The Quality of Sound
2nd May 2018
There are many different shapes and sizes to creativity; at Sanders alone, we already have the diversity between product and brand design. Websites, photography, graphic communications, basically anything we do requires a different skill set – and that’s in our industry alone. Whilst our creativity is visual, we appreciate all the forms it takes on, music being one in particular.
Whether it’s providing the best quality sound or simply turning on the radio whilst we work, we love our music and being able to bring it to everyone who wishes to enjoy it too. Fortunately we’ve been asked to collaborate on a lot of audio projects, each one different to the last. And with the way we listen to music changing as fast as it does now, it brings with it new set of challenges and possibilities.
Great work begins in studio for designers and musicians alike, as we learnt from our early work with Solid State Logic. SSL was founded in 1969, and has evolved into one of the world’s leading manufacturers of audio consoles. They wanted our help in designing the “Rolls Royce” of digital mixing desks, with 64 channels and auxiliaries. It took around two years to complete the project, but the result was immensely satisfying for all involved. We brought quality sound and simple editing technology to production companies all over the country.
Our work with SSL led to many more projects of this nature, from Sony Professional Broadcasting to Motion Works ‘millennium product’. Perhaps the most acclaimed was Acoustic Energy’s flagship speaker range, Reference. Reference speakers combined the latest of technology with the finest craftsmanship and beautifully understated design. We’ve done a lot of work with Acoustic Energy over the years, however Reference is what we’re most proud of; its What HiFi five-star award is a testament to what happens when creativity and genius come together.
Regardless of how often we listen to classics like Miles Davies, we do have to accept that music is always changing. Seeing audio businesses respond to this change is great to be a part of, and also why Cyrus Audio was so good to work with. Cyrus wanted a product that could play quality music from any source, along with a branding overhaul to reflect this development. They gave us complete freedom when it came to the visual language, meaning we could ensure consistency throughout. With product design, branding, promotional literature and web design requested, this was a project we all engaged with to achieve powerful, coherent results.
Whilst innate creativity goes a long way, having the tools to bring your ideas to life is crucial to design and music alike. Similarly, once your idea comes to fruition, it needs to be done justice and showcased in the highest quality. This is part of the reason we do what we do; using our creativity to give other companies an image and a product they can be proud of is a great way to show how we value what they do. With audio brands this allows them to keep capturing great music at great quality… Even if we do still play the same song on repeat.
