New York, NY (November 20, 2023)—In recent years, if you’ve heard that a pro audio company was acquired, nine times out of 10, it was by a private equity firm. However, a string of corporate acquisitions this fall have been bucking the trend.
Shure Acquires Wavemark: Shure has reached an agreement to acquire the Finnish software company Ab Wavemark Oy, which creates solutions for theater, broadcast and content streaming applications. The move comes nearly three years after Shure first made a strategic investment in Wavemark, and it brings offerings like Wavetool and WTAutomixer into Shure’s software library for audio engineers. Wavetool is an audio and listening application that provides early detection of potential audio problems, streamlined communication capabilities with a sound team, and centralization of monitoring functionalities.
Compatible with RF receivers from multiple manufacturers, Wavetool can monitor up to 128 channels from one screen, and as might be expected, the software is compatible with several Shure systems, including Axient Digital, ULX-D, SLX-D, Axient Analog and UHF-R.
Meanwhile, the WTAutomixer V2 plug-in is intended for use by podcasters, content creators and broadcast audio engineers, providing soundmixing capabilities as it balances volume across multiple microphones while turning down nonactive microphones, making it appropriate for talk shows, discussion panels and houses of worship.
Lenbrook Acquires MQA: Canadian residential/ commercial audio developer Lenbrook has acquired UK-based MQA, whose high-resolution audio encoding has been used by high-end streamer Tidal and others. MQA went into administration in April after it lost its main backer, Reinet Investments, and problems were only exacerbated when Tidal CEO Jesse Dorogusker announced on Reddit in late June that the open-source FLAC had become “our preferred format for high-resolution audio,” though it would continue to offer the MQA format for now.
With the acquisition, Lenbrook has bolstered its intellectual property portfolio with various MQA patents, and of course, its proprietary audio codecs—MQA and SCL6. Just as important in the acquisition, however, are MQA’s more than 120 licensees and content partnerships; while Tidal is a high-profile customer, it is by no means the only entity working with MQA.
In a statement, Lenbrook said its primary objective in the acquisition was to provide certainty for business and technical developments that were underway prior to MQA’s administration. As a result, Lenbrook retained a core group of engineers and developers, and sales and marketing personnel. The statement went on to underscore the new parent company’s faith in MQA’s technology and vision by characterizing itself as “a stable and well-capitalized organization that takes a long-term view of investments and market development.”
DiGiCo Acquires Fourier Audio: DiGiCo has acquired UK-based Fourier Audio, bringing the live sound software developer and manufacturer under the umbrella of DiGiCo’s parent company, Audiotonix, which also includes brands such as Allen & Heath, Calrec, DiGiGrid, Klang:technologies, Harrison, Slate Digital, sonible, Sound Devices and Solid State Logic.
Fourier is a UK-based startup whose solutions have been put to use on a number of Broadway and West End theater productions, along with international music tours. Its team of software engineers and sound designers have reportedly spent the last two years developing “Project Core,” a new software platform for using studio audio plug-ins in a live setting.
ASG Acquires AID: Bay Area media and entertainment technology and operations supplier Advanced Systems Group has acquired the assets of Los Angeles-based integration, sales and support company Audio Intervisual Design.
AID, known for its audio, color-grading and workflow designs and integrations, has also built a reputation for its work with film, streaming, broadcast and music recording studios. AID brings to ASG many specialized technology partners and a long history of involvement with Dolby Atmos facilities all over the world.
Meanwhile, ASG serves the industry with consulting, design, systems integration, professional services and managed services, including embedded teams that help operate and maintain production, post-production and creative for some of the largest companies in the world.
Soundmirror Acquired by Employees: With founder and president John Newton transitioning into retirement, Boston-based classical music recording and post-production company Soundmirror has opted to become a 100 percent employee-owned business through the establishment of a worker-owned cooperative agreement. The company has recorded orchestras, opera companies and artists around the world for more than half a century, collecting more than 135 Grammy nominations and awards along the way. Newton will remain at the company through a transition period.
A worker-owned cooperative is a business owned and controlled by its employees, where ownership is shared equally among those who choose to buy into the company. The new model will not change the services or operations of Soundmirror; the three senior engineers and producers of the company, Mark Donahue, Blanton Alspaugh and Dirk Sobotka—who now cooperatively own the company along with general manager Alexis Price—will continue to provide recording services.
