14 DAY TRIAL // If any of those reading this article has at least the faintest idea on what musical gear is about, then names like Ampeg, Crate, Mackie, EAW, TAPCO or Alvarez mean something to you. All these and some other are under one giant umbrella known by the name of LOUD Technologies, the master-corporation behind all them and the solid background for much of today's hi-performance tech.
And if you know the brands above it means that Martin Audio is no strange name to you as well - the British, London-based professional loudspeaker manufacturer present in most of the world's strongest installations, shaking the walls of concert halls or making hills tremble in outdoor events. So having this info, you're ready for the piece of news of the hour: Martin Audio is now under the LOUD Technologies umbrella!
David Bissett-Powell, head of management at Martin Audio Limited, on the economic strategy says that: "[the company needs access to a] wider base of technologies. For this reason [we] have been looking at potential partners for some time," he added. "Customers are seeking more of an integrated approach and the merging of technologies is inevitable. We recognise the need for multiple disciplines and by becoming part of LOUD we immediately have access to further resources, both technical and financial, to assist our team in reaching their goals."
The LOUD CEO, Jamie Engen stated: "We are delighted to have David and his team become part of the LOUD Group. The management at Martin Audio have a proven track record of success in developing premium and innovative products along with an excellent International Distribution network. These core strengths will be a great asset to the further developments of our existing brands." Furthermore, LOUD plans that "Martin Audio will remain an independent brand within the group, however, we expect there to be synergies that can be exploited to the mutual benefit of all our customers and our newly expanded group."
Rob Lingfield, marketing director at Martin Audio clearly stated that the company will run its usual business as it did so far and that LOUD will not ditch EAW despite the obvious "clash" between the two product lines. Off the record, it's highly possible that one of the two will go for top-shelf and the other will go for affordability: in any case, I don't expect any quality drops!
So as you can see, it looks like more than LOUD expanding: it's about strong brands like Mackie (one of the world-leaders in mixers), Crate (guitar amps to the max), Ampeg (elite bass amping and cabs) coming together and developing further tech, all having a great family behind, ensuring stability and plentiful resources.