Hifi Pig caught up with David Shevyn of GIK Europe at Munich High End and chatted about what I think is a great idea for those looking to add room treatment to their listening spaces.
HP: You have recently added the Room Acoustics Virtualizer to your website. Explain to readers what it is.
DS: Thanks, as you are aware we are super excited to be launching our new Acoustics Room Visualizer software and demonstrating it here in Munich. The RAV software in essence allows our customers and potential customers to plan and visualize their room in 3D. It utilizes the latest camera activated programmes to help you easily draw and plan your room. This makes it really easy to provide plans for acoustic advice team, but also to actually see what our acoustic treatment would look like in your room

HP: You mention camera activated programmes how does this work.

DS: There are two elements to the downloadable app. The first is an easier to use 2D room planner. You literally hold the camera above the ground and a marker will appear. You click the marker in the first corner and then follow the room round ensuring you place a marker in each corner (including all the nooks and crannies). This will then produce you a 2D plan with room dimensions. From here you can choose to either see the room in 3D or even walk around the room itself.

The second part of the app allows you to use Augmented reality to actually see GIK Acoustic panels on your camera in your own room. This can either by selecting one of the GIK Acoustics catalogue items, selecting your design and colour and seeing what it would look like via your camera or using the app in 3D mode to move around your room and see how the panel would look

HP: Once you have the plan can you add your own furniture?

DS: Yes, you can, you can select your doors windows, sofa, speakers; there is lots of furniture in the catalogue and then start adding your GIK Acoustic products to see how they would look in your room

HP: Does the software make suggestions based on your room layout as to where it is best to place bass traps and panels etc?
DS: We have been asked this a few times. Unfortunately, not, although this is developing software so who knows what the future holds, one thing for sure you are going to see regular updates form us with this software in the next few months. However, we already have two other fantastic ways to get help with your room. You can complete our acoustic free advice form online, and send us the plan you have been working on and one of our acoustic advisors will get back to you within 24 hours to start working with you on your room. The software is interactive so can be passed back and forth. You can test your room yourself, using the fantastic free Room EQ Wizard software and a USB Mic. This gives us detailed acoustic analysis of your room to really help our advisors give you the balanced, clear sounds you are looking for.

HP: You mentioned there will be further updates in the future. Any hint to what these might hold?

DS: Currently we are working on attaching our prices to all the panels you place in your room so that it can help with budgeting and also produce a final list for quotation purposes

HP: Many Thanks, what is next for GIK Acoustics; last year you launched the Impression Series for the home market any other plans on the horizon?

DS: yes, we are shortly to launch our brand-new art panel service. The existing service has been in place for a while but our new service is again going to use the latest software to enable you to choose from over 1 million free images on our website or to upload your own art onto the website and see how it would look on a panel or a sequence of panels. The process will walk you right through the system from choosing your art to the signing off to print process. Just like with the Impression Series we want to bring acoustic panels into the home environment that can also be a  work of art as well as helping to make your room sound better.