German in-ear monitor mixing experts, KLANG:technologies, has launched a new-style of education programme, which encompasses typical in-depth product training, but augmented with user-friendly binaural academic theory, tailored and interactive content for different market sectors, and contributions from expert guest speakers.
“We try to make our training events educational, not just linear product presentations,” explains KLANG’s head of sales, Phil Kamp. “The opening section of the session doesn’t mention our system, it’s about the psychology of hearing, how our hearing works, how our brain deals with audio signals, and ultimately, how to provide an immersive and natural in-ear mix. Many of our attendees are seasoned audio pros who are very educated about how to operate a mixing board but haven’t necessarily drilled down to the theory about how our hearing works.”
Dates have already been successfully completed across Europe and Asia. Some of the sessions covering rock and festival sound have included guest pro users, such as System of a Down, Linkin Park and Anastacia’s engineers, who all shared how they use the KLANG system and their creative tips.
“I really enjoyed being part of KLANG’s Immersive mixing programme,” says Anastacia’s monitor engineer, Becky Pell, who presented at one of the sessions. “KLANG excites me for two reasons – it allows me to create incredibly spacious and natural sounding IEM mixes even when I have a huge number of inputs; and, it greatly reduces ear fatigue and the need for high sound levels, which means healthy hearing for life.”
The objective of KLANG’s training programme is to enable attendees to learn about successfully providing an immersive sound experience that mirrors normal aural activity. The sessions explore the company’s design ethos, explaining why certain features are included, and how the R&D team analyses a huge spectrum of pro audio equipment and instruments to discover and tackle the biggest challenges for musicians and engineers.
“Each training session is tailored according to who’s attending,” continues Kamp. “This means we can look at the appropriate ways the system can be used, be it a rock ‘n roll environment or house of worship, and make it an interactive experience for the delegate.”
Headquartered in Aachen, Germany, KLANG:technologies is the world’s first manufacturer of truly immersive in-ear monitor (IEM) mixing technologies. Its mixing engine is specifically designed to be used with IEMs and provides musicians with individual, natural and three-dimensional sound. It enables the brain’s natural capability to sort and prioritize audio within the mix, not only providing transparency, but also lowering levels as sounds merge rather than conflict.
“The product itself is incredibly user-friendly, and the training programme is fun and interesting,” concludes Pell. “KLANG is the evolution of IEM mixing. Goodbye stereo; it’s been a blast, but this is the future!”
