Jochen Frohen
July / August 2008
Director of Sales and Marketing Crest Audio EMEA
How did you first get involved with Crest Audio?
In 1992 I met Tim Chapman at Tonmeistertagung in Karlsruhe. He was running Crest Europe in those days and was scouting for a new DC in the German distribution jungle. We teamed up and the following year Crest founded a distribution company in Germany and I ran it. The international task of running Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) was quickly added. In 1999 we sold the German distribution company but I remained responsible for the EMEA hub.
Tell me about your job role at Crest Audio - what are the best and worst aspects of your job?
Running the transatlantic business for a manufacturer is all about translation and trying to avoid things getting lost in translation. We communicate with seventy countries. My role is to interface between the cultures. Understanding distributor and user needs, defining product and strategies, working on partnerships and relations with customers, consultants, press and users, and sourcing projects. It is a fascinating job and I love every minute of it!
Which products from Crest Audio’s past and present are most significant to you?
The most recognized was introduced in the late 80’s, the 8001 and the rest of the Pro line. 8001 is an icon. It changed the world in those days, and it became an industry standard. More than ten years ago we separated pro audio amps into tour sound amps and install tailored models. The former market is covered with the Pro200TM Series these days, the successor of the old Pro Series. The install market by CKi, a product which can be controlled by PC and itself will control the speakers in an install. Add a clever matrix like MediaMatrix® and you will enjoy the most powerful install system in the world!
Are there any other products within the industry that you admire and why?
I can appreciate a brilliant speaker concept as well as a digital console or a handsome studio compressor. It is interesting to watch the revolutionary things like line array technology and digital processing but also the evolutionary like saving weight, minimizing size or using less current from generation to generation of product.
‘Crest Audio insists upon superior build quality employing the finest chassis design, components, mechanical construction, assembly, and quality control.’ What part do you play in order to ensure this statement remains accurate?
A brand is a promise and if we don’t keep to it our customers and users will walk away. While at work, I am reminded everyday about who we are and what we should be. Our office has a very strong relationship with product management in the US making sure our customers are heard. Everything we do at Crest, and everywhere we do it, we do follow the above statement.
Has there been any significant changes since the introduction of Crest Performance?
Before Performance our first amplifier line going strong into the retail market was V/Vs. Crest Performance is the natural expansion of that idea. CPX amplifiers are the highest volume amps we ever did. Crest Performance brings the Crest promise “to the masses”. And since it is a branded product it will keep its value for years.
The installation at the Ericsson Stadium is just one of your substantial projects. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a project of this size?
Projects are core business for Crest Audio. Whether it’s a big touring rig or a large scale install. Designers, consultants, owners and users know if they ask for reliability and leading edge technology Crest is one of few choices. Each large scale project is a reference and a recommendation for the next We are permanently involved in multiple projects simultaneously: airports, cruise ships, stadiums, convention centers, hotels, leisure parks, clubs and so on.
Your products are distributed and installed all over the world, which countries are the most influential?
Naturally the US, a lot of product is triggered in the US - but then discussed with the international offices. Our European office has also triggered product lines, like the new and upcoming Ci amplifier line. A typically European product, which was then highly appreciated in the US market.
Are there any new products in the pipeline that we can look forward to?
We have just released the CV20, our flagship analog console and we’ll see some smaller additions before the end of the year. We’ll launch new models in the high efficiency Ci contracting line, NexSys® and MediaMatrix® controllable amplifiers with CobraNetTM on board.
What is the future for the industry?
Today digital consoles set the pace, and for the prestigious jobs it has to be digital leading to the impression the console world will be completely digital soon. The survival of product category is defined by the “under the surface” technology. At this point let me get back to basics: The toilets at an airport, when you walk in, the dark cabin will illuminate and the door will automatically lock behind you. Some people try to find a light switch with their hand in the dark from the outside, but leave because their body did not hit the sensor. The technology was not a real support to their desire. The product is getting more complex because the industry can add more features and this is perfect for people who know how to operate it. But there is another, fast growing market, those who want the simplicity of an analog design, where every knob means something – ONE thing. I trust the Pro Audio market in the future will divide in engineered A/V and non-engineered A/V. Which will lead to a shift of paradigm for the product design of the latter - to more “usability”: Key functions and simple ergonomics tailored to the user. As for the amp industry, we will be forced to save energy in the future, which will ask for high efficient designs including clever stand-by mode.
What are currently the best and worse aspects of the industry as a whole?
The best aspect is it’s growing and it’s permanently changing. I may be wrong, but I think “the middle” is disappearing – like everywhere in life. There are small companies and major players, but only very few independent decent size companies.
What city around the world do you enjoy and where do you like to go to relax?
Milan, Barcelona, Antwerp, even Palma de Majorca. Where cultures meet. Where “downtown” still has a meaning. Where there are bars and cafes in the streets and shopping is fun. Where I can find art galleries as well as stunning architecture of many decades or centuries. I like the balance of rush and rest, charm and sophistication, old and new.
Do you have any hobbies?
None apart from classic cars, racing, cycling, skiing, playing and watching soccer, Italian food, wine, cheese, cooking, reading, music, arts, photography, architecture, interior design, industrial design and construction, hiking...
Do you have a philosophy for life?
I met a person with a dollar. We exchanged dollars and I still had a dollar. I met a person with an idea and we exchanged ideas. Now we each had two ideas.
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