{"id":113,"date":"2022-09-29T18:49:27","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T18:49:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/peacewithinradio.com\/?p=113"},"modified":"2022-09-29T18:49:27","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T18:49:27","slug":"the-history-of-audio-technica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/peacewithinradio.com\/the-history-of-audio-technica\/","title":{"rendered":"The History of Audio-Technica"},"content":{"rendered":"
Audio-Technica has been making high-quality audio equipment for over 50 years. In that time, they’ve become one of the most respected names in the business. They’re known for their innovative designs and commitment to quality. Today, we’re going to look at the history of Audio-Technica record players. Then, we’ll see how they evolved from their early days as a manufacturer of phonograph cartridges into the modern day, where they’re one of the leading suppliers of DJ turntables.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Hideo Matsushita was only 32 years old when he moved to Tokyo in 1952. He took care of the Bridgestone Museum and soon began giving concerts with vinyl records at the museum director’s insistence. He was an accomplished jazz pianist but had no experience with audio equipment. That changed when he started working at Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo (now Sony Corporation) the following year. Matsushita was tasked with developing products for the Japanese market in charge of the company’s new audio division.<\/p>\n
One of the first products Matsushita worked on was a phonograph cartridge. Phonograph cartridges are small devices that convert the vibrations of a record needle into an electrical signal. This signal can then be amplified and played through speakers. In 1954, Matsushita and his team released their first cartridge, the AT-1. It was a success, and Matsushita quickly followed it up with the AT-3. The AT-3 was even more successful and helped put Audio-Technica on the map.<\/p>\n
Matsushita led the audio division at Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo for several years. Then, in 1960, he left the company to start his own audio equipment business. He named his new company Audio-Technica, quickly becoming one of Japan’s leading suppliers of phonograph cartridges.<\/p>\n
The first pickups were a notable success, and just a year later, Audio-Technica had 20 employees and moved into a spacious new building. It expanded her product range there, introducing the AT-5 MM cartridge and the AT-1001 tonearm to the market.<\/p>\n
In 1965, the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, which is part of the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Japan, honored these products with its award, and Audio-Technica’s production and administrative headquarters moved once again to the city of Machida, Tokyo Prefecture, where it is located to this day.<\/p>\n