46 l May 2012
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Coda’s AIRLINE LA12 system was showcased in the Concert Sound arenas at this year’s Prolight + Sound
and install markets. As well as providing an opportunity to showcase its new 2-channel amplifier C3, PL+S 2012 saw the company demoing the CoRAY 4 and AIRLINE LA12 systems in the Portable Sound and Concert Sound arenas, respectively. In a remark echoed by many
DARWINIAN DAYS?
Staying one step ahead is a vital ingredient of success in any market, and it could be that the circumstances of recent years have exacerbated the tendency towards natural selection that is universal to all industrial sectors. “I guess that if companies provided the right product at the right time within the last two or three years, they did not notice a crisis and could even increase their turnover,” says Wolfgang Garçon, managing director of atlantic audio, German distributor of DiGiCo, Martin Audio,
evident in Germany. But despite some uncertainty, the size and heft of the German market leads many to predict a reasonable expansion of the nation’s overall pro-audio business in full-year 2012 – possibly by as much as 7-8%. In particular, numerous
Renkus-Heinz and XTA/MC2. “Those who only did a satisfactory job are under pressure now.”
For atlantic audio, building activity levels has revolved around a clear two-tier strategy – Engineered System and Touring/B2B. The results are highly impressive, with Garçon citing sales figures that include in excess of 350 DiGiCo consoles, 40 Martin Audio line array systems, 250 Renkus-Heinz Iconyx speakers, and 1,000 XTA/MC2 Audio devices in the past five years alone.
observers expect the continued dynamism of fixed install to deliver real benefits.
YOUNG GUNS (GO FOR IT) Along with ISE, Prolight + Sound/Musikmesse remains the most important indicator of the
health of proaudio in Germany specifically, and Europe as a whole. To its credit, the 2012 event registered another robust performance – 109,841 people came to visit the various simultaneous shows held at the Messe site – with attendance of 35% from outside Germany confirming that its appeal is both national and international. As we shall see, opinion on the
extent to which the latest economic cycle has impacted German pro-audio is mixed. What is clear from PSNEurope’s findings, however, is that it has not prevented some of the smaller and/or newer manufacturers, in particular, from enjoying continued expansion throughout the past three-to-four years. Established in 1994, loudspeaker manufacturer Coda Audio has gradually cultivated a strong profile in both live touring
others, Coda Audio’s Anderson says that Germany remains “a mainstay for the flow of income into all areas of our industry – [as has been the case] since the very start of the music scene”. As such, the manufacturer’s home market is still a vital driver of sales growth, which is estimated to have been in the region of 65% since 2009. Anderson – who described 2011 as “tremendous” for the company – largely attributes this success to a careful but persistent campaign of education involving product demos, showcases and seminars. “With Coda Audio
A company’s development is
invariably one of distinct phases, and it is extremely rare that high double-digit sales growth is sustained year after year. But while Anderson accepts that there is likely to be some plateauing of demand in 2012, he still anticipates an increase “in the region of 16%. We’re very upbeat!” As an even newer addition to
the pro-audio landscape – the company was formed as recently as October 2009 – Ruhr-based AllDSP has enjoyed a similarly dramatic trajectory of expansion. Owner Jeroen van Waterschoot confirms that “as a young company, our growth has been enormous. This has protected us from the economic cycle over the past few years and I’m certainly not complaining about that!” To date, AllDSP has been most familiar as an OEM manufacturer, providing
€1.06
products, we always say that ‘hearing is believing’, and that has meant a lot of effort going into [the educational side],” he says. “We’ve always known that our products contain technology of true value, and it’s now clear that the message is out there.”
trillion The value of Germany’s export market in 2011
processors, outboard equipment and control software for a variety of pro-audio applications. But in 2012, it is venturing out in another guise with a range of own-brand products – a development that will be covered in a future edition of PSNEurope.
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