Established in 1987, Audio Pro's market-stall approach to exhibiting laid out Yamaha's PM1D, Audient's Aztec, Optocore, d&b audiotechnik's E-Series and TC Electronic's EQ Station - a good haul of sound reinforcement gear by any standards. Founder Rolf Dijkstra explained that the company specialized in theatre installation. "We've been working with d&b since '93 and that has enabled us to attract the attention of touring and corporate-event production companies too. We've broadened our horizons.
"But you have to bear in mind that Holland is a very small market, so you have to take on specific things to do specific jobs. We've added each line as required, and each addition has attracted others." Dijkstra added that over the last few AES shows, people have been actively seeking out certain sound reinforcement brands, and that studio and live applications were merging within single products.
"The quality of sound systems nowadays is so good that you can use things like TC effects processors in both situations," an echo of thoughts elsewhere in the show. "But I'm expecting particularly big things from the EQ Station. Companies like BSS and Klark Teknik used to have remote-controlled graphic EQ systems, but have somehow got away from them. For engineers, it's a really handy instrument - especially for the monitor guys, who stand next to the artist listening to the foldback and adjusting the sound. This has come at exactly the right time."
