The Pixelsonic Journey
Discover the story and projects behind Pixelsonic – Martin Jann. As a founder – as 3D artist and – as Audio Designer.
My Story – as a Founder
began with sound – 3D sound. Now I create immersive tools and experiences for spatial computing and the metaverse. In between I founded a few companies.
2022 ASTROROXX
From 2020 to 2021 I produced a Virtual Reality game for Meta Quest and PC VR together with a talented developer from the US. The game – a virtual reality space shooter, reminding of Atari Asteroids – is available on the Meta Quest store for free.
2019 WUNDERPARC
Ahead of the AI times we started to develop a software-tool to convert any image to a 3D environment using AI. We won a pitch for the Media Lift incubator in 2019.
2009 MATERIALWERK – BRIX
From 2009 to 2010 I had a small company that developed a procedural texture and material plugin for Autodesk 3Ds Max called BRIX. The website is no longer online.
2007 PIXELSONIC
I founded Pixelsonic to provide sound and 3D CGI services in Berlin. I freelanced for various architecture companies in Berlin and some feature film companies, including Cartoon Film Berlin.
2024 InsideTheSimulation GmbH
Founded a company with the mission to empower anyone to create, share, and explore virtual worlds.
2020 VIZPLANTS
In 2022 I started a subscription online service for Blender users with over 700 realistic 3D plants.
2011 VIZPARK
From 2011 to 2023 I built a company that created and sold realistic 3D models of plants and 3D software for Autodesk 3Ds Max to over 40.000 architects and 3D artists worldwide. Exit to Shutterstock in 2023.
2008 AUDIOPHYSIX
In 2008 I won a founders prize by the German BMWI (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Inneres) in a competition for Audiophysix – Physically simulated audio for computer games.
My Story – as a 3D Artist
began with the Commodore Amiga 500 in 1992. Being able to use 64.000 colors was eye-opening back then – and introduced me to 3D rendering with the software ´Reflections´. Later I mostly used 3Ds Max and V-Ray but switched to Blender and Unreal Engine a few years ago. I worked on many projects from feature film to architecture, including Greenpeace and Siemens.
2020 The Coffee Bakery
For VIZPARK, with the help of some very talented 3D artists, I created a 3D scene for sale using the Unreal Engine and photoscanned 3D objects of bread, buns and more. The Youtube Video is online and the project can be purchased from Turbosquid / Shutterstock.
2014 VIZPARK
Within 12 year working mostly on new 3D models and assets for VIZPARK I created many renderings with plants and architecture.
2010 Bost Interior Design
For Berlin based Interior Designer Bost Group I worked on several Hotel Design Projects and created photorealistic 3D renderings. These include Grand Elysee, The Westin Hamburg Elbphilharmonie and others.
2007 Product Visualization
Learning 3D with 3Ds Max and V-Ray I did this small project to improve lighting and shading skills.
2022 StageGlass
Helped a startup from Silicon Valley to improve realtime 3D architecture in Unreal Engine.
2018 e-instruments
From 2017 to 2019 I created various 3D renderings of musical instruments for the company e-instruments in Hamburg, including Rhodes, Wurlitzer, a Steinway Piano and string instruments for Essential Strings II.
2012 Cartoon Film
For Berlin based Cartoon Film I worked on two feature film projects as lighting artist and rendering supervisor. First film was ´Lauras Stern und der Drache Nian´ (2009) and ´Keinohrhase und Zweihrküken´ (2013).
2008 Case Study House 22
Based on a famous photo by Julius Shulman I created this 3D rendering of the famous ´Stahl House´ (also known as Case Study House 22) in Los Angeles. This was a personal project since I love this house so much.
1990 First 3D steps
With the Commodore Amiga 500 a whole world of sound and graphics opened to me. I started to explore the 3D software ´Reflections´ to model and render 3D images.
My Story – as Audio Designer
began with Synthesizers in 1989. I used to play piano and was very interested in Synthesizers. My first synth was a Roland D-5 which I used to design sounds. I studied Audio Design in the Electronic Studio in Basel and became the Head of Sound Design at Native Instruments from 2001 – 2007.
1999 Surrounder
In 1999 I developed a Surround panning algorithm using Max/MSP. The 5.1 surround panner had inertia for smoother sound movements, lowpass filters and realtime delay calculations for improved 3D audio positioning.
1990 Roland D-5
At the age of 16 I was so proud of owning my first synthesizer. I composed music with the Atari ST using MIDI and this synth. Being able to record and edit tracks so easily was wonderful. I enjoyed the ´quantize´ function very much and programmed some new sounds.
2001 Native Instruments
From 2001 to 2007 I was heading the Sound Design and Sampling Line departments at Native Instruments. I was product designer for the (now world leading) software sampler Kontakt 2, which introduced a script engine and extensive surround sound capabilities to a software sampler for the first time.
1996 Audio Design Studies
From 1996 to 2001 I studied Audio Design in the Electronic Studio at the Music Academy Basel. My major was 3D Audio and Surround Sound.
1988 Amiga 500 Soundtracker
My sound journey began with the Amiga 500 – recording sounds and making music with the ‘Soundtracker’. Being able to sequence small audiosamples in 4 tracks was a real innovation back then. Later I even had a Golem Sound Stereo hardware ´sampler´ to record samples.