Författare: Nille

A year after the introduction of WaveForming and its unique way of controlling wave propagation. Pressurization adds to the range of active acoustic technologies from Trinnov, making available, for the first time, a dedicated technology to address each of the different acoustic behaviors in home cinema rooms.

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Multiple partners are revisiting their showroom systems to enable demonstration of WaveForming.

Paris, France and East Hampton, Connecticut, USA– May 31, 2023 – Trinnov Audio, designer and manufacturer of reference audio processors for home theaters, high-end hi-fi, professional audio and commercial cinemas, is pleased to announce that following the successful first public demonstration of WaveForming, its revolutionary new technology at the 2023 ISE show in Barcelona, multiple partners are incorporating the technology in their respective demonstration systems on a global basis. Trinnov’s R&D team also reports significant progress on multiple fronts.

INDUSTRY ADOPTION PROGRESS

Trinnov’s new WaveForming^TM technolgy has the promise of significantly advancing how frequency reproduction, with the potential of profoundly transforming home theater design guidelines. With the cooperation of industry partners, Trinnov’s intent is to elevate home theater performance through a design-driven approach to implementation of this scientifically uncompromised technology.

Whilst at ISE, in addition to the open demonstrations, Trinnov made exclusive presentations to key partners. As a result, over a dozen showrooms are being reconfigured to accommodate the placement of loudspeakers necessary for the technology, with dozens more interested. These projects span the globe and include showrooms of speaker manufacturers, distributors and dealers.

We are pleased to report that the response to our presentation at ISE was instant and highly positive. During the show and immediately afterward we were contacted by multiple partners indicating their interest in upgrading their showroom environments to enhance their product presentations by incorportaing Trinnov WaveForming^TM, with a number already under construction, some of which have already completed the required modifications. To our surprise, the WaveForming^TM demonstration also caught a lot of intrerest in the pro audio industry.” Arnaud Laborie, Trinnov Audio co-founder and CEO

FIRST DEMONSTRATION AFTER ISE

Krix jumped on the opportunity and has already showcased WaveForming^TM in a 5.8.4 channel configuration with an Altitude¹⁶ using the +4 channel upgrade. The screen channels are Magaphonix Flats, the surround channels are Phonix, and the height speakers are IC-52’s. They used new subwoofer designs that are currently in the prototype stage. The six seat, two row theater has a 130-inch screen and is 5.8 by 4.4. by 3.2 meters high.

We were really excited and keen to implement Trinnov’s new WaveForming^TM technology into one of our demonstration rooms, just in time for our dealer training in May. The seat-to-seat consistency and dynamic realism it brings are a huge benefit to every viewer in the audience. The results are spectacular and as a result, the response from our dealers is beyond expectation!” Michael Cox, Marketing Manager at Krix Loudspeakers.

f you can impress professionals who calibrate and design home cinema’s for a living, then you are on to something. I know I am speaking for everyone who attended the Trinnov advanced training that what we experienced on our final day was a revelation. Watching movie scenes that we have seen 100’s of times left us with shivers and opened mouths. The tactile feel from the subwoofer array transcended our belief and understanding. Frequencies that traveled right through my body created sensations I have never felt. Not just the sheer impact, what we experienced was balanced over multiple rows of listening and subtle frequencies that only enhanced the overall cinematic soundscape. I can’t wait for the opportunity to show our clients what is possible with WaveForming^TM.” Mick Stillone, Director of Sydney HiFi Mona Vale.

AND OTHERS IMMINENT

Trinnov and Divatech solutions are already combining beautifully to deliver unparallelled sound quality. This is not only us talking, but also our best resellers. Trinnov’s demonstration at ISE was really impressive: it is a huge step forward. Our MACH systems are acoustic walls, and can inherently accommodate this new technology with minimal adjustment, making Trinnov/Divatech a match made in heaven. We can’t wait to update our processor and experience WaveForming^TM in our repurposed Showroom.” said Guillaume Dognin, CEO at Divatech.

A Divatech MACH 5 was used in Numéro Deux, a CEDIA Award winning home cinema project in 2021 by Frech integrator Dark Side of the Room. Divatech’s MACH walls consist of speaker and subwoofer (2x 10 inches woofers) modules that can easily be rearranged to accommodate the requirement of WaveForming^TM. The first demonstrations are planned in a couple of weeks at the time of writing.

Immediately after experiencing Trinnov’s demonstration at the ISE show in Barcelona, we made a commitment to integrate this technology into our European demonstration theater outside Amsterdam. We have enjoyed a long working relationship with Trinnov Audio and eagerly anticipate being able to showcase for our customers and the European market the major improvement this breakthrough technology in our reference theater environment.” Anders Uggelberg, founding partner of Procella Audio

Procella Audio’s reference theater is located at its Amsterdam offices. The theater, which was used by Procella and Trinnov at previous ISE shows, seats 15 and incorporates a 15.3.10 channel Dolby Atmos immersive audio system. The theater room is being remodeled to incorporate the newly introduced Procella P18Si single 18 inch subwoofers, which will be installed in the front and rear walls.

Last but not least, Trinnov already started preparing for CEDIA Expo where the public should expect a demonstration to be remembered.

SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS

At its first public presentation at ISE, Trinnov successfully demonstrated the dramatic improvement that WaveForming^TM can bring in an uncompromised environment. As a statement, this shows Trinnov’s ambition and determination to make available a solution with an unparalleled level of performance.

As Trinnov’s R&D progresses with more field tests, its team of engineers will compile data from each installation to enable the drafting and publication of clear installation guidelines. The guidelines are expected to become available later this summer. Whilst the recommendations for the ideal configurations are well defined, testing will provide validation for less demanding speaker layouts that will enable implementation in a wide variety of rooms and speaker layouts.

Trinnov WaveForming^TM is part of an ongoing research and development project that began over six years ago and is likely to keep the Trinnov team busy over the next decade. At this early date, along with limited public exposure, few may be able to filly appreciate its potential. In the following phase of development, the research team will pursue a more comprehensive approach, with the mission to establish how WaveForming^TM will produce the best results in any existing environment, even without requiring a physical change to the room or subwoofer/speaker layout and placement.

Paris, France – May 24th, 2023

In May 2003, Trinnov Audio SA was incorporated near Paris, France by Arnaud Laborie, Remy Bruno and Sebastien Montoya. Fast-forward 20 years and our 3 co-founders, still at the helm today, share some insights on the beginning of this extraordinary journey and where Trinnov goes next.

A BRIEF LOOK IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR

In 20 years, Trinnov went from a student’s research project to a reference in active acoustics, and one of the most successful audio businesses in France. 

20 YEARS TO BUILD A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS

“We started in my grandmother’s living room, which we had turned into an acoustic lab covered with more than 20 custom-built speakers. Looking back, I realize how much we have done and I am very proud of what we have accomplished”, says Arnaud Laborie, co-founder and CEO.

Trinnov is now a team of over 60 people spread across 6 time zones with sales representation in more than 70 countries.

The company is renowned for its innovative audio processing technologies, but also develops its own hardware. Trinnov sells digital audio processors in some of the most demanding environments, ranging from professional studios (over 3000 studios use the Optimizer technology daily), commercial cinemas to high-end Hifi and home theaters.

“We have an installed base of over 10 000 processors and we are accelerating our transition from a craft operation to a true industrial operation.” added Sebastien Montoya, co-founder and head of production.
 

20 YEARS FIGHT FOR BETTER SOUND CALIBRATION

Besides this entrepreneurial success, Trinnov gradually managed to overcome the forceful rejection of digital acoustic correction and significantly contributed to the acceptance of such a game-changing technology, particularly in the professional audio industry.

“Our first customer was the ORF, the Austrian national broadcaster and one of the most renowned audiovisual institutions in Europe, who placed an order to equip 10 of their multichannel control rooms after we personally demonstrated the benefit of our Optimizer technology. We had to wait and keep fighting hard for another 15 years before Loudspeaker/Room optimization eventually became something obvious for a majority of studio owners.” added Arnaud Laborie.

Trinnov never claimed to replace passive acoustics, but keeps challenging the benefits and limits of both active and passive acoustics and the optimal combination of both.

20 YEARS TO BUILD A REPUTATION

Trinnov’s excellent reputation might be one of the company’s most significant and valuable achievements during these first 20 years. 

“I believe it essentially comes down to the fact we have always looked after our clients, and delivered stable software and hardware.” said Remy Bruno, co-founder and director of R&D.

“Hearing how positively people mention Trinnov in the industry is very rewarding but also humbling. It helps us stay focused and keeps reminding us that we have to keep working hard to maintain that reputation and to earn people’s respect”, concluded Arnaud Laborie.

THE TRINNOV FORMULA

Since its creation, Trinnov never deviated from its founding principles and original spirit. The Trinnov journey started with a true passion for audio, and was driven by innovation as well as great ambition.

INNOVATE, NOT IMITATE

“After our time at IRCAM, we had a good understanding of the state of the art in audio research. That’s why we decided to focus our own work on spatial audio, which was almost uncharted territory at the time. This was far more challenging scientifically speaking but also much more rewarding in case of success. Creating our own unique path rather than following existing trends still defines a lot of what we do.” said Arnaud Laborie.

“We always had the ambition and knew we could become a world technological leader in our field of 3D audio”, added Sebastien Montoya.

“At Trinnov, we cover every step of the innovation process from fundamental research to product development. We constantly push the boundaries of knowledge about sound, acoustics, signal processing and human perception. We believe it sets us apart in our industry.” said Remy Bruno.

CREATE LASTING IMPACT, LOOK FAR AHEAD

True impactful innovation usually stands the test of time and Trinnov’s work is no exception. The Optimizer is still perceived as best-in-class, 18 years after its first introduction at the Audio Engineering Society. And our unique CPU based audio processing platform delivers unrivaled processing power. It allows the Altitude platform to remain the highest performing immersive AV Processor on the market, almost 10 years after its introduction. with the ability to render immersive sound formats at their full capability including the 34 channels Atmos channels or to process natively up to 24 channels at 192k.

“Quite honestly, this success is almost unintentional and just resulted from our intention to make quality products and impactful technologies, but if we consider the average life cycle, repairability, and upgradeability of our products, Trinnov is probably one of the most sustainable audio processor  manufacturers”, commented Sebastien Montoya. 

In fact, the notion of sustainability is truly fundamental for Trinnov. No major decision regarding technology, product, hire, or investment is made without reasonable confidence that it won’t be questioned or significantly challenged in the next 5 years.

BUILD A FANTASTIC GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS

“To make right decisions and build durable products, we rely on collective intelligence. The whole team can give their opinion and most of the time, the best decisions are consensual. This is not always the most efficient method but it enables us to avoid major mistakes. It also keeps the team engaged and motivated. This is not a management trick we have learned in a book and implemented with the help of a consultancy firm, it’s just the way it works naturally in the company”, added Remy Bruno.

“I think we have managed to create a good working environment, where people work with what they love, respect and learn from each other, never feel too much stress or under unnecessary pressure. Being fundamentally looking far ahead, with long term goals, we run a marathon, not a sprint.” added Arnaud Laborie.

 

EDUCATE AND SUPPORT THE INDUSTRY

True innovations open new possibilities but have also a deep impact on our habits, practices and workflows. Successful adoption takes time and requires to shift minds. This is why we are very active with education. As an example, 10 years ago when the immersive sound formats were released Trinnov had not only to resolve their compatibility but also to redefine design guidelines to ensure successful projects on the field. This work secured the adoption of high channel count immersive sound at home and has been the foundation of a significant revision of the CEDIA design guidelines (RP22) for residential integrators.

Adopting Trinnov goes well beyond acquiring a product. It is also joining a community that relies on deep expertise to elevate the industry. This is why Trinnov received the CEPro award for best training program and our CEO is still delivering some training himself, for instance at CEDIA.

STAY SAFE, STAY IN CONTROL

Trinnov raised funds twice, but is still majority owned by the 3 co-founders. 

“Trinnov could grow significantly faster, but what matters more to us is to keep a healthy, organic and steady growth. So, we make sure we develop a sustainable business, diversified geographically and also by addressing very different markets. I believe this makes us more resilient than a lot of small to medium audio manufacturers”, said Sebastien Montoya.

“It is essential for us to be able to make our own decisions, to remain true to ourselves for as long as we can. We have received some offers, but Trinnov is not for sale.” said Arnaud Laborie.

This consistency, continuity, and stability helped the company grow through the 2008 and Covid-19 crisis with an average double-digit growth year to year.

2023: THE FUTURE IS ALMOST HERE

Like most other companies, the Covid-19 pandemic heavily disrupted Trinnov’s plans and required significant R&D resources to overcome the difficulties posed by the lack of certain components.

But the long-term focus prevailed.

Throughout this period, Trinnov kept hiring and significantly grew the research and development team to stay on track and even accelerate its long-term developments and critical projects.

“We look for very specific profiles, as talented as passionate about sound. It’s certainly slowed down our hiring program, but the R&D team is now almost 50% of our staff.” commented Remy Bruno.

Trinnov will continue to focus on unique breakthrough innovations that will redefine high performance sound reproduction. After pioneering – and now leading – the fields of room optimization, computer based audio, high resolution immersive sound, Trinnov is focusing on new uncharted territories that will have similar impact.

In 2023, years of extensive research and development materialized into very exciting new technologies and products, opening perspectives for what to expect next from Trinnov.

Maybe the word pivotal year applies here, to celebrate this 20th birthday with style.

WAVEFORMING

The main research project was obviously WaveForming, started more than 6 years ago, announced and showcased at ISE 2023. 

WaveForming redefines low frequency reproduction with an uncompromised and revolutionary scientific approach to eliminate all sorts of wave interferences such as reflections and room modes. The second demonstration outside Trinnov and ISE was held in Australia in front of a professional audience who attended a Trinnov and Krix training.

“The feedback we got only equals the confidence we have in the potential of this new patent-pending technology”, said Arnaud Laborie.

‘‘ If you can impress professionals who calibrate and design home cinemas for a living, then you are on to something I know I am speaking for everyone who attended the Trinnov Advanced training that what we experienced on our final day was a revelation. Watching movie scenes that we have seen 100’s of times left us with shivers and opened mouths. The tactile feel from the subwoofer array transcended our belief and understanding. Frequencies that traveled right through my body created sensations I have never felt. Not just the sheer impact, what we experienced was balanced over multiple rows of listening and subtle frequencies that only enhanced the overall cinematic soundscape. Thank you to Tom, and the team at Krix for sharing their knowledge and sharing their excitement. It was contagious. I can’t wait for the opportunity to show our clients what is possible with WaveForming.” Mick Stillone, Director at Sydney HiFi Mona Vale

The whole team is really excited and proud to drive this innovation forward.

NOVA

Whilst Trinnov’s research team was busy developing WaveForming, software and hardware engineers were not at rest with NOVA, the company’s latest processor introduced in April at the NAMM Show, and designed for studio application.

NOVA is not just another Trinnov processor, as it only shares the Optimizer with the rest of the range. Over the last 4 years, everything has been redesigned and rewritten:

• New hardware platform
• New operating system
• New graphical user interface
• New desktop and mobile applications
• New measurement microphone
• New Optimizer licenses management system
• New intranet & extranet
• New test benches & production lines

“NOVA changes everything for Trinnov in terms of perspective. With NOVA, we set new foundations for our next development phase, we streamline all of our internal processes and simplify the installation and operation of our products. We equip ourselves with the ability to unlock our full potential as an innovative company. We gradually make our technology more widely accessible.”, said Sebastien Montoya.

But NOVA does not change everything for Trinnov customers. For sure NOVA is more user friendly, easier to apprehend than any other Trinnov product before it. Indeed it is also the least expensive Trinnov product ever announced.

But NOVA does not change everything for Trinnov customers. For sure NOVA is more user friendly, easier to apprehend than any other Trinnov product before it. Indeed it is also the least expensive Trinnov product ever announced. But it does not fundamentally change the performance gain anyone gets from an existing Trinnov product. In fact, Trinnov believes no one could notice a difference in blind tests. Previous generations of pro products will continue to deliver state of the art room optimization for the many years to come.

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

As a company, in this fast changing world, Trinnov faces as many challenges as opportunities.

“As a successful, truly innovative engineering driven company, we face a lot of challenges, including the overwhelming importance of marketing and communication (our marketing team consists of only 2 full-time persons), the mindblowing flow of information, true or false, that one can read on the internet every day.” commented Arnaud Laborie.

“But as a successful, truly innovative engineering driven company, we are offered more opportunities than we can accept. Licensing, pure software solutions, the automotive or live market…the most difficult part is to carefully choose the best path, as we believe and hope we have done so far.” added Remy Bruno.

In addition to Waveforming and NOVA, we will unveil in 2023 other multi-year efforts including a massive project to open a new facility that matches the ambitions of the company.

But our 3 co-founders and the entire Trinnov team know that none of this would be possible without the incredible support from our community of suppliers, partners and customers.

“We can’t say how grateful we are to all our customers, from the early adopters who believed in our technology before anyone else, to the person who is impatiently waiting for his Trinnov processor to be delivered or installed.” said Sebastien Montoya.

“To all of you we want to say thank you. And whilst a lot of changes are happening at the moment, as disclosed in this interview, we appreciate that it may be confusing and raise questions about the future of the existing products. Rest assured of one thing: our commitment to sustainability and to our clients remains unchanged. It may take time before we can get to it, but we will keep maintaining existing products and bridge the gap to the upcoming generation of Trinnov processors to offer the same sound performance and user experience”. added Arnaud Laborie.

Meanwhile, Trinnov invites everyone to stay tuned for further announcements this year, and to seize any chance to attend upcoming WaveForming demonstrations and form an opinion out of this incredible new experience.

Paris, France – Trinnov Audio will demonstrate its new groundbreaking acoustic processing technology, based on years of research, at ISE 2023 (booth 2D150). In partnership with Krix, Sony & Officina Acustica, this new digital sound field control system makes its debut in an active 13.16.6 channel home cinema system.

The revolutionary new acoustic technology from Trinnov Audio

For the first time, Trinnov will demonstrate its new technology to the public. This innovation takes the fundamental research of Trinnov in acoustics and signal processing to the next level and effectively eliminates room modes.

“In 2023, we officially celebrate our 20th anniversary as a company. It has been an incredible journey so far and we are proud to celebrate this with style, by unveiling yet another groundbreaking technology. This is a major milestone in our development, and it will further reinforce our singularity and leadership for years to come” said Arnaud Laborie, Trinnov co-founder and CEO.

For more than 15 years, Trinnov’s Optimizer has been recognized as the best-in-class loudspeaker/room optimization technology by the most demanding experts across multiple markets, from studios to commercial cinemas and home theaters. The Optimizer’s purpose is to improve the sound reproduction of any loudspeaker in any given acoustic environment. With this major evolution and addition to the Optimizer, we rely even more dramatically on the very fundamental aspects of acoustics and physics. 

In its first iteration, this new algorithm uses subwoofer arrays and sophisticated processing to control the acoustics of the room. 20 years after Trinnov’s original breakthrough research work, the French innovators return to their deepest roots and mission of innovating in acoustic field processing. With this break-through, one can truly start talking about Active Acoustics.

“We started research on this very ambitious technology more than 6 years ago. At ISE, we will be demonstrating the technology in an uncompromised environment, delivering the highest possible performance generally expected from Trinnov. Although the technology is fully functional, we will first roll it out selectively, based on specific projects, before offering the finalized software as a complimentary upgrade to Altitude¹⁶ and Altitude³² owners. We have reached a point where we believe this new technology has the potential to redefine home theater design. It may well set a new standard, and replace today’s best practices.” added Laborie.

Provided that the minimum required conditions are met, Trinnov claims this innovation can “make the room disappear”. 

“Traditionally, low frequency reproduction is handled through a modal analysis where resonances are identified in the frequency domain.  Through our extensive research and unique expertise in 3D acoustic fields, we propose something different. Our disruptive approach seeks to fully understand and control the behavior of the room in all its dimensions (time, frequency and the 3 dimensions of space) so that resonances are removed almost entirely and without artifacts.“

Trinnov explains that in order to achieve such results and aim for optimal performance, one must embrace a holistic approach where every aspect of the system design is understood and carefully considered.

“As our acoustician friends will all agree, you need decent room acoustics to extract the maximum benefit of a technology such as the Optimizer. Similarly, our 3D Loudspeaker Remapping technology requires sensible speaker placement to perform at its best. With this new technology, things are no different. While it will deliver remarkable improvements in most cases, the result will be truly unprecedented with a proper subwoofer implementation in the first place.” 

Engineering focused demonstration

To deliver the highest possible performance, Trinnov will demonstrate this groundbreaking innovation in an uncompromised environment. Trinnov is teaming up with a few key partners, starting with long-time and trusted partner Officina Acustica.

Maurizio Conti & Peter Aylett engineered an impressive room that includes 18 seats distributed across three rows. The excellent acoustics and exquisite design Officina Acustica are known for will not disappoint, allowing maximum performance on every level and, combined with Trinnov’s new technology, across every seat. 

All loudspeakers and subwoofers are provided by the Australian manufacturer Krix. The screen channels are comprised of Krix’s MX-40 LCR modules. These 3-way, bi-amped speakers feature Krix’s patented horn design, providing a uniform, constant directivity pattern, improved frequency response and extremely low distortion.

Krix’s most versatile surround speaker, the Hyperphonix 45, will be used in sixteen surround and overhead positions around the room to place viewers in the middle of the action.

The Double Bass Array consists of sixteen Cyclonix 18” subwoofers – eight at the front of the room and eight at the back. The immense output available, paired with Trinnov’s latest technology, is sure to provide a unique and visceral experience.

The whole system is driven by four Amplitude¹⁶ power amplifiers, showing its full power, capability, and versatility. Surround and overhead speakers are all powered with single-ended channels, whilst screen channels and subwoofers are all bridged.

On the video front, the system uses Sony’s flagship GTZ-380 10,000 lumen laser projector to illuminate a 5.8 meter wide screen. The VPL-GTZ380 is the world’s most advanced compact 4K Laser Projector. Designed and produced by Sony, equipped with native SXRD 4K panels, this projector can reproduce the full DCI-P3 color space without brightness loss. The 10,000 lumens delivered by “Raptor” are obtained through a dual laser light source combining blue and red lasers.

Thanks to Kordz, MadVR, Screen Research, Surgex and Zappit for completing the list of equipment used in this unique demonstration.

Arnaud Laborie to teach and join a panel dedicated to low frequency reproduction 

Trinnov will continue its education effort to help integrators make the right design decisions for maximum performance. This implies a sharp understanding of the contribution and limits of each component and their optimal combination. For low frequencies, the optimal design includes individual subwoofer performance, loudspeaker layout, passive acoustics and digital acoustic optimization.

Trinnov will contribute to a CEDIA course series dedicated to low frequency reproduction. Arnaud Laborie, Trinnov CEO, will present “The Double Bass Array – Next Generation Bass” at ISE on Wednesday, February 1, at 12:30 in room CC1.4. This series also includes “Subwoofer Room Gain” by Erik Weiderholtz, Perlisten Audio CTO and “Infra Bass in Private Entertainment Spaces” by Geoffrey Heinzel, Partner at Ascendo Immersive Audio GmbH. Arnaud Laborie will also join the panel session Room Acoustics for Better Bass on Thursday, February 2, at 12:30, chaired by Peter Aylett, Partner at Officina Acustica, that will discuss the best design practices to deliver excellent bass across multiple seats.

We encourage attendees to register for this course series, where they will gain deep, research-based insight to the future of bass in home cinema. 

ISE Attendees can experience Trinnov’s revolutionary technology at our booth 2D150. 

For press inquiries, please contact press@trinnov.com