Bandung, amoplusmagz.com – Much like a colorful photo album, Ricky’s journey has been vibrant and full of transformation. Starting out as a drummer in a Surabaya-based band formed in the late ‘90s called TIC, Ricky made a name for himself after releasing three albums between 1999 and 2003 under Musica Studio’s. Their hit single “Terbaik Untukmu” became a chart-topper, winning the hearts of music lovers across Indonesia.
Gradually, after parting ways with TIC, Ricky “transformed” into the owner of a car audio workshop named Cliport Car Audio, based in Bandung, West Java.
Located in the Terusan Pasir Koja area of Babakan, Bandung, Cliport Car Audio was founded by Ricky fifteen years ago, in 2008, shortly after his departure from the band.
“After I left the band, I had a lot of free time, so I decided to revisit my old hobby tinkering with car audio,” Ricky recalled in a chat with Amoplus.
His passion for car audio had been with him since he was young. It began with installing car audio components in his parents’ car and experimenting with settings until he was satisfied often by visiting other workshops and asking questions to those he considered technical experts. His background as a musician, frequently working in music studios and recording environments, also shaped his sensitivity to audio accuracy.
“I wanted to know how to make car audio sound as accurate as it does in a studio,” Ricky added. That curiosity eventually led him to explore sound processors. Over time, his audio setups started attracting attention from friends and acquaintances, giving him the confidence to open his own workshop.
SQ is His Passion
When he first opened the workshop, Ricky worked on SQ (Sound Quality) systems for early-generation Honda Stream and Honda City vehicles.
“SQ is my passion,” he admitted. Even so, many customers came in with different audio preferences. “There was even someone who asked for an SQL setup,” he added with a smile.
Thanks to his meticulous setup approach and carefully selected components, Ricky and Cliport earned the trust of many customers. Along the way, Ricky also became actively involved in car audio competitions. His first contest was the Djarum Black car audio competition, which sparked his obsession with outperforming top-tier competitors. He later competed in events hosted by MSF, HBT, IHear, and EMMA, continuously sharpening his skills in car audio system design.
“I thought my setup was perfect, but the judges said it was wrong,” he said with a laugh. It’s no surprise that in the early days of competing, winning a trophy was tough. His first recognition as a champion came through the MSF audio competition.
Now, fifteen years later, Ricky continues to thrive with Cliport. Not only does the customer queue keep growing, but he has also collected numerous championship trophies locally, nationally, and even internationally. Cliport has also launched its own product: a 2-way speaker set named Cliport Professional Series 6.2.
All of this success stems from Ricky’s passion and consistency, nurtured through Cliport, which began as a hobby and evolved into a lifelong commitment. True to the name Cliport inspired by the word Clip, symbolizing peak satisfaction Ricky strives to deliver the same level of fulfillment to every customer he serves.
