Loudsoft ( Denmark)
Loudsoft in Denmark is the company fronted by Peter Larsen.
Peter Larsen has been working in the loudspeaker industry since 1974. He started his career with SEAS, was Chief Engineer for Vifa 1979-1987 and for Dynaudio 1987-1990. Until 1993 he worked with JBL in USA.
From 1993 Peter Larsen has worked as an independent consultant for leading loudspeaker factories all over the world.
Peter Larsen is still very active as a consultant in all kinds of loudspeaker and headphone projects, which helps him to understand the practical problems and find the best software and test solutions to address them. In this way the customers are the most valuable resource by requesting new special features and thereby inspiring further interesting solutions.
Loudsoft FHW1 – 2011
Peter Larsen had been experimenting with a PC sound card, mic and power amplifier with a view to constructing a unit capable of doing production testing of Loudspeakers, with Bob Harris ( ex BBC, KEF and DERA).
They had the expertise to design Windows based software based on the absolute science behind loudspeakers. The FHW1 was the practical implementation of this work, and included all of the electronics needed for the system.
The 1U box communicates to the PC with a stereo USB codec, as if it was a sound-card.
The PC sends a carefully tailored sweep signal to the FHW1, which is passed via an amplifier to the Loudspeaker on test. The remote switched microphone amplifier returns the acoustic signal, along with the measured signal current taken by the Loudspeaker. From these signals, the dynamic impedance of the Loudspeaker can be measured.
Loudsoft FHW2 – 2015
Following good results and customer requirements over time, an enhanced unit was designed in tandem with enhanced software capabilities. BCD Audio’s experience with Digital Audio and FPGAs meant that the unit could communicate to the PC on fast USB2, and not be constrained by transferring signals at audio rates. The Embedded DSP processor from BCD meant that a discreet DSP was not required. During a test sweep, the unit saves the results in DRAM, and transfers them at fast speed.
The unit has three remote switch microphone channels, a Loudspeaker and Headphone measuring capability, SPDIF and Line output on XLR.
Loudsoft FHW3 – 2017
Minor modifications and a rethink to the Loudspeaker impedance measurement resulted in the FHW3. Basically, FHW2 could measure an internal and external loudspeaker current against 0.1R. FHW3 measured the internal loudspeaker current against 0.1R and 75R. The 75R mode was much more sensitive at Loudspeaker resonances and together represented what the industry needed to measure.