The early days
It's always been about the music. About that one song that stirs up an emotion within my being. That's the reason I do what I do.
From as far back as I remember my mother always played music in the house and it was just natural for me to catch on.
Early on there was a fascination with the stereo system from which these wonderful tunes emanated and one day my dad opened up a loudspeaker box and showed me how it worked. He took my hand and placed it on the speaker cone and made me feel the vibrations. At first I was startled but soon I realised how absolutely amazing it is! I piece of paper vibrating, sending sound waves through the air to our ears. That was nothing short of magic.
As the years went by my curiosity grew and I just had to investigate how all of it worked. The grooves on a vinyl record. Glowing vacuum tubes. Mysterious three-legged transistors. Acoustic suspensions. Laser lenses and DACs. Reels and reels of tape and magnetic flux. Condenser microphones and their ability to transduce the faintest of sound vibrations in the air into electrical signals.
One day my dad showed me how to solder and use screwdrivers and man oh man, a world awaited me. In the first few years I caused a lot of destruction but even in those years I learned a lot. And the moment I learned that man-made stuff can be repaired I was on a determined path to repair any equipment I could lay my hands on.
In my hometown news quickly spread that I repaired stereo equipment. I made some money and made some friends that way. Later on, I ended up doing maintenance and repair work in a couple of large recording studios around the country. I also received equipment from all over to repair and service as well as restore. Some jobs were a real challenge but certainly a means that enriched my capabilities.
My exposure to the professional recording industry environment was worth every minute. There I learned how an excellent recording was made, how the equipment worked, and how it all interacted with each other. I developed a wonderful obsession with microphones and quickly learned how to carry out delicate repairs. Getting to understand how microphones functioned afforded me to better understand how a decent hi-fi system should sound.
The name Dewaudio was coined when I was still in school. Friends bestowed it upon me and back then I did not realise what the future held. Over the years I have built a number of custom audio equipment pieces under the brand. In late 2020 I started to focus on the brand and where I want to take it. A line stage, power amplifier and a phono stage was developed and an identity for Dewaudio was formed.
This year is my 20th year that I am active in the audio industry. Although time has gone by quickly, looking back I realised that I have done a lot of work.
The future for Dewaudio for now is to remain an artisanal crafter of high quality audio equipment. The aim is to do small batches for true connoisseurs. In the years that I have been active, I have realised that there is no reason to try and compete with mass-manufactured equipment. It's either excellent small batch craft or nothing.