INTERVIEW

Celebrating 25 years of business in the midst of a global pandemic may feel a little unerving for some, but not for Powersoft. Emma Davidson sat down with CEO, Luca Lastrucci, to learn a little more about one third of the brains behind the business, and what the ups and downs of 2020 have taught him.

As is the case for most audio manufacturers, 2020 has been a difficult year for Powersoft. The Florence-based audio company was one of the first to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as Italy found itself in the grip of the virus, entering strict lockdown measures back in early March. Since then, we have seen the devastating impact it has had on all corners of the industry and the wider world but, as Powersoft celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, the three founders – the Lastrucci brothers and their mutual friend Antonio Peruch – have a positive and determined outlook as they look back over an incredible legacy, and forward to an innovative future. “Throughout this year, our goal has always been - and still is - to take all of the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our people and colleagues inside the company, while also continuing to support our customers in the best way possible,” explained Luca Lastrucci, CEO at Powersoft. “A

lot of people at Powersoft are currently working remotely as Italy has recently received newer, tougher lockdown measures again, but we’re lucky in the fact that we have the production site here in Italy, too, so that has allowed us to have almost the entire chain of operation under our control. “The new normality we’re heading towards won’t be the same as the normality we were all so familiar with nine months ago. We’re mindful of social distancing, as that has a significant impact on day-to-day activities here at Powersoft and when we travel to meet people at events and tradeshows. Like most people at the moment, we have started to refocus our efforts into the digital realm and use video conferencing as much as possible, as it is still very important for us to have a physical presence when dealing with our customers. We’ve also started to offer support to customers, monitoring and controlling our devices remotely by connecting them to the cloud platform. This allows us to collect a huge amount of data from devices and service centres, which is incredibly useful for R&D. We’re now looking at using artificial intelligence to process these vast amounts of data and extract the relevant information, too.” The COVID-19 pandemic has given Powersoft the opportunity to promote Deva, its multimedia unit, which is able to detect the body temperature of employees and visitors entering an office. “Until long-term solutions are provided, one key measure, as well as changes to our lifestyle, is temperature checks of people entering public and private sites,” explained Luca. “The ability to provide early symptom detection makes Deva an extremely intelligent and necessary tool for preventing transmission from sick people and screening others who may not know they have a fever.” Powersoft’s headquarters are located in Florence, Italy, the same place where the company was established back in 1995. Luca and his brother,

Claudio, found their passion for audio during their childhood, growing up surrounded by a very musical family, and even starting separate pop groups at a young age with friends and using the studio room back at their home. From there, the brothers went on the study Electronic Engineering at the University of Florence, with Luca also fitting in a PhD in Artificial Intelligence, before finally delving into the Powersoft project together with their mutual friend Antonio Peruch, taking a leap into the technicalities behind the world of audio. “The name Powersoft comes from the combination of our two souls. My skills were more software orientated and Claudio’s grounding was in hardware - it’s all about the ergonomics. In the following year, 1996, Antonio Peruch joined us as an engineer and as a partner. That was great for us as it meant we had three optimal seats,” said Luca. The three of them still remain the ‘three amigos’ to this day. Back in 1995, the professional audio world was a lot different to how it is now. Luca and Claudio saw that there was something missing and realised there was a chance to build on their knowledge and insert themselves into a fast-paced, chaotic industry that craved something more. “Coming from the outside world, with all of these new skills we had learned across our years studying, allowed us to invest and develop some projects in different markets. I guess we weren’t anxious about approaching

new ideas and concepts. We proposed a new amplifier idea that embodied a totally different approach in terms of the technology behind it. It was smaller, greener, but still very, very efficient. The market felt quite static at the time, so the opportunity to join and do something totally different was very appealing,” stated Luca. Powersoft’s legacy began with the Class-D amplifier. Although Class-D technology had been a well-established concept in electronics, Powersoft was a pioneer in implementing pulse width modulation technology in power amplifiers for professional audio. Furthermore, Powersoft was the first company to introduce Class-D based high-power amplification modules to be used in active loudspeakers.

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Class-D technology allows extremely high-efficiency values and higher amplification performances, alongside improved reliability. Such levels of efficiency are the result of a combination of factors, including low power consumption, high power density, lower heat dissipation, and a smaller and lighter amplifier. Luca explained: “When we began, we were ahead of the times with our ideas. Now Class-D amplification is common-place, but I feel like there is a lot more to be done in terms of making the industry more energy efficient. We’re heavily invested in R&D here at Powersoft, and creating products and technologies that are greener is really part of our DNA.” As Luca reminisced about Powersoft’s 25 years in business, he explained that quality, visibility and innovation has always been

at its core, too. Whether that has been through new product innovations like Class-D amplification, tradeshow appearances, or stand-out installations that have taken the company to new heights, Powersoft has had a lot to shout about. “It’s difficult to narrow down the key moments and memories from the past 25 years,” he said. “I think one of the main things is that we have customers that are still our customers now, even 25 years later. Another memory that stands out was the first time we ever attended Prolight + Sound when we were first searching for a distributor for our products. We were there just as attendees with no booth. Fast forward a few years, me and Claudio were there again, but this time presenting our products to the world from our very own booth.

“Tradeshows are so important to the industry and it was a joy to be able to celebrate our 25th anniversary at ISE this year, too. We managed to squeeze that in just before the pandemic took hold and it was great to see friends, distributors, and some competitors turn out for the party. We really felt the appreciation of the industry and now, looking back, enjoyed spending time in other people’s company, without the need for mask wearing or social distancing!” The versatility of Powersoft’s products is really shown through its extensive back catalogue of installations, with the brand implemented in churches, concert halls, stadia, as well as picking up 60% of the current theme park market worldwide. Luckily, most of these markets have still been active in different areas of the world throughout the pandemic, so the company has seen its products utilised in a number of installations. Most recently, the iconic Reggae venue, the Star & Garter in Brixton, London, with the entire system driven by one Powersoft Duecanali 4804 and two Quattrocanali 2004. “We’ve been involved with some incredible projects, including the Noevir Stadium Kobe in Japan, very well-known theme parks that we cannot mention for obvious

reasons, Rixos Luxury Hotel in Dubai, and an installation at Munich airport, which is one of the projects that really put us on the map,” explained Luca. “I think what’s most interesting about the company is that we’re implemented into installations that people really wouldn’t expect. Of course, we cover theatres, stadiums, and live music venues, but we’re also working on projects that are a bit outside the box, like rock testing and simulation, and particle accelerators where the reliability of our amplifiers is a key. “This is why we invest so much into R&D. It’s a stimulation of employees, but it’s also something that creates a new path of de-

velopment. It’s part of our DNA and it has definitely made us a stronger company.” It seems a difficult ask to look to the future with so much uncertainty in the world at the moment, but after months of adjusting to the current new ‘normal’ it’s clear that audiovisual business models will have to change going forward. Whether that is innovations in home audio systems, proposing new COVID-safe products, or offering services to help along the wider industry, Powersoft seems to have a clear, positive path set out for itself. Luca explained further: “All companies are going to have to adapt going forward, that is inevitable, but it’s how we adapt that’s important. I think investing in R&D is key, as well as keeping an eye on other fields. We want to be able to offer other services, such as Deva, that are based on our products to provide our customers with the full solution they need.

“I also just want to end on an optimistic note. We really need to look to the future in a positive way. I understand that everyone can’t look ahead in this way, as there are many uncertainties at the moment - both financial or personal - but Powersoft is still alive with the same passion and determination that we had since we first initially started the business.” Powersoft has undoubtedly left its mark in the pro audio industry, and one thing’s for certain; the Lastrucci brothers aren’t stopping there. Even though 2020 has been a distressing year for most manufacturers, Powersoft has used it to do what it does best; refocus efforts to innovate, invent, and push forward to a new chapter. “We still have a desire to take risks, to invent and innovate,” concluded Luca. “We’re moved forward by the obsession to grow the company and our products and continue leaving our mark in the market.”