Developing and Delighting in Detroit
We’ve only just passed half-way this month, and already so much has happened for Shively Acoustics International. In the first two weeks of April, SAI and our president Roger Shively were active in the Detroit area for a trifecta of all that we do as a company: attending industry events, hosting webinars, and consulting with OEMs and Tier Ones.
First up was SAE International’s annual World Congress (WCX), held this year from April 8 to 10. Roger and SAI attended all three days of the congress, where audio development permeated throughout as part of interior cavity design, structural vibration analysis, and simulations. A particular highlight from the technical sessions was the presentation by Ahmad Abbas of Stellantis, who talked about low-frequency boom noise from liftgate surfaces. Roger also used his time in Detroit for a sit-down with Abbas the following day to discuss the results of vehicle simulations for an active noise control (ANC) prediction study.
For more details on his visit to WCX 2025, Roger will write a brief recap for The Audio Voice newsletter from SAI media partner audioXpress, probably appearing in next week’s edition. Although WCX has been a good opportunity in the past to explore and connect, whether we attend next year is up in the air – we may start prioritizing other SAE shows like NVC (see below). Let’s see how things go.
The SAI chief also took part in meetings while in Michigan in his role as head of Silentium USA. The nomination from an area OEM of a Silentium Tier One supplier – in this case, Pioneer – that we first mentioned in February should be finalized and inked by the end of this month, so keep an eye out for an official announcement and more details sometime in early May.
Furthermore, a “great meeting” – in Roger’s words – with Panasonic also emerged from the trip, after the electronics giant reached out to us again for consulting services after some time. We are also happy to confirm both that we have begun working with DSP Solutions and that the MeierWerks board appointment is proceeding as planned, as announced last month. ✅🤝✅🤝
APDA news
Joining APDA Webinar #7 from the Motor City (Photo: SAI)
The first day of the conference also coincided with the seventh live talk from the Audio Product Development Alliance (APDA), but that didn’t stop Roger from finding a quiet spot to take part! In case it slipped by you last week, be sure to check out APDA Webinar #7, “Sound Personalization in Audio Products” by Jan Rennies-Hochmuth of the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology. This one came early because we’re doubling up on webinars this month – the second is just around the corner!
The other big update on the best alliance in Audio is that the APDA website is, at long last, up and running! We hope you’ll excuse the long delay, but things are now fleshed out with information on the alliance, its education pillars, events, and more still to come.
Updates on the APDA will continue to appear on our socials and blog, but going forward, www.audiodev.org will serve as the central hub for all things related to the alliance and its endeavors. Come take a look.
Take me to the APDA hub!
APDA website now live!
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www.audiodev.org
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APDA website now live! 〰️ www.audiodev.org 〰️
Up next…
Two important events for the audio industry are drawing ever nearer. First is the SAE Noise and Vibration Conference and Exhibition, briefly mentioned above, on May 12-15 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A hop, skip, and a jump away after that will be AES Europe 2025 on May 22-25 in Warsaw, Poland, for which Shively Acoustics is busy, busy, busy preparing… we can’t wait! 😁
In the meantime, Roger is finalizing his upcoming special feature piece on Automotive for audioXpress, due to appear online next month in time for AES Europe and then later in the June print edition of the industry magazine. We’ll also include something of a sneak peek here next month to whet your appetites.
By the way, if this whole time you’ve been scratching your head at the thumbnail image accompanying this blog post, it’s a giveaway pull-back car, a keepsake from WCX. And, just like the little toy auto, Shively Acoustics is also winding up, ready to race forward into the merry month of May. ■
Shively Acoustics International — Modern Audio Solutions, Worldwide