Company:Audio-Technica
 | |
 Audio-Technica headquarters in Tokyo | |
| Type | Private KK |
|---|---|
| Industry | Audio equipment |
| Founded | 1962 Shinjuku, Tokyo |
| Founder | Hideo Matsushita |
| Headquarters | Machida, Tokyo , Japan |
Key people | Kazuo Matsushita (President) |
| Products | |
| Website | audio-technica |
Audio-Technica Corporation (株式会社オーディオテクニカ Kabushiki Kaisha Ōdio Tekunika) (stylized as audio-technica) is a Japanese company that designs and manufactures professional microphones, headphones, turntables, phonographic magnetic cartridges, and other audio equipment.
Company history
Audio-Technica was established in 1962 in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, by Hideo Matsushita as a phonograph cartridge manufacturer. Its first products were the AT-1 and the AT-3 MM stereo phono cartridges. Business rapidly developed, and Audio-Technica expanded into other fields. The headquarters and factory moved in 1965 to the current address in Naruse, Machida, Tokyo.[1] In 1969, the company began exporting phono cartridges worldwide and launched the first microcassette recorders.[2]
In 1972, Audio-Technica established its US arm in Fairlawn, Ohio, and started shipping VM phono cartridges to European manufacturers. In 1974, the company developed its first headphones, the AT-700 series, launched the same year. The AT-800 series of microphones were introduced in 1978, and in the same year, the UK establishment in Leeds began operation.[1]
In the 1980s, with the growth in digital music formats threatening their core business of phonograph cartridges, Audio-Technica begun a period of diversification. Employee suggestions were solicited, with sushi machines among the ideas selected for further development.[3]
In 1984, Audio-Technica introduced the ASM50 Nigirikko, a nigiri-forming appliance for home kitchens, which incorporated a turn-table like mechanism to deposit the nigiri onto.[3][4] The market success of this product led the company to develop a range of sushi machinery for commercial and industrial use.[3] Audio-Technica remains one of the largest manufacturers of sushi machines globally today, with products marketed under the brand AUTEC.[3][4]
In 1986, the company developed RCA cables with high-purity copper produced from the continuous metal casting process (PCOCC), invented and developed between 1982 and 1985 by Atsumi Ohno.[5] In the same year, the company launched the AT33ML/OCC phono cartridge, the first made with PCOCC materials. In 1988, another Audio-Technica subsidiary is founded in Taiwan.[1]
In 1990s, Audio-Technica introduced several large-diaphragm condenser microphones for studio use: the AT4033 cardioid microphone in 1991,[1] the AT4050 multi-pattern in 1995,[6] and the AT4060 vacuum tube cardioid microphone in 1998;[7] the AT895, a DSP-controlled five-element microphone array providing adaptive directional audio acquisition, was introduced in 1999.[1] In 1996, the Southeast Asian establishment began operation in Singapore.[1]
In 2008, the company celebrated the 20th anniversary of supplying microphones for US Presidential Debates. For their 50th anniversary, Audio-Technica celebrated at Consumer Electronics Show 2012, debuting their AT-LP1240-USB USB DJ Turntable[8] and ATH-CKS55i.[9]
In 2017, Audio-Technica Pure Digital Drive Wireless Headphone ATH-DSR9BT received CES Innovation Honoree Awards[10] by using Trigence Dnote Technology.[11]
In 2020, the company released several new products, including the ATH-CK3TW true wireless earbuds and the AT-XP7 DJ cartridge. The ATH-CK3TW earbuds feature Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and a compact design, while the AT-XP7 cartridge is designed for use by professional DJs and features a durable design and excellent sound quality.
In 2021, Audio-Technica continued to expand its product line, releasing the ATH-CKR7TW true wireless earbuds and the AT-VM95E/H turntable cartridges. The ATH-CKR7TW earbuds feature a high-fidelity audio experience with the convenience of true wireless connectivity, while the AT-VM95E/H cartridges are designed for use with turntables and feature excellent tracking and audio reproduction.
Looking forward to 2022 and 2023, Audio-Technica has announced several upcoming releases, including the ATH-AWKT Kokutan and ATH-AWAS hybrid wood headphones. These headphones feature a combination of rare wood and high-quality audio technology for a unique listening experience. Additionally, Audio-Technica has announced the release of the AT-ART1000 Direct Power Stereo Moving Coil Cartridge, which is designed to provide the ultimate audio performance for vinyl enthusiasts.
Audio equipment supplier
Since the late 1990s, Audio-Technica supplied microphones and headphones for US television shows such as the Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions and several international events:
| Period | Event | Editions |
|---|---|---|
| 1996–present | Summer Olympic Games | Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012[12] ,Tokyo 2020 |
| 2002–present | Winter Olympic Games | Salt Lake City 2002, Torino 2006, Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, Pyeongchang 2018[12] Beijing 2022 |
| 1998–2013 | 1998–2013[13] | |
| 2019 | MotoGP | 2019[14] |
Technology
One of their most famous products was a battery-operated, portable record player called Mister Disc that was sold in the U.S. in the early 1980s.[citation needed]
In 2005, Audio-Technica developed "Uniguard", a method for making microphones resistant to radio frequency interference from cell phones, Bluetooth devices, wireless computer networks and walkie-talkies. 13 patents were involved in bringing the feature to fruition, as company engineers modified many different elements of microphone construction and operation. Over 50 existing Audio-Technica microphone models have been upgraded with the new RFI-resistant technology.[15][16][17]
See also
- Sound Burger
- Audio Engineer
- List of microphone manufacturers
- Audio-Technica Headphones
- List of phonograph manufacturers
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "About Us". Audio-Technica. http://eu.audio-technica.com/en/about/.
- ↑ "Audio-Technica". http://www.gearogs.com/maker/3078-Audio-Technica.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Why Did One of Japan's Longest-Lived Audio Companies Start Making Sushi Robots?". https://medium.com/ignition-int/why-did-one-of-japan-s-longest-lived-audio-companies-start-making-sushi-robots-b5aa51502f04.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "AUTECのヒストリー" (in en). https://www.autec.jp/en/aboutus/history/.
- ↑ , Atsumi"Continuous metal casting" patent, issued 1985-05-07
- ↑ "Audio-Technica AT4050 ST". https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/audio-technica-at4050-st.
- ↑ "Audio–Technica AT4060A". https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/audio-technica-at4060a.
- ↑ Fenlon, Wesley (2012-01-12). "Article about Audio-Technica's 2012 CES presence". Tested.com. http://www.tested.com/news/ces-2012-audio-technica-turntable-is-a-djs-glossy-dream/3449/.
- ↑ "Audio Technica 2012 CES Press Release about ATH-CKS55i Headphones". Audio-technica.com. http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/news/7860ac75994c1301/index.html.
- ↑ "Audio-Technica's ATH-DSR9BT Pure Digital Drive Wireless Headphones and AT-ART1000 Direct Power System Phono Cartridge Win CES 2017 Innovation Honoree Awards". http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/news/b53e833ff186188c/index.html.
- ↑ "Dnote Technology, 'Pure Digital' Audio". https://www.trigence.com/dnote.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "About Audio-Technica". https://eu.audio-technica.com/about.
- ↑ AVNetwork Staff (2013-02-13). "GRAMMY Awards Show Uses Audio-Technica Microphones" (in en). https://www.avnetwork.com/avnetwork/grammy-awards-show-uses-audio-technica-microphones-116990.
- ↑ Sports, Dorna. "Audio-Technica: capturing the sound of MotoGP™" (in en). https://www.motogp.com/en/news/2019/09/09/audio-technica-capturing-the-sound-of-motogp/307267.
- ↑ "Sound & Video Contractor, January 1, 2006. John McJunkin. Audio-Technica UniPoint Line: New improvements to a solid and reliable line of microphones". Svconline.com. http://svconline.com/mag/avinstall_audiotechnica_unipoint_line/.
- ↑ Audio Courses dot com. Audio-Technica Provides UniGuard RFI Protection for New Engineered Sound Integ
- ↑ "Audio Technica. Audio-Technica's UniGuard technology: Protection from Radio Frequency Interference". Audio-technica.com. http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/features/c7c8449a8a90ba58/index.html.
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