Welcome to the third 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 Production Manager, Sally Baines, who has worked at Calrec for over two decades about Calrec's robust quality control, the benefits of having flexible, knowledgeable teams in an ever-changing industry and maintaining the quality and efficiency our customers demand.
1. What is your primary role with Calrec and what does it entail?
I primarily manage the teams' productive efforts by allocating and planning tasks, making sure everyone is clear about what they should be doing and everything is working efficiently. I also balance the teams' skillsets to best meet demand. I am a hands-on Production Manager so when there's anything additional required on the shop floor I get to help out' and assemble, though I'm no longer as skilled as the rest of the team so I usually get to do the jobs no-one else likes doing!
2. What teams make up the Production department?
We have six departments that make up Production: Stores, Wiring, Assembly, Test, and Desk Test cover the productive side; Production Support, Purchasing, and Shipping are admin based.
I look after Stores, Wiring and Assembly, although a lot of the jobs we do cross over to other departments, so we are all quite flexible.
3. What is each team responsible for? How do they work together?
We all work towards the same end goal - producing market-leading equipment for our customers! - but we try to be flexible within our teams so it's essential that all our staff are multi-skilled. For example, if we have a stores person off, it's not uncommon for an Assembler to go help in stores. Multi-skilled training helps us create a wide range of skillsets, so that's vital.
4. How have processes changed over the last 10 years? How has that affected skillsets within the department?
There have many changes at Calrec over the years. I have worked at Calrec for over two decades, so the biggest shift in my time has been the move to digital consoles, and with more and more IP connectivity our skillsets have had to continue to adapt! While the technology has changed, our people are extremely knowledgeable, with many of us having been at Calrec for a long time. Being flexible has allowed us to develop as a company creating the best teams for the job, maintaining the quality and efficiency our customers demand.
5. How important are test procedures? How are they done and how does that feed back into the system?
Having accurate test procedures are the cornerstone of what we do. We have a number of test procedures in place at different stages of production, and anything that needs testing has a detailed procedure. These are initially developed at the prototype stage, so when a product is ready for production they should go through smoothly. As things evolve, so test procedures are constantly updated.
6. Can you tell us a little about the Brio department? How many people work on Brio and is it independent
Brio is a great product for us to assemble and test! We have a dedicated area within the department and the processes of building Brio's can be done in parallel with each other, which makes it quite easy for us to do three a day from start to finish. When one panel has had its overlays, gasket and windows fitted another assembler will then fit the faders, PCBs, knobs, etc. This way we can wire the chassis in parallel, fit all the boards, the PSU's, and the panels, before more testing of individual desks. Finally, they are ready to go out of the door!
7. How does production get involved in prototyping?
When prototypes are released, we have the job of building and testing them. Build information is produced at the time of build; this could be just a few photos and words at this point, and we can identify any issues or changes which need addressing and add to the prototype sheet. In this way, we can continually refine the process until the prototype is perfect.
As all R&D, mechanical design and build are done in the same building, Calrec's prototyping process is extremely efficient and it allows us to maintain very tight quality control. It also enables us to undertake custom work for customers in a very timely fashion.
To view Calrecs product range click here
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
02/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
02/06/2026
Powerful new vocal-production tool announced
Described as a vocal performance station , Klevgrand's latest plug-in combines pitch-correction with harmo...
02/06/2026
Launched alongside Go Green sale extension
McDSP have just released the latest addition to their APB line-up, DC-2 Dual Compressor, and have also announced ...
02/06/2026
Create custom tools for Ableton Live 12 Suite
Ableton have just introduced a new open JavaScript toolkit that allows anyone to create their own custom tools...
02/06/2026
Now features full H90 algorithm library
Eventide have announced the upcoming launch of the H9 Harmonizer Gen 2, a new and improved version of their hugely p...
02/06/2026
Plus UAD Half Yearly Sale now live
The latest arrival to the Universal Audio range delivers a new native pitch-correction plug-in that's capable of deli...
02/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to present comprehensive performance, conformance and spectrum-m...
02/06/2026
BTL Laboratory becomes Taiwan's first test house with a CTIA Certification c...
02/06/2026
If you've kept up with this article series, you know by now where to start w...
02/06/2026
With new DSP configurations and flexible licensing options, Calrec is removing the barriers to virtualised audio, giving broadcasters the freedom to scale produ...
02/06/2026
02 Jun 2026
VEON Closes USD 1.4 Billion Bond Offering, Refinancing 2027 Notes A...
02/06/2026
Praise for series three:
The Times - sun-dappled pleasure
The Daily Mail - The Homes Counties' Charlie's Angels
The Sun - 4* this [is an] enjoya...
02/06/2026
Wuppertal June 2, 2026
Gudrun Scharler Appointed CEO of Riedel Networks The Riedel Group today announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel N...
02/06/2026
Trust has become a commercial issue With global advertising spend forecast to exceed US$1 trillion this year*, the commercial consequences of weak governance co...
02/06/2026
June sees Ireland's cultural calendar in full bloom, as RT Supporting the Arts showcases a vibrant and wide-ranging programme spanning music, theatre, visu...
02/06/2026
After The Traitors Ireland launched in 2025, Irish audiences proved to have a taste for the global hit reality show. This Bank Holiday Monday fans can indulge e...
01/06/2026
Category line-up & sponsors announced
Photo: Paul Clarke
The Production Music Awards (PMA) have announced that submissions are now officially open ahead of...
01/06/2026
New hybrid sample/synthesis instrument revealed
Excite Audio have just released the latest instalment in their Evolve series, which has been developed in co...
01/06/2026
Latest TONEX expansion captures three rare vintage amps
The newest addition to IK Multimedia's ever-growing TONEX line-up introduces a set of three incr...
01/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
01/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Satellite Industry Days 2026 guided by the motto From Earth to ...
01/06/2026
Luxembourg, June 1, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, launched fast and reliable multi-orbit satelli...
01/06/2026
Mardi 2 juin 14h00
FilmLight (ARRI), 10 rue Ren Boulanger, 75010 Paris
Rejoignez-nous pour d couvrir comment FLAPI (l'API FilmLight) peut transformer e...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
cetecom advanced certifies Rohde & Schwarz test solution for hybrid and Next Gen...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Genelec announces V2.1 for Aural ID binaural headphone monitoring application posted: 29/05/2026
Aural ID 2.1 enhances binaural monitoring for stereo and ...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
28/05/2026
Thomsons Climate Crisis Toolkit is already being put to work, helping journalist...
28/05/2026
A little refresh can go a long way. We've been making behind-the-scenes upda...
28/05/2026
Since early last year, our quarterly Creator Milestone Awards have celebrated podcasts from around the world that hit major streaming milestones on Spotify. Tod...
28/05/2026
New software-based MIDI multi-clock announced
Rapid Flow have just announced the launch of a new MIDI utility plug-in that aims to solve one of the most per...
28/05/2026
Company introduce most affordable interface yet
SSL's range of audio interfaces has just gained its latest, and smallest member, the SSL 1. Designed to ...
28/05/2026
New compact drum machine & sampler announced
The latest instrument from Sonicware sees the company kick off an all-new Deconstruct series with a compact dru...
28/05/2026
Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority modernizes nationwide ATC voice communications...
28/05/2026
Comscore Announces Appointment of Matt McLaughlin as Chief Executive OfficerJon Carpenter to remain as Senior Advisor to the Board and CEO
Global business lead...
28/05/2026
Wuppertal May 28, 2026
Berliner Ensemble Upgrades Backstage Infrastructure With Riedel Stage SystemsRiedel Communications today announced that Berliner Ensemb...
28/05/2026
Harmonic's Software-Based XOS Advanced Media Processor Powers Cost-Efficient 24/7 Channel Origination and Direct-to-Consumer Delivery
SAN JOSE, Calif. - M...
28/05/2026
RT presents Wild Conamara, a two-part natural history documentary that brings a...
27/05/2026
Spotify already brings together listeners' favorite music, podcasts, and audiobooks in one place. Now, we're trialing a new format that expands the cont...
Welcome to the third 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.
