Oxford-based audio console maker wins Queen’s Award for broadcast system

The System T development was led by SSL chief technology officer Dr Enrique Perez Gonzalez, who heads up a 50-strong R&D team of many world-leading digital audio specialists. The team partnered with Australian company Audinate to integrate high sample-rate, multichannel, realtime digital audio with powerful multiple core processing.

The System T project team. Pic: SSL

Perez explained: “We wanted to create a flexible, powerful, audio console with none of the limitations that conventional TDM (time domain multiplexing) routing systems have today. We realised that we had to take a system wide approach and decided to use standard IT networking for the media transport, discovery and routing protocols. We married this with our state-of-the-art signal processing and the latest user interface technology. The result is a range of building blocks that satisfy a variety of applications in Broadcast production and post-production. System T has unparalleled power and flexibility, takes full advantage of future developments in the IT industry and provides uncompromised audio quality.”

SSL was one of the first to create a natively networked digital platform that meets the stringent demands of TV broadcasters. It exports more than 90 per cent of its products, has installed System T consoles and routing infrastructure in the facilities of major broadcasters in the UK, and in the US, Japan, China, South Korea, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, Germany, France, Italy, Poland and Denmark. Its global headquarters are in Begbroke, Oxfordshire, and it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

About the Author

Antony David

A chemistry graduate, Antony spent most of his career using and then making equipment for the music and broadcast industries. He was managing director of Oxford-based electronics and software company, Solid State Logic.