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
Most recent headlines
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...
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...
08/05/2026
In our latest blog, Tim Pearson reflects on the recent launch of Play Snooker, the new digital home of snooker by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker A...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced its return as a sponsor of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, where the company will serve as the Official Connectivity ...
08/05/2026
For the second straight year, Miri Technologies Inc. has been honored with a pair of coveted awards at the broadcast, media and entertainment industry's pre...
08/05/2026
Nine Alumni Nominated for Tony Awards More than 20 alumni contributed to this year's Tony-nominated productions.
May 7, 2026
By
Tori Donahue
Boston Co...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical invest...
08/05/2026
COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content
Brie Clayton May 7, 2026
0 Comments
UGC, On-Camera Video Content
April 17, 2026Documentary Editor - US,......
08/05/2026
Wuppertal May 8, 2026
Riedel to Support Glasgow 2026 as Official Connectivity Integration Provider Riedel Communications today announced its return as a spons...
08/05/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Announces Standalone Sequel to Global Hit La Palma
Entertainment
08 May 2026
GlobalDenmarkFinlandNorwaySweden
Link copied to clipb...
08/05/2026
ICG is excited to share news of our official launch in Northern Ireland, marking a significant milestone in the agency's growth.
Led by Digital Marketing M...
08/05/2026
Over the past ten years, Thames Water, in partnership with Arqiva, has installed more than 1.2 million smart meters, creating one of the most extensive advanced...
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...
07/05/2026
From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production
In the ...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...
07/05/2026
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...
07/05/2026
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...
07/05/2026
Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...
07/05/2026
Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...
07/05/2026
Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...
07/05/2026
The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...
07/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...
07/05/2026
SES and ARD, Germany's largest public broadcasting network, have announced a long-term extension of their satellite distribution partnership through 2039. U...
07/05/2026
UpLight Technologies delivers a flexible video and lighting system for a new televised sportLaunching the Pro Cheer League required more than creating a compell...
07/05/2026
Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide have announced Spikes Under the Lights, a...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...
07/05/2026
L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...
07/05/2026
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...
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.
