The Preservation of Human Experience Through Sound: An Interview With Laurent Vaissie
Laurent Vaissie, courtesy of L-Acoustics.
Lights, sound, and action.
These three words are ubiquitous in any performance, driving industries like theater, movies, and music that aim to immerse audiences in a whole different world. L-Acoustics, a premier French audio manufacturer, helps complete that world by providing sound for countless clients and events across those industries. And as the Chief Executive Officer of L-Acoustics, Laurent Vaissie plays a major role in ensuring the company’s mission comes to life.
Sound, to Vaissie, is key to shaping the shared experiences that make performances so enjoyable to people. In fact, one of L-Acoustics’ biggest priorities has been preserving human connection through sound. Vaissie believes that “there is something very unique, both primal and a little bit magical, about having the energy of sound through sound waves hitting humans at the same time and sharing that energy in space.” That way of connecting, Vaissie continues, is “not only through the ears, but through the body and the way we feel.”
Enhancing and preserving that connection, Vaissie says, is what drives the technology L-Acoustics manufactures. L-Acoustics develops technology that makes sure “coverage is uniform throughout the audience” and can “really throw the sound all the way down to the top of the Hollywood Bowl or the very last section of an arena, or a stadium.” They also focus on making sure any event they are part of, no matter how big, is as intimate as possible. Some of the technological innovations L-Acoustics is currently working on, including a separated audio system that can make a 360º DJ stereo show possible, focus on just that. And by focusing on the level of intimacy and connection that sound can provide, L-Acoustics has become a driving force behind the sound experience at some of the most attended events in history, including Coachella and the World Cup.
In fact, some of Vaissie’s favorite memories at L-Acoustics have also been the company’s most intimate events, such as the inauguration of Notre Dame in Paris. L-Acoustics had redone the sound in the cathedral, and being part of that, especially as a French company, Vaissie says, “was very powerful.” Vaissie also enjoyed working closely with artists like Bon Iver. Having the chance to “[pick] their brains and [understand] how they think about sound and music” before “helping them achieve their vision” and watching their pleased reactions afterward, in particular, was stuck with Vaissie as one of his best moments at L-Acoustics.
Vaissie has also driven major behind-the-scenes changes that have helped L-Acoustics grow into the coveted company it is today, particularly by restructuring and scaling its leadership and communication. Vaissie not only created an executive committee that connected all the L-Acoustics directors across committees, but also began implementing quarterly “all-hands” meetings for all employees. Both of these changes Vaissie pioneered were vital in helping L-Acoustics narrow its goals, and they transformed the company into a “bottom-up” organization where everyone is heard. This approach is what drove the 800-person growth L-Acoustics saw during Vaissie’s time as CEO.
As L-Acoustics continues to lead the sound industry, they are also mentoring and developing a new generation of leaders and sound engineers. They are the first company in the industry to develop training programs for their systems and are currently working with various universities to develop curriculum and provide internships for students interested in the sound engineering space. And, as artificial intelligence and software begin to step into the industry, Vaissie is confident that this next generation of leaders L-Acoustics is helping develop will help preserve the unique human experience of sound.