AI in Audio: The End of the System Tech?
As we head into 2026, the buzz around “AI-assisted” measurement is reaching a fever pitch. Some claim that AI Assisted Sound Analysis will soon replace the need for an engineer to interpret a Transfer Function. Here is the reality from a distributor’s perspective.
Machine Learning vs. Physics
Current AI trends in audio—such as neural-network-driven EQ suggestions—are very effective for broad, corrective tasks. These systems can analyse thousands of “good” measurement traces and attempt to make yours conform to that statistical norm. Where AI-assisted sound analysis falls short, however, is acoustics. It cannot know whether a dip in your magnitude response is caused by phase cancellation at a crossover point, a reflection from a nearby surface, or a physical obstruction in the venue.
AI is fundamentally a tool for processing data, not for making informed decisions in complex, real-world situations like a live gig. It may help organise, compare, and filter large amounts of measurement data, but it cannot explain why a room feels the way it does. That understanding only emerges when someone is physically present, observing the space and connecting the dots.
An amplitude response can look the way it does for a multitude of reasons. Applying EQ is very often not the correct solution. Misalignment, reflections, or multiple loudspeakers arriving at the listening position at slightly different times will colour the sound through comb filtering. Comb filtering is caused by time-of-arrival differences of the same signal, and diagnosing it requires more than a graph—it requires situational awareness.
To understand why this is happening, you need to be there, looking at the loudspeakers, the room geometry, and the audience area. Current AI systems simply do not have access to that contextual information. They work with the data they are given, while a human engineer works with the data and the environment. In the end, the best “AI” is still the engineer who understands the math—and knows how to apply it in the real world.
Smaart is excellent on its own, but most users find they get much more out of it after some structured training. That’s where our seminars come in. At TZ Audio – the official Smaart distributor for Scandinavia – we run practical seminars, both online and in-venue. We offer seminar-only or full “all you need packages” including software & hardware. It’s simply the fastest way to become comfortable and confident with the measuring a sound system.
If you’re in Norway, Sweden, Denmark or Iceland – or elsewhere – we offer is online seminars and traveling to Norway is a valid option too of course. We’re here if you have any questions about the software or upcoming seminars.
Thanks for reading!