Lab.gruppen
Encyclopedia
Lab.gruppen is a Swedish sound equipment company, based in Kungsbacka
, dedicated to building mainly public address
power amplifiers. The company now (2007) has 130 employees and is owned by TC Group which also holds Tannoy
, TC Electronic
, TC-Helicon
, and TC Applied Technologies.
Andersson and Bävholm's first project was a hand-made mixing console. It was used as part of the Front of House
equipment for a concert by Eartha Kitt
and remained in service for many years. They created other mixers and a series of guitar heads and combos. Their intermittent manufacture of mixers and guitar amplifiers continued through the formal establishment of Lab.gruppen in 1979. The company was originally located inside a local hi-fi store, where the duo serviced consumer equipment for additional income. It was here that the company’s first professional audio power amplifier was created.
Between the LAB 4000 and fP Series 6400, Lab.gruppen engineers continued to advance and refine their products. The LAB Series was overhauled and augmented and subsequently became the fP range. fP designs were upgraded to meet the stringent new EMC standards in Europe, and adoption of UL safety standards allowed them to be sold in the United States
. Standardization of internal components between models increased manufacturing efficiency to keep pricing competitive in all new markets.
In the late 1990s, the founders brought in new ownership and a managing director. In July 2000, Lab.gruppen was acquired by the TGI Group of the United Kingdom
, and a few months later Tomas Lilja was chosen as managing director. In early 2002, the TGI Group was acquired by TC Group of Denmark, the current corporate owner. In 2004, the company moved to its new location at Faktorvägen. Both Andersson and Bävholm remained with the company following the acquisitions.
In 1998, Lab.gruppen engineers undertook the long-term development of a new amplifier platform. The complete range would have four bridgeable amplifier channels and an integrated monitoring and control network. The basic technology of both the power supply and output stages was taken from the proven fP range, but with significant upgrades to reduce the number of components required. Designated the C Series and targeted at the installation market, the first amplifiers of this design were shipped in the summer of 2005. This was followed up by the release of FP+ in 2006 and PLM Series in 2007.
The Powered Loudspeaker Manager system integrates the functions of crossover, delay, equalization, limiting, audio networking, and power amplification. It combines signal processing from Dolby Lake and power amplification from Lab.gruppen.
Kungsbacka
Kungsbacka is a locality and the seat of Kungsbacka Municipality in Halland County, Sweden, with 17,784 inhabitants in 2005.It is one of the most affluent parts of Sweden, in part due to its simultaneous proximity to stunning countryside and the large city of Gothenburg..-History:The first records...
, dedicated to building mainly public address
Public address
A public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
power amplifiers. The company now (2007) has 130 employees and is owned by TC Group which also holds Tannoy
Tannoy
Tannoy Ltd is a Scottish-based manufacturer of loudspeakers and public-address systems. The company was founded in London, England as Tulsemere Manufacturing Company in 1926, but has been based in Coatbridge, Scotland, since the 1970s...
, TC Electronic
TC Electronic
TC Electronic is a Danish audio equipment manufacturer.Its current product ranges include guitar effects, bass amplification, computer audio interfaces, audio plug-in software, live sound equalisers, studio and post production equipment, studio effect processors and broadcast loudness processors...
, TC-Helicon
TC-Helicon
TC-Helicon is a Canadian audio equipment manufacturer, a subsidiary of Danish company TC Electronic. TC-Helicon focuses on vocal harmonizers, pitch correction, monitor speakers, and other products for vocalists....
, and TC Applied Technologies.
History
Kenneth Andersson and Dan Bävholm founded Lab.gruppen in 1979. They first met as schoolboys when they shared an interest in electronics.Andersson and Bävholm's first project was a hand-made mixing console. It was used as part of the Front of House
Front of House
Front of house is primarily a theatrical term, referring to the portion of the building that is open to the public. In theatre and live music venues, it typically refers to the auditorium and foyer, as opposed to the stage and backstage areas...
equipment for a concert by Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt
Eartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
and remained in service for many years. They created other mixers and a series of guitar heads and combos. Their intermittent manufacture of mixers and guitar amplifiers continued through the formal establishment of Lab.gruppen in 1979. The company was originally located inside a local hi-fi store, where the duo serviced consumer equipment for additional income. It was here that the company’s first professional audio power amplifier was created.
Between the LAB 4000 and fP Series 6400, Lab.gruppen engineers continued to advance and refine their products. The LAB Series was overhauled and augmented and subsequently became the fP range. fP designs were upgraded to meet the stringent new EMC standards in Europe, and adoption of UL safety standards allowed them to be sold in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Standardization of internal components between models increased manufacturing efficiency to keep pricing competitive in all new markets.
In the late 1990s, the founders brought in new ownership and a managing director. In July 2000, Lab.gruppen was acquired by the TGI Group of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and a few months later Tomas Lilja was chosen as managing director. In early 2002, the TGI Group was acquired by TC Group of Denmark, the current corporate owner. In 2004, the company moved to its new location at Faktorvägen. Both Andersson and Bävholm remained with the company following the acquisitions.
In 1998, Lab.gruppen engineers undertook the long-term development of a new amplifier platform. The complete range would have four bridgeable amplifier channels and an integrated monitoring and control network. The basic technology of both the power supply and output stages was taken from the proven fP range, but with significant upgrades to reduce the number of components required. Designated the C Series and targeted at the installation market, the first amplifiers of this design were shipped in the summer of 2005. This was followed up by the release of FP+ in 2006 and PLM Series in 2007.
Powered Loudspeaker Management Systems
- PLM 20000Q
- PLM 10000Q
The Powered Loudspeaker Manager system integrates the functions of crossover, delay, equalization, limiting, audio networking, and power amplification. It combines signal processing from Dolby Lake and power amplification from Lab.gruppen.
Power Amplifiers
- FP 10000Q
- FP 13000
- FP 7000
- FP 6000Q
- fP 6400
- fP 3400
- fP 2600
- C 68:4
- C 48:4
- C 28:4
- C 16:4
- C 20:8X
- C 10:8X
- C 10:4X
- C 5:4X
Other
- DSP 24: 2-in/4-out digital crossover and loudspeaker equalization unit. Can be controlled from a Windows environment through VIEW (a Lab.gruppen control software program).