The microphones market appears to be innovation-driven within a stable price environment. An overview

The Indian microphone market, in the year 2007, constituted 40 percent of branded microphones and 60 percent of unorganized/imported (grey) market. The key drivers for the market are attributed to the increasing number of live concerts, upcoming bands, and musicians. The recording studios are also upgrading their equipment as a large number of international customers prefer India as the destination for working on sound editing.

The top international brands include Shure, AKG, Electrovoice, Sennheiser, Audio Technica, and Lectrosonics. Available in two categories, the wireless and the wired, the microphones serve the purpose of recording industry, music industry, conference systems, and electronic news gathering. A major requirement of customers, in the field of wireless systems, is the demand for larger bandwidth to make the systems more flexible in a congested frequency spectrum. The microphones market appears to be innovation-driven within a stable price environment.

AKG offers one of the best in class frequency response and dynamic range microphones with extremely low operating cost. The company announced two new high performance wireless microphones, C 5 and D 5, providing vocalists, musicians, and presenters high performance vocal microphones in the market.

Audio Technica, represented by Electro Dynamics in India offers all kinds of microphones including the side-address studio condenser, small diaphragm condenser, handheld/stand, headworn, and shotgun microphones.

Azden Corporation represented by Visual Technologies India offers a bouquet of microphones such as handheld, headset, lavaliere, neck-worn, saxophone, and shotgun. In 2007, Visual Technologies India Private Limited sold over 411 units of Azden microphones in India. Similarly Beyer Dynamic sold 51 units of microphones through its distributor, Visual Technologies India Private Limited.

Coles Electroacoustics in India is represented by Deepjyot Electronics. The company has manufactured the superb BBC-designed ribbon microphones in the UK for over 30 years. Originally designed for radio and television broadcast, Coles ribbon microphones has become one of the primary tools of choice throughout the sound recording industry.

DPA Microphones A/S in India is represented by Visual Technologies India Private Limited. The microphone and accessories provided by the company include large diaphragm microphone, standard microphones, compact microphones, omni-directional microphones, and headband microphones. In 2007, Visual Technologies sold around 35 units of DPA microphones in India.

The range of microphones offered by Electrovoice India includes Cobalt series, ENG series, RE 90 series, RE 200, RE 150, and Polar Choice family. The RE 90 microphones include many types of installed microphones from boundary to podium applications. The RE90 microphones share exceptional sound quality and reliability. These include the RB 90B, RE90H, RE90L, and RE92L.

Lectrosonics, represented by Electro Dynamics in India has sold over 500 wireless microphones to Doordarshan and other private broadcasters and private hirers in 2007. The most popular range of microphones offered by Lectrosonics include the UT400 Digital Hybrid Wireless TM, 100 series system, 200 series, and IFB receivers.

Panasonic in India is represented by Visual Technologies India Private Limited. In 2007, Visual Technologies sold 134 units of Panasonic microphones in India. The common and the most popular range of microphones of the company include the RP-VK45 and RP-VK35.

Rode Microphones in India is represented by Aditya Infotec Private Limited. Rode offers several types of microphones including the Classic II, K2, NT1A, NT2A, NT 1000, NTG 1, and NTG 2.

Sennheiser India has recently launched its new product namely the MKH 800 line of condenser microphones. In live sound the company offers the evolution line of wired and wireless microphones. On the wired side, they have different products which all cater to the needs of live performing bands such as different models of drum microphones and microphones specially designed for brass instruments.

Shure in India is represented by Sun Infonet. The company believes that the microphone market has gone up by 30 percent in 2007 and would grow at the same rate in 2008 also. The end user is shifting towards quality products giving better after sales and value for money. Shure has a large range of wired microphones starting from Rs. 20000 to Rs. 0.25 crore.

Sony in India is represented by Telerad and DBI. DBI sold a total of 79 units of Sony microphones, valued at Rs 0.12 crore. The sale included 71 units to private broadcasters and 8 units to private clients.

Voice Technologies in India is represented by Electro Dynamics. In 2007, Electro Dynamics has sold over 200 lavaliere microphones and over 100 earphones to Doordarshan and other private broadcasters. Electrodynamics has sold microphones to channels such as NDTV, Zee, ETV (Hyderabad and Tamil Nadu), Star TV, and some private hiring companies at a total value of Rs. 2.5 crore.

The key manufacturers have realized the potential of microphones and have planned their marketing and advertising strategies to take advantage of the rise in demand and spruce their distribution to meet the supply-demand equation. More activities in the field of live sound and concerts and the growth in the broadcasting and film industry would allow more players to make investments in microphones in the anvil.

MAJOR BRANDS

AKG

AKG microphones and headsets have been synonymous with excellence for several decades. AKG wireless microphone systems include several ranges of products for projects of any scale, from small club gigs to sports events to stadium concerts. Each of the systems is expandable for multi-channel operation, offers best-in-class frequency response and dynamic range, and delivers AKG's legendary sound with extremely low operating cost.

AKG announced two new high-performance wireless microphones to support the live and installed sound markets. Wireless versions of the outstanding C 5 and D 5 microphones have been developed through collaboration with AKG's successful WMS 4000 wireless system, providing vocalists, musicians, and presenters with the most versatile and high-performance vocal microphones on the market. The new C 5 and D 5 wireless microphones offer two interchangeable microphone heads for the HT 4000 handheld unit, as part of the WMS 4000 wireless system: the C 5 WL 1 condenser vocal stage microphone and D 5 WL 1 dynamic vocal stage microphone. Both establish new quality and durability standards with excellent performance for professional musicians. The C 5 condenser microphone and D 5 dynamic microphone each feature a dent-resistant spring steel elastic wire mesh cap for safe protection of the capsule element, as well as an integrated shock absorber system for compensation of handling noise. Additionally, the D 5 features Laminate Varimotion^TM diaphragm technology to deliver a smooth and controlled frequency response and the highest gain before feedback.

AUDIO-TECHNICA

Audio-Technica in India is represented by Electro Dynamics. The company offers all kinds of microphones including the side-address studio condenser, small-diaphragm condenser, handheld/stand, headworn, specialty instrument, boundary, gooseneck, hanging, lavalier, stereo, and shotgun.

Audio-Technica's revolutionary SpectraPulse^TM Ultra Wideband (UWB) wireless microphone system is a completely new application of proven, patented ultra wideband technology. SpectraPulse bypasses the increasingly congested RF environment to deliver clear, intelligible audio without the performance and set-up issues associated with conventional wireless systems. It offers levels of security that have never before been commercially available in wireless microphones, making it ideal for conference or boardrooms, corporate events/meetings, courtrooms and other contractor/system integrator applications in the business, government and commercial markets. SpectraPulse utilizes up to 14 simultaneous channels that operate flawlessly without RF competition, frequency hunting/coordination, or infringement from other wireless systems or radio sources.

AZDEN

Azden Corporation in India is represented by Visual Technologies Private Limited. The company offers a bouquet of microphones such as handheld, headset, lavalier, neck-worn, saxophone, and shotgun. Some of the microphones offered by the company include:

EX-413 handheld microphone: The omni-directional handheld microphone has a 3.5 mm mini-jack that comes with the WMS-PRO system and a weight of 1.00 lbs.

HS-11 headset microphone: The HS-11 headset microphone is a high quality uni-directional vocal headset microphone wired with a mini-jack. The electret condenser microphone requires a bias voltage of 5-9 VDC which all Azden bodypack transmitters provide.

ECM-44 lavalier microphone: The popular Sony omni-directional lavalier microphone works exceptionally well with Azden VHF systems. The microphone comes with a mini plug. The electret condenser microphone requires a bias voltage of 5-9 VCD.

CM-20D neck-worn microphone: The heavy-duty adjustable collar microphone is ideal for those who do not want to use a headworn or clip-on microphone. It comes with a replaceable cable with a wired mini-jack (3.5mm). This omni-directional electret condenser microphone requires a bias voltage of 5-9 VDC.

In 2007, Visual Technologies sold over 411 units of Azden microphones in India.

BEYER DYNAMIC

Beyer Dynamic in India is represented by Visual Technologies India Private Limited. The precise sound as well as the superior off-axis rejection of every Beyer Dynamic microphone has features such as high robustness and reliability. The range of microphones offered by the company includes speech/vocals microphones, instrument microphones, recording/studio microphones, and special application microphones.

Using the capsule of the MC 930 true condenser microphone as a basis, the company developed a first-class vocal microphone with the TG-X 930. Due to the typically small pick-up distance with vocal microphones, the proximity effect of the cardioid capsule was compensated to achieve absolutely neutral transmission of even the subtlest vocal nuances. A slight treble boost ensures an open and detailed sound without ever being obtrusive.

In 2007, Visual Technologies India Private Limited sold around 51 units of Beyer Dynamic microphones in India.

COLES ELECTROACOUSTICS

Coles Electroacoustics in India is represented by Deepjyot. The company has manufactured the superb BBC-designed ribbon microphones in the UK for over 30 years. Originally designed for radio and television broadcast, Coles Ribbon Microphones has become one of the primary tools of choice throughout the sound recording industry.

4040 studio ribbon microphone: The 4040 is the newest addition to the Coles line of ribbon microphones. The microphone has a bold look, greater output, and a wider frequency response. This is the first ribbon microphone that Coles have developed using the very latest magnet technology. The frequency response of the 4038 is exceptionally flat from 30 to 15,000 c/s but where the 4038 starts to drop off, the 4040 carries on past 20,000 c/s and throughout this range, like the 4038, the shape of the bi-directional (figure of eight) polar response is maintained substantially constant both in the horizontal and vertical planes, giving a natural smooth sonic quality textured response to sound signal being picked up.

Microphones for Broadcasters (Model 4115): The 4115 broadcaster's noise canceling ribbon microphone is used for close indoor talking situations where good quality broadcasting and public address announcement speech is required to be reproduced in conditions with high background noise present. The 4115 has a proven reliable performance capability, being since its introduction, used by broadcasters throughout the world. The high degree of acoustic damping applied to the robust corrugated aluminum ribbon ensures freedom from resonance and relative immunity to handling noises and mechanical shocks.

The company also offers an additional range of fine microphones including the bus microphone and the fist microphone.

DPA MICROPHONES

DPA Microphones A/S in India is represented by Visual Technologies India Private Limited. DPA Microphones is one of the leading manufacturers of high quality condenser microphone solutions for professional applications. The microphones and accessories provided by the company include large diaphragm microphones, standard microphones, compact microphones, omni-directional microphones, and headband microphones.

Hydrophone P48 (Type 8011): The type 8011 is the only 48 V phantom powered waterproof microphone specially designed to handle the high sound pressure levels and the high static ambient pressure in water and other fluids. The hydrophone uses a piezoelectric sensing element, which is frequency-compensated to match the special acoustic conditions under water. A 10m high quality audio cable is vulcanized to the body of the hydrophone and fitted with a standard 3-pin XLR. The output is electronically balanced and offers more than 100 dB dynamic range. The 8011 hydrophone is the ultimate choice for professional sound recordings in water or under other extreme conditions where conventional microphones would be adversely affected.

Large Diaphragm Microphone, Solid State, 130 V (Type 4041-S): The 4041-S is an omni-directional microphone that uses the large diaphragm capsule MMC4041 with the totally transparent MMP4000-S solid state preamplifier. The cartridge MMC4041 can be unscrewed from the preamplifier which allows for the exchange of the preamplifier module. The frequency response from 10 Hz to 20 kHz with a 4-6 dB soft boost around 8 kHz matches the response of the highly acclaimed Type 4040 hybrid microphone. The 4041-S is powered via the standard HMA5000 high-voltage microphone amplifier (not included with the 4041-S), a microphone system that offers a totally transparent audio path with an exceptionally low noise floor of maximum 7 dB(A) and a SPL handling capability of 144 dB SPL peak.

In 2007, Visual Technologies sold around 35 units of DPA microphones in India.

ELECTROVOICE INDIA

For 80 years, EV has been behind some of the most significant innovations in the history of sound reinforcement, providing application-specific solutions for all pro audio needs. The range of microphones offered by the company includes Cobalt series, ENG series, RE 90 series, RE 200-RE 150, and Polar Choice Family.

Cobalt series: Cobalt^TM microphones offer roadworthy performance, affordability, and ergonomics - satisfying all the microphone needs of the music market. The Co11 is the newest addition to the line, offering condenser performance at an affordable price. The Co4 is ideal for a variety of instruments and stage applications; the other members of the Cobalt family all provide outstanding performance for vocal and spoken word program. From the high-SPL handling of the Co7 to the premium Co9, the Co5 with its on/off switch, Cobalt provides versatility and exemplary sound.

ENG 618 (Integrated boom pole/shotgun microphone): The integrated boom pole/shotgun microphone with preamp is ideal for remote applications, balanced, lightweight design, and has an easy boom extension from 18 inches to 6 feet, The microphone can be either phantom or battery powered, which includes custom-designed carrying case.

RE90 series: The RE90 series includes many types of installed microphones from boundary to podium applications. The RE90 microphones all share exceptional sound quality and reliability. These include the RB 90B, RE 90H, RE90L, and RE92L.

LECTROSONICS

Lectrosonics in India is represented by Electro Dynamics. Lectrosonics wireless microphone systems and audio processing products are used daily in mission-critical applications by audio engineers familiar with the company's dedication to quality, customer service, and innovation. The company offers wireless microphones and accessories including applications in broadcast news gathering, freelance sound and video producers, motion picture production, sound stage, and corporate.

UT400  Digital Hybrid Wireless^TM: The UT400  Digital Hybrid Wireless^TM is a state-of-the-art, 100mW handheld transmitter incorporating many advanced features in order to give the user a wide range of possibilities for high-quality speech and vocal performance. The proprietary VariMic^TM element allows custom tailoring of the microphone's frequency response, while a digitally-controlled input limiter ensures distortion-free audio over a very wide dynamic range.

UCR401Digital Hybrid Wireless^TM Compact Diversity Receiver: The UCR401 is a high performance compact UHF wireless microphone receiver for mobile applications such as ENG and film production. The compact size, battery and external power and rugged attached antennas are ideal for video camera mounted use. Unique DSP algorithms in the design provide full compatibility with all Lectrosonics 400 Series Digital Hybrid Wireless^TM transmitters and variety of analog transmitters from Lectrosonics and some other manufacturers. Power is provided by two AA batteries, typically NiMH rechargeable types, or external DC supplied via a jack on the rear panel.

Along with providing peerless audio quality in native 400 Series mode, the Digital Hybrid Wireless^TM technology found in the UT400 includes compatibility modes to emulate a wide range of receiver types, including Lectrosonics 200 Series, 100 Series systems and IFB receivers, and some systems from other top manufacturers. At the heart of the UT is the VariMic^TM preamp, included with each of the three different electret condenser capsules. The elements are mounted on a tuned suspension to reject handling noise, while a generously sized windscreen prevents popping and breath noise. The preamp board also includes three tone controls and one variable attenuator, allowing the user to tailor the microphone's audio without changing the capsule.

Electro Dynamics in India has sold over 500 Lectrosonics wireless microphones to Doordarshan and other private broadcasters and private hirers in the year 2007.

PANASONIC

Panasonic in India is represented by Visual Technologies Private Limited. Some of the microphones offered by the company include

RP-VK45: The dynamic microphone with die-cast metal body and cannon type plug has a dynamic unidirectional microphone, built in on/off switch, 80 Hz-13 kHz frequency response, and a gold plated head cup.

RP-VK 35: The RP-VK 35 dynamic microphone with gold plated head cup and 13 ft. cord has a dynamic unidirectional microphone, with a 1/8 inch mini plug with 1/4 inch standard phono plug adaptor, and a frequency response of 90 Hz-10 kHz.

In India, Visual Technologies sold 134 units of Panasonic microphones in 2007.

RODE MICROPHONES

Rode in India is represented by Aditya Infotec Private Limited. The microphones offered by the company include

Classic II: The Classic II is Rode's top-of-the-line studio condenser microphone. Classic by name and nature, it features a custom spec 1" dual diaphragm capsule feeding a vintage twin triode GE JAN-6072 valve and custom Jensen output transformer. Its application is multi-purpose and can be used on both vocals and acoustic instruments.

K2: The Rode K2 delivers the ultimate in pure rich tube sound and performance, super low self noise (10dBA), maximum SPL (162dBA), and mega wide dynamic range (150dB). The K2 features totally variable polar pattern control for an unbeatable combination of flexibility and power.

NT 1 A: The anniversary model NT1-A is a complete re-design of the now legendary NT1 classic studio microphone. The model ranges from the new nickel-plated body to the state-of-the-art surface mount electronic circuitry.

NT 2A: The new NT2-A is a professional large capsule (1 in.) condenser studio microphone with variable pick-up pattern, variable high pass filter and variable pad. These features provide greater creative control and versatility

NT 1000: With its ultralow 6 dBA self-noise and transformer less SMT circuitry, the Rode NT1000 exhibits exceptional performance when recording both vocals and instruments in the studio.

NT 2000: The Rode NT2000 is the world's first fully variable control microphone. The new Rode NT2000 is the latest brainchild from Australian master microphone designer Peter Freedman. Never before has this much control and versatility been available in a superlative class large capsule recording microphone.

S 1: The Rode S1 is designed specifically for ‘no compromise' live vocal performance, but has also found a place in the studio where the performer wants to hold the recording microphone

NTG 1: The new Rode NTG-1 is a lightweight condenser shotgun microphone, specifically designed for professional applications within the film, video, television, voice-over and ENG industries.

NTG 2: The new Rode NTG-2 is a lightweight condenser shotgun microphone, designed for professional applications within the film, video, television and production industries.

VideoMic: The Rode VideoMic is a professional grade shotgun microphone. Based on the latest ‘film industry' technology, the VideoMic is designed specifically for use with high quality digital video cameras.

SENNHEISER

Sennheiser has traditionally been offering a large portfolio of enhancements, allowing the user to tailor the product to their specific requirements. Customers find virtually any accessory item they might require in the company's portfolio, be it antennae, cables, microphone clamps and elastic suspensions, or windshields.

Sennheiser has recently launched two new products globally and simultaneously introduced them to the Indian market, namely the EM 3732 receiver and the MKH 8000 line of condenser microphones.

EM 3732: The EM 3732 provides a perfect solution for the professional user to handle the challenges of a more and more congested frequency spectrum. Through its superb switching bandwidth and its advanced user interface, this product will perfectly match the requirements of professional users running wireless projects. It has also introduced a program of wired, condenser microphones called MKH 8000 which can be used for recordings as well as in broadcast and a whole lot of other applications. The main feature of this product is that it combines an extremely small size with an unmatched sound quality. The small size of the microphone and its Nextel^TM coating are especially appreciated by the broadcasting industry since the product becomes virtually invisible in front of the camera while delivering an outstanding sound quality over a very big frequency range. For both products there is a large variety of accessories available to ideally configure them for the specific customer application.

In live sound the company offers the Evolution line of wired and wireless microphones. On the wired side they have different products which all cater to the needs of live performing bands, such as different models of drum microphones and microphones specially designed for brass instruments. The wireless part of Evolution is divided into three lines (100, 300, and 500) and available as ready-to-go packages or as individual products. The company has pre-packaged solutions for cameras/ENG, instruments, vocalists, presentations or In-ear monitoring systems. The musician or sound engineer can then make his choice based on his requirements in terms of scalability, and network connectivity. Conference and tour guide systems are also available from Sennheiser and can be scaled to handle almost every application, be it a corporate conference room or a large scale tour guide system for a heritage site.

The Sennheiser and Neumann brand names have an excellent reputation amongst sound professionals can be found in every major studio around the country. For 2008 and onwards the company is working on leveraging this brand name into emerging areas such as live sound, be it the upcoming college band or a large rental company.

As far as microphones and wireless systems are concerned, the hottest selling models are the Evolution and Evolution wireless product category. Evolution wireless is sub-divided into 100/300 and 500 series which all sell pretty well. Evolution wireless systems are tailored to different applications and there are packages available for musicians who require a stage-proof system for their gigs (vocal as well as instrument sets and in-ear monitors). Apart from that, evolution wireless sells into broadcasting markets (ENG kits) and to installed sound applications (i.e. hotels) that use the presentation sets. What customers typically seek from evolution wireless is a simple to use yet technologically advanced system. Evolution wireless is a professional product with full matel housing of all components and very advanced technology inside (i.e. true diversity receivers, networking capability for 300 and 500 series.) Also, there are lots of enhancements like antennae which help the user to tailor his evolution wireless perfectly.
As far as Neumann is concerned, this company is the de facto standard for any high-end recording studio and business opportunities for Neumann exist both in the field of new studios as well as thru replacements or upgrading of existing facilities.

SHURE

Shure in India is represented by Sun Infonet. According to the company, the competition has increased in last 2 years in India .However the microphone market has gone up by 30 percent in 2007 and would grow at the same rate in 2008 also. The end user is shifting towards quality products giving better after sales and value for money.

The current market is slowing moving towards UHF microphone with more emphasis on wireless microphones. However the price the customer wants to pay is for low end VHF series.

Shure has a large range of wired microphone starting from Rs. 600 to Rs. 12000. Similarly they have wireless range starting for Rs. 20000 to Rs. 2.5 lacs. Some of the microphones offered by the company include

Beta 57A Instrument microphone: The Beta 57A is an excellent microphone designed for use with amplified or acoustic instruments. The compact grille design gets the microphone cartridge close to the sound source.

SM86 vocal microphone: A rugged condenser microphone that features a tailored frequency response for clear reproduction of vocals. The microphone is built-in three-point shock mount and two-stage pop filter. 

503BG Gooseneck microphone: This compact gooseneck microphone reduces background noise for excellent voice fidelity. Humbucking coil minimizes undesired hum effects.

527B microphone: An extremely reliable handheld dynamic microphone with an extended low- and high-frequency response particularly suited to ham radio use, mobile FM transmission, and top-quality paging systems. It features small size, light weight, and modular construction.

Beta 52A Instrument microphone: Optimized for low-frequency bass punch and high-power SPL handling, the Beta 52A's supercardioid design provides maximum isolation from other onstage sounds. It is designed specifically for kick drum and other bass instruments.

Beta 54 Headworn Microphone: The Beta headworn vocal microphone features a smooth, tailored response for a warm, natural sound. Its supercardioid design provides maximum gain-before-feedback and ambient rejection.

SONY

Sony microphone in India is represented by Telerad and DBI. In 2007, DBI sold a total of 79 units of Sony microphones, valued at Rs. 12 lac. The sale included 71 units to private broadcasters and 8 units to other clients.

Wireless camcorder microphone: The wireless camcorder microphone introduced by the company has key features such as 30 meter range, 5.1 channel surround sound, Bluetooth technology, and easy connection.

Wired F112 microphone: The Sony F-112 is a high quality handheld dynamic microphone, specifically designed for field production and news gathering applications. The F-112 is equipped with a newly developed omni-directional microphone capsule, and it achieves highly sensitive and clear voice pick-up from all directions. Its robust body construction enables stable sound acquisition even in the harshest of environments encountered in the field. In addition, the F-112 offers a well thought-out ergonomic design which provides a stable grip, as well as optimized balance when combined with a Sony wireless plug-on transmitter - features essential for conducting smooth interviews. With its high performance, durability, and sophisticated design, the F-112 microphone is an ideal choice for demanding voice pick-up applications.

VOICE TECHNOLOGIES

Voice Technologies in India is represented by Electro Dynamics. In 2007, Electro Dynamics has sold 200 lavalier microphones and over 100 earphones to Doordarshan and other private broadcasters. The microphones offered by the company include

VT910 Earhanger Microphone: The VT910 is a super light omni-directional condenser microphone earset to wear around the ear and thus ideal for applications requiring minimum visibility. It is perfect on stage or broadcast when a high quality headset which is flexible is needed, with a lightweight contoured loop for a comfortable fit, but without the appearance of a conventional headset.

VT702 Super Slim Headworn: The VT702 is a super light and very thin headworn microphone ideal for event production, public speaking and broadcast studio operations. The sound is clear and natural. The cable is smooth, rugged, sweat proof and has excellent isolation from rubbing noise.

VT401: The VT401 is a very small electret condensor microphone and extremely lightweight. Fitted with a miniature microphone capsule, it looks attractive, totally unobtrusive and is in most cases almost unnoticeable. It is excellent for stage presentations, theatre and broadcast studio operations.

exclusive interview

bjoern grefer

Vice President Marketing, Sennheiser Electronics India Private Limited

How do you rate the year 2007 in terms of sales of microphones? What prospects do you see for the Indian microphone market in 2008?

Our Sennheiser office and service centre has just started in 2007 and looking back at one year of operation we are supremely confident that the timing to enter the Indian market through a subsidiary was right. For the year 2008 we are very bullish regarding the market for microphones here in India. We are seeing more and more activities in the field of live sound and concerts and an ongoing growth in the broadcast and film industry. We expect that this trend will continue in the upcoming years as India turns into a powerhouse for the broadcast and film industry. Our strong confidence in the Indian market has encouraged us to open our own subsidiary cum service centre here and we are supremely confident that this investment will help us become the leading supplier of microphones and wireless systems in India.

Please tell us the factors that drive the market for microphones in India. How do you see the market in the next few years?

As mentioned, we are bullish regarding the market potential and growth. We see a lot of potential in the music industry and rental company business. Especially in the live concerts we have seen quite some activity with big names visiting India during 2007. For the future we expect not only the huge live concerts to be a driver of the microphones business but also the upcoming bands and aspiring musicians will be demanding equipment to be available for their gigs. Recording studios are in the process of upgrading their equipment already, as more and more international customers are getting the sound editing done in India, so there will be an increasing demand for products from the Sennheiser group of companies (Sennheiser, Neumann, Klein and Hummel)

Please comment on the current market, technology, and price trends in the Indian microphones market.

Technology trends in India are in line with the big trends we are seeing globally since the requirement of professional users in India are the same as in other regions of the world. For microphones this means that users are looking at more versatile microphones which exactly meet their requirements regarding quality of reproduction but also other features such as smaller size. In the field of wireless systems, a major requirement of customers is their demand for larger bandwidth to make the systems more flexible in an ever more congested frequency spectrum. Besides this, customers expect easy and intuitive set-up and operation. As wireless systems become more loaded with features clients ask for networking capabilities and control software to run the system from a PC.

Price wise we see a mostly stable environment at this moment, however customer demands in terms of features and quality are constantly on the rise, so the market appears to be innovation driven within a mostly stable price environment.

What will be your marketing strategies for the year 2008?

Sennheiser can be found on stage with many of the worldís best known artists and the message we want to send to musicians across India is that we have stage-proof , cost effective solutions which are designed to support the aspiring musician to get his creative work across to the audience in the most reliable and professional way.

As part of this strategy, we have teamed up with Sandeep Chowta who is one of the best known and most respected figures in the industry. Sandeep is endorsing our product in his own studio as well as for a band he is putting together. He is not a brand ambassador who gets paid to promote a product, instead we have decided to work with him because he is a musician and sound professional himself, using our products on a daily basis, so his judgment on our equipment will be that of our target group and his credibility in the industry is definitely outstanding.

Anything else you may like to add.

When Sennheiser opened its sales subsidiary here in India in January 2007, we made the commitment to our customers, trade partners and our staff that this part of is a long term strategy because Sennheiser sees India as one of the major growth drivers in the global economy for the years to come.

Our passion for the sound industry and the dedication of our team of industry professionals guarantee the highest level of service and support to our clients. We would like our customers to know that we will be present here in India to support them in finding optimal sound solutions now and in the future.