Vitec Imaging Solutions has agreed the acquisition of Audix and its affiliate companies, with the deal expected to close shortly. The move continues Vitec’s mission to ‘marry great audio with great video for all types of creators’.
Audix is a leading, high-quality microphone brand for studio and live performance audio based in Portland, Oregon. The brand focuses on premium, professional vocal and instrument microphones, designed for studio, commercial and live applications, with audio technology designed and manufactured in the US.
As part of the Vitec family, the Audix team and facility in Oregon will become Vitec Imaging Solutions’ Audio R&D Centre of Excellence, enabling the acceleration of in-house microphone product design, development and manufacturing across all Vitec audio brands. With the acquisition of Audix, Vitec’s audio capture strategy is now structured around three core brands that cover all growth segments of the US$1bn microphone market.
Under the global umbrella of Vitec Imaging Solutions, Vitec will add sales, marketing and e-commerce capabilities to develop the iconic US brand worldwide, while maintaining its level of innovation, with a primary focus on fast-growing wireless applications. Audix will open its manufacturing facility in the US to the rest of Vitec’s audio brands.
The Rycote brand is dedicated to the broadcast and production segment, offering windshields, shock mounts and handling protection systems. While Rycote windshields and mounts will continue to be made in the UK under the new ownership, Rycote’s broadcast microphones will benefit from additional manufacturing facilities in the US.
The Joby brand is the largest volume offering under the acquisition, servicing some 40m monetising social media influencers. The Joby microphone range is to expand imminently with additions including professional on-camera mics and solutions for podcasters and gamers. Going forward, the development of Joby microphones will move to the US to accelerate the innovation process in the largest content creator market.
‘Audix is the perfect addition to our existing audio range, in a high-tech, growing category,’ says Vitec Imaging Solutions Divisional CEO, Marco Pezzana,. ‘The brand will significantly increase our total addressable market, advance our audio technology capabilities and, most importantly, bring great people with intimate knowledge of the audio industry, who will be a real asset to the company and enable us to accelerate the delivery of Vitec’s audio strategy and delight the content creator community with easy-to-use, high-fidelity audio capture solutions.’
