The merger of MC2 Audio and XTA Electronics has been announced following three months of fruitful negotiations. The deal was scheduled for completion in time to be unveiled at ProLight & Sound in Frankfurt, where the news was received very positively across the industry.

This new UK based group, which also includes Quested Monitoring Systems, brings together three of the most well known English professional audio manufacturing companies. The merged group will open up possibilities for each of the individual companies to benefit from a larger pool of resources extending from research and development through to sales and marketing.

Ian McCarthy, one of the founders of MC2 Audio, will head-up the group as Managing Director with Terry Clarke, co-founder of MC2 Audio and John Austin, co-founder of XTA acting as Technical Directors, each with responsibility for their own field of expertise, while Roger Quested will continue as Technical Director for Quested.

Andrew Grayland, co-founder of XTA, is to take a new direction in order to have the time to pursue his many other interests. 'Of course Andrew will be missed and we wish him all the best for the future', says Ian McCarthy, 'but we are also hoping that he will keep in contact with the new group and act for us on a consultancy basis from time to time.'

MC2 Audio and XTA Electronics were both formed in the early 1990s and, through worldwide distributor representation, have established reputations for excellence in the fields of amplification and processing at the top of the professional audio market. Clearly this new grouping opens the way for the development of a range of exciting new products across all three companies.

'The possibility of merging MC2 Audio and XTA had been mooted among the Directors of the individual companies from time to time over the past couple of years,' comments Ian, 'so it is with great pleasure that we are able to make this announcement at this time. I feel that each one of the companies will benefit greatly from this move and now look forward to the challenge of taking the group forward.'