Founded in 1991 by Event Technician, Christian Heckmair, Harmonic Sound has grown to become one of South Bavaria’s leading events services companies. Employing 20 staff, Harmonic Sound caters for every aspect of an event, from conception and planning, to installation and operation of sound, lighting, stage and media technology. The company annually handles more than seven hundred productions on every scale, ranging through music, sports, trade fairs and corporate events.
High quality audio is central to Harmonic Sound’s operations, and in March 2020, following extensive and detailed testing of a number of top loudspeaker brands, Heckmair took the decision to make a significant investment in CODA Audio. Harmonic Sound had tested a CODA Audio AiRAY system at the world-famous Innsbruck ski-jumping event, part of the ‘Four Hills Tournament’, and its team were very impressed.
Heckmair picked up the story: “We were totally thrilled. We’ve been looking after this particular event since 2005, so we had plenty of comparative values. After further tests in our halls, and on more productions, we decided to rely entirely on CODA for the future.”
Expanding on his conviction that CODA Audio’s range leads the field, Heckmair attributes the qualitative advantage to the manufacturer’s approach, citing CODA Audio developments such as the dual diaphragm driver, the neodymium coaxial ring diaphragm driver, or the sensor controlled subwoofer: “I am convinced and excited by the company’s technological approach – the audio results are simply outstanding!” he remarked.
His enthusiasm doesn’t begin and end with his appraisal of the sound quality, either: “Let’s also take into account the weight of the systems. If I compare CODA’s AiRAY with other commercially available PAs, it only weighs half as much, which is crucial for transport and roof load. For me this is an arena system made from small enclosures that offer a sound output you’d expect from something twice the size… Take the G712-Pro – such a small box delivering such great performance.”
Since moving over to CODA, Heckmair has been struck by the enthusiasm of his colleagues regarding the performance of the systems. He recalls that at the Oberstdorfer Musiksommer classical music festival, even during the sound checks, he was constantly being asked about the PA brand:
“We didn’t have a single outside technician this summer who wasn’t very taken with the systems. Not one! I was also asked by rows and rows of visitors at many events about the ‘great sound quality’, which says a lot about the systems. Seeing people happy at events is the best part of my job!”
From its initial investment back in 2020, Harmonic Sound now carries virtually the entire CODA Audio product portfolio. The company’s inventory, which includes line arrays, column speakers, point source speakers, monitoring and amplification, now totals almost 200 hundred pieces.
More than three decades after founding Harmonic Sound, Heckmair is still as passionate as ever about producing great events, always seeking to add value to achieve the best possible results for his customers. It is this drive towards constant improvement that persuaded him that Harmonic Sound could improve its sound offer. “CODA Audio? No other company can keep up at the moment,” he concluded.