How to resolve AdBlock issue? RSF SAS becomes member of the tonwelt group
Gürsan Acar
The long-established French company RSF SAS has become part of the tonwelt group. Based in Toulouse, the company specialises in the development, manufacture and production of durable and robust devices for presenting audio-visual productions in museums, exhibitions, castles, archaeological sites, tourist attractions, trade fairs and events. Their product range includes audio guides, media guides, headphones and their peripherals.
RSF SAS will remain independent both as a brand and in its economic organisation. The founder of the tonwelt group, Gürsan Acar, will take over the management: “We are extremely pleased to welcome our new colleagues in Toulouse to the tonwelt group!”, says tonwelt Managing Director Gürsan Acar. “RSF and tonwelt are two companies that share the same core goal, which is to make knowledge communication in museums and cultural institutions as exciting, imaginative, sustainable and unique as possible using innovative technology. For decades, RSF has been one of the most important suppliers of audio guides and media guides in Europe. These are particularly popular in highly frequented museums and tourist sites.”
RSF has an extensive product portfolio. The company’s standard models belong to the PortaDAP series, which is characterised by high energy efficiency and intuitive handling. These extremely robust audio guides have a runtime of up to 700 hours and are suitable for outdoor use. Other products in the RSF range include the universal audio guide XPneo, as well as the hands-free Optima OP6 and Swop devices, both of which have been designed for interactive applications. The Swop audio guide is even available as a smart-watch variant, which in combination with the company’s FreeSound floating headphones represents an exciting alternative to traditional audio guide systems. RSF’s comprehensive portfolio also encompasses a variety of special speakers as well as stationary video and audio players.
Another ground-breaking innovation from RSF is the new SPHERIC all-in-one headphone set, which includes an integrated multitrack player, 9-axis sensor and 3D sound. The unique design of the SPHERIC allows visitors to journey through acoustically staged and spatially refined soundscapes while still enjoying a shared experience. This is made possible by the positioning of the SPHERIC speakers, which literally float above the wearer’s ears. Visitors are therefore able to communicate with each other clearly without taking off their headsets, while simultaneously experiencing music, soundscapes or narrations in the highest sound quality.
Importantly, the innovative SPHERIC system also has an option to position sound sources within an acoustic 3D space, and to automatically adjust their playback levels to match the movements of the visitor’s head. This unique technology enables exhibition and event designers to create the most complex acoustic scenarios possible for their immersive visitor experiences. Such ‘immersive’ experiences have become incredibly popular in the edutainment sector over the last several years, and the trend looks set to continue. Of course, the SPHERIC package also allows sound to be synchronised with projections and media stations. Just like tonwelt’s own products, RSF’s solutions include extensive functions for automatic triggering and video synchronisation.
The addition of RSF SAS to tonwelt’s corporate structure has resulted in numerous positive benefits for the entire tonwelt group. Both tonwelt and RSF complement their respective product and service portfolios in the areas of hardware, development and production. In addition, better purchasing terms for components and parts can now be achieved through joint procurements, which will partially compensate for price increases on the world markets.
The tonwelt group’s expansion is taking place in economically challenging times. As a result of multiple international crises, globally disrupted supply chains and a shortage of skilled workers, many companies are now confronted with risks they find difficult to calculate. However, the tonwelt group has performed so well over the last years that it is able to continue investing and expanding even in these more difficult times. This current move enables the group to expand its international activities while continuing to offer its customers the high quality of hardware, software, creative content and comprehensive services that they have come to expect.
With this new, expanded portfolio, tonwelt can now respond even more effectively to the unique requirements of curators, educators, scenographers, designers and innovators in the tailor-made field of Guiding Solutions.