
June 12: 3:00PM to 3:30PM Breakout F
By Joshua Levy
Engineering costs are some of the highest organizational operating costs. So when audio measurement engineers waste valuable time cleaning data in Excel spreadsheets and/or Matlab before they can extract useful metrics for R&D and manufacturing activities. This process is tedious, inefficient, and costly. To tackle this challenge, we present the Lyceum Advanced Data Ingestor, a tool that captures Excel behaviors and generates instructions files for cleaning large datasets. Moreover, the tool facilitates collaboration among team members by enabling them to upload and post-process ‘clean’ data on the cloud. This paper explores the problems with audio measurement data cleaning, the advantages of the Lyceum Advanced Data Ingestor, and a case study on its application in an audio product development process
Joshua Levy: an innovative audio engineer and inventor, boasts a decade of experience at tech giants like Meta/Facebook and Amazon. Driven by his frustration with the limitations of existing toolsets, Levy founded the Lyceum, where he now pioneers groundbreaking applications that empower systems integration teams and scientists to create revolutionary, user-centric products.
Chris Martellotti: a seasoned entrepreneur and growth strategist, boasts nearly two decades of experience in building revenue, teams, and companies. Specializing in highly technical products, Martellotti excels at establishing repeatable processes, acquiring benchmark customers, and fostering lean, collaborative work environments. With a keen eye for emerging business sectors and a diverse skill set spanning sales, hiring, training, and leadership, Martellotti has an impressive track record of generating multimillion-dollar revenues, even during challenging economic climates. An artistic, analytical, and exemplary leader, he thrives on shaping companies’ storylines and nurturing their growth.
The Evolution of Audio Soundcards for Manufacturing and Production Testing
June 12: 3:30PM to 4:00PM Breakout F
Follows the development of audio soundcards for the desktop computer industry and their evolution and adoption for testing applications in manufacturing and QA/QC – culminating in the development of the Echo AIO Test System
Kris Jackson– VP Sales and Marketing and Product Development at Echo Test + Measurement
Audio DSP for Consumer A/V products
June 12: 4:00PM to 4:30PM Breakout F
By John Richards
The presentation will cover Oxford Digital’s suites of DSP effects for:
Sound Quality Improvement
SmartFx is an integrated suite of effects covering EQ for frequency response correction and tuning, DRC, two types of bass enhancement, switchable crossover network, etc. It is configurable as 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 2.1 as standard with other configurations (e.g. for Dolby ATMOS) also available.
Enhanced Listening Experience
NMFx & Vox Boost: a ‘Night Mode’ processor for control of bass and dynamic range compression as well as speech intelligibility improvement.
High Frequency Restoration
HFFx Auto: A high frequency restoration process for both restoring HF response lost in transmission (it’s more prevalent than you may think!) as well as in up-conversion to higher sample rates than it was initially recorded at.
In addition, our MajEq system for rapidly correcting frequency responses to a desired target curve (e.g. Classical, Rock, Speech, etc.) will be explained.
John Richards has been involved with audio digital signal processing and completed a Master’s Degree in it before DSP was a widely recognised thing!
He has had lots of fun developing DSP projects in both audio and video such as EMI’s All Digital Audio Mixing Desk – the world’s first ALL-digital mixer and Sony Professional’s High Definition 3D Non-Linear Video Special Effects and Motion-Compensated Standards conversion, then later as head of the newly formed Sony Pro-Audio R&D Lab, Oxford to develop and productise the Sony OXF-R3 Mixing Console – Sony’s most expensive product ever.
John left Sony at the end of June 2006 having spun out the part of Sony’s Pro-Audio Lab concerned with Pro-Audio R&D and audio effects for consumer A/V to form Oxford Digital Limited, a company specialising in audio technology licensing and contract engineering for strategic partners.
John is a Fellow of the IET, a Chartered Engineer, a Senior Member of the IEEE and a Fellow of the Royal Television Society.
John Richards
Oxford Digital Limited
White Oak, West End, Combe, Witney, OX29 8NP, UK
+44 845 450 5664
Not Calibrated? Are You Serious?
June 12: 4:30PM to 5:00PM Breakout F
By Gregor Schmidle
Periodic calibration of test equipment is often perceived as an unnecessary chore, and therefore gets neglected. Sometimes, the concept, intention and importance of calibration may not be fully understood. This paper will provide clarity on these topics. Several terms and definitions are explained and set in the correct context. The concept of traceability is illustrated using a calibration pyramid. Also, a few best-practice examples of how to calibrate audio and acoustic test equipment are demonstrated.
Gregor Schmidle is Product Manager at NTi Audio in Schaan, Liechtenstein. He completed a Bachelor of Science degree at the Interstate University of Applied Sciences of Technology in Buchs, Switzerland in 1992 and a Master of Science degree at the University of Applied Sciences in Dornbirn, Austria in 2004. Gregor has been in the audio and acoustic Test & Measurement industry for 25 years. After working several years at NEUTRIK as a hard and software developer, he continued his career at NTI Audio as an applications support engineer. In his current position, Gregor Schmidle is in charge of NTi Audio’s industrial key customers worldwide.
The Audio Product Development Alliance (APDA) was founded by a team of audio industry experts committed to furthering the knowledge and skills of professionals involved in the development of audio products. The Alliance promotes education and training events focused on the methodologies, practices and technologies involved in developing and bringing audio products to market.
The Audio Product Development Alliance is composed of long-term professionals in the audio product development area who saw the dramatic increase in audio products leveraging voice interfaces, and a new generation of wireless, network, signal processing technologies, and other advanced technologies, creating a huge demand for development professionals with multidisciplinary and highly specialized skills. The Alliance concept was originally founded within the scope of the Audio Engineering Society to expand the reach of the Product Development Track of the AES Conventions. In 2023, the founding team decided to pursue the APDA initiatives independently, and work together with multiple associations and institutions to broaden its scope of activity with a larger focus on the consumer electronics industry.
The APDA aims to offer the audio-specific and hands-on development skills that developers, manufacturers and supply chain partners need to advance at the demanding pace of new audio application segments. As Audio has entered as a major component into many new product areas, APDA will also offer specific audio training and the opportunity to learn best practices to new and seasoned professionals from any product areas.
Sunday June 11 – Sourcing and Supply Chain
Introduction to APDA Day 1 – Scott Leslie (APDA Managing Director)
9:00-9:45
Product Management
Scott Leslie (Chief Product Architect, PD Squared)
Product Management and Supply Chain Walk Into a Bar
Product Management has become a well-developed and business function today. In this session you will see how detailed Product Management practices from Concept to Definition to Design to Validation to Verification integrates into all facets of the Supply Chain. We will cover these development phases in detail on how each related to key Supply Chain Sourcing decisions and actions.
9:45-10:30
Supply Chain Fundamentals – Circa 2025
Mike Klasco (CEO, Menlo Scientific – APDA Chair)
“Speed, Quality, Cost – Choose 2”
The triad of product development success. How to deal with these conflicting dimensions, why it is important to your product development journey and how it impacts your stakeholders.
10:30-10:40
Break
10:40-12:00
Supply Chain Fundamentals – Circa 2025
Cris Cataudella (VP Pro Audio, Tymphany)
Supplier Partner Models and Relationships
CM, OEM, ODM and now JDM, which is right for you and why?
In this session you will learn about the modern supplier models that are reshaping how products are developed and delivered.
12:00-14:00
Lunch Break
14:00-14:45
Leveraging Partners for Technology and Marketing advantage
Jason Marr (Sr. Manager, Strategic Alliances, Logitech)
Getting the Logo on Your Box
What it means from a performance and product perspective plus how brands cooperate with leading embedded technology suppliers to improve their products and increase their profile. “The Intel Inside strategy for audio”.
14:45-15:15
USA Sourcing
Clement Fert (Field Sales Engineer, Acoustics and Sensors, Seltech)
Local and Remote Sourcing: An Update
What are the positives and challenges of sourcing in the US? What has changed and why you might consider the US as the next frontier of an ever changing supply chain landscape.
15:15-15:45
Asia Sourcing Part 1 – What to consider
Mike Klasco (CEO, Menlo Scientific – APDA Chair)
Asia Sourcing: The key factors and considerations
Asia as a sourcing region has matured and expanded from a parts and manufacturing destination to offer all types of service & product offerings. In this session we will cover the challenges and benefits of committing to the services portfolio of companies across Asia versus keeping these functions local to your company. This will include:
- Product Design
- Project Management
- Industrial Design
- Hardware Engineering
- Software Development
- Parts and Materials
- Legal Protection
- Language Barrier
- Time Zone Challenges
15:45-16:00
Break
16:00-17:00
Asia Sourcing Part 2 – Country by country
Mike Klasco (CEO, Menlo Scientific – APDA Chair)
Cris Cataudella (VP Pro Audio, Tymphany)
Dwight Tobiano (Executive Officer, Dai-ichi Electronics Manufacturing
Asian Geography Panel
Our panel will present and hold an open discussion on what you should know about sourcing today in Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, China and others throughout Asia.
17:00 – 18:00
End of Day Session
Dave Lindberg (DB Enterprises – APDA Chair) via video (Q&A by Scott Leslie)
Product Development Process – Success Factors with your Supplier Partners
Monday June 12 – Modeling and Measurement
Introduction to APDA Day 2
– Roger Shively (JJR Acoustics – APDA Chair)
9:00 – 10:30
Modeling Techniques
COMSOL
Jinlan Huang (Principal Applications Engineer for Vibration and Acoustics, COMSOL)
Advancements in Multiphysics simulation for electroacoustic products.
Advancement of the COMSOL Model Builder will show the application of multiphysics features in the Acoustics Modules, including the couplings with structural mechanics, piezoelectricity, and fluid flow and specialized formulations and material models, like thermoviscous acoustics, used in miniature transducers and mobile devices, or Biot’s equations, used for modeling poroelastic waves.
10:40 – 10:50
Break
10:50 – 11:20
Steve Hutt (Equity Sound Investments – APDA)
Roger Shively (JJR Acoustics – APDA Chair)
Digital Twins
Utilizing the Digital Twin method, a case study is reviewed that analyzes how loudspeaker production variance affects audio system performance. This method enables interchanging components without perturbing the system, effectively eliminating measurement uncertainty between comparisons. Binaural Room Impulse Responses are convolved to create auralizations of different scenarios that are then subjectively evaluated by a listening panel to compare audible differences.
11:20-12:00
Mark Cops (Applications Engineer for Acoustics, COMSOL)
Audio Product Development with COMSOL
Practical modeling studies from loudspeakers developed using COMSOL will show the application of multiphysics features in the Acoustics Modules
12:00-14:00
Lunch Break
14:00-15:30
Modeling and Measurement
COMSOL
Jinlan Huang & Mark Cops
Klippel
Robert Werner (Applications Engineer, Klippel)
Integration of Simulation and Measurement Data.
Modeling and Simulation has advanced greatly with the innovation in software tools brought to market by companies like COMSOL.
Measurement systems today can and do collect vast amounts of data about product performance, quality, consistency, etc.
The next frontier is bridging the gap between simulation data and measurement data from leaders from both discpilines in that industry for audio products. Covered will be the data management, comparison, and model updates for optimization, the most powerful part of the Audio Production Simulation and Production Cycle.
15:30-16:15
Measurement Techniques
Jacob Soendergaard (Principal Engineer, HEAD Acoustics)
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score
How to you measure Audio Quality put it into an objective and easy to grasp (and compare) format. The MDAQS algorithm: Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score.
16:15 – 17:00
Steve Temme (Founder and President, Listen)
Directional Measurements for Spatial Audio Research
In addition to traditional frequency response, distortion, phase etc., a complete set of measurements increasingly includes directional characteristics. In this short demonstration, Listen will show how directional measurements can be made quickly, accurately and in an ordinary room to help develop products for spatial audio applications.
Tuesday June 13 – Voice and DSP
Introduction to APDA Day 3 – Steve Willenborg (VP Sales, Linkplay – APDA Chair)
8:30 – 9:00
Introductions and Welcome
Steve Willenborg (VP Sales, Linkplay – APDA Chair)
The continued development of improved audio products relies on new techniques and development tools. At ADPA we strive to showcase the technologies and methods that are essential to product development engineering using the most advanced tools available including many that will be presented today. The use of DSP and AI/ML will continue to influence and enable new and exciting audio designs. These technologies are rapidly evolving and with the combination of deep learning and electro-acoustic engineering it is a very exciting time in the audio/acoustics products field.
9:00 – 9:50
Designing for Conferencing Differentiation
Paul Beckmann (Chief Technical Officer, DSP Concepts)
Overcoming the Challenges of High-Quality Conferencing
Voice conferencing products are notoriously difficult to build. Even relatively basic designs such as a single mic “voice puck” requires hours of testing and tuning to achieve a satisfying user experience. More advanced designs with microphone arrays and satellite microphones introduce finicky, potentially time consuming problem-solving at both the hardware and software levels. Meeting the rigorous standards for Microsoft Teams and Zoom certification requires significant expertise and specialized facilities. In this talk, DSP Concepts CTO Paul Beckmann discusses the challenges in making high-quality conferencing and the key steps to achieving a differentiated product.
09:50-10:00
Break
10:00 – 11:30
Machine Learning Enablement
Josh Morris (Sales Engineer, DSP Concepts)
The Audio Weaver ML Module Pack Training
Machine Learning is fundamentally changing every aspect of audio processing. In this special Audio Weaver ML Module Pack training session, you will learn how to train your own keyword spotting system using TensorFlow and the Audio Weaver development platform. The highlight of the talk will be a live demonstration showing how to profile, tune, and visualize the model in real-time in Audio Weaver running on the Arm Cortex-M55 and Ethos-U55 microNPU.
11:30 – 13:00
Lunch – Buffet
Demos and networking
Table demonstrations
- DSPC – 3 tables
- XMOS – 1 table
13:00 – 14:00
Presentation 1
XMOS
Eric Skup (VP Customer Acquisition and Success, DSP Concepts) Plus DSP Concepts Engineering Team
DSP Concepts
Sales VP Development Kit Training
The latest XMOS Xcore crossover processor features xcore-voice, a complete voice solution pre-integrated with Audio Weaver. Xcore architecture combines AI, DSP, I/O and control in a single economical device. In this session, attendees will get a first-look at the EVK running the TalkTogether voice comms technology and playback modules in Audio Weaver on the RISC-V architecture.
14:00 – 15:30
Audio Weaver Training Part 1
DSP Concepts
Sales Engineering Team
Audio Weaver Training – 1
Discover how Audio Weaver makes audio innovation easy in this introductory training session. This short session is a preview of the full online training offered once per month by DSP Concepts.
- Audio Weaver Overview
- Audio Weaver Designer GUI
- Standard Designer Processing Modules
- Audio Weaver Core Embedded Libraries
- Audio Weaver Use Cases
15:30 – 16:00
Break
16:00 – 17:30
Audio Weaver Training Part 2
DSP Concepts
Sales Engineering Team
Audio Weaver Platform Training – 2
Part 2 of the Audio Weaver training session provides hands-on experience with Audio Weaver centered on a conferencing use case. Participants will learn how to navigate the TalkTogether voice comms layout and tune playback running on the STMicro STM32H747 MCU.