
Welcome to the fourth instalment of Meet Your Maker Q&A! Meet Your Maker is a series of behind-the-scenes videos and blogs that illustrate the wide range of in-house skillsets used to design and manufacture our market-leading broadcast technology whilst exploring the amazing people behind Calrec.
This week we had the pleasure of speaking with Calrec's Software Manager, Andrew Munt about his brand-new role. Andrew discusses Calrec's agility and ability to control the entire engineering process from beginning to end, Calrec's 60 strong R&D team focused on core design principles of reliability and ease of use, and how Calrec is staying ahead of the changing landscape.
1. What is your primary role with Calrec and what does it entail?
I am Calrec's new Software Manager, which is a brand-new role that continues to drive and expand Calrec's R&D output. I manage the architecting, design, development, and delivery of all software for new and existing products. Working with teams of engineers, I am responsible for specification through to release for shipment and support. I also develop code for the products where appropriate!
2. How big is Calrec's R&D team (as a percentage of the workforce and sheer numbers) and how does that compare to equivalent companies?
Calrec is very focussed on R&D and we invest a significant amount in our product R&D. Approximately half of the staff at Calrec is directly involved in developing new products and features; this is around 60 people.
Also, as Calrec is part of Audiotonix which includes DiGiCo, Allen & Heath, and SSL, we have over 200 R&D staff within the Group. This is a great position to be in and we are lucky enough to be able to share ideas and best practice.
3. What does R&D consist of and what are their relationships?
Product management is where it all starts for us in engineering, but they also work closely with the sales and marketing teams. These staff members also keep a close eye on broadcasting technologies to define a roadmap for the engineering teams.
It's great to be involved with a company where all the engineering is done in-house and having everyone in one place helps us to resolve engineering issues very quickly and efficiently. There is a huge amount of collective experience within the teams, which helps with the quality and reliability of our products.
The mechanical team is responsible for the physical surfaces and our electronic design team creates all our circuit boards, working closely to optimise space and thermals. On the software side, we have FPGA/DSP firmware, core embedded, networking, and web technologies teams and our dedicated product test team ensures everything functions as expected.
It's a really interesting place to work from an engineering perspective. We have the ability to be very flexible because we control the entire process from beginning to end, which helps us to provide the best product for the customer.
4. How does the wider broadcast environment influence software development?
Broadcasters demand reliability and quality above all else; this is the main driver for our internal development processes. We maintain great relationships with broadcasters across the world and ensure we can flex with the exacting demands of the industry.
But interoperability and standards are increasingly important to our customers too, and they often drive the direction of our development. AoIP is a good example of the industry having a significant input on our development program.
5. What are some of the design principals employed in Calrec equipment? How do you ensure these are adhered to?
Our core principles are reliability and ease of use. Live TV mixing is hard, and so we try and make it as easy as possible for our customers to create the best product they can.
Our engineering ideas are thoroughly reviewed by experts from inside and outside the company, and we always try to extend existing libraries so they can be re-used on different product lines.
Day-to-day we run agile development workflows with daily stand-up meetings and an open collaboration between software and product teams, which means we remain flexible and quick to adapt to change. Our code is continuously built and we run comprehensive unit tests to maintain a level of quality before it hits our product test team. We keep on top of the schedule with regular meetings with all key stakeholders and this is where any changes with the feature map or priority are fed back to the teams.
6. How does software manage the development of feature lists? How much is feedback from customers and how much is planned in advance?
Calrec is strongly led by customer feedback.
Our Sales and Marketing team has an ear to the ground and our Product Development team ensures there is an ongoing dialogue with customers, industry bodies, and other manufacturers before deciding what features will be in the development roadmap.
Calrec also has in-house IP specialists who work with industry bodies like AIMS and NMOS to keep one step ahead of the changing landscape.
In reality, we have to make a few choices for our strategic roadmap but right now we're on a course that looks forward a number of years, and it's good to see that level of investment.
7. What are the challenges of working with multiple software revisions?
Having multiple versions of code is quite normal for a software department and we have tools to help us manage them; however, we have a lot of products in the field and that often means many different versions of the same product line.
Calrec is well known for its excellent customer support but this, at times, can have an impact on the software department. For this reason, we need to be able to process field issues quickly. We use robust version control for all our software with strict rules on branching and versioning as y
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
01/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/09/2026
Pronology, a developer of cutting-edge broadcast workflow solutions, showcases the newest capabilities for its StreamFile Core platform at the 2026 IBC Show (S...
01/09/2026
PROTON Unveils Next-Generation FLEXY Camera at IBC 2026
Brie Clayton September 1, 2026
0 Comments
10-metre serialised coax unlocks new perspectives an...
01/09/2026
Hulu Drama The Season Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton September 1, 2026
0 Comments
Senior Colorist Mark Kueper of Picture Shop crafts ...
01/09/2026
Pluxbox Launches CoreOC to Transform Mission-Critical Media Operations
Brie Clayton September 1, 2026
0 Comments
A vendor-agnostic operational control l...
01/09/2026
Layercake, the company behind the intelligent media workflow platform Streamcake, today announced the appointment of Jon Marquard as Director and Chairperson. T...
01/09/2026
Actus Digital, a LiveU company, will unveil the next generation of its Actus X platform at IBC2026 on LiveUs Stand 7.C24, demonstrating how broadcasters can sim...
01/09/2026
Broadcast Solutions, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, delivered transformational technology a...
01/09/2026
Quortex, the intelligent video technology company carved out from Synamedia by Lumine Group, today announced that Odisha Television Network (OTV), the leading r...
01/09/2026
Zixi and Ateme today announced an expanded strategic partnership to help broadcasters and content owners accelerate the transition from satellite to resilient I...
01/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/09/2026
Join Donal Skehan in discovering the best of everyday Italian cooking in brand new series, airing Wednesday 2 September
In this brand-new series, Donal's I...
01/09/2026
RT Supporting the Arts is delighted to spotlight a diverse range of arts, cultu...
31/08/2026
Pixotope Technologies has announced a unified platform offering all Pixotope capabilities across three editions, available with the Pixotope 26.3 release in Q3 ...
31/08/2026
Sampler gains Overbridge multitrack streaming
Elektron's polyphonic sampler, the Tonverk, has just received an OS update that introduces multitrack stre...
31/08/2026
Popular chorus plug-in gains second engine
UVI's latest plug-in offers a fresh new take on their best-selling chorus effect, combining a pair of engines...
31/08/2026
Optus commits 3% of consumer brand spend to First Nations media in new landmark ...
31/08/2026
FingerWorks Telestrators, the industry leader in software-based telestration and live sports analysis solutions, announces its new partnership with Broadcast R...
31/08/2026
ARISDA Bridge Launches: DaVinci Resolve Timecode, Studio Clock, and Work-Time Tr...
31/08/2026
Short Film All That's Left Shot with URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 31, 2026
0 Comments
Intimate drama edited and graded in DaVinci Resolve ...
31/08/2026
Bridge Technologies Announces Support for Blackmagic IP10 Codec
Brie Clayton August 31, 2026
0 Comments
Both booths will showcase each other's tec...
31/08/2026
Creative COW Roundtable, August 23, 2026- AEAI
Brie Clayton August 31, 2026
0 Comments
COWs from around the world assemble to discuss Using AI to Beat...
31/08/2026
Homecoming Artist Spotlight: Susan Tedeschi The Grammy-winning singer and guitarist talks about finding her voice at Berklee ahead of her Homecoming performan...
31/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
31/08/2026
August 31st, 2026 Press Materials Here
TRIBECA STUDIOS RELEASES FIRST-LOOK TRA...
31/08/2026
Digicel Pacific Selects Techtel for PNG Digital TV Head-End Transformation
31 Aug Written By Mal Chandler
Sydney, 31 August 2026 - Techtel has been appointe...
30/08/2026
Free collection includes 15 instruments
Reason Studios have announced that they are making their popular Reason Rack plug-in free, and bundling it with a se...
29/08/2026
Odyssey & Oracle console software update incoming
With a second console now joining their O-Series, SSL have announced the upcoming launch of O-Series V2.0,...
29/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/08/2026
PlayBox Technology is heading to IBC2026 with a clear message: the future of broadcast and streaming is not about replacing everything it is about making what...
29/08/2026
Berklee Announces Fall 2026 Signature Series This years concerts feature MonoNeon, Brandon Woody, Marcus Gilmore, and Caroline Davis, alongside Berklee Asia R...
28/08/2026
KCBS takes the Chargers side, KCAL takes the Rams - with feeds out to 18 partner...
28/08/2026
(L-R) Topher Grace, Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Casper Kelly, and Keegan-Michael Key pose with the character Buddy at the Buddy Premiere during the 2026 S...
28/08/2026
The Italian orchestra, reimagined
IK Multimedia have announced the upcoming launch of Sinphonica, a new family of Italian orchestral instruments designed f...
28/08/2026
Voice-isolation plug-in boasts sub-10ms latency
Launched in 2025, CEDAR Audio's Icons range was created with the aim of bringing the company's renow...
28/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...