Founded in 1975, today Neutrik AG, is recognized globally as the leading supplier of robust, reliable professional connectivity solutions for audio, video, and data, and this year, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Ironically, if you ask most people in the pro audio industry, it’s probably a safe bet that few are familiar with Neutrik’s home country of Liechtenstein — a tiny nation that’s about the land area of Washington, D.C., and bordered by Switzerland and Austria. Far better known is the Neutrik name, as the leading provider of audio, coaxial, power and circular connectors.
The Early Days
The company began 40 years ago as a two-man endeavor in the backyard of an old farmhouse in Schaan, Liechtenstein, a half-hour drive from Zurich. Neutrik outgrew its barn headquarters long ago and yet remains in the area, in much larger — and more modern — facilities.
Company founder Bernard Weingarter originally came up with concept of forming a connector company early on, especially as he noted the increasing popularity of the XLR mic standard in the early 1970’s. While he was at AKG, he developed the CMS series of small-diaphragm interchangeable capsule mics and also worked on the C-414 project and AKG’s reverb products. He later worked at Liechtenstein-based Hilti, which specialized in manufacturing demolition tools and industrial drills for mining and construction.
Weingartner aways had a passion for audio, and realizing that no European companies were making XLR’s, he moved forward with the plan to create a new company, convincing some investors about the concept and Neutrik was born. Weingartner brought fellow design engineer Werner Bachmann (today CEO of Neutrik AG), in as the company’s first employee. With an early order for 5,000 XLR’s from a large broadcast supplier, Neutrik was on the way.
Neutrik’s early innovation — and one that lasts even to today, was Weingartner’s patented concept of tightening a threaded rear cover onto a three-sided strain relief to securely hold cables in place. This also offered the advantage of using a single connector for large and smaller diameter cables. The design of these first NC3FC and NC3MC (male and female) cable connectors also eliminated the need for external cable cinching screws that add to the complexity, increase assembly time and are often lost in the field, making the Neutrik XLR popular with users and OEM manufacturers. By 1977 the line was expanded with chassis connectors.
However, rather than rely solely on one product group — such as audio connectors — in 1977, Neutrik branched out into other areas of audio technology. Neutrik built on the availability of thermographic printing paper technology, using it to create the Audio Tracer, a frequency chart recorder that was both compact and affordable, yet covered a full 20 Hz to 20 kHz bandwidth.
The expansion into test gear continued with 1981’s AudioGraph ink-pen recorder, the later with the rack-mount, software-based A1 and A2 analyzers, the pocket-sized Minirator audio generator and Minilyzer analyzer. Eventually, deciding to focus solely on its core technologies, in 2000 the electro-acoustic division of Neutrik became the independent NTI/Neutrik Test Instruments.
New Ideas, New Directions
Neutrik had always been pleased with the acceptance of its XLR offerings, but always in search of ways to improve the design, unveiled its X-Series in 1984. The X-Series finally eliminated all the screws in the connector design, which made for simplified assembly and greater mechanical reliability. A first in the industry, the screwless design of the X-Series continues more than three decades later, as all of Neutrik’s XLR designs use this concept today.
A major breakthrough for the live industry came in 1987, with Neutrik’s debut of the Speakon created specifically for speaker connections. A new EU European Low Voltage Directive required any connector capable of carrying more than 50 volts must be protected against inadvertent contact. Obviously, other connectors — such as banana plugs and 1/4-inch styles — did not meet this requirement. With that goal in mind, Neutrik developed both cable and chassis versions of the Speakon, which not only covered this needs of the new standard, but also added a secure twist-locking mechanism and solderless (fast assembly) terminations in a reliable, rugged and near-indestructible form factor.
Eventually the original 2-pole Speakon connector line was expanded, adding 4- and 8-pole variations for mono- or multi-amping — all with full protection against arcing damage if disconnected under load. Since 1987, the Neutrik Speakon has gone on to become a world standard in sound reinforcement amplifier/speaker connections, where a high-current, inductive load environment is the norm.
In 1988, Neutrik established Neutrik USA, to serve the booming market on this side of the pond, and with the late-Jim Cowan at the helm as CEO. The success continued ever since, with the USA operations expanding several times, now with facilities in Charlotte, NC.
Debuting in 1989, and arguably the best RCA connector ever devised, Neutrik’s Profi professional phono plug a retractable sleeve that makes ground contact before signal and, when disconnected, breaks signal before ground. Unlike other phono connectors, ProFi’s “make first/break last” approach prevents noise and destroyed speaker cones when used under load.
Another world standard from Neutrik arrived in 1992, with Combo, a design that places a 1/4-inch TRS jack in the center of a female XLR receptacle. Combo conserves valuable panel real estate on pro and semi-pro gear, simplifies hookups and makes life easier for both manufacturers and end users. It’s offered in locking and non-locking XLR versions in chassis or PCB mount variations.
Based on the Speakon’s near-decade of success, in 1996 Neutrik developed the powerCON, a locking AC power connector that easily handled 120 or 240 volts and featured a pre-mating contact for ground connection before power. Unlike the computer-style IEC power connectors, powerCON locks into place with a simple twist for a secure connection.
In 1998, Neutrik entered the BNC market. But rather than simply offering more me-too versions of connectors offered by other companies, Neutrik offered traditional bayonet styles as well as an innovative Rear Twist push-pull locking version that allowed moving connections in spaces too tight for fingers to grasp.
A Whole New World
With the new millennium, Weingartner retired, and company vice president/technical director (and an engineer in his own right) Bachmann stepped up as CEO. And the innovations continued coming. One of the first new launches was etherCON, which took the existing standard for RJ-45 connections and repackaged it into am XLR-style shell. EtherCON proved to he the right product for the time, offering for the first time, a rugged and truly roadworthy packaging for Cat-5/Cat-6 style connections, which in that past 15 years have become an essential part of modern live sound productions and installations.
Yet the XLR was not ignored, as developments and improvements continued, such as 2004’s XX series. A year later, Neutrik launched its opticalCON fiber optical connectors, which like the EtherCON, provided a road-tough protection solution for a relatively fragile medium with a rugged metal housing and useful touches like automatic dust covers on the cable and chassis terminations, a robust locking push/pull and effective strain relief on the fragile cabling. And it arrived in time for tasks such as optical links between FOH consoles and stage connections.
Today, Neutrik produces a duo OpticalCON, with fiber optic and four copper conductors for power transmission, and a Quad version with even more capacity. The cable connectors come pre-assembled as complete cables, available in different lengths packed either in a case, drum or airspool. Another more recent entry was the Neutrik’s Multimedia line, with in-line plugs/jacks and chassis connectors for handling USB, HDMI and FireWire data.
In 2013, Neutrik began shipping its XIRIUM multichannel digital wireless — the first product based on the company’s DIWA technology that combines digital send/receive lines in one system.
2015 and Beyond
And there’s clearly more to come, as this year Neutrik not only celebrates 40 years as a technology leader, but will also ship its one-billionth connector in the months ahead.
With its wide variety of interconnect products, Neutrik provides world-class connectivity to address most every requirement of the professional entertainment industry, yet keeps in close contact with its customers.
Werner Bachmann, CEO of Neutrik AG, cites “innovation, continuity and quality” as the keys to Neutrik’s success. “When it comes to innovation, it is not only the product to be mentioned but also other aspects are very important from an innovative point of view, such as engineering, organization, logistics, etc.” But after four decades since those early days in a tiny barn facility, one thing remains unchanged, says Bachmann. “Whatever Neutrik is doing, quality has first priority.”
For more information, visit Neutrik at www.neutrik.com.
