ProSound News - December 2008 - (Page 16)

[16] 60 Years of Studer by Christopher Walsh 2008 comes to a close, legendary pro audio manufacturer Studer is concluding observance of its 60th anniversary. Beyond its longevity, the manufacturer is notable for its successful transition from recording to broadcast and, most recently, sound reinforcement. Founded by Willi Studer in 1948, the company began life producing oscilloscopes and modifying American-made tape recorders, under the Dynavox name, for the Swiss domestic market. These were soon followed by the Revox T26 tape recorder and the Studer A37 and B37. Throughout Studer’s early history, “The company was known as a tape machine manufacturer outside of Europe,” says Bruno Hochstrasser, executive vice president of sales for Studer and Soundcraft. “But we already had a mixing console division. The earliest console we did was in 1954, so consoles were always part of Studer, although in North America, especially in the United States, that is not so well known, because we supplied tape machines—maybe the odd console, to CBS, NPR, Telarc and others. But these were small, portable consoles. “Also, we also made mastering machines, and machines for tape duplication,” Hochstrasser, who joined Studer in 1971, adds. “We were very successful. A great deal was around tape machines, and also with replication. We had the premium tape machines at the time. The big success started first with the A80, and, of course, the big bang was in 1978, the A800.” The Studer name is forever linked to multitrack recording and popular music, by REGENSDORF, SWITZERLAND—As virtue of the J37 4-track tape recorder, introduced in 1964 and used to record the Beatles’ landmark album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, in 1967. But with the advent, years later, of digital technology in recording, analog tape’s decline was inevitable. In the late 1990s, Studer announced the manufacture of 100 A827 multitrack tape machines, which would be the last. Studer was sold to Harman International Industries in 1994, shortly after its first large-format digital console, the D940, entered the market. This was followed, in 1996, by the D741 CD recorder, digital routing equipment and the OnAir 2000, as well as the 928 analog console. “We have a lot of synergies with the other Harman brands,” says Hochstrasser. “They are predominantly in public address and tour sound, so for us, it was logical to enter this market as well. For instance, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, we put in Soundcraft Vi and Studer Vista consoles, [and] there are JBL speakers and Crown amps. “We don’t have to explain to people that these products are reliable,” he adds, “and people believe us: It’s a Studer, it’s a reliable product. Seventy, 80 percent of our products used in broadcast are in live applications—news studios—and they have to prove their reliability in 24/7 situations. So for us, it was a relatively easy entry.” Studer’s conclusion of tape machine manufacture coincided with forward leaps in its console technology, with the proliferation and popularity of the D950, the console’s Virtual Surround Panning format, and the introduction of the OnAir 1000 and OnAir 5000. “We said, ‘What can we do, and what do our products need to do in order to separate from the rest?’” Hochstrasser explains. “We determined that it has to be the man-machine interface, because everybody can build a decent DSP engine. Everybody can make a decent I/O system. But how can you manage this powerful technology without putting too much burden on an operator? That proved to be very successful for us. Then, the big breakthrough for our company was with the Vistonics invention [introduced in 2002], with rotaries on top of our TFT and all the freedom of showing the functionality and changing the functionality without changing any hardware.” In 2007, Studer introduced the Vista 5 SR, formally entering the sound reinforcement sector. “What we have done on an opportunistic basis in the past, and now as a mainstream activity, is public address,” says Hochstrasser. “We have already sup- plied a lot of analog desks for theaters and live performance venues—big symphonies and opera houses, things like that. Now we have entered tour sound with Clair Brothers, with Sound Image, with Maryland Sound. That is doing quite well. Also, the worship market is quite interesting for us. We’re selling products into that.” As it enters its seventh decade, the future is bright for Studer. “We have a big R&D center, which is also responsible for Soundcraft development, and are always looking for new technologies and innovative ideas,” Hochstrasser summarizes. “We had a very successful year, and it’s going quite well. Of course, the financial crisis right now leaves marks with us, like everybody else, but I think we are very well positioned for the future.” Studer Professional Audio Equipment www.studer.ch Harman Pro Group www.harmanpro.com Clair Adds Concert Sound LONDON, U.K.—U.K.-based Concert Sound has become part of Audio Rent Clair; renaming itself Concert Sound Clair in January 2009, the company will maintain its own identity and commercial operation, and its current management team and staff will remain in place. Barrie Marshall will step back as chairman of Concert Sound at the end of this year, but will remain a director of the board. Troy Clair, president and CEO of Clair, stated, “Having Concert Sound as part of the Clair group is much more than a logistical move. It is the culmination of a close working relationship and friend- ships that stretch back many years. Time and again, the U.K. team has demonstrated its commitment to service and pushing the industry forward. As such, it is a natural fit into our organization, and we are excited by what it can add.” With the addition of Concert Sound Clair, Clair Global now has nine locations spanning four continents. Both companies expect to use the synergies of the newly expanded group, which includes lighting and video rental. Audio Rent Clair’s 90,000-square-foot warehouse in Aesch, Switzerland will remain the main hub for the European Clair touring inventory. Meanwhile, Concert Sound Clair’s presence close to London gives access to proprietary Clair products and services for U.K.-based clients. CSC managing director Tim Boyle states the merger will allow CSC to offer new products and services to its clients. Jürg Hügin, chairman of the Audio Rent Clair board, noted, “The opportunities for both companies that became apparent when we started talking have made this such an obvious move for us. Our clients have asked us for increased flexibility, and we have been able to answer in a way that extends our in-house skills base even further, as well as adding logistical benefits.” Both companies have long histories in the tour sound and contracting segments of the professional audio market and have worked together on many events in the past, most notably on tours and oneoff events with Paul McCartney, Mark Knopfler and Tina Turner. Audio-Rent Clair-Brothers AG www.audio-rent.ch Clair Global www.clairglobal.com psn December 2008 http://www.studer.ch http://www.harmanpro.com http://www.audio-rent.ch http://www.clairglobal.com http://www.violetusa.com http://www.violetusa.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ProSound News - December 2008

ProSound News - December 2008 Sound Business Contents Hank’s Best Yet Sound Recording Studio Showcase: Great City Productions Software Tech Tracks Sessions Anticipating Post’s Future Post Showcase: Eargasm HD Audio Post The Business of Being Creative Sound Innovations: VRsonics VibeStudio Spatial Design Suites Field Reports: Product Profiles Yes We Can Hear Obama Live Sound Showcase: Stone Temple Pilots Centerstage Soundcheck Sound People View From the Top Product Spotlight Classifieds Advertiser Index Company Index Music, etc

ProSound News - December 2008

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