GPU Audio Shapes the Future of Audio at its NAMM Innovation Lounge

Established in Fribourg, Switzerland, and now based in Los Angeles, GPU Audio was created to reinvent sound processing workflow. Its mission is to “provide musicians, music producers, and audio engineers with more creative freedom and save their precious time.” The cutting-edge digital sound processing platform unlocks a standard GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) to handle audio production with “next-gen performance capabilities,” which “dramatically enhances performance by offloading processing from a computer’s CPU to its GPU.”  

What does this mean? GPU Audio breaks it down for us. They report that graphics cards have unrivaled computing power, networkability, and scalability that have been an untapped resource for audio applications. By unlocking the power of parallel GPU-core processing, the NAMM member has achieved a democratized standard of audio acceleration that provides power and speed orders of magnitude greater than what exists today for audio producers of all levels – and all this without the need for expensive, walled-garden DSP hardware.”

Put another way, Jonathan Rowden, Chief Business Officer of GPU Audio, said, “GPU-based digital signal processing was once impossible due to the differences between CPU and GPU architectures or the way these chips are designed to function. However, it was recognized that the benefits of GPU-based digital signal processing, if possible, would be immense. A GPU has up to 10,000+ cores running at 1.5-2Ghz each - the implications of this are vast. GPU Audio spent many years in research and development to invent what can be described as an ‘engine’ or ‘virtual machine’ at a very low level of code that allows audio algorithms to be processed in parallel, spread across thousands of GPU cores, real-time/instant rendering, and at extremely low latencies (150 microseconds to 1ms). This allows developers to improve their audio software capabilities by extreme measures in many cases, giving producers, composers, and musicians laptop or desktop, which previously would have cost thousands in dedicated hardware. This makes it useful for powering up existing heavy-CPU products and bringing next-gen products like spatial audio and AI applications to life with real-time processing and results.”

The platform, designed with the creative in mind, can be used by novice producers and professionals looking to utilize the product on stage, in the studio, in broadcast, and virtual applications.

GPU Audio is excited to exhibit at The 2023 NAMM Show and has committed itself to elevate its NAMM Show presence by presenting its Innovation Lounge. The Innovation Lounge will be a “future-focused space dedicated to showcasing the technologies which will dawn the next generation of audio advancements and innovations through inspirational live performances, expert panels, and in-depth presentations from the pioneers of our industry.”

The NAMM member’s Innovation Lounge will include technologies like artificial intelligence, audio platforms, cloud computing, game audio, immersive audio, and machine learning and partners GPU Audio alongside other NAMM members such as Apogee, Genelec, Harmonai, Mach1, MNTRA, Razer, Splice, Soyuz Microphones, and Vienna Symphonic Library.  In addition to these titans of our industry, the lounge will also host audio luminaries like Jacqueline Bosnjak (Mach1), Brian D’Oliviera (MNTRA), Zach Evans (Harmonai/Stability), Nuno Fonseca (Sound Particles), Jean-Marc Jot (Virtuel Works), and Jonathan Wyner (Berklee College of Music), among others, in a series of panels and discussions.

The live performance component of the lounge will include music from futuristic code-drummer Battery and world-renowned Richard Devine, among others demonstrating the power of the innovative application in real-time for NAMM Show attendees.

Of The Innovation Lounge at The NAMM Show, Rowden said, “The Innovation Lounge is, in a way, a location-based embodiment of the GPU Audio model of collaboration. As a core technology that seeks to enable an entire industry to stretch out, expand, and unlock new capabilities for users and developers alike, we want to use our space at NAMM to put this mission into practice.”

Not one to lose sight of the historical approach to a NAMM Show, GPU Audio will combine these panels and performances with familiar NAMM Show booths where attendees can witness demonstrations of the pioneering technology that will make its market debut later in 2023. In addition, this space will facilitate connections and open discussions, embodying the spirit of The NAMM Show. “We have designed the lounge to be a space where conversations can materialize projects, ideas, and partnerships. We want people to grab a drink, walk inside, and talk about their dreams and goals in a space that encourages outside-of-the-box perspectives and thinking,” said Rowden.

To learn more about GPU Audio, please visit https://www.gpu.audio/ and check out their presence on NAMM Show+ at https://www.nammshow.org/event/the-2023-namm-show/exhibitor/RXhoaWJpdG9yXzExNzc0NTE=.  

The Innovation Lounge is in the ACC North, Level 1, Booth 15000. Registration to attend The 2023 NAMM Show is open at https://registration.namm.org.