Prism Sound acquires SADIE digital audio workstations

By Kevin Hilton

SVG Europe Editor

The SADiE brand of digital audio workstations (DAWs), used widely by
the BBC and other TV and radio broadcasters, has been bought out by
Prism Sound, a manufacturer of recording, digital to analogue and
analogue to digital conversion and mastering devices for the recording
and broadcast markets. The acquisition includes the business and all
intellectual property rights of Studio Audio and Video Limited, the
former owner of SADiE, which went into administration on 15th February.

Both
Prism Sound and SADiE are based in Cambridgeshire, UK and the new
owners of the DAW manufacturer see the buy-out as creating a broad,
combined product range. “Prism Sound is financially secure and in an
ideal position to take on the SADiE brand,” commented Prism Sound
co-founder and director Graham Boswell. “By combining two complementary
product ranges with overlapping customer bases we are confident we can
create a formidable and highly competitive business for the future.”

The
SADiE name will be a brand within Prism Sound and existing workstations
and customers will continue to be supported. SADiE was established in
1991 by Joe Bull and Mike Kemp, who had been part of Spaceward Studios
and Spaceward Microsystems. Its first product was a digital audio
processing card, with development of the SADiE (Studio Audio Disk
Editor) product beginning in 1992. This became the core of the company
and was selected by the BBC as its primary radio production system,
with over 1000 SADiEs now around the Corporation.

For the time
being Prism Sound will run from SADiE’s old premises as well as its own
offices but the intention over the next few months is to find new
headquarters to house both operations. Ian Dennis, Prism Sound’s
co-founder and chief technical officer, said, “SADiE products will
benefit from joint marketing initiatives and we will also be looking at
ways in which SADiE and Prism Sound can be packaged into attractive
bundles.”

Details of the price paid for SADiE and how many of
its staff would be joining Prism Sound were not forthcoming, although
it was confirmed that the higher level of SADiE management would not be
joining Prism Sound. The managing director of Studio Audio & Video,
Joe Bull, commented, “It was a very sad day when Studio Audio &
Video had to be put into administration but I’m delighted that Prism
Sound has stepped forward to continue supporting the brand and
customers. I am sure that under Graham and Ian’s stewardship the SADiE
brand can thrive once again.”

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