Chinese instrument maker Medeli – the parent company of Ashun Sound Machines – has announced plans to enter the US market with its lines of digital keyboards, drum machines and more.
Medeli — one of the world’s largest electronic musical instrument manufacturers, has been primarily known as a contract manufacturer for many well-known brands in the industry. They’re also the parent company of Ashun Sound Machines (ASM), creator of the Hydrasynth line of digital wave morphing synthesizers.
Now they are bringing their existing lines of instruments to the US market, including:
- SP-C121 (MAP: $399.99 USD) offers an acoustic piano feel and sound in a compact, portable design.
- SP201 PLUS (MAP: $549.99 USD) provides experienced pianists and casual performers alike with the essentials, in a stylish and portable package.
- CP203 (MAP: $779.99 USD) delivers “a beautiful sound and modern look in a compact design”.
- AKS10S (MAP: $999.99 USD) is an arranger keyboard targeted to solo performers and songwriters who want to create complete instrumental arrangements.
- MR101S (MAP: $99.99 USD) is a no-nonsense, portable drummer designed for solo performers, and also for musicians seeking a break from practicing with a traditional metronome.
- MK200 (MAP: $179.99 USD) is a portable keyboard that provides student beginners or on-the-go-music-makers alike with a feature- rich instrument.
- MK61 (MAP: $119.99 USD) is designed to be a starter instrument for piano students on a budget.
- MK37 (MAP: $59.99 USD) is a mini-key portable keyboard that fits into a backpack for on-the-go music making.
All these instruments will be showcased at the NAMM Show 2025, held January 23-25, Anaheim, CA. Medeli and ASM have adjoining booths — 10502 and 10602, respectively — in Hall A.
Additional accessories, such as stands and benches will also be available, while two current models — namely, the AKX10 and AK603 arranger keyboards — will also be added to the new product lineup. All products carrying a two-year limited factory warranty.
US distribution of Medeli products will be handled by Ashun Sound Machines.
About Medeli
Established in 1983, Medeli is a digital musical instrument manufacturer, headquartered in Hong Kong, with a research and development office in Shanghai, and a factory park in Zhuhai. It is headed by its owners, Fanny Cheng and Lancy Cheng, together with James Cheng (CEO), Mafatu Tso (CTO), Mark Gu (EVP of Manufacturing), and Geoffrey Ge (GM of System Development).
Interesting. Although I am a norwegian living in Norway, I wonder how the new administration in Washington will affect the import of instruments from China to US…. – for instsnce stuff from Medeli and Behringer. It’s also interesting to see that Behringer is back in Anaheim this year.
A random Australian chiming in late, I have experience in international supply chains (but am a n00b economist) so here goes:
Firstly, the new USA government probably won’t care about musical instruments. There’s no global politics worth pursuing for the USA regarding music.
Secondly, tariffs are taxes paid by the importer, not the exporter.
So, if the new USA government puts high tariffs on these, they will collect the tariff (assuming they chuck an arbitrary 100% on everything). But because of the lack of clarity from them, there’s a chance they may skip a bunch of chapters from the Harmonised System (HS) & focus on what can be manufactured domestically for high tariffs. No point blocking buyers from products that only come from foreign sources, especially when you can collect tax from those buyers.
The HS is defined by the World Customs Organisation to enable trade on clearer terms. Synths come under chapter 9207.10:
https://www.wcoomd.org/-/media/wco/public/global/pdf/topics/nomenclature/instruments-and-tools/hs-nomenclature-older-edition/2007/hs-2007/1892_2007e.pdf?la=en
Here in Australia, synths are subject to zero tariffs (search “australia harmonised system music chapter 92”). We have to pay a 10% Goods & Services Tax on imports over AU$1000 though. I have no idea if Norway or the USA apply tariffs to synths or consumption taxes like the GST.
Consider this – on one hand a tariff acts as a disincentive for a nation’s citizens to buy globally, on the other hand it makes money for the government when its citizens decide to import products. They’re a win-win for governments of high consumption societies.
Where does this leave you & your fellow Norwegians, Eivind? I don’t know, but I expect your pocket won’t be directly hit because of US politics, but companies that are negatively impacted may rise prices in other markets to cover for losses in the USA.
Depending on how over-inflated the US dollar becomes, we’re in for a wild ride for the next 2 years. Currency from protectionist economies tend to become valued higher than currency from more open markets, on a per GDP basis. If the US$ becomes over valued & tariffs are applied with sanity (ie- approximately 10%), Trump’s attempts to steer the USA’s economy away from China may fail.
Hopefully we’ll still be able to get the Leviasynth or whatever ASM does next, regardless of short-sighted, protectionist & populist politics.
What a strange time we live in.
I look forward to hearing what their $999 arranger has to offer. It might become a secret weapon for some players. Those things normally cost the moon. If its a keeper, it’ll muscle its way into a niche of its own. That’s real slap, dudes and dudettes.
Apparently they have been extremely difficult to sell in the EU market so would not hold my breath extensively.
Medeli already has products on the US market
They have great offers for the price, these would make many music lovers happy.
I would love to get my hands on the arranger keyboard. My first keyboard was the Yamaha PSR 520. I made some bangers on that thing in 1998