Sound, Music and Production BA

Prof. Moritz Bergfeld, a qualified sound engineer, studied at the Erich Thienhaus Institute at the Detmold University of Music and, with well over a hundred albums to his name, has extensive experience in recording technology, recording supervision, post-production, editing and mastering of classical music. Practical work with surround sound formats in music production is a key focus for him; he is also involved in theatre sound design and live sound reinforcement for classical music. Moritz Bergfeld is a guest lecturer at universities and festivals both in Germany and abroad; most recently, he collaborated with the Freiburg University of Music on a project focusing on production strategies for young singers.

Kyrill Alexander Fischer studied physics and mathematics at the Georg-August University of Göttingen.
Under the supervision of Prof. Dr Manfred R. Schroeder (Director of the Institute of Applied Physics and Acoustics, formerly of AT&T Bell Laboratories, USA), he passed his diploma examination in the scientific physics study programme in 1990 with a thesis on the simulation of neural networks in computer-based speech recognition. At the suggestion of Prof. Dr M. R. Schroeder, Mr Fischer completed his doctoral thesis at the same institute; he completed his doctoral studies and was awarded the degree of Dr rer. nat. in 1994. The thesis demonstrates that neural structures are capable of synchronising with the fundamental acoustic frequency (modulation frequency locking) and thus contribute to acoustic figure-ground separation (cocktail party effect).
During this period, he was a research fellow at the interdisciplinary Research Training Group ‘Organisation and Dynamics of Neural Networks’ (Prof. Dr A. Zippelius et al) and a research assistant at the university. It was also during this time that he produced several publications on the modelling of auditory signal processing.
From 1994, Dr Fischer was project manager for international projects at Deutsche Telekom AG; he later expanded his remit to include consultancy work for T-Online and T-Mobile. This work led to several patents.
In 1995, Dr Fischer received two research fellowships, one from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and one from the International Computer Science Institute, Berkeley. Two years later, this resulted in a nine-month stay at the International Computer Science Institute (ICSI) and the University of California, Berkeley.
From 2000, Dr Fischer served as a representative of T-Mobile AG at the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), contributing to the standardisation of newer mobile communications codecs (including the Adaptive Multi-Rate Wideband Codec) and the design of listening tests.
He has been a professor at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences since 2005. There, he teaches the mathematical and physical aspects of signal processing and the latest developments in adaptive systems and computer-based acoustic modelling.

Julius Gass hat an der Hochschule für Musik Detmold Tonmeister studiert und zuvor ein Musikstudium auf Lehramt an der Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln abgeschlossen. Er arbeitet als freier Recording Producer für den WDR und Deutschlandfunk. Lehraufträge und Gastseminare führten ihn außerdem immer wieder an die Hochschule für Musik Detmold zurück.
Als freischaffender Musikproduzent und Beschaller ist er vor allem in der Popmusik tätig. Zu seinen Arbeiten zählen Postproduktionen für Helene Fischer und LEA. Ein besonderer Schwerpunkt seiner Arbeit ist die Popchormusik.
Als Professor für Music Production and Live PA versteht Julius Studioarbeit und Liveperformance als ineinandergreifende Bereiche musikalischer Produktion. In seiner Lehre verbindet er technisches Wissen mit einem Verständnis für künstlerische Prozesse.

Development of immersive audiovisual media formats, interactive 3D audio, scenography & dramaturgy, creative coding

Felix Krückels studied sound engineering in Detmold. Since 1995, he has worked as a sound engineer in various roles in television. He designed and produced the sound mixing for the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championships from 2008 to 2026. In doing so, he played a key role in establishing surround sound and 3D audio.

He regularly works as a sound supervisor on broadcasts of top Bundesliga matches and other premium sports productions.

With 15 years’ experience as a product manager and business development manager at Lawo, he also brings a wealth of experience in user-oriented approaches to broadcast workflows. He has long been involved in the development of^{the mc2 series} and established the first live IP audio/video solutions as a new business area at Lawo.

As a professor on the SMP study programme, he is dedicated to teaching the complex and exciting field of live television and studio production, with the aim of equipping students for the ever-growing sector of content creation and inspiring them. A few examples can be found here.

In 2021, Mr Krückels won the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences Research Award in the Outreach category; further details can be found here: ogy.de/tpz8.

As part of the System Design key area, Mr Krückels provides students with a deeper insight into industrial product development from the perspective of strategic marketing.

Owi Mahn is a filmmaker and video artist.
He studied Visual Communication at the Offenbach University of Art and Design and has been working for many years on projects at the intersection of film, animation and moving images. A central focus of his work is the relationship between image and sound. He regards sound not merely as an accompaniment, but as an independent narrative layer that shapes the atmosphere and shifts meanings.

His artistic practice spans narrative forms, experimental visual languages and cross-media installations. In doing so, he explores how audiovisual elements reinforce, disrupt or complement one another, and how this interplay can give rise to new spaces of perception. In addition to traditional productions, he also focuses on digital and interactive formats in which sound plays an active role in dialogue with image and movement.

Since the winter semester of 2021, he has been teaching Creative Coding and the workshop on spatial sound installations as a lecturer for special assignments (LfbA) on the SMP study programme. Since the summer semester of 2024, he has also been teaching on the Expanded Media Master’s programme, with key areas of focus being Interactive Audio and Spatial Sound.

Jürgen Schwab studied music education, musicology and philosophy in Frankfurt and completed PhD studies in musicology at Liebig University in Giessen. He also completed a study programme in music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He has lectured at institutions including the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen and the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts.

Since 1996, Schwab has worked as a freelance writer, presenter and editor for Hessischer Rundfunk (hr), and since 2004 he has also been increasingly involved with the hr Big Band. Since 2016, he has been one of the three programme directors of the German Jazz Festival Frankfurt. As an author and speaker, he has earned a reputation as an expert in the field of regional and international jazz history.

As a jazz guitarist, he has worked with Emil Mangelsdorff, amongst others, and on his own projects. As a guitarist and singer, he accompanied the concert organiser Fritz Rau on his reading tours and released two albums as a singer-songwriter. At the Holzhausenschlösschen in Frankfurt, he curates the ‘Songs und Chansons’ concert series.

As part of his professorship, he is committed to sparking interest and enthusiasm for the possibilities offered by journalistic and artistic broadcast formats, and to encouraging students to utilise and publish their work. In addition to these subjects, Jürgen Schwab also teaches lyric and songwriting. He incorporates methods he learnt at the SAGO Academy for Poetry and Music and as a graduate of the ‘Celler Schule’.

Hanna Steger specialises in radio plays, features and podcasts. She has been working as a professor of dramaturgy and directing at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences since April 2025.

Hanna studied at the Dieburg Media Campus and subsequently spent 15 years perfecting her craft as a technician, assistant director and director at Deutschlandfunk and WDR. In her work, she inspires herself and others with compelling stories – whether fiction or non-fiction – told in a contemporary style and skilfully edited. She prefers to take a hands-on approach with her students: How do you develop formats? How does an idea become a rich and varied narrative? How do scripts come to life? And what do storytelling, dramaturgy and sound design have to do with it?

Alongside her teaching, Hanna works as a writer, director and producer in the audio sector, primarily for public service broadcasters. She brings her ideas to life through her production company, stegermeister GmbH.

Ingo Weismantel is a qualified event technician and holds a Sound, Music and Production BA. As a laboratory engineer, he supervises practical sessions and exercises in the sound laboratories, supports students with their project work, final-year projects and research, and is responsible for the technical organisation of laboratory operations. Alongside his professional work, he volunteers as a trainer for initial and continuing education at the Association of German Sound Engineers.

After initially studying mechanical engineering, Prof. Carlos Albrecht trained as a qualified sound engineer at Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences and the Robert Schumann Conservatoire.

In 1972, he joined the world-renowned Bauer Studios in Ludwigsburg, and from 1986 onwards worked as a freelance sound engineer, with over 1,000 CD and vinyl record productions and numerous television productions to his name. His professional career has been marked by three Grammy nominations and various national and international awards.

From 1996 to 2007, he was involved in teaching at the Erich Thienhaus Institute of the Detmold University of Music as Professor of Pop Music Production and as Head of the Institute. In 2008, he took on part of the music production teaching at the SRH hdpk Berlin as a lecturer, and since summer 2019 has been doing the same within the workshop-based teaching at the Media Campus of Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences.

Between 2009 and 2018, Prof. Albrecht served as President of the Association of German Sound Engineers (VDT). During this period, his book *Der Tonmeister, Mikrofonierung akustischer Instrumente in der Popmusik* (www.carlos-albrecht-tonmeister.de) was also published.

Hans-Martin Buff began his career as a recording engineer and music producer at Pachyderm Studios in the US state of Minnesota, where he made excellent coffee and honed his craft as an assistant on projects such as the band Live’s multi-platinum album *Throwing Copper*. Hans-Martin worked his way through several rock studios in Minnesota before finding a permanent home at Prince’s Paisley Park Studios, where he remained Prince’s “personal engineer” for four groovy years. During this time, he was not only responsible for recording His Purple Majesty’s work, but also for studio projects by global stars such as No Doubt, Chaka Khan and Larry Graham.

Since returning to Germany in 2001, Hans-Martin has worked as a freelance engineer with a wide range of national and international artists, including the Scorpions, with whom he has been working in the studio since 2008.

Since 2018, Hans-Martin has been focusing on 3D audio, specifically for headphones, and has since been helping artists realise the vast musical possibilities of their immersive experiences.

Hans-Martin is affiliated with MSM Studios in Munich, as well as with Real World Studios in England, where he is currently overseeing the Dolby Atmos versions of Peter Gabriel’s latest works.

Hans-Martin Buff has been giving workshops and seminars on the subject of sound engineering at various educational institutions worldwide for many years; in 2021, he was a guest lecturer at h_da for the first time.

Nils Mosh is a field recordist and sound artist, born in 1983 near Essen (Germany).

His artistic practice, situated at the intersection of documentation, science and art, often involves long-term projects that explore the acoustic environment of his local surroundings. Mosh meticulously documents the interplay between structures, people and other animals, paying particular attention to subtle social and acoustic phenomena that are often overlooked in everyday listening.

Through his work, he aims to foster a deeper understanding of the acoustic environment and encourage listeners to rediscover the complex soundscapes that surround them, thereby making his work accessible to a wide audience.

His body of work is diverse and includes, amongst other things, multi-channel installations, live performances, interactive sound creation and record releases.

https://soundofessen.com/