In this Production Expert Podcast Special Edition, Mike Thornton, co-founder of Production Expert invites Orfeas Boteas, founder and CEO of Krotos, and Matthew Collins, head of product, to address significant community concerns following the release of Video to Sound integration for Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve.
This candid conversation tackles difficult questions about the company's strategic direction, the role of AI in sound design, misleading social media practices, and Krotos' commitment to the professional audio community. Orfeas and Matthew respond directly to concerns from industry professionals and clarify misconceptions about generative AI, product positioning, and future roadmap.
In This Episode:
- Why Video to Sound Released for Adobe Premiere Before DAWs — Technical constraints preventing DAW video track access, with integrations coming later in 2024
- Addressing 'Abandonment' Concerns from Audio Professionals — Krotos is expanding markets, not abandoning professionals
- The Core Mission: Making Sound Important Earlier — Bringing sound into creative workflows as an equal partner rather than afterthought
- AI is Not Generative: The Truth About Krotos Technology — All sounds are professionally recorded; AI is assistive, not generative
- AI as Automation, Not Replacement — Automating tedious tasks like auditioning thousands of sounds, not replacing human creativity
- Evolution from Specialised Tools to Krotos Studio Platform — Journey from Dehumanizer, Reformer, Weaponizer to unified Krotos Studio
- Misconceptions About Social Media Posts and Credits — Addressing posts implying Krotos involvement in Jurassic World, House of the Dragon, and Nolan films
- Sound Redesign vs. Official Production Credits — Distinguishing creative sound redesign exercises from official product involvement claims
- Social Media Clarity and Labelling Issues — Acknowledging unclear messaging in fast-scrolling social feeds, committing to better labelling
- Industry-Wide Social Media Challenges — Platforms encouraging content reuse without explicit permission creates attribution confusion
- Marketplace and Collaboration Possibilities — Vision for professionals to contribute assets and create ecosystem marketplace
- Industry Change with New Technology — Technological disruption requires community to work as united front, not adversarially
- Communication Missteps on Product Roadmap — Acknowledgement of moving too quickly without explaining technical constraints and timeline to community
About Our Guests:
Orfeas Boteas:
Founder and CEO of Krotos, leading sound design software company. Founded Krotos with a passion for sound, guiding the company through evolution from specialised tools to the broader Krotos Studio platform. Deeply committed to understanding and supporting the audio production community.
Matthew Collins:
Head of product at Krotos, responsible for product development and strategy. Works with both the professional audio community and content creators to develop streamlined sound design tools. Actively communicates technical roadmap and product philosophy to industry stakeholders.
About Our Host:
Mike Thornton has been involved in the broadcast audio industry for all his working life, some 45 years. Mike has worked with Pro Tools since the mid-1990s, recording, editing, and mixing documentaries, comedy, and drama for both radio and TV, as well as doing the occasional music project. He was the co-founder of Pro Tools Expert and has now retired, taking up the role of Chairman of Production Expert Ltd., bridging innovative companies and the professional audio industry.
