Ahead Of The Curve
In Conversation with Tim Maier of Harmonic Design
Iris Buildtech, official distributors for Harmonic Design (HD), Germany chose the PALM Expo 2019 show floor and Indoor Compact Line Array Demo feature to introduce a range of innovative loudspeaker systems from HD to the Indian Market. PT met TIM MAIER, Export Manager for Harmonic Design Audiotechnik GMH. to understand a little more about what the company had to offer.
Founded in 1980 in Rutesheim, the company began by introducing Hardy Amps professional bass and guitar amplifiers. After the company burnt down completely in a fire, the company headquarters was relocated and the company was rebranded as Harmonic Design GmbH.
“The company was founded in 1980 and initially we were focused only on R&D and distribution of measurement and analysis systems like MLSSA Europe. However, we did introduce our first PA speakers and speaker system with integrated processors to the National German market way before other big German manufacturers. The region where we are located is more like the “sound region” because all major manufacturers of sound systems are within a range of 15kms to 16kms. In the early days, we did a lot of OEM too, and Harmonic Design was distributed only in Germany. It was only national sales and there was no interest in going global. But with the advent of globalization, since the last decade, Harmonic too decided to go international,” says Tim Maier, Export Manager for Harmonic Design.
Harmonic Design products are designed, developed and manufactured entirely by hand in South Germany Steinheim an der Murr, with only high quality and durable components being sourced from regional suppliers in Southern Germany ensuring high quality and reliability of the products. The MLSSA measuring system took computer-aided speaker development to a new level in the early ’90s. This was followed in 1994 by the first digital signal processor with pioneering filter options. In recent years, the company has developed technologies such as the GroupDelayCorrection or the PowerSound algorithm.
Harmonic Design prides itself for investment into research, development and production of innovative loudspeaker systems and acoustic services. “We have now stopped OEM and we are using our knowledge and technology for Harmonic Design products because they have the capability to compete with other major manufacturers, says Tim.
“Our products have the latest technology on the inside, so we can reduce the size of each speaker dramatically. For instance, in the line array shootout, we have one loudspeaker speaker playing against six to eight boxes. A single box can be used as a standalone box and is capable of powering an audience upto 2000 people. It can be extended like modular systems, like in the line array demo and it can be hanged as vertical array to make a big line array to cover up to several thousand people easily. This is one of our innovative products launched in 2016. It is now being distributed in every market and we decided to bring it for the first time to India,” he adds.
Iris Buildtech, official distributors for Harmonic Design in India showcased the HLS Tour SYS - a Complete Line Array System with just Two Hybrid Line Source Dual 12” (HLS24P) Tops and Four Dual 18” (Infra 218) Subwoofers along with a Powersoft X8 Amplifier at the PALM Line Array demo.
Beamforming Technology
Harmonic Design beamforming loudspeakers offer great potential for improving sound distribution in complex architectures and highly reverberant rooms. The goal is to focus the sound only on the listener’s surfaces, while shading areas that create unwanted reflections and disturbing room resonances.
Talking about Harmonic’s Beamforming Technology, Tim says, “The beam forming is very precise. We can make the sound very narrow like a laser or open it up. This is very good for all applications, including houses of worship and home audio because typically they have bad room acoustics. The Harmonic Beamforming technology cancels out all the unwanted reflections and you can focus the sound only on the listeners.”
Application
Harmonic Design systems consist of the loudspeaker box, the digital system controller and the amplifier. The individual components are networked together to ensure easy operation, optimum sound quality and enormous reliability. The individual loudspeaker boxes are interchangeable, so as to be able to achieve the optimum result depending on the application and requirement.
“The same speaker can be use in the conference room or it can be integrated into the wall, or at the same time, it can be used as a playing speaker for a small band. So it can used in every application. All of our speaker have exceptional power performance and most of them are passive because with the passive we can enter into a new level of performance. Active integrated solutions are not that powerful because they have limitations,” says Tim.
India focus
So how does a product driven company, which prides itself on innovation and quality plan on penetrating a new market like India? “Mostly, we are looking at our dealers and distributors to do that for us,” he says.
Harmonic Design products on display at the Iris Buildtech booth and Line Array Demo at PALM expo 2019 included Hd HLS24 - Revolutionary HybridLineSource Loudspeaker; Hd Infra218 - high-performance subwoofer; hd HLS24-TourSys2 - Allround PA-System; hd MP-Series - full range cabinets; hd C-Series pfamily of high-end Commercial Sticks specially designed for use with standard A/V-receivers and amplifiers and the hd Slim265 subwoofer.