Community Professional loudspeakers is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, marking the occasion with the European launch of its new IV6 Modular Vertical Array system at ISE.

The newest member of the I SERIES family, IV6 is aesthetically designed for installed indoor or outdoor applications, providing uniform coverage in short- or long-throw applications. Community’s Passive Acoustic Optimisation module within EASE Focus 3 quickly calculates the ideal passive array parameters for each loudspeaker, resulting in ‘unmatched’ SPL and consistent frequency response.

Community was founded by Bruce Howze in 1968 to provide live touring systems and is now a leader in the design and manufacture of professional loudspeakers for installed applications.

“Everyone was making horns from wood, sheet metal or cast iron. We thought fiberglass would be an ideal material for small runs. It was lightweight, strong, portable and relatively easy to mold to shape,” Howze (pictured below) recalled. “We could make horns that were far more accurate to mathematical equations, without the imperfections of wood, and with far less weight.”

Over the years, Community’s developments in horn designs, enclosures and transducers have achieved a number of “firsts”, particularly in the areas of large-scale systems, extreme all-weather capability and solutions for difficult acoustic environments.

The company’s list of references ranges from Elvis Presley touring with Community’s Leviathan in the ‘70s to public address for the largest annual gathering of mankind on earth in Mecca. Cities like Venice rely on Community to provide audio flood warning and, at Olympic and world-class stadia, millions of people enjoy their sport with communication from Community systems.

Steve Johnson joined Community as CEO in 2013. An experienced audio industry veteran, Johnson brought substantial sales, marketing and commercial expertise to the company. In 2014, Community unveiled an updated corporate brand identity. In 2015, Audioprof Group International acquired a majority share in Community, strengthening the brand. Through the acquisition, Community became a member of their installed audio portfolio along with European-based Apart Audio.

“As we aspire to exceed the industry’s expectations and provide exceptional customer service, we will continue to innovate with new products like the IV6,” said Johnson. “Community was founded by Bruce Howze all those years ago because he believed there had to be a better way to make loudspeakers. I see the IV6 with its unique array shaping tools as proof that innovation is alive and well at Community and will continue to define Community long into the future.”