The Home of Hot Hand® and soundblox®

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Contact:

 

Roger K. Smith/Source Audio
781.932.8080/rsmith@sourceaudio.net
JC Costa
BRAINSTORM/Thought-Provoking Communications
212.362.4271/jccosta@brainstorm-on-line.com

Roger K. Smith/Source Audio
781.932.8080/rsmith@sourceaudio.net

 

Media:

JC Costa
BRAINSTORM/Thought-Provoking Communications
212.362.4271/jccosta@brainstorm-on-line.com

Source Audio Revolutionizes Guitar Effects with Hot Hand™

 

Woburn, Massachusetts––Source Audio LLC, a new technology enterprise founded by former executives from Analog Devices, Inc. and the world of private equity, is bringing the first of many revolutionary microtechnology ideas to guitar effects and the music industry.
The first product from Source Audio to be introduced at Winter NAMM 2006 is Hot Hand™, a unique effects “motion controller” which combines micro-machined motion sensing technology with a proprietary audio processing chip co-developed with Analog Devices.
Hot Hand™ delivers on the promise of controlling carefully designed classic–sounding and advanced audio filters with an infinite range of hand and body motions. The result is a new palette of guitar sounds enhanced with a highly physical and direct means of artistic expression.
The development of Hot Hand™ starts in the fall of 2004 when Analog Devices engineer Jesse Remignanti was developing software tools for a powerful new digital sound processor. Remignanti was also aware of a new nanotechnology product from a sister division at ADI which could accurately measure motion in a package small enough to mount virtually anywhere. An engineer and guitarist, he was in a unique position to take these two separate chip development efforts and combine them to both generate and control guitar effects.
Roger Smith, a 19-year veteran of ADI responsible for Audio and Video product development and marketing, realized this new sound processor could provide an innovative solution for guitar processing. Sensing an unparalleled opportunity for a new start-up to take ADI’s new chip and quickly enter the guitar effects marketplace, Smith approached Remignanti about sharing his idea to use the nanotechnology. A powerful new idea was born, leading to the formation of Source Audio LLC.
Knowing powerful ideas are only part of the equation for success, Smith teamed with C. Hunter Boll, a Managing Director of Thomas H. Lee Partners in Boston, one of the largest and most successful private equity firms in the United States, and Source Audio was up and running.
The next challenge was to add additional technical experience. Smith and Remignanti knew of Robert Chidlaw, the former Chief Scientist at Kurzweil Music Systems who played a key role in establishing that firm as a leader in the design and manufacture of electronic instruments. In addition to having a great ear and extensive guitar signal processing experience, Chidlaw had recently consulted for ADI on the new sound processor chip and was one of the few people who knew how to program it.
Source Audio then chose Ideo, a tier one industrial design firm with an unmatched track record of success in their field. Ideo also came up with the name “Hot Hand” for the first product. The company also recently added Jeff Shaw as VP of Operations. Jeff has served in this same role with MicroTouch, PictureTel, and a number of other start-up companies.
A Delaware-based LLC, Source Audio is located in Woburn, Massachusetts.

Woburn, Massachusetts––Source Audio LLC, a new technology enterprise founded by former executives from Analog Devices, Inc. and the world of private equity, is bringing the first of many revolutionary microtechnology ideas to guitar effects and the music industry.

The first product from Source Audio to be introduced at Winter NAMM 2006 is Hot Hand™, a unique effects “motion controller” which combines micro-machined motion sensing technology with a proprietary audio processing chip co-developed with Analog Devices.

Hot Hand™ delivers on the promise of controlling carefully designed classic–sounding and advanced audio filters with an infinite range of hand and body motions. The result is a new palette of guitar sounds enhanced with a highly physical and direct means of artistic expression.

The development of Hot Hand™ starts in the fall of 2004 when Analog Devices engineer Jesse Remignanti was developing software tools for a powerful new digital sound processor. Remignanti was also aware of a new nanotechnology product from a sister division at ADI which could accurately measure motion in a package small enough to mount virtually anywhere. An engineer and guitarist, he was in a unique position to take these two separate chip development efforts and combine them to both generate and control guitar effects.

Roger Smith, a 19-year veteran of ADI responsible for Audio and Video product development and marketing, realized this new sound processor could provide an innovative solution for guitar processing. Sensing an unparalleled opportunity for a new start-up to take ADI’s new chip and quickly enter the guitar effects marketplace, Smith approached Remignanti about sharing his idea to use the nanotechnology. A powerful new idea was born, leading to the formation of Source Audio LLC.

Knowing powerful ideas are only part of the equation for success, Smith teamed with C. Hunter Boll, a Managing Director of Thomas H. Lee Partners in Boston, one of the largest and most successful private equity firms in the United States, and Source Audio was up and running.

The next challenge was to add additional technical experience. Smith and Remignanti knew of Robert Chidlaw, the former Chief Scientist at Kurzweil Music Systems who played a key role in establishing that firm as a leader in the design and manufacture of electronic instruments. In addition to having a great ear and extensive guitar signal processing experience, Chidlaw had recently consulted for ADI on the new sound processor chip and was one of the few people who knew how to program it.

Source Audio then chose Ideo, a tier one industrial design firm with an unmatched track record of success in their field. Ideo also came up with the name “Hot Hand” for the first product. The company also recently added Jeff Shaw as VP of Operations. Jeff has served in this same role with MicroTouch, PictureTel, and a number of other start-up companies.

A Delaware-based LLC, Source Audio is located in Woburn, Massachusetts.