Up to date
New Products, Joint Ventures, and Going Green
FP+ Series Launched
By early 2007, Lab.gruppen was shipping new amplifiers that further cemented the company’s dominant position in high-end touring: the FP+ Series. Though similar in many respects to the C Series, the FP+ Series incorporated a number of refinements that afforded even higher power (up to 6500 watts per channel at 2 ohms) for unprecedented power density. Quickly adopted by leading tour sound companies around the world, the FP+ Series set new benchmarks for sonic performance, reliability, and overall return on investment.
C Series Expanded
To meet growing demand for Lab.gruppen quality in low-power, high channel-count applications, the C Series was expanded with the addition of four new amplifiers. Known collectively as the “C…X” models, the new amplifiers included additional features such as a switchable high-pass filter, universal power supply, and built-in GPIO facilities. Both four- and eight-channel configurations were introduced, with the bridgeable output stages using a highly refined and patented application of Class D technology.
PLM™ Series with Dolby® Lake® Processor Technology
In September of 2007, Lab.gruppen caused quite a stir at the PLASA show in London with the debut of the PLM 10000Q, the first in a new series of Powered Loudspeaker Management™ (PLM) systems. PLM was made possible by an historic agreement, signed less than a year beforehand, that allowed Lab.gruppen to seamlessly integrate the latest Dolby Lake Processor technology into a power amplifier platform based on the FP+ Series. In addition, the PLM Series integrated the Dante™ low-latency, self-configuring audio network as standard, along with breakthrough technologies for load verification and real-time performance monitoring
of both the amplifier outputs and connected loads.
A Commitment to Environmental Responsibility
Amid growing concerns about threats to the environment, Lab.gruppen has assumed leadership in “green” manufacturing, and in designing exceptionally energy-efficient amplifiers. All Lab.gruppen products are fully RoHS compliant, and the Lab.gruppen factory contributes to the world leadership of Swedish industry in use of renewable fuels and the conscientious recycling or safe disposal of waste materials. Additionally, all Lab.gruppen amplifiers and powered loudspeaker management systems are extremely efficient in operation, and this efficiency is extended by zero current draw on standby when installed with the NomadLink® network (C Series and FP+ Series).
Lab.gruppen Acquires Dolby® Lake® Processor Technology and Lake Brand
Lab.gruppen marked another major milestone in the company’s history with the announcement in January 2009 of its acquisition of the Lake trademarks and the exclusive rights for use of Dolby® Lake® Processor (DLP) technology for both Touring and Permanent Sound Reinforcement markets, from Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: DLB).
The technology currently referred to as “DLP technology” as used in the PLM™ Series will, in the future, be called “Lake technology or Lake Processing”. The Dolby Lake Controller (DLC) PLM Edition software will be forthwith known as “Lake Controller software” as new versions of the software are expected to be compatible with both the stand alone DLPs as well as the PLM Series products.
Lake technology is used in several successful products including the original Lake products, Mesa Quad EQ™ and Contour™; the Dolby Lake Processor from Dolby Laboratories and the PLM Series Powered Loudspeaker Management™ systems. Specifically, this agreement allows Lab.gruppen to further develop the Lake Controller software and firmware and to utilize the Lake brand name and allied technologies in Lab.gruppen-branded and stand-alone products for use in the Touring and Permanent Sound Reinforcement markets as demands dictate. Lab.gruppen has secured exclusive access to the source code and algorithms for these markets that are at the heart of the DLP and PLM and this will allow the company to create further generations of the programs for use with existing Dolby Lake Processors and with the company’s PLM Series of Powered Loudspeaker Management systems.
Evolution
The Birth of the fP Series
Between the LAB 4000 and fP Series 6400, Lab.gruppen engineers continued to advance and refine virtually every aspect of amplifier technology. The LAB Series was overhauled and augmented and subsequently became today’s fP range. fP designs were also upgraded to meet the stringent new EMC standards in Europe, and adoption of UL safety standards opened access to the US market. Standardization of internal components between models increased manufacturing efficiency to keep pricing competitive in all new markets.
Restructuring for Growth
In the late 1990s, Lab.gruppen founders Kenneth Andersson and Dan Bävholm evaluated the future options for their fast-growing company. As electronic engineers, their passion was directed toward advancing the technology and developing new products.
They had less interest in managing the daily operations of a sizeable business enterprise. The founders soon decided that the next stage of growth could best be realized with compatible new ownership as well as a new managing director. In July of 2000, Lab.gruppen was acquired by the TGI Group of the UK, and a few months later Tomas Lilja was chosen as managing director. In early 2002, the TGI Group — Lab.gruppen included — was acquired by TC Group of Denmark, the current corporate owner.
In 2004, the company moved to its new location at Faktorvägen. Both Andersson and Bävholm remained with the company following the acquisitions. And, although both have now left to pursue other interests, their legacy lives on…
A New Power Platform
In 1998, Lab.gruppen engineers undertook the long-term development of an entirely new power platform. The complete range would have four bridgeable amplifier channels and an integrated monitoring and control network. The basic technology of both the power supply and output stages was taken from the proven fP range, but with significant upgrades to reduce the number of components required. Output power per channel was again doubled.
The photos show the first breadboard layout for the new design, and two early design concepts. The prototype model was equipped with an early version of what later became the NomadLink network. Designated the C Series and targeted at the installation market, the first amplifiers of this design were shipped in the summer of 2005.
Class TD® and DSP
Class TD
The first sketches for what would become the Class TD design were drawn during a lunch break in 1988. The basic idea was to combine the excellent sonic characteristics and reliability of a class B amplifier with the efficiency of a class D design. This would allow higher power while reducing both size and weight.
A year later, the first circuit boards were finished, but the test results were disappointing. A complete redesign was commenced, based on what was learned from the first attempt. Success was achieved in the second round, and soon incorporated into the LAB 2000. The top of the range LAB 4000 (introduced in 1998) demonstrated the continuing development and implementation of Class TD and set a new power level for professional touring amplifiers with its prodigious output of 3200 W per channel (2 ohms).
The Class TD design was patented, and continues as a foundational element in new Lab.gruppen amplifiers and powered loudspeaker management systems.
LAB 4000
With double the power of the LAB 2000, the LAB 4000 took Lab.gruppen into the market for amplifiers with very high power output.
DSP 24
The DSP 24 was a 2-in/4-out digital crossover and loudspeaker equalization unit.
It provided 66 bands of digital parametric equalization and adjustable time delay for each output channel. This DSP project fostered the development of FIR and IIR digital filtering, and also introduced VIEW, Lab.gruppen’s first Windows-based control software program.
Breakthroughs
Intercooler®
As new Lab.gruppen amplifiers produced increasingly higher output power, heat dissipation became an increasing concern. The SS 300 and SS 1000 employed passive cooling systems, but the significant power boost of the SS 1400 prompted the first use of a fan and a conventional cooling tunnel. However, Lab.gruppen engineers determined that this design had an inherent flaw: increasing temperature as air moved through the tunnel resulted in uneven cooling of the output devices. This problem led to development of the Intercooler, first implemented in the SS 1300.
Here, the heatsink comprises thousands of tiny copper fins that dissipate heat far more efficiently than large aluminum fins. Also, the Intercooler — with output devices embedded — is mounted transverse to the airflow, so all devices benefit from uniform cooling.
LAB 1200 Quattro and EC
The LAB 1200 Quattro caught the attention of Concert Sound who requested a modified version to power the extensive bi-amplified stage monitor system designed for Eric Clapton’s 1987 world tour. This became the LAB 1200C. Eric Clapton continues to tour exclusively with Concert Sound and Lab.gruppen and is pictured here at the Royal Albert Hall during his 2006/7 tour.
Regulated Switch Mode Power Supply (R.SMPS™)
In 1986, Lab.gruppen achieved an industry breakthrough with development of the Regulated Switch Mode Power Supply, or R.SMPS™. The concept of a switch mode power supply was well known at the time, but difficult engineering challenges had prevented successful implementation in high-power audio amplifiers. Lab.gruppen’s Kenneth Andersson had devised an innovative solution, though the components required to make it work were not yet available.
As soon as Siemens introduced its first high voltage MOSFET devices, Andersson’s design was quickly implemented in the revolutionary SS 1300. Here, a rack SS 1300 amplifiers is shown on tour with Roxette.
Local Heroes
Lab.gruppen’s first amplifier, the SS 300, achieved notable success based on its sonic qualities and reliability. But PA rental companies wanted more power. Lab.gruppen responded with the SS 1000, which boasted a hefty 2 × 500 W of output.
The SS 1000 was first shown at a local fair in Gothenburg as an empty box: the Lab.gruppen founders were confident that they could finish their design and build the amplifiers if any orders were forthcoming. Orders quickly exceeded the modest expectations, and production soon advanced to more than 30 amplifiers per month. SS1000 was also the first Lab.gruppen product displayed at the Frankfurt Musik Messe.
With the success of the SS 1000, Lab.gruppen moved out of its cramped quarters inside the hi-fi store to its own modest, redbrick building. The company already had grown to become one of the more substantial businesses in the town of Kungsbacka, and the fact that the company had become a significant exporter throughout Europe attracted notice in the local press.
Several of Sweden’s leading PA rental firms quickly adopted the SS 1000 as their preferred amplifier. Promotional posters show the number of amplifiers incorporated in each system, and a selection of the artists supported on tour. By the early 1980s, Lab.gruppen had become the leading Swedish manufacturer of professional amplifiers, and was on the threshold of becoming a major provider throughout Europe.
The SS 1000 established Lab.gruppen as a first-rank maker of touring amplifiers. Eva Dahlgren, one of Sweden’s best-known singer-songwriters, toured with Lab.gruppen amplifiers beginning early in her career. Photos taken on tour in 1985-86.
With the introduction of the SS 1400, Lab.gruppen had become a full-line amplifier supplier. This occasion warranted production of the first Lab.gruppen catalog in 1985.
From Mixers to Amps
When Kenneth Andersson and Dan Bävholm first met in their hometown of Kungsbacka, they were still young schoolboys who shared a passion for electronic tinkering. After absorbing the fundamentals of electronics from library books, they scavenged parts from old radio and TV sets in order to construct their own new devices. Neither youth was musically inclined, but mutual friends referred them to local musicians who were seeking quality equipment at low cost. The first products — hand-made audio mixers — were good-sounding and durable, and they were sold for less than the mass-produced models of the day. (The teenage builders were willing to work with essentially no profit margin.)
Their intermittent manufacture of mixers and guitar amplifiers continued through the formal establishment of Lab.gruppen in 1979. The company was originally located inside a local hi-fi store, where the duo serviced consumer equipment for additional income. In the meantime, they continued to develop new products such as the AXE-AMP and SS 300 power amplifier.
The Lab.gruppen Story - What 2000 SEK and passion can do…
Kenneth Andersson and Dan Bävholm founded Lab.gruppen in 1979 with a fist full of Kroner, hearts full of passion, determination and a desire to succeed — whatever the limitations. Neither was particularly experienced in the world of audio or music. They first met as schoolboys with a complimentary interest in electronics. Their craft was learned empirically through reading and practical projects, slowly developing the skills that would ultimately lead to the creation of world renowned, landmark products.
Their early output, however, was completely market driven. Friends introduced the budding electronics “gurus” to local musicians who were only too eager to access products to fill their needs that could be competitively priced against name-brand imports. Kenneth and Dan dived into their first project with vigor. The outcome — not a power amplifier, but a hand-made mixing console. Neither had ever attempted such a feat, but it worked. And worked so well that it served as at FOH for a concert in their hometown by the famous jazz performer, Eartha Kitt and remained in service for many, many years.
They continued to react to local market needs and created other mixers and a series of guitar heads and combos that attracted the attention of many important artists, including the legendary Johnny Winter. Their intermittent manufacture of mixers and guitar amplifiers continued through the formal establishment of Lab.gruppen in 1979.
The company was originally located inside a local hi-fi store, where the duo serviced consumer equipment for additional income. It was here that the company’s first professional audio power amplifier was created. The rest, as they say, is history. Read on and see what 2000 SEK and passion did…