Radio Studio Technology

Company profile[edit]

Funk Tonstudiotechnik develops and manufactures audio systems for analogue and digital recording studios. The aim of the developments is, besides high reliability, devices with excellent sound characteristics such as high dynamics, clean frequency and phase response, lowest distortion as well as spectral purity in the signal processing. This is made possible by the consistent use of state-of-the-art technology and future-oriented, mature developments as well as the use of the best components. Each unit is assembled by hand and tested with the same precision test equipment used during development. The result is long-lasting, cleanly finished units whose functionality is so logically structured that their operation is self-explanatory. Symmetrical precision power supplies in low-drop technology with high efficiency or precision switching power supplies result at the same time in a very low power consumption as well as an extensive independence of the internal supply voltages from the quality of the mains power supply. The devices are manufactured in Germany, experts rank them among the best in the world.

Thomas Funk, born in 1951, completed an apprenticeship as an electromechanic at Telefunken in Berlin. He attended the Gauss engineering school and then another technical school. At first he developed measuring devices for Siemens, later he changed to Sony Germany. This was followed by a period as an in-house technician in an audio recording studio, while also doing service work for various Berlin musical instrument shops and repairing amplifiers. During this time, in the mid 70's, he was already building and developing equipment to customer specifications. In 1978, the expansion of his own recording studio began, and in 1980, the Funk recording studio was opened in Sonnenallee in Berlin. Funk also developed his own equipment for this studio, as he was not satisfied with the quality of some of the studio equipment available at the time. Examples include a correlation meter of the highest accuracy and a new type of master section for the Soundcraft TS24 mixing console. This master section was also built and installed in small numbers for studio friends. Funk lost the fun of his own recording studio already in 1981, when the "Neonbabies" broke up with the singer Miko under unpleasant circumstances during their recordings. He withdrew from the studio business and again occupied himself with the development of audio circuits. The young company "Funk Tonstudiotechnik" had its breakthrough in 1989 when it received an order from Sony Classical for a monitoring matrix that existed only as an idea. Using only a pencil and a sheet of paper, Funk convinced the Sony people of his concept, which was delivered as a finished device just 3 months later: the Audio Monitoring System - Sony, AMS-S for short. With this system it was possible to distribute 16 sound sources to three pairs of loudspeakers. On this basis, the "MTX-Monitor" was developed a few years later: an amplifier and summing unit in quasi-laboratory quality, which is many years ahead of comparable products and is constantly being further developed. Measurement results prove that until today (2013) no manufacturer worldwide offers a comparable amplifier with better audio data. No matter at what price. This is interesting in that the development is already well over 10 years old. HiFI magazines, in deference to their advertisers, generally do not test equipment made by Funk. The same applies to the manufacturer's audio cables. According to its own statement, Funk does not produce any equipment unless it can make it better or cheaper than its competitors. This statement has not yet been refuted, but interested circles never tire of criticizing the sober - functional design.

Products[edit]

Preamplifiers and monitoring systems, analogue audio signal switchers and summers, balancing amplifiers, differential amplifiers, distribution amplifiers, headphone amplifiers, phono amplifiers, digital audio signal switchers, distributors and converters, audio cables and adapters

Weblinks[edit]