THORKILD LARSEN - REMIC MICROPHONES

MINI BOOK JANUARY 2018
SERIES ISSUE NO. 2

THORKILD LARSEN – THE HUMAN BEHIND SPECIAL EDITION
REMIC MICROPHONES

REMIC
MICROPHONES

THORKILD LARSEN –
THE HUMAN BEHIND
REMIC MICROPHONES

MCGM SEARCHES FOR THE
TRUTH BEHIND ALL
ARTISTS AND IN THE ARTS.

In today's times music of With every new true passion shine in
all genres reaches all four microphone creation, the performances. Mr. Larsen
corners of the world. With very instrument and artist is giving that very special
advance and innovating is being considered and attention to each and
technologies consuming made the very important everyone artist needs. 
and becoming part of ingredient. Making every
everyone's daily routines microphone a real living With many acoustic
and lives. Music is now object and being. Mr. instruments, finding the
widely available within the Larsen does not only see in correct and right
households. This being no creating a microphone, but microphone is a life long
different for the very a microphone that is struggle. Each instrument
artists themselves. catered to that very having their own unique
Adapting to the modern instrument and artist that qualities that many around
world of inventions, each he approaches and he is the world are not familiar
artist must too adapt. This approached by.  with. The public audience
being a unique part of all not knowing that every
artists lives and their Mr. Larsen is re-inventing concert hall, climate, and
careers. REMIC the way microphone space gives different
Microphones is this very technology is viewed and performance challenges
new and modern created. He is taking the for the performer. Mr.
technology that is taking the idea and view of Larsen is changing this
the world by storm. making the instrument and very idea and putting
Thorkild Larsen, CEO AND the very artist as a human himself and REMIC
FOUNDER of REMIC and living thing. For many MICROPHONES at the very
MICROPHONES, is taking years within the Classical frontlines of these
technology and bring the Arts and Music world, each struggles. MCGM takes a
very human being spirit artist has struggle to find look at Mr. Larsen's true
into every microphone and the very microphone that beginnings and personal 
project he creates.  will allow their art and 

life of his REMIC MICROPHONE, Music made me feel accepted
the human behind REMIC
MICROPHONES, in his very own As a child, I always felt like a bit
words.  of an outsider, I always felt
different than the other children,
In this article, we bring a portrait of was never really part of the
Thorkild Larsen - the inventor, community. I believe this basic
founder, and CEO of REMIC feeling was because my mother
Microphones – high-end wanted a girl and got a boy
microphones for acoustic string instead. I was left very much to
instruments, all handcrafted in taking care of myself, I was on my
Denmark. own a lot, so I sort of invented my
own way of seeing the world.  My
“…I never had the perception that life with music started, when I was
failing was something dangerous 4 years old and my grandfather
to avoid…. The ability to learn made me a guitar out of a cigar
from mistakes and move on is box.
really what moves you ahead as a
human being and as a company.”  -
Thorkild Larsen

WHEN I WAS AROUND 16 YEARS OLD, I HAD BOUGHT A SPANISH
GUITAR, LEARNED TO PLAY THE GUITAR. A DEFINING MOMENT
HAPPENED FOR ME IN THOSE TEENAGE YEARS; I AUDITIONED FOR
A BAND IN A BASEMENT – A LAUNDRY BASEMENT WITH CLOTHES
HANGING ALL OVER THE PLACE TO DRY. THEY ACCEPTED ME AND
THIS WAS REALLY A SPECIAL MOMENT. BECOMING A MEMBER OF
A BAND GAVE ME A PLACE, WHERE I FELT ACCEPTED, A PLACE TO
BELONG SOMEHOW. I PLAYED THE GUITAR AND I STARTED
SINGING AND I SUDDENLY FOUND A WAY TO EXPRESS MY
FEELINGS.

THE SOUND ENGINEER YEARS

IN 1984, I FINISHED MY EDUCATION AS AN ELECTRONIC
ENGINEER. DURING MY STUDIES, I HAD WORKED IN ONE OF THE
SOUND RENTAL COMPANIES AND RECORDING STUDIOS IN
AARHUS, THE SECOND LARGEST CITY OF DENMARK. HERE I GOT
SOME EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY FROM MANY DIFFERENT
ANGLES; MIXING SOUND FOR LIVE PERFORMANCES, REPAIRING
MICROPHONES AND CABLES, LOUDSPEAKERS, AMPLIFIERS AND
MIXING CONSOLES.

IN APRIL 1984, I FOUNDED “2R DANISH AV RESEARCH”, A
COMPANY PRIMARILY AIMED FOR SERVICE AND REPAIR OF HIGH-
END PROFESSIONAL AUDIO AND VIDEO EQUIPMENT, BUT ALSO
DEVELOPING NON-STANDARD SOLUTIONS FOR THE DANISH
NATIONAL BROADCAST ORGANISATION AND LATER ALSO “TV2”,
ANOTHER NATIONAL TV CHANNEL IN DENMARK. 

MCGM PAGE 10

1987-1989: The US
Years

In 1987, I had some challenges in my
private life and needed a fresh
perspective on life, a new beginning. I
sold all my belongings and moved to the
US for a couple of years. When I
returned to Denmark two years later, I
tried getting back into the music
environment that I had been a part of
before. 

I reached out to the studio environment
related to the Danish Musicians Union,
then I started a band called “Steve
Amman Project”. 

I continued working as a sound
engineer and with service of audio
equipment in my own company. At this
time, my base became the “Nørgaard
Recording Studio” near Silkeborg, my
hometown.

1995/96: The first REMIC Ancestor 

During the years, when I repaired high-
end microphones for e.g. the Danish
National Broadcast Organisation, I
learned about all the flaws of the
existing microphone types. None of
them really solved the challenges of the
musicians: to express the true sound of
the instrument and the personal artistic
expression that they had been working
to obtain their entire life. 

The microphones always changed the sound of the instruments,
there were feedback problems etc. In live settings, feedback and
“bleed” from other instruments on stage were always a problem,

so you could never place a violinist next to a drummer for
example.

So I decided that I wanted to build my At this time, we are talking about a
own microphone, which did not have “general purpose” microphone that
the flaws that the existing microphones could be used on all kinds of
had.   instruments, violin, saxophone, acoustic
After many experiments, I found a guitar, drums and percussion etc.  Later
particular material with acoustic I developed a series of more
properties that lived up to my instrument-specific microphones; for
requirements. I found a place where grand piano, brass and woodwinds,
they could produce this material at a percussion and some especially aimed
larger scale, then started producing for the bowed instrument group, which
series of microphones, still on a was also divided into two different
relatively small scale. groups of sonic environments;

A live version for The Centuries-Old However, it was all done
extreme live Wisdom of the as a project that was never
performances and a Instrument Makers supposed to continue. But
studio model for studio the musicians came back
recordings. This The instrument makers to me asking for upgrades
development took place taught me a lot about all or repair of their
until 2004 when the the details that matter for microphones after a few
project ended. the sound of the years.
instruments; the choice of They all wanted to know if
Community Mindset strings, types of varnish, I were going to make more
height of the bridge, of those microphones. I
Since the beginning in tension of the soundboard had a great friend, a
1996, I produced (belly) and pressure from musician with a business
microphones as a the strings etc. when mindset, who pointed out
project and with a talking bowed to me that there was a
community mindset. instruments. From those business potential for
The community that conversations, I mapped what I had developed, and
helped me out all the elements that then I realized that I had
with feedback in the add nuances to the sound created something with a
development phase of each particular potential for more than
consisted of musicians, instrument. I learned how just a project. 
sound engineers and each type of instrument
instrument makers. (upright bass, cello, viola 2009: “You are not part of
Around 1997/98, I and violin) amplifies its the Acoustic World”
started developing a own sound. Then I started
microphone version for from scratch again and In 2009, right after the
studio use. The developed the studio global financial crisis hit
challenge in existing versions of the us all, I decided to do
microphones were that microphones. something about the
they did not capture the demand for more of my
nuances of the During the period 1995- instrument specific
instruments. I wanted 2004, our microphones microphones. None of the
to understand how one ended up in the US with banks were willing to
could capture these producers from the CBS finance the start up of a
nuances, so I had to broadcast company, but since I had
learn how the different corporation.  Already then, been in the world of
instruments amplify I had some indication that artists for many years, I
their own sound. This we were on to something knew that there is always
was the beginning of my that was different from a way to create
collaboration with existing solutions. something. 
various instrument
makers.

So I did not give up. I found a local business angel, through a fund
I went to some of the big for regional development in Denmark. This
industry players to business angel helped me gather a team of
collaborate, but they did not professionals with expertise in each of the
see the potential in my necessary areas to start a business;
microphones.  They simply production, finances, and marketing. One
could not follow the mindset man is unable to do it all on his own and just
and the way of thinking that like in the development of the microphones, I
I had implemented in my started collaborating with the right people to
research and development. make this happen.
It was too different from the
traditional thinking in 2012: REMIC is born
microphone development.
They explicitly told me that Three years later after I had decided to
I was not part of the continue with my instrument microphone
acoustic world. development in a professional company
structure, I finally had the necessary team
with many years of experience from the
acoustic world. 

The next challenge was then to Family Support is my
gather all the big artist names in Cornerstone
Denmark and create cases with
them as REMIC users. These cases During many of the years of
were used to start selling development, the support of my
microphones and to raise capital family has been one of the
from a fund that invested in cornerstones and it continues to
REMIC. be so. Before we had the
The name REMIC (Re-Mic) is an development facilities, my father-
old English term which means in-law let me borrow his garage in
“replace your microphone”, which the summertime for my
I found was a great fit for my way development projects, and in the
of thinking.  winter time, when the
Scandinavian weather makes it too
The Community Support cold to work out of a garage, I had
to work in our kitchen at home. 
I continued running the company
like the project I had developed My wife and five children have
the microphones in. The been involved from the beginning
community mindset is a very sorting parts for the microphones
important aspect of the REMIC etc. 
DNA, we continue developing with
the support of a group of Breaking down Barriers between
musicians and sound engineers, Artists and Audience
who do field tests for us and give
us feedback for a very long period REMIC’s point of departure are the
of time to make sure that we have instruments and how the artist
all the necessary input to keep up wants to express their individual
the REMIC quality.  style the artistic expression. 

REMIC microphones give the artists the possibility to capture sound very
close to the authentic sound of the instrument, a pure and undisturbed
sound. We say that REMIC breaks down the barriers between the artists and
the audience. Barriers are usually created when microphones do not express
the true sound of the instrument. 

Artists spend years finding the right I believed that this optimism was
instrument and they spend a great part something I developed as a shield when
of their life perfecting their own I was a child and teenager. Being raised
individual sound with thousands of the way I was and never really fitting in
nuances. They want to tell a story made me develop optimism as a way of
through music, a story that moves the meeting the world around me to
audience, so we see our job as being confront the resistance I experienced.
able to capture this story in an
undisturbed way and bring it to the Mistakes are what move you ahead
audience the way the artist intended.
We believe that this is the way REMIC In 99% of the cases, there are mistakes
can become a game changer in the in the development process of a new
music industry. Using the construction product before it is released to the
of instruments to develop microphones market, but I never had the perception
is a new way of thinking. that failing was something dangerous
to avoid. I just dive right into the ideas
Curiosity as the driving Force that I get, and I strongly believe that it
is not until you actually learn from
I have always been curious by nature mistakes that you can really change
and never afraid to fail. My driving something and move ahead. The ability
force is curiosity, which means that I to learn from mistakes and move on is
never stop developing ideas and really what moves you ahead as a
experiments. When I finish a human being and as a company. 
development project, I am of course
pleased about it, but then my curiosity If you fit in, you don’t stand out
kicks in and I am eager to do something
more, something even better. My head The natural curiosity also helped me
simply does not stop developing develop as a human being. I felt like an
solutions. I get a new idea and get outsider when I was a teenager, but I
excited about it and then I have to realized that when you don’t fit in, you
develop it further. I always believed in stand out and this can actually be an
the basic perception that if the solution advantage. During my life so far, I
you need is not there, then go out and actively created the world around me, 
develop it. 

BEST WAY
TO BUILD
ENDURANCE

THE WIFE (HANNE) FACT BOX
AND THE YOUNGEST REMIC Microphones develops,
DAUGHTER (VILMA) manufactures and sells instrument
OF THORKILD specific high-end microphones for
SORTING PARTS FOR classical instruments. Mainly for
THE MICROPHONES. upright bass, violin, viola and cello,
grand piano, brass and woodwinds.
SO I NO LONGER FEEL LIKE AN OUTSIDER,
BUT I STILL STAND OUT SOMEHOW AND Founded: 2012
THAT IS REFLECTED IN EVERY REMIC Base: Denmark
PRODUCT. IT IS LIKE EVERY REMIC Website: www.remic.dk
MICROPHONE REPRESENTS SOME OF THE CEO: Thorkild Larsen
CURIOSITY AND THE FEELING OF BEING Sold via local resellers and
DIFFERENT THAT I HAVE ALWAYS DEALT www.remic.dk
WITH AS A HUMAN BEING. IF YOU FIT IN,
YOU DON’T STAND OUT.

- THORKILD
LARSEN