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Natanya Ford
The sound of accomplishment
Natanya Ford moved to Struer from Somerset in south-west England to take up a job as the new Tonmeister in the Automotive Department at Bang & Olufsen.
A Tonmeister is a German word used to describe a small group of professionals with a unique background that combines musical training (both classical and non-classical) and a detailed theoretical and practical knowledge of virtually all aspects of audio engineering.
That’s a lot of training to pack into one person, but 33-year-old Natanya does pack quite a punch. She has a bachelor’s degree in performing music from Darlington College of Arts, a master’s degree in music technology from Keele University and a PhD in sound recording from the University of Surrey. And she’s just as familiar with playing the classical violin as she is producing recordings for thrash metal bands.
But even that wasn’t enough. In Natanya’s own words, “this is where I got into perception. With surround sound, you’ve got these spatial attributes. But how do you describe them, how do you improve the listening experience, and how do you make the ultimate sound experience for the listener with these new sound technologies?”
Now that she is busy applying her Tonmeister skills to moulding Bang & Olufsen audio technology into cars, new challenges arise. It is no mean feat to make a sound system provide extraordinary results – the Bang & Olufsen requirement – in a compact, angular space consisting of lots of different materials, filled with human bodies and with structural limitations on where the speakers can be mounted.
That’s precisely why the Tonmeister skill set is so crucial, blending subjective perception and the best of modern technology. Natanya uses the most modern scientific techniques for measurement and analysis, creating sensory impressions that help refine and enhance the acoustic environment.
According to Natanya, Bang & Olufsen has come a long way with the Advanced Sound System for the Audi A8/S8 and Q7, and the Sound System for the Audi R8, A5/S5 and A4. Nevertheless, there is still plenty of room for improvement if people like her are willing to push the envelope. “I don’t think we’ve got to the full potential of a vehicle because people have been basing their ideas on what is possible in the home. We need to think of the car as an entirely new space that we can play with, and create something entirely new and different. There are plenty of opportunities in there,” she points out.
To learn more about Bang & Olufsen’s advanced sound system and sound system in Audi click here click here.
Meet the champs – Head of Design for Audi Walter de’Silva and Chief Designer for Bang & Olufsen David Lewis in a double interview.