Premium audio brands Sennheiser and Neumann were recognized by the NAMM Foundation with Outstanding Technical Achievement awards in the categories of ‘Microphones – Recording’ and ‘Wireless Technology’ during a ceremony at the Anaheim Hilton on the evening of 23 January. Wolfgang Fraissinet, President of Neumann.Berlin and Director Audio Recording at Sennheiser, accepted the award for U 47 fet in the ‘Microphones – Recording’ category, and Jürgen Kockmann, Sennheiser Project Manager for evolution wireless D1, accepted the award for the ew D1 in the ‘Wireless Technology’ category.
Additionally, the Neumann KM 84 small-diaphragm microphone was inducted into the NAMM TECnology Hall of Fame. The TECnology Hall of Fame was established in 2004 to honor and recognize audio products and innovations that have made a significant contribution to the advancement of audio technology. Inductees to the TECnology Hall of Fame are chosen by a panel of more than 50 recognized audio experts, including authors, educators, engineers, facility owners and other professionals. Products or innovations must be at least 10 years old to be considered for induction.
“We are grateful to the NAMM Foundation for this recognition, and to our industry peers who selected the Neumann U 47 fet in a highly competitive category,” commented Wolfgang Fraissinet. “The successful relaunch of this iconic microphone required not only a unified vision among our entire team, but relentless attention to detail and execution since it was built according to the original schematics and specifications.”
“We also thank the NAMM Foundation for inducting the venerable KM 84 into the TECnology Hall of Fame,” he continued. “This microphone joins five other Neumann and Sennheiser products that have received such a distinction, and is indeed a great honor.”
The evolution wireless D1, which received an Outstanding Technical Achievement award, was launched last year at NAMM 2015, combining both ease of use and digital audio quality for a wide range of users.
“The Sennheiser evolution wireless D1 puts best-in-class wireless audio quality in the hands of a vast user base, while offering unprecedented flexibility and ease of use,” commented Jürgen Kockmann. “Speaking on behalf of the entire organization, we would like to thank the TEC Foundation for recognizing this innovation, which was a genuine team effort across the entire company.”
Since the TEC Foundation was established in 1990, Sennheiser and Neumann have been presented with a cumulative total of 23 Outstanding Technical Achievement awards as well as having six products represented in the TECnology Hall of Fame, including the KM 84 microphone, inducted this year.