TPi_Magazine__February_2018

BACK CHAT
DAVID ‘WEBBY’ WEBSTER
Global Marketing Director, CODA Audio
You’ve changed jobs recently but you’re a familiar
face in pro audio. What are you relishing about your
new challenge with CODA?
Technically speaking, I didn’t really change jobs. I’d retired
last April having thought I’d achieved all my goals - it’s a
long story but when I discovered CODA Audio I knew there
was another challenge that I just had to get stuck into! I’m
relishing unleashing the best audio systems in the world,
on the world. Every so often (in an audio sense, of course...)
something comes along that blows your mind and you
know it’s the real deal. There are all sorts of flashes in all
sorts of pans but this isn’t one of them. The challenge is to
get people to listen - and I will - the systems can speak for
themselves!
You recently attended Tour Link and The NAMM Show
in California. What has the reception for CODA been
like in North America?
I’d say it pretty much chimes with the response everywhere
else in the world - that is to say we’ve had a fantastic
reception in the States and we’re looking forward
to putting serious dents in the market. Our US team
comprises some very experienced and highly respected
figures who knew a good thing when they heard it, and
joined us without hesitation. Three major US Rep firms, for
whom I have a huge amount of respect, have also got on
board after realising what CODA has to offer. Anyone who
hears these products and then looks a little harder at the
advantages they can bring, finds them hard to resist...
How did you initially get into pro sound?
I blame my mother. In her estimation, the majority of longhaired
singer / guitarists (like me) were destined to fail at
that endeavor, so she took it upon herself to line me up
with an interview at Klark Teknik. I got the job and thus
ended another potentially glorious rock ‘n’ roll career…
After a long stint in console manufacturing, what
have been some of your career highlights?
There have been far too many to single out. I’ve been
involved throughout my career in helping to develop
cutting-edge technologies - the products of the future,
you might say - and when you bring them to market it
changes the way people look at and design their shows.
That means that there are several highlights every year.
CODA is already proving to be another case in point.
What are your goals for the brand in 2018?
To firmly demonstrate that a CODA system is without a
shadow of a doubt the best sound system you can get -
and then to sell truckloads of them all over the planet! As
you might expect, our sights are set very high - when you
have confidence in a product like this, there’s no reason
to moderate your ambitions, so we’ll be pushing hard in
every direction.
When you’re not busy telling the world about PA
Systems, how would we find you relaxing?
Guitar in hand (my mother never completely destroyed the
dream!), sun shining, poolside, in the company of great
friends. Oh and perhaps afterwards, a glass or two of a
fine red accompanied by a cheese of distinction…
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