TSL Professional Products Acquires Surround Sound Microphone Specialist SoundField

With the addition of the SoundField range, TSL PPL’s product portfolio will further expand its support of 5.1 audio in the broadcast workflow. As HD broadcasting becomes the standard for televised content, viewers are demanding 5.1 audio to match their high-quality images. By adding the SoundField surround microphones and processors to its market-leading audio monitoring solutions, such as the renowned PAM series, TSL PPL can now offer customers solutions for use throughout the production process, from acquisition to delivery.

“The addition of SoundField to the TSL PPL fold couldn’t have come at a better time,” says Chris Exelby, managing director of TSL Professional Products Ltd. “With TSL PPL audio monitors becoming a standard fixture in many broadcast production facilities, particularly our Touchmix and PAM family of products, which are synonymous with surround sound, we can now bring a more complete offering to market and further our mission to help our customers deliver the highest quality sound to the viewer at home.”

Pieter Schillebeeckx, head of research and development for SoundField, Ltd., says the acquisition is great news for SoundField. “I am very excited about this acquisition and don’t think we could have put the future of SoundField’s legacy in better hands. The established global sales and marketing of TSL PPL will greatly improve the visibility of our unique microphone and upmix products worldwide. And the extensive manufacturing and design expertise of TSL PPL, combined with SoundField’s know-how, will ensure SoundField’s tradition of creating high-quality 5.1 audio equipment will continue to thrive and develop.”

SoundField enjoys a longstanding reputation of providing superior microphones for recording both stereo and surround sound. For broadcasters of world-class major sporting events or concerts, a single SoundField mic is all that’s needed to generate an accurate ambient surround bed simultaneously in stereo and 5.1 audio for SD and HD transmission. It is this precise sound capture that has made SoundField microphones and upmix/downmix processors the sonic tools of choice for broadcasters such as BSkyB (UK), Disney (USA), BBC (UK), Sogecable (Spain), NRK (Norway), RTS (Serbia) and SABC (South Africa), as well as event companies like Video Sound Services (FIFA World Cup) for quality 5.1 surround recording, transmission and production.

“I have been aware of SoundField for many years and recognized the brand as representing excellence in microphone systems,” explains Martin Dyster, head of audio, TSL Professional Products Ltd. “In recent years, SoundField has established itself as a leader in audio processing technologies, with the UPM-1 stereo-to-5.1 upmixer considered by many leading engineers as possessing one of the best-sounding upmix algorithms available. TSL PPL’s purchase of SoundField Ltd. pools together the creative minds of two of the industry’s most forward-thinking audio companies. I look forward with great excitement to the results of this collaboration.”

About TSL Professional Products Ltd.
TSL Professional Products Ltd. designs, manufactures and markets a range of hardware and software solutions that serve to simplify operations within the television broadcast, cable, satellite, IPTV and IT industries. Specializing in audio monitoring, tally solutions and power management tools, TSL PPL products satisfy and exceed the commercial, technical and operational requirements that exist in IT-based and traditional workflows, helping its customers to lower costs, generate revenue and streamline operations. TSL PPL acquired leading surround microphone and audio processing manufacturer, SoundField Ltd. in 2012 which has enabled the UK-based company to provide solutions across the entire broadcast production chain, from acquisition to delivery. TSL PPL’s dedicated products team has many years of combined personal, hands-on experience, having worked for broadcasters, post-production facilities, information technology companies and outside broadcast operators worldwide.