WH O MI
YORKVILLE SOUND
By Brian Berk
It may be difficult for even the most astute person to know every brand a company manufactures and distributes. With this in mind, we bring you “Who MI,” which explains all of these details. To kick off the very first Who MI feature, we took a closer look at Canadian pro audio manufacturer and distributor, Yorkville Sound. Based in Pickering, Ontario, Canada, with its U.S. headquarters a couple hours’ drive away in picturesque Niagara Falls, N.Y., Yorkville Sound is known for its reliability, fidelity and longevity. In addition to Yorkville’s manufactured PA, including the Elite line and Synergy Array Series, here is a guide to Yorkville’s U.S. distributed brands and what you can expect to see when you visit Yorkville’s NAMM showroom, Room No. 17206, at The NAMM Show this month.
Traynor
Traynor has created guitar and bass amps with unique character, innovation and a half-century strong reputation for workhorse reliability. Countless legends have relied on Traynor amps, including John Lennon, Chuck Berry, Rush and more. NAMM 2020 kicks off a banner year for Traynor as the amp company celebrates the 20th anniversary of the YCV40 combo with the new YCV4050 all-tube combo. The big brother to the SmallBlock line of bass amps will premiere with the BigBlock BB115 Bass combo. “Bass players will be happy to meet a new lightweight option for a 100-watt bass head with the YBA100, the latest installment to the YBA series,” the company stated. traynoramps.com
and character, innovative graphic equalizers that actually show you exactly where feedback may occur, and a full complement of cool little useful tools designed for stage and studio, ART offers affordable audio solutions that deliver unmatched quality, versatility and reliability,” Yorkville Sound noted. ART will have new and classic products on display in the Yorkville Sound showroom within one central studio desk that will show how ART products work together to create a living, breathing, affordable studio. ART’s new RP-1, Dual RP, Precision Phono Preamps, will be featured alongside the new USB II and USB IV digital interfaces. artproaudio.com
Hughes & Kettner
Since 1984, the name Hughes & Kettner has become synonymous worldwide with highquality guitar amps. Engineered in Germany, these amps are the product of a lifelong passion and pursuit of a vision to make great tone accessible for the discerning player. In 2017, Hughes & Kettner awarded Yorkville Sound with “Best GrandMeister Sales.” At The NAMM Show, Yorkville Sound’s showroom will display the full line of Black Spirit, “one-hand wall of sound,” analog amps that were released throughout 2019, including the Black Spirit 200 amp, Black Spirit 200 combo and Black Spirit 200 floor amp. For those who wish to experience the classic line of Hughes & Kettner products, visit its booth directly across from Yorkville Sound’s showroom at No. 17305. hughes-and-kettner.com
HK Audio
HK Audio, pro-audio manufacturer and Hughes & Kettner sister company, joined the Yorkville North American distribution family in 2018. HK Audio’s CEO, Nils Stamer sees the partnership as a strong strategic move. “By teaming up with Yorkville Sound, HK Audio has found a veteran partner with more than 55 years’ experience distributing PA and lighting products in North America. Yorkville Sound has a vast dealer network, a highly experienced rep force, and proven success with its own manufactured PA products.” Yorkville Sound distributes all HK Audio brands, including the LUCAS, ELEMENTS and LINEAR 3 lines. HK AUDIO will have its own NAMM booth, also housed at showroom No. 17305, while new product demos for the new Polar 10 and the L7112 FA will take place daily at Yorkville Sound’s showroom. hkaudio.com
Aston Microphones
Aston Microphones is the newest addition to Yorkville Sound’s roster of distributed brands for North America. Aston’s Halo, Stealth, Origin and Starlight mics, along with the Halo and Star (continued on page 79)
ART Pro Audio (Applied Research & Technology)
ART is a company comprised of musicians, engineers and recording enthusiasts. Since its inception in 1984, it has been redefining “performanceversus-price barrier” with a series of innovative new audio products designed with the needs of the musician in mind. “With a full line of vacuum tube preamplifiers and compressors that deliver unmatched warmth, tone
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Yorkville Sound’s Synergy SA221S dual 21-inch subwoofer
Yorkville Sound’s YXL12P
Yorkville Sound’s Elite EF215P
JANUARY 2020