The founder of GRAS Sound & Vibration, the renowned acoustical engineer Gunnar Rasmussen, passed away on the 17th of April 2024.
By Thomas Robson
The rapid integration of advanced technologies in consumer audio products is changing the industry on a day-to-day basis. New features like Active Noise Cancelling, Hybrid Noise Cancelling, and voice-controlled smart systems are hardy considered premium options anymore, but simply what customers have come to expect. This directly impacts audio testing on production lines, where precise measurements to ensure sound quality are more vital than ever. This demand applies to mid- and low-end products, too, leading to increased production line costs and potentially strained relationships between contract manufacturers and audio brands. To successfully adapt to this trend, both electronics manufacturers and test microphone manufacturers need to embrace customized measuring products and solutions as the way forward. In GRAS Sound & Vibration, we have successfully adopted customization as a core principle driving product development and innovation.
Over the years, many of our customization projects have turned into industry standards. By tailoring both technical specifications and form factor, as well as carefully considering where, how, and by whom the microphone will be used, we’ve succeeded in creating a number of bestsellers. Here are a few of our favorites.
Balancing Innovation, Quality, and Efficiency: A Dialogue Between Audio Brands and Contract Manufacturers
The world of audio product manufacturing is a dance between innovation, quality, and efficiency. This blog post explores the interplay between audio brands and contract manufacturers, revealing how their goals align and diverge in the quest for excellence.
Point: The Audio Brand Perspective
Audio brands are the visionaries, constantly pushing the envelope on quality and innovation. They face the challenge of maintaining their reputation for excellence while expanding their product lines. For them, the primary concern is ensuring that every product bearing their name meets stringent quality standards, which necessitates rigorous testing and compliance measures. The introduction of intelligent production line test microphones with EQset™ technology represents a solution to these challenges, enabling brands to achieve consistent, high-quality audio performance across their product range.
Counterpoint: The Contract Manufacturer's Standpoint
The Main Challenges in Production Line Testing of Audio Devices
In a recent webinar, GRAS Sound & Vibration Product Manager, Santiago Rayes, explored the main challenges in production line testing of audio devices and how to mitigate them. It’s all a question of finding the right balance – and choosing the right equipment. According to Santiago Rayes, the main challenges are:
At GRAS Sound & Vibration, we take great pride in our Operators.
They are the highly skilled men and women who handcraft, assemble, and test every GRAS microphone at our HQ in Holte, Denmark. They come from Denmark and around the world, and with various specialist backgrounds. Some have trained as watchmakers, others in pharmaceutical production. On top of that, each Operator undergoes rigorous training before joining our production, building on their unique skills to meet our exacting standards.
From one dedicated family to another: The GRAS story continues
In 2024, it is 30 years since visionary acoustics pioneer, Gunnar Rasmussen, founded Gunnar Rasmussen Acoustic Services – today known as GRAS Sound & Vibration. What has followed since then is a fairy tale story of growth and acoustic achievements, all built on Gunnar Rasmussen’s guiding vision of innovation and customization. Today, GRAS is part of the Axiometrix family of measurement solution providers. But Gunnar’s vision and values still guide the company.
What's the connection?
They are not directly related, as such. An initial guess might involve how much ash plane engines can take. While that would be on the right track, it is not the connection in this particular case.
Electroacoustic Engineer, Brian Johansen, has tested sound in everything from airplanes and cars to refrigerators and satellite launches.
It took over 40 years for someone to come up with a better ear simulator than the 711 coupler originally developed by acoustic engineering pioneers Per Brüel and Gunnar Rasmussen. That someone was Brian Johansen.
The discovery of SysCheck2
Julie works for a leading audio brand manufacturer in China and is preparing to set up and oversee a new production line. The line will produce high-end audio components that will need a full audio test for each product at the end of the line.
