Ernie Ball Acquires Source Audio
Ernie Ball Inc. has announced the acquisition of Source Audio, the Massachusetts-based effects pedal company. The agreement will add a new dimension to Ernie Ball, which is known for making instruments, strings, and accessories.
“The move marks a defining moment for both companies,” a press release states. “It carries Ernie Ball’s six-decade legacy of shaping how musicians sound – a journey that began at the string and now extends into the effects that color a player’s tone – while giving Source Audio the global reach and resources of a family-owned industry leader, without compromising the musician-first spirit that built its reputation.”
Source Audio was launched in 2006 by engineers with backgrounds at Analog Devices and Kurzweil. The company has focused on innovation rather than recreation, with popular products including the Hot Hand Motion-Sensing Ring that modulates your effect based on your hand movement.
“Source Audio has always been driven by innovation and the desire to give musicians new ways to create,” said Roger Smith, CEO and Co-Founder of Source Audio. “From the beginning, our goal has been to combine world-class sound design with powerful technology in a way that inspires players. Ernie Ball understands musicians, artists, and the culture of guitar in a way very few companies do, and that alignment is what makes this such an exciting next chapter.”
Smith added that Ernie Ball will give Soure Audio the “scale, support, and reach to keep growing while preserving the spirit of what we built.” That’s a sentiment that CEO Brian Ball agrees with.
“We’re not acquiring Source Audio to change what makes it special,” Ball stated. “We’re acquiring Source Audio because we believe in what it already is, and because we believe Ernie Ball can put that innovation in the hands of more players than ever before.”
For the time being, Source Audio will continue to operate under its own brand with its existing product line. “The companies will begin by supporting the existing Source Audio catalog while building a foundation for long-term growth in premium effects and music-creation tools,” the press release concludes, adding that financial terms were not disclosed.
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
