165 test pilots have selected 5 finalists. Now your ears will decide which Danish band deserves the Højttalerfabrikkens Lydpris.
Since the beginning of May, 165 musicians, studio technicians and other music lovers have been listening intently to a total of 66 different Danish bands. The aim has been to find 5 upcoming artists to compete in the final of the Højttalerfabrikkens Lydpris.
We have established the award because we want to draw extra attention to good sound and reward the Danish artist who simply sounds the best.
Go to the poll (Closes on June 1)
The 165 people who have listened to the many artists who participated in the first round are all so-called test pilots. On a daily basis, they help System Audio on a voluntary basis to evaluate our loudspeakers.
And it was their finely tuned ears that were needed to choose from the many exciting bands and tracks that were initially selected by the blog's readers.
Test pilot emphasizes harmony
In 2012 and 2013, System Audio set out to design a new loudspeaker as a successor to one of our most successful models. Instead of just doing business as usual, we decided to crowdsource the entire design process.
As many as 110 engineers and other volunteers took part in a project organized in cooperation with the professional magazine Ingeniøren.
Henrik Fischer-Knudsen was among the participants in the crowdsourcing development of the first Pandion speakers, and subsequently continued his collaboration with System Audio as a test pilot.
That's why he was involved in the selection of the 5 finalists.
Among the songs on the list, Henrik voted "Things We Do for Love" by Lydmor & Bon Homme as the absolute best production in terms of sound. And there was one particular reason for this, he says:
"The song is produced so that the individual instruments and vocals stand out without dominating the others. It's harmonious to listen to, and in this way the listener can focus on the parts of the music they want to listen to," he explains.
Tips for your own listening
After the test pilots have selected the 5 finalists, it's back to our blog readers and other interested parties.
The winner of Højttalerfabrikkens Lydpris will be chosen by voting, and both the voting and the list of the final tracks on Spotify and Tidal .
For those who want to take part and listen to the 5 finalists, Henrik Fischer-Knudsen has some good listening advice:
"You should listen for the vocals. Can it carry itself? Does it compliment the song? Is the song harmonious? It's all important," stresses the test pilot, who admits that personal taste also plays a role:
"I can't listen to a song I don't like. Then it can be produced well enough. If I don't like it, I'm not objective."
Artist listens with brain and heart
The tension between the subjective/intuitive and the objective, technical details also plays a huge role when the music is produced, says Jenny Rossander (aka Lydmor), who, as mentioned, is among the 5 bands that have the chance to win the sound award.
"Working with sound is a fun counterpoint between two completely different states of mind.
On the one hand, it involves some technical knowledge and finesse; a detail-oriented concentration.
But on the other hand, you are just as dependent on your immediate senses. You feel it in your chest if the bass is not placed properly. You frown if a hi-hat comes in wrong. When it all comes together and everything comes together, it's an almost spiritual experience!"
Now it's your turn.
