What does Audi sound like?

Audiophiles
What does Audi sound like?
The distinctive tone of powerful engines, the well-rounded
“thunk” of closing doors – these are the classic sounds made by premium
automobiles. But Audi knows a lot more than that. Those seeking the definitive
sound of the Ingolstadt brand are presented with a wide array of different
tones – yet always a highly distinctive acoustic. Five examples show how Audi
sets the tone.
Listen up – in the haptics lab, Manuel Kühner checks a
rotary control, and hears the typical Audi click.
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Text
Thomas Tacke
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Photos
Manfred Jarisch
Audi
Heartbeat
1 Tones, instruments and pieces of music – the typical Audi
sounds are generated in the sound studio.
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5 The acoustic logo – Audi has been using the heartbeat for more than 15 years.
6 Group meeting – workers at the haptics lab meet
regularly to discuss their findings.
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2 Modern measurement – all switches and buttons are
checked on the haptics/acoustics test stand. Even high-speed
images are possible thanks to a video camera.
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3 And it made a click – Ulrich Müller (left) and
Manuel Kühner listen very closely.
One brand, one look-and-feel – worldwide.
Audi has long presented a unified visual appearance on international markets and media channels. But looks
are not everything. “You should be able to recognize the Audi brand
with your eyes closed,” says Sigrid Bründl. She works on the four
rings’ “Corporate Sound”, which is intended to deliver a distinctive
acoustic signature – be it in a commercial, on websites, at auto
shows or on a smartphone.
Different tones, sounds, instruments, musical pieces
and noises, “The sounds should be emotional and surprising, while
also being authentic and precise in their tone. These are the coordi­
nates we use for orientation,” explains Bründl. When it comes to
musical production, Audi works with experts from agency s12/
Klangerfinder. All new sequences and sounds, such as vehicle recordings, are stored in the Audi Sound Portal, a virtual sound studio
for composers. It is now home to more than 1,000 sound files.
The song Modern Drift from the current brand film is
one sound document that very clearly matches with Audi’s identity.
“The Danish band Efterklang is well known for its innovative live
performances. The song itself is fresh, of high quality and conveys
perfectly the mood of the film.” This is why it was also integrated
into the Audi phone service, where it bridges short wait times while
calls are transferred, “Now you can experience the brand even on
the phone,” says Bründl.
However, the most well-known piece of the Corporate
Sound is the Heartbeat – Audi’s acoustic logo. The brand has been
using this sound signature for more than 15 years in audio-visual
media and during public appearances. “The Heartbeat identifies
Audi in a matter of seconds and makes Vorsprung durch Technik
audible,” sums up Bründl.
Making advanced technology audible is also a task for
Ulrich Müller, Manfred Mittermeier and their colleagues from
Technical Development’s so-called Haptics Lab. During the creation
of electrical operating controls for the interior, they manage the
interaction of the tactile sensation and acoustics, “Like shifting
gear, the operation of controls has to convey precision and solidity
in its feel and its sound,” says Müller.
It is for this reason that the haptics team has developed
the Audi click – the hallmark clicking sound that lasts just a few
milliseconds when you operate switches and buttons. “The Audi
click indicates to the driver that the desired function has been activated and is being carried out by the car. This gives the driver a
higher level of operational confidence and enables him to concentrate fully on the road.”
Be it air conditioning, hazard lights or rotary/push-but­
ton controls, the signature noise can be heard in the operation of all
controls and in every model. Its basic mechanism is as simple as it
is precise: Two small metal springs generate the “click” when they
engage in the next gap on a toothed wheel.
4 Whether turned or pushed – the Audi click conveys
precision and solidity.
The Audi click
The Audi click indicates to the driver that the desired function has been
activated and is being carried out by the car. It gives the driver a higher
level of operational confidence and increases safety. This is a very valuable
effect not achieved to the same degree by other manufacturers.
Ulrich Müller
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Audi Sound Systems
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This signal changes from a high to a low frequency and
measures the transmission functions of individual
speakers and the overall sound system. This is how we
check the tuning.
Martina Bellanova
7 A lot of technology – sound systems are
tested in the sound lab to ensure that the sound inside
the car is perfect, too.
8 The test can begin – Martina Bellanova and
Jan Fligge rig an artificial head. The dummy receives
sound signals via microphones.
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Audi e-sound
9 With computers and gas pedal – Rudolf Halbmeir developed
the e-sound.
The sound of a car has similarities to music,
and what you hear is more important than you think.
Composing it was a completely new challenge.
Rudolf Halbmeir
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Müller and his colleagues use force-distance curves to
measure the quality of the touch sensation, while the acoustics are
determined via frequency analysis. “The outcome is something that
every Audi driver can hear and feel. It is the perfect intonation between the tactile sensation in the hand and the acoustic perception
of the Audi click. We want to ensure a homogenous acoustic experience throughout the whole car.”
The sound system obviously also plays a major role in
this context – at the end of the day, the sounds that emanate from
the speakers must be to a very high standard. The associated systems are tested in the sound lab with the aid of sweeps. “This signal
changes from a high to a low frequency and measures the trans­
mission functions of individual speakers and the overall sound
system. This is how we check the tuning,” says development engineer Martina Bellanova.
A dummy on the driver’s seat receives the sweep signal
via microphone, and the resulting data is captured and evaluated
via computer. Specially trained experts also listen to the signal inside the car and evaluate the subjective quality of the reproduction.
This is not only about ensuring that the sound systems function
flawlessly, but also about determining the resonance of all the
other components inside the car. Not a single tiny detail, even a
foot mat, should dull the perfect sound.
Rudolf Halbmeir does not concern himself with the
noises going on inside the car. He has developed the sound for a drive
technology of the future – the e-sound, the acoustic profile of Audi’s
future e-tron models. They can drive for long distances on electricity alone with virtually no engine sound. In order to ensure that they
remain audible in city traffic, the brand has developed the e-sound.
While it is the internal combustion engine that makes
the music in Audi’s current series-production cars, the electric
motor in e-tron models is linked to a synthetic sound generator. A
control unit generates the signature Audi e-sound based on a constant stream of information on revs, loads, speed and other parameters. The sound is transmitted via a sturdy speaker on the
vehicle’s underbody.
Halbmeir spent several years searching for the right
tones – creating, cutting and mixing his compositions on computer. “The sound of a car has similarities to music, composing it was
a completely new challenge,” says the acoustics engineer. Starting
from a consistent, fundamental tonality, he develops individual
sounds for all of the e-tron models, giving each of the different
model ranges its own distinctive acoustic signature.
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Audi Youth Choir Academy
Our project work and the individual tutoring make the
choir unique. Alongside intensive choral work, we also work
on individual voice coaching and solo repertoires.
Sebastian Wieser
12 Audi Youth Choir Academy at the Vatican – in 2011,
the choir performed with the Bavarian State Opera at the
Vatican's auditorium.
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10 Celebrity support – Kent Nagano, General Music
Director of the Bavarian State Opera, has also conducted
the Youth Choir Academy.
The Audi Youth Choir Academy, on the other hand, demonstrates that Audi’s acoustic ambitions extend beyond just technical sounds. Here, the sound of switches and engines is swapped
for compositions by Brahms, Schumann and Haydn. Around 75
talented young singers make up the choir, which was founded in
2007. Since then, the group has also gathered international recognition for their skills: The highlights to date were a performance
in October 2011 in front of Pope Benedict XVI. at the Vatican and a
concert tour to Asia in September 2012
The youth choir brought out its first CD in time for Christ­
mas 2010 – recorded together with the Bavarian State Orchestra
under the direction of Kent Nagano. The jury of the International
Festival of Advent and Christmas Music honored the high artistic
accomplishment of the young singers with a golden diploma.
“Our project work and individual tutoring make the
choir unique,” says Sebastian Wieser, who is Audi’s liaison officer
for the academy. Project and rehearsal programs lasting several
days take place two or three times a year. Working with a team of
music and voice coaches, Artistic Director Martin Steidler, Professor
of Choirmaster Studies at the High School for Music and Theater in
Munich, rehearses the new pieces with the young singers. “Along­
side intensive choral work, the focus is also on individual voice training,” says Wieser. Eligible to join the choir, are young people aged
between 16 and 27, who first have to pass an audition.
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the world of Audi sounds!
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13 Hitting the right note – individual voice training
for choir members is regularly supported.
14 Success with classics – the young singers sing
pieces by Brahms, Schumann and Haydn.
11 Big performances – there are around 75 young
singers in the Academy.
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