André L’Espérance, CEO
Mr. L’Espérance is an engineer who possesses a Doctorate in acoustics from the University of Sherbrooke (Canada), for which he obtained the Governors’ Medal of Excellence. He worked as an associate scientist in the Groupe d’acoustique et vibration de l’Université de Sherbrooke (GAUS) from 1987 to 1997 and was invited to the Centre scientifique et technique du bâtiment de Grenoble (France) in 1990. His research was mainly oriented to sound propagation and active noise control.

In 1996 Mr. L’Espérance founded Soft dB, a counselling firm specialized in acoustics. He has designed various programs and measurement systems particular to this branch and obtained a patent in active control. Furthermore, he has conducted several innovative studies in environmental acoustics and industrial noise reduction.


Jacques Boilard, Chief Associate
Mr. Boilard is a mechanical engineer, and has more than 12 years’ experience in acoustics and vibration. He has conducted many sound impact studies for road infrastructures, primarily for the ministère des Transports (Quebec) and various counselling firms.

Mr. Boilard has also acquired renowned expertise in the evaluation of the noise impact of dig sites and of evaluation of industrial infrastructures looking to obtain an authorization certificate from the ministère de l’Environnement (Quebec). He has conducted a fair number of vibratory studies for the industrial sector and is an expert in this domain for working out compensation cases.


Rémy Oddo, Associate
Mr. Oddo graduated as an acoustical engineer from the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers de Paris and has accumulated more than ten years of experience in acoustics and vibration.

In 1991 he worked on the reduction of electrical transformer noise at the Direction des études et recherches d’électricité de France. In 1993 he traveled to Canada to work with the Groupe d’acoustique de l’Université de Sherbrooke as a research assistant, where he acquired a valuable expertise in automotive and transportation noise and vibration. His work led to a patent with Bombardier Recreational Products. He has also acquired solid experience related to health and safety at work.

Mr. Oddo joined Soft dB in July 2001, where he conducts studies in vibration.


Alex Boudreau, Associate
In 1992 Alex Boudreau started to study in mechanical engineering at the Université de Sherbrooke. After his degree, he did a master’s degree in acoustic active control of high-pressure fans for the GAUS (Groupe d’acoustique de l’Université de Sherbrooke) under the supervision of André L’Espérance. Afterwards, in 2001, he obtained a doctorate (Ph. D.) in electrical engineering. The research project consisted of developing a tunneling microscope (STM) controller based on DSP. Finally, in 2002, he did a post-doctorate with the same subject of research for the chemical department of the Université de Sherbrooke.

While he was studying, Mr. Boudreau collaborated with Soft dB. Since autumn 2003, he is in partnership with Soft dB and he is the director of the DSP department.