11 QUESTIONS With Brock Adamson
CEO, Adamson System Engineering
Brock Adamson, CEO, Adamson System Engineering
In this edition of PALM Expo Magazine's "11 Questions" series, we sit down with Brock
Adamson,
the visionary founder and CEO of Adamson Systems Engineering, as the company marks its
40th year
in pro audio. From humble beginnings driven by a love for live music to pioneering innovations
in waveguide technology and powered line arrays, Adamson shares the story behind the brand's
evolution and its uncompromising commitment to sound. He dives into what sets Adamson apart, the
science behind the gear, and how the company is building deeper roots in markets like India.
With honesty, insight, and a clear eye on the future, Brock reflects on four decades of pushing
boundaries, and what's still to come.
1. Can you tell us about your journey into the pro audio industry? What inspired you to
build a career in this space and lead Adamson Systems Engineering?
I always loved what loudspeakers did when they moved air effortlessly filling a space with the sound
of music. But it rose to another level listening in the same room with guitarists. Great players
from Randy Bachman to Robert Cray, even Clarence Gatemouth Brown. Early on, I
experienced something
very special watching and listening to Lenny Breau in my living room, sitting on a small
chair,
playing his guitar. I became a servant to the ones that made music and made it my life's goal to
bring that sound to life, to make it ever better.
It was live experiences that triggered me to keep looking, to push harder. The first was Neil
Young
and Crazy Horse at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, then hearing Jerry Doucette in my own
first
major system in the Pacific Coliseum. Then later still, I remember holding a mid driver in my hands
just after Miles Davis made it vibrate only a few hours earlier. Dang!
2. Adamson celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024, marking four decades of excellence. What
do you consider the most significant milestones for the company during this period?
Well, the state of pro audio at the beginning of our company is not that interesting today, given
all the advances… sort of like a dusty history book. The product now clearly speaks for itself, but
along the way, there are a few points of interest.
A very special type of Kevlar process was discovered, and from it we created a unique mid
device.
That was a very significant step for me personally. These materials led to very good results with
large woofers as well providing stiffness and stability, and transient response not possible with
paper cones.
The co-linear waveguide assembly that came next was a true milestone. It gave us a remarkable
improvement in far field coherence, and we took those developments into all the work with Linkin
Park.
Finite Element Analysis has changed the game in audio. Every one of our previous discoveries
relating to drivers, enclosures and waveguides has since been fully explored and optimised with FEA
and BEM simulation software. That work, plus further recent discoveries resulted in the current
Vergence product.
Array optimisation software has had a tremendous impact on the implementation of arrays and then
really came into its own with our powered line arrays. Our array optimisation algorithms are the
best in class, with this tireless effort beautifully preparing the way for the outstanding work our
immersive team has done with the Fletcher Machine.
Networked audio, that would conform to a public IEEE standard was an important goal for me
personally. This was pursued by our team for many years. We think this is a great contribution to
the industry and we are very proud of it - something that will stand the test of time.
It is a big step to become an electronic manufacturer. It has been quite successful and very
rewarding for our team. Powered array elements with increased channel count have given us more
complete control over arrays and more acoustical power than we thought possible. Without going into
too much detail, we have Silicon Carbide (SiC) power devices, de-saturation current limiting
combined with on board computing (MCU) giving us the most advanced power modules in the world. All
our network components, switches, gateways, endpoints etc. benefitted from our investment in Fuji
electronics manufacturing technology. We built an outstanding manufacturing capacity with really
impressive speed and repeatability for all our surface mount (SMT) applications. To complete the
picture for power electronics, we have highly specialised equipment from Germany for automated
selective soldering of the heavy "thru-hole" components found in amplifiers.
3. How do you see the global pro audio industry evolving, especially in the wake of
technological advancements and shifting market demands?
Technology convergence is a dominant force in all technologies, including pro audio. For example,
signal processing first moved into amplifiers, followed by networking and then those technologies
collectively moved into loudspeakers within the amplifiers. So now that entire piece of converged
technology has become the powered, networked loudspeaker. Networking and interactive control
surfaces will further integrate everything else - UI/UX will dominate. Adamson has taken a leading
role in AVB networking with the Milan standards-based network protocols which we think is key to the
future of interconnectivity across all product types.
4. What do you believe sets Adamson apart from other audio brands in terms of technology,
innovation, and customer-centric design?
We have focussed our attention on the physical loudspeaker, first on driver response, then waveguide
technology and summation in the far field. We don't try to fix loudspeaker limitations with signal
processing; there is no substitute for correct physical summation. The benefit of that work can be
heard in speech intelligibility and clarity, particularly in large venues and particularly in the
far field. As well, we have advanced the physical handling of the product from the truck pack to the
getting it into the air.
5. What key trends are shaping the live sound market today, and how is Adamson adapting to
address these trends?
We are not adapting to trends! We are setting the pace for others to follow. To be more clear, the
state of the art and the future of large scale performance systems is the networked, powered,
adaptive line array. Now, I should also make it clear we have not stopped chasing down certain
interesting future advancements, but I will not say more at this time!
6. With increasing demand in markets like India, how is Adamson positioning itself to
capitalise on these growing opportunities? You have several partnerships with Indian
distributors and Sound rental companies, does this mean Adamson finds this market
profitable?
Yes, of course, there is a huge benefit for Adamson to be fully engaged in Indian markets. We will
make speakers, and if you like the results, you will buy them, the very basis of commerce!
Seriously, though, our distributors in India have aggressively pursued new opportunities and given
the arrival of a major new product, we are excited to find the next steps.
We have identified India as a critical market for us. In the past few years, through our
distributors Stagemix and key partners like SOUND.COM we have had some great successes
which we have
felt not only in the APAC region, but globally too. With the development and success of the Vergence
Group of products around the world, pro audio in India has also embraced this world class technology
with early systems starting to arrive.
It should also be mentioned that Canada has a very open immigration policy and so we find that a
great many people have come from India to work at Adamson, 20% of our staff, in fact. Software and
hardware engineers, CNC machinists, including senior managers all come to our country from your
country. You can be very proud of them, I assure you.
7. Does Adamson have any plans for strategic partnerships or collaborations in the Indian and
Asian markets to enhance its presence?
We will continue to build on key influential partnerships and collaborations in the Indian market;
this success in India is quite visible to users in other countries around the world. This has
definitely helped Adamson not only in the Asian markets but as well as in global markets. We have
many successful projects being regularly delivered throughout APAC influenced by people's positive
experiences in India.
8. What are the biggest challenges you foresee in expanding Adamson's footprint in India and
the broader Asian region?
We are feeling confident that the new products we are introducing are being well received. There are
more new products on the way, and with our recent $7.5m investment in factory floor space and
machinery, we are positioning ourselves to meet a greater demand with both speed and resilience.
Specifically, we have greatly enhanced our new product development capacity in both electronics and
plastics, with a strong focus on mold making. Bringing new products tailored to any newly discovered
applications market requires speed and agility. I think this is what we need to deliver what is
expected of us.
9. With multiple new launches like the Vergence Group and the IS-Series Product Line
Expansion, how do these achievements reflect Adamson's legacy? How do you envision the company's
next chapter?
Hmmm… I think you are getting tricky with these questions! If we have a "Legacy" to speak of, it
would be that we have always been an innovator. We are not merely assemblers of products from parts
based on clever supply chain management. We take a 1,000 Kg bar of solid steel and carve magnet cups
from that very raw material. For example, from raw material we have created high performance
mid-range transducers, precisely tailored to our requirements, along with so many other engineered
components. These newest products strongly reflect that ethos.
The next chapter will reflect that fundamental value, but with accelerated purpose. The new capital
investment will yield shorter new product development times and greater creative wiggle room.
Loudspeaker systems are made of many widely varied molded parts. Die cast aluminum heat sinks and
speaker baskets, molded Kevlar diaphragms and cones, molded plastic waveguides and horns; the list
is nearly endless. Mastery of these processes, including mold development, makes for creative
engineering and a better product.
10. What core values and business philosophy have guided Adamson's growth and success over
the years?
Don't offshore! Master your materials and processes. Dig deep into the principles of your technology
and never stop questioning the results.
11. How do you foresee the future of live sound evolving over the next 5-10 years?
AI and machine learning models will dominate the improvement of system deployment and the
corresponding evolution of UI/UX. Users will collaborate with Artificial Neural Networks to ease use
and improve results, delivering more accurate predictive results in new rooms with less
time-consuming data entry.
But having said that, further refinements to driver and diaphragm technology can be surely expected,
given the advancements in material science, simulation software and 3D printing.
As laid out in the foregoing discussion, we are in mid-stride, executing many plans and strategies
that will impact APAC. But those steps alone would not deliver the results we all want to see if we
don't invest in a greater regional team. I am not a salesman (!) but I know our team strives for a
better understanding of local and cultural communities to improve our knowledge and support across
the region, and I know of the great interest in further training, education and support.
I have confidence in India as a nation, and in particular the people I know first-hand that have
come to work here in Canada. The Adamson team all have confidence in our markets in India and APAC.
Together, we will make our mark.