Press

12.03.2008 - Wedemark/Frankfurt

Sound specialists at work

Short and catchy, a melody which sticks in your mind – this is what an acoustic logo should sound like. After the launch of the Sennheiser sound logo contest at the NAMM show in Anaheim on 17 January 2008, professional and amateur musicians alike are busy composing sound logos for the audio specialist. At prolight+sound in Frankfurt, Sennheiser will introduce the members of the contest jury. 
 
Five jury members will appraise the entries from around the world: Paul Sandweiss, one of the best sound designers in the USA; Jon Thornton, Head of Sound Technology at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts; Prof. Dr. Jörg Sennheiser, Chairman of the Supervisory Board; and Susanne Seidel, President of Global Marketing at Sennheiser. The fifth voice will be the result of the vote which will take place on the sound logo website from mid-August. “We are absolutely thrilled to have Paul Sandweiss and Jon Thornton on the jury, true audio professionals in the fields of sound design, studio work and sound engineering,” said Susanne Seidel when announcing the jury members.

Paul Sandweiss is one of the most famous sound designers in the United States. From the American Music Awards and the Grammys, to the MTV Music Awards – Sandweiss has mixed nearly all music industry highlights for broadcasting. With his company Sound Design Corporation, based in Los Angeles, Paul Sandweiss focuses on post-production for customers including ABC, BET, CBS, NBC, and HBO, working mainly on music specials for stars like Ray Charles, Cher, Céline Dion, Janet Jackson, Tim McGraw, and Usher to name a few. And he is also involved in supporting young talent: every week for the last three seasons Paul has mixed the live performances for American Idol on Fox.
 

“I am looking forward to helping judge what should turn out to be an amazing international competition to create a sound logo that identifies with, and brands, the quality of Sennheiser’s sound products,” said Paul Sandweiss. “Sennheiser is known for its wide array of professional audio products, from in-ear monitors and RF microphones, to hard­wired microphones for any audio application. I don’t think there is a television show in production that doesn’t rely on Sennheiser’s expertise: from American Idol and the American Music Awards, to the Grammy Awards – Sennheiser is on hand to help artists shape their sound.”
 

He is an audio expert who crossed into the education world: for the last 12 years Jon Thornton has been the Head of Sound Technology at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, teaching the university’s international students all there is to know about studio work, live shows, and miking and mixing. Before he started teaching at the Institute, which was founded by Mark Featherstone-Witty and Sir Paul McCartney, Jon Thornton worked in various recording studios and TV post-production companies in London and Newcastle. Additionally, he contributes articles to trade magazines, and tests products for major audio companies on a regular basis. “I’m passionate about audio,” said Jon Thornton. “Working with it and crafting it into art forms that can inspire, move and delight people has always been a big part of my life. And I’m passionate about teaching young people and preparing them for a career in the fast-changing entertainment industry. Being a part of the jury will allow me to become involved in the selection of a new generation of audio professionals who share this passion.“
 

Before the jury can start their work, music enthusiasts have four more months to upload their contributions onto the Sennheiser sound logo website. Closing date is 17 July 2008. By the end of August thirty finalists will be selected, at which point their sound logos will be submitted to the jury. The winner will receive a prize of 5,000 euros, as well as an optional 30,000 euros if Sennheiser acquires unlimited rights to use the winning logo. Those placed second to tenth will win first-class sound for their home: they can choose between Sennheiser’s dynamic top-of-the-range HD 650 headphones or equipping their rehearsal room with an evolution wireless ew 300 G2 microphone system. Says Susanne Seidel: “We’re really looking forward to receiving entries from all corners of the world. There’ll be an explosion of musical creativity.”
 

The Sennheiser Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. A family firm established in 1945 and based in Wedemark near Hanover, Germany, the company recorded sales of over 356 million euros in 2006, 82% of which was generated abroad.  Sennheiser employs over 1,800 people worldwide, around 55% of whom are in Germany. Sennheiser has manufacturing plants in Germany, Ireland and the USA, and is represented worldwide by subsidiaries in France, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark (Nordic), Russia, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Japan, Canada, Mexico and the USA, as well as through long-term trading partners in other countries. Also part of the Sennheiser Group are Georg Neumann GmbH, Berlin (studio microphones), K + H Vertriebs- und Entwicklungs-gesellschaft mbH (Klein + Hummel studio monitors, installed sound) and the joint venture Sennheiser Communications A/S (headsets for PCs, offices and call centres). 
 

Download Press Release:
pressrelease_12.03.08_1.zip (2,11 MB)
 

You can find out the latest information on Sennheiser by visiting http://www.sennheiser.com/, or by contacting:
 

Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG 
Pressereferat • Edelgard Marquardt 
Am Labor 1 • 30900 Wedemark 
Fon: +49 (5130) 600-329 
Fax: +49 (5130) 600-295 
e-Mail: edelgard.marquardt@sennheiser.com 
 

fischerAppelt Kommunikation
Laura Pizzolante
Waterloohain 5 • 22769 Hamburg
Fon: +49 (711) 17-62723
Fax: +49 (711) 17-63333
e-Mail: lp@fischerappelt.de