Dustin Kopp harbors a passion for sonic wavelengths. Especially those that emanate from Funktion-Ones. He’s a key figure within the ranks of Suburban Sound Syndicate, not only for his proficiency as an audio engineer, but also as one of Sub Valley Sound’s co-founders. Whenever Sub Valley’s Funktion-One rig is deployed sounding silky smooth and crisp af, you can thank Dustin Kopp for his attention monitoring sonic levels in the room.

Dustin’s foray into the electronic scene began in 2010. Thanks to longtime friend, Akemi Almeida, he joined a club in his freshman year at Dundee-Crown High School. It changed his life by introducing him to EDM. He decided he wanted to make the kind of sounds that were responsible for rewiring his brain. Happily, members of the club knew what was up and helped guide him in the right direction. From that moment on, he traversed a deepening rabbit hole of erudition on making electronic music, exploring sound design, and learning the basics of audio engineering that built the foundation upon which he now stands.

In 2017, Dustin took a trip with friends to Infrasound. This is where he first discovered the heralded Funktion-One sound classification. He was awestruck by how amazing these speakers sound compared to other systems. Dustin shared the following thoughts on why he believes Funktion-Ones hum so well.

“I think [Funktion-Ones] sound so good compared to others because of the massive clarity that comes out of them, especially when they are pushed at loud volumes. You get massive pump and [precision] without the earache, and you can hold conversations even when the sound system is pumping. The bass translation sounds super clean compared to other sound systems I’ve experienced. I have yet to hear a sound system that sounds better than properly run Funktion-Ones.”

Dustin is one of the original four members who began Sub Valley Sound. He’s the architect who originally put forth the idea for this business venture to friends Akemi, Eddie, and Van. They all harbor love for the music and scene, and they wanted to contribute to it somehow. They felt focusing on sound system culture was the best way to do just that.

Dustin ensures all the technological aspects of Sub Valley Sound’s sonic arsenal are well maintained. Tune-ups, painting, and making sure speakers and woofers are in premium working order are just a few of his responsibilities. He also handles inventory duties. Requiring everything is accounted for, in its proper place, while also curating lists of necessary items that need purchasing or provisioning. In many ways, he’s a game planner. What needs upgrading, what needs fixing, what needs doing. That’s just good management, right there.

While Dustin’s breadth of audio knowledge is largely self-taught, there have been several key figures who’ve shown him the ropes while advancing his audial awareness. From the days of Cairo Ale House, Krush Turtle, and especially Mike Hanning. Dustin refers to Mike as his OG guru. Dustin also speaks highly of time spent with Jack Whelan, whom he respectfully refers to as Mr. Easyjack. Furthermore, Ricky Havensak III is nothing short of an aural genius who gave Dustin hands-on tutelage showing him how to maintain bands and performing artists absolutely sounding their best.

If you’d like to further connect with Dustin Kopp, you can find him on Instagram @had_matter69.

--Electro Scribe--