If your love for high quality audio spans beyond the four walls of your home theatre system, you will be in for a treat if you’re open to take it one stride further. Being a judge of sound quality is no walk in the park, let alone judging the quality of cars decked out with a bevy of high-tech audio components. This is because the different dimensions of each car can drastically alter the overall sound output, even if you have the best of the best.
This is where a trained pair of ears comes into play. Ignore the brand of the audio components, clear your mind, and only listen to the output of the sound within the cabin. This is the main idea of an EMMA sound judge, as he/she is needed to evaluate the sound quality within a stated span of time.
This year’s EMMA Singapore competitor and judge training was held at the City Beach Resort at Labrador Park on the 6th and 7th of July. This will serve as a preparation for various stakeholders to be equipped with the necessary updates about EMMA happenings. Traditionally, there will be three EMMA Singapore events each year (Heat 1, Heat 2 and Finals), but both competitors and judges will need to stay up to date with the latest rules and regulations dished out from the EMMA HQ.
Each aspiring judge was handed an official competition manual that entails a brief background of EMMA, accompanied by rules for sound, installation and one of the newer segments called EMMA Racing. The judge training was headed by Terence Nah and Daryl Ong, who listed down the categories for this year’s EMMA Championship. Categories that audiophiles can take part in include Experience 2K (Sound Only), Advance 4K, Master 4K, Master OEM, Master OEM 4K, Best of Sound, Best of Sound (Digital, powered by Delphi), PFO Championship, Master Unlimited and a couple of segments dedicated to the hard-hitting soundtracks from ESQL.
And for such a wide span of categories, aspiring judges needed to make sure that they are well versed in each aspect, which is why the two-day course is devoted to break each component down to the “bare bones”, to ensure that every sound detail is explained clearly. But of course, a hands-on session is needed to ensure that these judges are familiar with judging in a car, rather than performing duties in more conventional rooms. While Day 1’s activities involved the theoretical approach of learning, Day 2 is where they are guided to various cars and educated about technicalities such as soundscape, tonal accuracy and spectral balance.
The end of the Day 2 was reserved for judges of EMMA Racing. Some might opine that this segment is drastically different from the mobile media judging process as emphasis is placed to assess the car’s aesthetics, but a percentage is still reserved for audio quality. This, we reckon, brings forth a more holistic approach to future EMMA events, adding more visual flair to an otherwise audio-centric EMMA landscape. It’s their attempt at roping in a larger market reach that gives it a more inviting appeal, and we respect EMMA Singapore for that!
For more information about future EMMA judging opportunities, visit www.emmasingapore.com
