Reference Sounds Did You Know #3 – Show ponies

It’s actually a funny idea. While we used to pull a morning fresh flax mustache as a hi-fi youngster past shop windows and audio shows, we will be emptying our bus again this Friday at the Dutch Audio Event. It is difficult to say how many times we have now traveled down the A2 towards the Koningshof, but probably at least about 13 times, of which 3 times in our proud Reference Sounds jacket. Still, it’s quite a challenge every time. With our very moderate form of perfectionism, we always want to make something beautiful out of it and that is no different this time.

Towards the end of August things are starting to itch a bit. By that time, most show participations have already been promised and, with a bit of bad luck, already paid for. The ritual is actually always the same. “Mike, what do you think you want to bring to the show? I’m not quite clear yet Robin but not that much…” Sure. Arranged a van, made packing lists, collected loaned products and then collected them in our warehouse about a week before the show. Then, just before departure, the life-size tetris begins to get the packing list, which has been converted into Euro pallets, which was much larger than I had promised. So far still successful (although those buses are getting bigger and bigger).

The build-up day starts early. In addition to our playing audio set – which we first roll into the room and put on tension – the statically presented audio products and the decoration, the truck is also packed with small and large materials that help us to keep the acoustics in the room a bit under control. Towards the end of the afternoon, when the calves are already screaming for beer and most of the products have found their place, the shifting starts. Searching for the best place for the speakers so that the interaction between speaker and room produces a sound result that is representative of the capabilities of the products. Although we think we have become quite handy at this, we never get it perfect and certainly not everywhere in the room. The time is simply too short for that. Too short to get everything out of the set and too short to let the stucco harden completely. Because let’s be honest, the rooms are nice and spacious, but with cardboard walls through which Hugh Masekela’s Coal Train of the neighbors rumbles unhindered, it’s far from ideal. When it gets close to midnight and we decide to get a little fresh the next morning, we trudge to the hotel rooms for a beauty sleep.

And then everything should go well. We have also had one where a colleague at the time had to keep the burst water pipe closed on his stomach for half an afternoon like a kind of Hansje Brinker. Although the room was usable again at the end of the day, the set did have a somewhat soggy layer.

After the two intensive but above all fantastically fun show days, the party starts again on Sunday afternoon – when the set is just starting to play really nicely. Dismantling is faster than building up you would say. Still, I dare to place a small bet that we do not leave the parking lot before 12 o’clock at night to repeat Friday as a kind of backwards film.

As a brochure-hungry visitor to the VAD shows and Firatos of yesteryear, we didn’t really think about that at the time. However, the audio flame fanned there has contributed to our contemporary fire. The enthusiasm for good sound, enchanting music, perfected technology and products made with passion. We will try to convey that very hard during the upcoming shows, of which the Dutch Audio Event will be the first. But first let’s see that we get everything on that bus – see you later!