French loudspeaker manufacturer APG has announced a strategic partnership with Italian amplifier maker Powersoft, which has culminated in the launch of a range of APG-branded amplifiers at Prolight + Sound 2013. The alliance is said to be the fruition of a six-year relationship and “much discussion” between the two manufacturers.
The arrangement, which took effect on 1 January 2013, means APG is now able to offer customers a range of complete turnkey systems comprising loudspeakers, amplifiers and processing, all packaged in standard universal touring racks. Two APG switch-mode Class D power amps, based on Powersoft’s flagship K Series range, will be exhibited at the Frankfurt show.
Both manufacturers have stressed that this is only the beginning of a joint technology development programme.
“Choosing the right partner for a collaboration such as ours that goes well beyond the realms of a traditional OEM deal is a delicate business,” observes Powersoft MD Antonio Peruch (pictured, centre, with APG president Philippe Frarier, left, and Powersoft’s Luca Giorgi, right) . “You have to be sure that both sides share the same expectations and have similar values. From our side, we wanted closer contact with loudspeaker manufacturers – and therefore with their users – in order to drive amplifier development. Our aim is to pool the /savoir faire/ from both sides to be able to create better products and better systems.”
“As a company APG they are extremely innovative and passionate about what they do and the quality of their products, as are we,” he continues. “Secondly, they are very approachable and easy to talk to. From our perspective, this has considerable advantages over dealing with a large corporation. We were looking to be more than just a supplier – what we wanted was to be able to create a real working development partnership, and we are sure that this is achievable with APG.
“Furthermore, we were looking specifically to develop a relationship with a French brand in order to reinforce our presence in the French market.” While Powersoft is based just outside Florence in Tuscany, APG’s headquarters sits to the north of Paris. “APG fits the profile perfectly,” says Peruch.
“APG and Powersoft have enough common ground in terms of corporate values, the way in which we do business and of course technical expertise and innovation, to create a truly dynamic collaboration,” agrees APG’s general manager, Gregory Dapsanse. “As Antonio said, we have not rushed into this, and we are both confident that it will result in some excellent products for APG enabling us to offer fully optimised systems to our customers, as well as increased exposure for Powersoft.”
The first products to be launched as a result of the partnership are the SA20:2 and SA30:2 two-channel, switch-mode Class D amplifiers. The SA20:2 is dedicated to small and medium-scale applications, such as APG’s Micro Axial, Micro and Dispersion Series speakers, whereas SA30:2 handles bigger systems including the Beam, Uniline and Matrix Series as well as TB subwoofers. Advanced protection circuitry and variable speed forced-air cooling increases reliability, say the companies, while a four-year warranty comes as standard.
“These are exciting times for us,” concluded Dapsanse on the launch of the amplifiers. “It marks a significant step in the development of APG as a brand. However, our long-term aim is to continue to innovate and improve, and we have a number of product development projects on the table with Powersoft.”
