Yes, the one who equipped so many independent radio stations in the 80s…? Nostalgia now, at that time a famous radio adventure where two French engineers in electronics, Robert Seassauand Bernard Charreton, created this mythical radio console.
Two years later, ATEÏS employs five engineers as the pioneers to develop the transition of computers into broadcast audio-mixers. Our two pioneers have first-launched the computerized mixing tables among the market. Besides that, they also worked on tailored audio solutions covering a niche market. A decade later, the console market started to become stressed with the arrival of major international companies like Yamaha, Roland and others, who destroyed the position of the small European companies. ATEÏS was driven to develop the new markets. In 1995, ATEÏS chose to focus on the two new markets, namely that for theater electronics and Public Address’s announcement systems. For the theaters, ATEÏS produced computerized mixing consoles with motorized faders, which have equipped many stage rooms in France and in Germany. Its ES22T pre-amplifier became a standard requirement for many theaters
was at the frontier of introducing an advanced automatic announcement system that was first to control the system via computer. For this special application, ATEÏS has developed an audio matrix called SAM 100 & 200. After successful integration at the pilot station of Lyon, it became must-have equipments for many others to follow.
Four years later, the demanding requirements of SNCF has improved the sound quality when their stations have brought ATEÏS to cooperate with a partner called SLVS (Lyon’s association for Video surveillance and PA system), run by Roland Labrosse. SLVS picked up a refurbishment of the PA-systems for the TGV and could use the specialism of ATEÏS, with its experience at the SNCF, to implement their SAM system.
Slowly but surely the company stepped away from the classical 100 Volt distributed sound solutions, creating a whole new standard in the PA/VA industry. Rail companies placed orders at ATEÏS and together with these demanding customers they further developed products for the life safety and voice evacuation market for upper- and underground stations
Slowly but surely the company stepped away from the classical 100 Volt distributed sound solutions, creating a whole new standard in the PAVA industry. Rail companies placed orders at ATEÏS and together with these demanding customers they further developed products for the life safety and voice evacuation market for upper- and underground stations.
A Year later the two companies were merged and continued their works under the company and brand name of ATEÏS. As solution providers and manufacturers for professional soundsystemes for the Public Address and Voice Evacuation market, at their new office in ST Martin d’Hères, their business finally separated from the Pro-audio market
A year later, the two companies were merged and continued their works under the company and brand name of ATEÏS. As solution providers and manufacturers for professional sound systems for PA/VA (Public Address and Voice Evacuation) market, at their new office in ST Martin d’Hères, their business finally separated from the Pro-audio market. The new motivated team had a beautiful future ahead till in the evening of October 17th 2000 a disastrous fire brought the building completely down to the ground! A big setback for the team, but committed as they were to deliver what they had promised to their customer, TGV, they rebuilt their business in less than 2 months, counting on an ambitious and enthusiastic team of people. Shortly after, ATEÏS settled down in Claix with a team that was even more motivated than before.
It is the year of the introduction of a whole new counter intercom system, known as Magellan, a by now well known device that is servicing happily at almost every counter desk at the SNCF. After going through European tender, ATEÏS was awarded with the order to develop and manufacture a counter intercom system for SNCF (French national railway company). It was going to be used in a complex environment where high noise levels and bad acoustics made it hard to establish a comfortable level of communication between the counter staff and the passengers that were separated by a glass barrier. Beside the electro-acoustical part challenges, it needed to be vandal-proof and easy to install as well which made it an even tougher job to develop. Acoustic feedback was the biggest problem SNCF experienced with their current simple analogue intercom system. ATEÏS came with a strong solution delivering acoustic echo cancellation, based on an own developed algorithm, implemented using first generation DSP-processors. This avoided the ‘feed-back’ effect that was caused by the returning sound loop coming from the client’s speaker into the client’s microphone and repeated at the clerk’s side intercom console. This efficient echo-cancellation algorithm in combination with a well designed vandal-proof housing made Magellan a success. “DSP-technology became ATEÏS trade-mark and applied to all their products”
In 2002, new safety standards were introduced in France, like the ERP that applied for public accessible buildings. Customers like SNCF (French national railway company), the RATP (Paris Public Transportation System) and numerous French airports chose for ATEÏS. All the PA/VA systems were developed based on digital technology architecture and in full compliance with the standard EN60849.
ATEÏS leaves in search of a new partner. Market is moving fast and economical production was required in order to survive in the next decades to come. It finds a partner in Far East Asia, PCI, one of the world leaders in manufacturing speakers and electronics. Both companies saw the opportunities, in spite of the distance and the culture differences, they decide to join their R&D and manufacturing facilities.
For ATEÏS, it brings an additional top range of speakers and a line of audio matrixes to their portfolio and, on the other hand, it offers an access to economic production facilities.
Thanks to this strategy, both partners benefit from each other’s strengths. The leaders of PCI devotes to DSP development and manufacturing, and ATEÏS is strong in customized industrialization and European standards.
