Portrait Funk Tonstudiotechnik

I was happy to accept the invitation of Thomas Funk, the owner of Manufaktur Funk Tonstudiotechnik. The company is now, since the move in 2018, located in an industrial park in the Berlin district of Lichtenberg (Germany). As you can see from the photos, the workplaces are bright and spacious, which underlined my extremely good first impression.

Measurement technology is Mr. Funk's great passion. I dare say that there is no audio parameter that cannot be measured within his walls with the highest resolution and the background of the best expertise from many years of experience. The equipment on the photo is "only" what is needed on a daily basis. In another room there are measurement electronics from all over the world. Thomas Funk's credo: Leave nothing to chance, rather measure once more and keep on thinking. This has the effect that the already very good measured values of his devices can often be improved even further. He always has his finger on the pulse of the times and always uses new components and technologies in constantly improved designs. For example, there are optimized power supplies that are intelligently designed, have very good measurement values and are also sold to other manufacturers.

The designs of the housings and boards follow the function. The layouts are created and optimized in-house. This allows, for example, a special ground routing that effectively reduces interference, because: What is neglected in the power supply and conductor routing cannot be made up for at any other point in the device. After the boards have been manufactured, assembly is also carried out in-house. The SMD components are assembled manually using a special process in which wafer-thin stainless steel stencils are placed on the boards and coated with solder paste, and then heated in a special device. In this way, the components form a bond with the soldering points. The vapor phase soldering process used for this purpose is very environmentally friendly and conserves resources. For the electronic components, this is a particularly gentle method of assembly in an oxygen-free environment. The remaining components, such as sockets and switches, are then soldered by hand and installed in the prefabricated housing frames.

The first switch-on as well as the further function tests are carried out by the master himself. After commissioning, all levels and parameters are checked, adjusted and measured. All technical data, which are listed in the detailed operating instructions, are guaranteed to be adhered to. I particularly like the fact that all units and reference values are also clearly displayed. Fakes or errors in the measured values do not exist with Thomas Funk. The explanation is admittedly not always easy for laymen, but I can reassure everyone, because here you can have confidence. If necessary, Mr. Funk is always ready to explain everything. In the studio as well as in the home user area, his devices enjoy the highest reputation.

In addition to the meticulousness described above with regard to compliance with all measured values, the area of component quality is also a matter for the boss. Low-quality parts are not used. This can lead to a slightly higher final price due to fewer components being used, but this has a positive effect on longevity and data reliability. In the recording studios of this world, high reliability of equipment is the requirement. The equipment is manufactured according to this standard. You can recognize the value by the low number of used equipment on the market compared to the competition. If any can be found, they are available in a stable price segment. I find Funk Tonstudiotechnik's pricing to be extremely fair.

Look once on the homepage of Funk Tonstudiotechnik http://www.funk-tonstudiotechnik.de/, about which problem solvers you had already thought in the past. Above all, users who want to connect professional studio equipment with their hi-fi system will find a variety of well-designed devices and connecting cables here.

Text and photos: Claus Müller

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