There is one thing Sacha Blokland likes to keep quiet about to avoid being inundated with requests. Sacha is an expert when it comes to repairing white goods: washing machines, dryers, microwaves, you name it. That is what he did before he came to Sennheiser. But many years ago during a visit to the AES Convention (a conference held by the Audio Engineering Society), it was as if a switch has suddenly been flipped when seeing all those booths with cool audio equipment and beautiful microphones. “This is what I want!” he shouted. This was the momentum he needed. He wanted to get involved in the world of audio too. And so he began a training to be an audio engineer.
However, as you listen to Sacha, it quickly becomes clear that there is one major similarity between servicing kitchen appliances and recording events. In both disciplines, the focus is on the customer. Sacha puts it into words perfectly: “Two winners are always better than one. For me, building a long-term relationship based on trust with my customers is much more rewarding than racing over the finishing line alone.” This philosophy has helped Sacha to become a great recording engineer, working with great musicians on several recordings. And to know he build a microphone pre-amp during his training to be an electronic engineer two decades before he started working at Sennheiser. It’s no coincidence that the large-scale television shows and musicals in Belgium are using Sennheiser wireless systems.
In keeping with his motto, Sacha is only satisfied when his customer is satisfied. And of course they must be satisfied in the long-term too. “Many of our systems have been in use for years. And you can’t just hope for a quick job that you wash your hands of afterwards.” Sacha takes the same approach to everything he turns his hand to—whether it is carrying out repairs to extend the life of devices for his customers, working on a recording in the studio until both the artist and himself are happy, or every now and again carrying out small updates or implementing a special solution for a long-term project that has been running for months. Whatever you need, Sacha will never let you down.