By George Petersen
SCHAAN, Liechtenstein — NTi Audio AG, a leading manufacturer of test and measurement solutions for acoustics, audio and vibration applications, celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2020. With headquarters in Liechtenstein, NTi Audio specializes in end-of-line audio testing for manufacturing quality control purposes, providing instruments for testing public address systems in safety-critical environments and also producing handheld audio analyzers and generators aimed at the pro audio industry.
The NTi Audio company was founded in 2000, following a management buyout from Neutrik. After its initial years, peppered by stages of economic crises and rapid growth, the company has emerged as a leading global company in the field of acoustic measurement technology.
A Great Start
It all began two decades ago, when a group of young engineers was given the opportunity to continue running the Neutrik Test Instruments department as an independent company. A business plan was drawn up, suitable premises found and a completely new infrastructure created. After less than three months, the time had come and the first products were sold under the NTi name.
From the start, the focus was on complete solutions that were easy to use. One example of this was NTi’s software package for loudspeaker quality control, based on a patented process for the automatic detection of audible defects. This product was hugely successful, and today, thousands of these systems are in daily use, verifying the quality of loudspeakers and microphones.
Acoustic Measurement Technologies
Listening to customer needs was also important, with users wanting to perform acoustic measurements with NTi’s portable audio measurement devices. A suitable microphone and algorithms were needed and the NTi team quickly identified new market needs — developing products user-friendly solutions, which expanded the company’s customer base from a few hundred to tens of thousands.
Integrating speech intelligibility measurement in NTi’s first portable sound level meter (the Acoustilyzer and its successor, the XL2) were quite popular. To date, NTi Audio is probably the world’s largest and best-known provider of speech intelligibility measurement devices.
Increasing public awareness of noise pollution and the corresponding state regulations for the protection of hearing presented further business opportunities for NTi. The company’s offerings expanded to include tamper-proof measurement and documentation of sound levels, audio recording and a large-screen for displaying levels to the audience. Coupled with many useful functions for the sound engineer, the XL2 Audio and Acoustic Analyzer has become a standard in entertainment event noise monitoring.
Type Approval Opens New Markets
Type Approval in several countries in accordance with the IEC 61672-1 standard was another milestone. With the XL2 Analyzer becoming a tool for acoustics experts, NTI expanded its product range for professional Environmental Noise measurements as well as Room and Building Acoustics, finding success in these market segments. With that growth, NTi set up a worldwide sales and service organization, with subsidiaries in Germany, the UK, North America, Japan and China.
Thanks to its technical excellence and willingness to constantly improve — despite sometimes-adverse market conditions, NTi Audio has developed into an internationally respected company that has achieved market leadership in many areas. Here’s to 20 more years of success!
For more info, visit https://www.nti-audio.com/
