Fourier Audio targets live sound sector
- Details
It has been created by multi-Olivier award-winning sound designer, Gareth Owen, acoustical engineering postgraduate student, Henry Harrod, and lighting designer and software engineer, Peter Bridgman.
Henry says: “Fourier Audio is reinventing the tools used by sound designers on live productions, enabling them to create amazing new sonic worlds and revolutionise the audience’s listening experience. While live events have the most electric atmosphere, so often there simply isn’t the same immersive and mesmerising audio experience you get in a cinema or listening to your favourite studio recording. Our technology will bring studio-grade, immersive audio to live audiences for the first time.
“Fourier Audio is creating a suite of tools, including Rewind and Transform, to bring live audio technology into the 22nd century. The products are centred around allowing live engineers to bring the power of the studio environment to the live audience.”
Henry adds: “We have a top team behind us including Gareth Owen who is one of the top three musical theatre sound designers in the world. He’s worked with The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi and won the Olivier Award for Sound Design three times - and received over fifty other awards around the world. Peter Bridgman is an experienced software engineer and lighting designer for live events, so knows exactly what is required to improve an event-goer’s experience and how to deliver tools that designers want to use. For my part, I’ve been a sound engineer for some of the largest shows in the West End and beyond, and am currently studying a post-grad in acoustics at Southampton University where I’ve received support from the Future Worlds team to develop Fourier Audio into a force for the future.”
The pandemic has had a huge impact on the events industry, something that Henry hopes Fourier Audio can turn into an opportunity: “Covid-19 has forced our competitors to radically reduce research and development while it’s given us time to really focus on our product development.”
Ben Clark, Director of Future Worlds at the University at Southampton said: “The members of the Founders Cohort are addressing some of the biggest challenges and most exciting opportunities in the world. I’ve no doubt investors will be impressed by their bold visions, dedication and rapid progress, and enticed by the world-changing potential they will discover.”
