54 l June 2014
www.psneurope.com
installationreport
that many different types of SR speaker systems had in the past. There have been several attempts to develop this kind of loudspeaker by the engineers of Bose, but the technology either was unavailable, impractical or too expensive. However, by 2011 the resources had come together for us to be able to make this loudspeaker a reality.”
Early theories of customising every speaker for every room exposed some of the limitations of ‘custom’ products, as Mochimaru sees it. “Before line array, such speakers would have been unfeasibly large and expensive,” he says, “but once line array was established we realised we could create modules with different coverage patterns and combine them to create a custom array: a custom solution without being a custom product. My faith in this was boosted when my colleagues in the industry confirmed that, actually, nobody wanted a fully customisable product. It was considered ‘unfinished’, and people aren’t comfortable with that. They want to know that a speaker will sound a certain way, job done.”
The intent behind today’s DSP-driven sonic landscapes was already present as long ago as 1985, when Bose’s Modeler software was first developed. The original intent of Modeler was to improve the quality of fixed sound systems, by providing
a tool (Modeler) that enabled system integrators to design better speaker systems, regardless of the manufacturer. Auditioner refined this “culture of design assistance,” as Mochimaru describes it, and only latterly has the business priority shifted towards complete product eco-systems that are built, sold and supported by Bose’s international network. Indeed securing Dr Bose’s blessing for the growth of a full range of products was the final chapter in Mochimaru’s close, 20-year working relationship with the company founder, who died in July 2013.
Sales and distribution channels, especially in Europe, have been expanding accordingly. “Our business has shifted over the years from a solution-based business to a product-focused business,” Mochimaru confirms, “in which we work with our system integrator and consultant partners to promote our products and design them into installations through training, demonstrations and field engineering support. “In Europe, we have the most wholly owned subsidiaries of any pro audio organisation: 16 sales and support offices, as well as the distributors exclusively representing Bose in the other European countries. They are also supported with Bose field engineers.” This infrastructure is now being put to the task
says. “The challenge for us right now is spreading the word!” In the eyes of Akira
Hotel Theater Figi, in Zeist, Netherlands, utilises Bose RoomMatch RMU208 loudspeakers for side and back channels
of consolidating the brand into “large installation and engineering projects,” as recently outlined by the company. “If the existing professional sound business we’ve been in for years is considered an installation business, then live performance sound projects typically require more engineering work,” explains Mochimaru. “Although we do have field engineers supporting all territories, we seek cooperation with key system integrators and electro-acoustic consultants who are designing sound systems capable of doing the specific job required. Those are the industry players experienced in designing systems with quality products. “Alongside our local Bose teams, I have met with many players around the world both pre-and post the launch of our new technology. I’ve visited key industry players in the UK, Germany, Sweden and beyond and received integrators, consultants and FOH engineers in our offices in Framingham, Massachusetts. It is important
for us to continue these conversations: even if we make the best systems in the world, if we don’t communicate with the industry, and have our partners understand what’s cooking, we will not make progress. “So we continue to dedicate time. Our European customers at the event last September in Amsterdam, where we introduced a second wave of products, told us that we’d really listened to their requirements. Only a few weeks ago we hosted a group from Germany and, shortly after, another from the UK: these open discussions allow us to adjust our development plans, and are vital to our future success.” Europe offers particular advantages at this stage of the company’s evolution, Mochimaru says, because of the strong tradition of events directly related to culture and the arts. “There is opportunity for our products in locations such as community theatres, performing arts venues, night clubs and any location where quality sound reinforcement is important,” he
Mochimaru, Dr Amar Bose’s legacy rests as much in a business model as any acoustic one. The man who once said “I would have been fired a hundred times at a company run by MBAs” donated a majority of non-voting shares to his alma mater, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). (MIT can’t sell its shares and doesn’t participate in the management or governance of Bose. The company remains private and independent, and MIT receives dividends for their educational programs when they’re paid by Bose.) “I’ve seen too many good brands compromised by its owners being motivated only by bottom-line profit, by margins and growth for growth’s sake. In that environment, the original identity can be lost and the customers disappointed – especially in pro audio, where long-lasting relationships are so important.
“We’re currently working very hard to be recognised by the high-end industry, especially in live performance of music and the arts generally. The ultimate goal is that people here will understand and appreciate the unique advantage of our products in fixed installations.”
www.pro.bose.com
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