Association of Loudspeaker Manufacturing & Acoustics International
Encyclopedia
The Association of Loudspeaker Manufacturing & Acoustics International (ALMA International) is a not-for-profit trade association open to companies that design
, manufacture
, sell
and/or test
loudspeaker
s, loudspeaker components, and loudspeaker systems.
, Central
and South America
. In 2001, the association expanded its membership base to become a global organization to better reflect its growing international membership base. The association is now known as ALMA - The International Loudspeaker Association.
participating in this field. Universities
and other academic institutions are eligible to join as supporting members.
s with AES
, EIA
and IEC
as part of establishing, publishing and promoting technical standards for use in designing and manufacturing loudspeakers and loudspeaker components.
developed as a companion to the EIA-426-B standard: “Loudspeakers,
Optimum Amplifier Power (April 1998)” also known as ANSI/EIA-426-B-1998.
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
, manufacture
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
, sell
Sales
A sale is the act of selling a product or service in return for money or other compensation. It is an act of completion of a commercial activity....
and/or test
Loudspeaker measurement
Loudspeaker measurement is one of the most difficult aspects of audio quality measurement, and also probably the most relevant, since loudspeakers, because they are transducers, have higher distortion than other audio system components....
loudspeaker
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
s, loudspeaker components, and loudspeaker systems.
History
The American Loudspeaker Manufacturers Association (ALMA) was founded in 1964 and was originally composed solely of U.S. loudspeaker manufacturers, then expanded to include NorthNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. In 2001, the association expanded its membership base to become a global organization to better reflect its growing international membership base. The association is now known as ALMA - The International Loudspeaker Association.
Membership
Membership is open to individuals and full-time studentsStudent
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
participating in this field. Universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and other academic institutions are eligible to join as supporting members.
Committees
ALMA has several committees:- EducationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
- Standards
- SymposiumSymposiumIn ancient Greece, the symposium was a drinking party. Literary works that describe or take place at a symposium include two Socratic dialogues, Plato's Symposium and Xenophon's Symposium, as well as a number of Greek poems such as the elegies of Theognis of Megara...
content - Membership
- Intellectual PropertyIntellectual propertyIntellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
- CommunicationCommunicationCommunication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
s
Standards
ALMA sets technical standards for the industry and coordinates international standardInternational standard
International standards are standards developed by international standards organizations. International standards are available for consideration and use, worldwide...
s with AES
Audio Engineering Society
Established in 1948, the Audio Engineering Society draws its membership from amongst engineers, scientists, other individuals with an interest or involvement in the professional audio industry. The membership largely comprises engineers developing devices or products for audio, and persons working...
, EIA
Electronic Industries Alliance
The Electronic Industries Alliance was a standards and trade organization composed as an alliance of trade associations for electronics manufacturers in the United States. They developed standards to ensure the equipment of different manufacturers was compatible and interchangeable...
and IEC
International Electrotechnical Commission
The International Electrotechnical Commission is a non-profit, non-governmental international standards organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies – collectively known as "electrotechnology"...
as part of establishing, publishing and promoting technical standards for use in designing and manufacturing loudspeakers and loudspeaker components.
Symposia
ALMA provides access to suppliers and customers in a multi-day symposium at least twice a year. At these events, ALMA International provides an opportunity for members to meet, share ideas, deal with common problems, and take the pulse of the industry.Publications
ALMA publishes the Test Signal CDCompact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
developed as a companion to the EIA-426-B standard: “Loudspeakers,
Optimum Amplifier Power (April 1998)” also known as ANSI/EIA-426-B-1998.