As part of its commitment to increasing demand for immersive audio solutions, pro audio giant d&b audiotechnik has announced the launch of its new Immersive business unit, which will be headed up by Al McKinna as vice president.
The new business unit will be a ‘key enabler of d&b's holistic immersive vision’, spanning audio, video, lighting and media up to extended Reality (xR). McKinna will report directly to d&b Group CEO Amnon Harman.
In this role McKinna will be responsible for d&b’s global immersive strategy, developing the business roadmap, establishing strategic partnerships and driving future innovations. The organization under his lead is split across three divisions: Product Management and Architectural Design, Software Development and Customer Enablement.
McKinna spent the last two decades in leadership roles in both live sound and commercial audio, dedicated to hardware and software technologies alike. Prior to joining d&b he most recently held the position of head of product at Focusrite’s Optimal Audio after spending 15 years at Avid in senior product management and sales roles. He will be based in London.
“d&b is breaking ground with its integrated immersive vision and I am excited to play a pivotal role in making it a reality,” commented McKinna. “We see a huge opportunity to enhance an audience’s experience with d&b’s immersive technologies and I am honored to work with this exceptionally talented and experienced team to push the boundaries of what is creatively possible.”
“Today’s announcement marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for d&b, not only because we gain Al’s expertise and talents but also because this marks the transition of all d&b immersive endeavors under one business unit,” said d&b Group CEO Amnon Harman. “A truly immersive performance is not only an enveloping sound experience, but also the amalgamation with light and video, which puts d&b in a unique position. This new organization, established right at the core of d&b, allows us to build an immersive business roadmap from an integrated viewpoint, considering both our audiotechnik and solutions customers.”
Since its launch in 2018, d&b Soundscape has provided audiences all over the world with an immersive audio platform designed to shape deep connections between audiences and artists using object-based mixing and emulated acoustic signatures. With the acquisition of UK-based company White Light, d&b added the SmartStage xR technology to its portfolio. SmartStage is an immersive video environment that enables the presenter to interact with the content in an intuitive way and has become the go-to immersive video solution in verticals such as education, corporate communications, broadcast, e-sports and more.