Klark Teknik
Encyclopedia
1971 saw the start of Klark Teknik when brothers Phillip and Terence Clarke formed “Klark Equipment” a company that produced garage forecourt equipment; vending style vacuum cleaner
s, space heaters and other similar products.
Phillip was the entrepreneur
having previously run a clothing business in Australia. Terry was the engineer; and had worked for Decca and was also an active local musician. With this background the company soon branched into professional audio; at first upgrading /customising Decca multi-track tape recorders and later producing a very high quality ¼ inch 2 track tape machine of their own, the SM2. This was sold to the BBC
and independent broadcasting companies under the brand name “Teknik”.
Terry also started to develop signal processing
hardware including compressor/limiters and small graphic equalisers. These were produced in very low quantities and sold to (mostly local) recording studios to complement the relatively simple audio mixing console of the day. The graphics developed during 1973 onwards were called Teknik 7S and 9S, with seven and nine bands respectively, plus a stereo 11+11S with eleven bands of EQ.
In 1974 the brand name “Klark Teknik” came into being. 1976 saw the first KT product produced in real volume, the DN27 (later DN27A and previously DN27S). Approximately 6500 units shipped between 1977 and 1985.
In 1980 the company moved to its current purpose built premises at Walter Nash Road, Kidderminster. Up until this point the business had been run out of an old Nissen hut
in a back corner of the Summerfield MOD solid fuel rocket motor factory with only 15 employees.
1985 Klark Teknik PLC was formed. In the following year Klark Teknik acquired the Hounslow based studio mixing company DDA and subsequently moved the manufacturing to Kidderminster. In 1986, Klark Teknik further diversified by developing active studio monitors under the brand “Klark Acoustic”.
1986 Klark Teknik received a Queen’s award for export . It also launched the DN772 a seven second profanity delay with innovative time re-setting technology without pitch shifting artefacts, which featured in the BBC program “Tomorrow’s World”.
1987 saw Klark Teknik purchase Midas Audio Systems Ltd
. In 1992, the Clarke brothers sold Klark Teknik Group to Mark IV Audio. Terry Clarke went on to set up MC2 Audio Ltd with co-founder Ian McCarthy in 1994, which produce high quality power amplifiers for the commercial market.
MK VI Audio sold both their holdings of EVI Audio (owners of Klark Teknik) and Telex Communications to venture capitalists Greenwich Street Partners in 1998 merging them into a single corporation Telex Communications. On September 1, 2006 Greenwich sold Telex Communications to Bosch.
In December 2009, Midas and Klark Teknik were acquired by Music Group
, a holding company chaired by Uli Behringer, which also owns other audio companies such as Behringer
and Bugera as well as Electronic Manufacturing Services company Eurotec.
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner, commonly referred to as a "vacuum," is a device that uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors, and optionally from other surfaces as well. The dirt is collected by either a dustbag or a cyclone for later disposal...
s, space heaters and other similar products.
Phillip was the entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
having previously run a clothing business in Australia. Terry was the engineer; and had worked for Decca and was also an active local musician. With this background the company soon branched into professional audio; at first upgrading /customising Decca multi-track tape recorders and later producing a very high quality ¼ inch 2 track tape machine of their own, the SM2. This was sold to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and independent broadcasting companies under the brand name “Teknik”.
Terry also started to develop signal processing
Signal processing
Signal processing is an area of systems engineering, electrical engineering and applied mathematics that deals with operations on or analysis of signals, in either discrete or continuous time...
hardware including compressor/limiters and small graphic equalisers. These were produced in very low quantities and sold to (mostly local) recording studios to complement the relatively simple audio mixing console of the day. The graphics developed during 1973 onwards were called Teknik 7S and 9S, with seven and nine bands respectively, plus a stereo 11+11S with eleven bands of EQ.
In 1974 the brand name “Klark Teknik” came into being. 1976 saw the first KT product produced in real volume, the DN27 (later DN27A and previously DN27S). Approximately 6500 units shipped between 1977 and 1985.
In 1980 the company moved to its current purpose built premises at Walter Nash Road, Kidderminster. Up until this point the business had been run out of an old Nissen hut
Nissen hut
A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated steel, a variant of which was used extensively during World War II.-Description:...
in a back corner of the Summerfield MOD solid fuel rocket motor factory with only 15 employees.
1985 Klark Teknik PLC was formed. In the following year Klark Teknik acquired the Hounslow based studio mixing company DDA and subsequently moved the manufacturing to Kidderminster. In 1986, Klark Teknik further diversified by developing active studio monitors under the brand “Klark Acoustic”.
1986 Klark Teknik received a Queen’s award for export . It also launched the DN772 a seven second profanity delay with innovative time re-setting technology without pitch shifting artefacts, which featured in the BBC program “Tomorrow’s World”.
1987 saw Klark Teknik purchase Midas Audio Systems Ltd
Midas Consoles
Midas has been designing and manufacturing audio consoles since the early 1970s.Later on it became part of the Telex group. When, in January 2006, Telex Communications was acquired by the Bosch group, Midas consoles became part of the business unit "Bosch Communications Systems"...
. In 1992, the Clarke brothers sold Klark Teknik Group to Mark IV Audio. Terry Clarke went on to set up MC2 Audio Ltd with co-founder Ian McCarthy in 1994, which produce high quality power amplifiers for the commercial market.
MK VI Audio sold both their holdings of EVI Audio (owners of Klark Teknik) and Telex Communications to venture capitalists Greenwich Street Partners in 1998 merging them into a single corporation Telex Communications. On September 1, 2006 Greenwich sold Telex Communications to Bosch.
In December 2009, Midas and Klark Teknik were acquired by Music Group
Music Group (company)
Music Group is a holding company based in Manila, Philippines. It is chaired by Uli Behringer, founder of Behringer.-History:In December 2009, Music Group acquired Midas and Klark Teknik from Bosch Communications Systems of Bosch Group.-Portfolio:, Music Group's portfolio includes:* Midas* Klark...
, a holding company chaired by Uli Behringer, which also owns other audio companies such as Behringer
Behringer
Behringer is an audio equipment company founded by Uli Behringer in 1989, in Willich, Germany. Behringer was listed as the 14th largest manufacturer of music products in 2007. Behringer is a multi-national group of companies, with direct marketing presence in 10 countries or territories and a...
and Bugera as well as Electronic Manufacturing Services company Eurotec.
Products
Klark Teknik landmark products:- DN27 Graphic EQ (1976)
- DN36 Stereo Analogue Time Processor (1977)
- DN70 Digital Time Processor (1979)
- DN60 the World’s first rackable spectrum analyser (1980)
- DN700 the first high-quality digital delay line (1983)
- DN360 the world’s favourite dual graphic EQ (1984)
- DN780 digital reverb unit (1985)
- DN1248 active mic splitter (2000)
- DN9848 speaker processor (2000)
- Square ONE range (2005)