Audio-Technica officially opened the doors of Technica House/AstroStudio, the company’s newest office complex, on November 13, 2001. Local officials, friends and key representatives from Audio-Technica’s corporate headquarters and subsidiary offices worldwide attended a dedication ceremony that included a gala party, a tour of the AstroStudio facility and a speech by Audio-Technica Corporation president Kazuo Matsushita.

Located in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, the eight-story building has a unique architectural design based on a giant transducer, symbolizing the importance that A-T places on listening and responding to the needs of the audio community. As well as the impressive office environment it provides, Technica House also features AstroStudio, a world-class Dolby 5.1-ready surround recording, mixing and monitoring facility.

Speaking at the dedication ceremony, A-T corporation president Kazuo Matsushita explained the thinking behind the inclusion of the commercially ready studio. "AstroStudio provides Audio-Technica with a real-world, 5.1 environment to test and evaluate microphones and new transducer technologies prior to releasing products on to the market. We also wanted to create a familiar meeting place for our family of artists who provide us with input and feedback on market trends. AstroStudio meets all those goals."

The studio offers state-of-the-art 5.1 recording capabilities featuring an AMEK console, a 5.1 Genelec Active Monitoring System, outboard gear by Lexicon, Focusrite, Eventide, Aphex, Tube-Tech, t.c. electronics and Neve as well as a DigiDesign Pro Tools System. Also on the equipment list is a wide selection of classic keyboards, guitar amplifiers and drums.

(Lee Baldock)


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