Continued innovation throughout the ensuing years (and changes in ownership) and a consistently strong reputation within the industry led to the acquisition of the group by present-day owners Soundking. Soundking’s four product lines – Studiomaster, Carlsboro, CD, and Starr – have been consolidated in the U.S. under the moniker “SCCS,” derived from the first initial of each of the brand names.tudiomaster was founded in the mid ‘70s and first came to prominence later in that decade and in the early 1980s as the company’s power amplifiers, mixing consoles, and speaker cabs became favorites of such notable acts as Phil Collins, Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott, and Spandau Ballet.
“As you may know, Soundking is one of the larger audio companies around,” says Joey Wolpert, CEO of SCCS. “They have a huge global presence virtually everywhere, except the U.S., though their OEM On-Stage Stands are huge. Our mandate from HQ in China is to get North America humming. That task encompasses defining/developing/branding/marketing the four Soundking product lines: Studiomaster (live sound), Carlsbro (guitar and bass amplification, including Sherwood acoustic guitar amps), CD (digital instruments, e.g., drums, electric pianos), and Staar (stage and DJ lighting, stands, and accessories).”
To that end, Studiomaster is making use of their seven employees in the group’s UK office, six U.S. team members working out of Studiomaster’s 5,000 sq. ft. Oregon facility, and three “dedicated” employees at Soundking headquarters in China. “Of course, the 2,300 factory employees in China are actively involved in multiple aspects of the brands, including design and manufacturing,” Wolpert adds.
Studiomaster’s current domestic distribution model is designed to accommodate dealers of any stripe, though Wolpert notes the company is especially keen to foster relationships with indie dealers.
“SCCS works in close partnership with North American distributor MV Pro Audio, which handles order fulfillment and logistics out of their Oregon office,” he explains. “Though dealers of all shapes and sizes are welcome, a number of sales programs and incentives have been developed with an eye toward supporting and nourishing independent dealers. Of particular note is that SCCS customizes their approach for each individual dealer – from product mix to pricing to freight options – so that dealers aren’t forced to be a square peg in a round hole, or missing opportunities because of their size or financial strength. SCCS’s mantra is ‘Great Business Made Simple,’ and we mean it. Everything we do is geared toward maximizing our dealers’ financial return and incentivizing them to partner with us for the long haul.”
While the group’s product offerings are, in some respects, fairly diverse, when asked to name which specific category does the most business for Studiomaster, Wolpert doesn’t hesitate: “PA equipment, plain and simple.”
As for what specific product is currently flying off the shelves, he says that, “Studiomaster’s Starlight Portable PA/LED Light Array/Monitor System is a clear winner, allowing DJs and small bands to be truly self-contained, with their PA, stage lights, and monitor system all built into a pair of low-priced, gig-ready cabinets. The response from working DJs has been stellar, with numerous comments from the field thanking us for delivering a product that solves many of their setup and reliability issues.”
The company has big plans for the future that will see changes across the entire spectrum of their product offerings and what Studiomaster will be able to offer retailers and end users. “Over the last several months, the Studiomaster teams have been actively refining and revamping the entire product line, with a focus on establishing and/or maintaining a competitive advantage in features, pricing, performance, value, et cetera,” Wolpert explains. “This means that certain legacy products, such as the VPX powered speakers, have been redesigned to be lighter, more powerful, lower cost, and so on. At the same time, new products such as the Starlight Portable PA/LED Light Array/Monitor System have been introduced to give retailers new and different avenues to approach their customers. Products in development include expanded offerings in PA speakers and mixers (analog and digital) for Studiomaster, next-generation guitar amps from Carlsbro, and an impressive array of full-featured LED-based stage and DJ lighting products from Staar.”
With so many changes afoot, the coming months hold a lot of promise for SCCS and for its dealer partners. According to Wolpert, “We expect our presence in the pro audio market to expand significantly over the next 12 months as our new and refined product lines gain traction with dealers and end users. To further that goal, SCCS is aggressively courting dealers by offering high margins and generous freight programs (even free flooring). End users are being attracted with a strong combination of product features, reliability, and value pricing. We’re supporting this outreach with print and electronic advertising, POP materials, clinic tours, and more. We expect 2014 to be a great year for all four SCCS brands, with 2015 bringing both innovative products and multiple opportunities for our dealers’ success.”
