The Focusrite Group Announces Acquisition of Studio Monitor Company ADAM Audio

July 16 2019, 10:15
British company, The Focusrite Group, which comprises the Focusrite, Focusrite Pro, Novation and Ampify Music brands, announced the acquisition of studio monitor company, ADAM Audio GmbH of Berlin, Germany. The group of companies has recently defined a new growth strategy and adding speakers to their product mix was the first acquisition for The Focusrite Group since going public in 2014. “A clear demonstration of our careful consideration around which brands should join in the Group’s mission to­­­­­ ‘Remove Barriers to Creativity’”, the company states.
 
Tim Carroll, CEO of the Focusrite Group, with Christian Hellinger, Adam Audio Managing Director.

ADAM Audio was co-founded by Klaus Heinz and Roland Stenz in 1999; Roland Stenz left the company in 2010 to form EVE Audio. Klaus Heinz remained at the helm of ADAM Audio until the company filed for bankruptcy in November 2014. Heinz, who moved on to create his own successfull  monitor company, HEDD Audio, declared Adam Audio bankruptcy resulted from the fact that “too fast a growth with too many products created a capital demand we could not raise.” In 2015, ADAM Audio was re-launched by new owners, and in that same year the company announced the appointment of David Angress to the position of CEO Worldwide, overseeing ADAM’s reenergized operations from the Company headquarters in Berlin.

Following the 2015 announcement ADAM Audio restructured its worldwide distribution channel and, during NAMM 2017, the company generated high expectations with the announcement of a completely reengineered “S Series” of new studio monitors. The company has been showing up at trade-shows for the past two years, always under closed doors and no signs of the promised “reengineered” products have ever surfaced. The acquisition might enable ADAM Audio to finally reappear in the market.

As Focusrite Founder and Chairman Phil Dudderidge comments: “I am delighted that we have an important new addition to our family of brands. For the Focusrite Gro­­­up, the creation and recording of music is everything. With a vision to create the most holistic creative experience for recording professionals and musicians alike, choosing the right high-precision studio monitor brand is key. Together with ADAM Audio we can achieve so much more, removing the technical barriers that frustrate artists seeking to record and reveal their true sound.”

“The initial focus is squarely on ensuring ADAM Audio has all the necessary freedom and autonomy to continue their lifetime story of technological innovations,” the announcement also adds. However, as Tim Carroll, CEO of the Focusrite Group admits, “it will be hard to contain the excitement in both companies to start innovating together.”

“ADAM Audio is undeniably a leader in the field of electroacoustics. The A7Xs and S3s have become standards in recording spaces across the globe. Even so, I know the team have no interest in resting on their laurels. We need to ensure they receive all the support they require to continue raising the sonic bar. That our two companies are so aligned from a cultural perspective reassures me that, as we increasingly work together, great things will happen. With so much expertise between us in acoustics, sound reproduction, DSP, Audio-over-IP and control, the opportunities are abundant to refine recording and production workflows together.”
 
In 2017, ADAM Audio launched this picture of a completely reengineered new series of studio monitors.

ADAM Audio will continue to operate out of their main offices in Berlin, Germany, under the leadership of Christian Hellinger, who comments; “What a perfect beginning for the next chapter of our great company’s story. I’m so proud of what the ADAM Audio team has achieved over the past 20 years, and can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve together with the Focusrite Group in our 3rd decade of creating future-oriented innovative professional monitoring and loudspeaker technologies.”
www.focusrite.com | www.adam-audio.com
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