Freedman Purchases Soundfield
The Freedman Electronics Group, home to pro audio brands like RØDE Microphones, Event Electronics and
Aphex, expanded its company portfolio on 21 November, 2016 by purchasing the surround sound recording
marque SoundField from TSL Products, the broadcast equipment manufacturer.
RØDE Founder and Managing Director Peter Freedman AM and TSL Products’ Managing Director Chris Exelby
sealed a deal that would now see Freedman Electronics take control over the entire SoundField company,
including the current product line as well as all IP associated with the iconic brand. The existing
product line will continue and all support and warranty for SoundField products will now be handled
through the new entity. TSL Products will retain the upmix/downmix processing product range which will
be rebranded.
Peter Freedman said, “I am extremely excited that we have added the SoundField product line to the Group.
RØDE is a power player in studio and live microphones and the world’s market leader in on-camera mics,
so adding a product line like SoundField with its unique surround sound microphones and applications to
our portfolio is a real step for the Freedman Electronics Group.”
SoundField invented 360-degree surround sound or ambisonic – audio capture technology in 1978 and remains a
leading brand. Today, the range includes innovative ambisonic microphones and systems/apps for broadcast,
music and location recording.
“The applications for cinema, home theatre, music, and gaming and crucially the rapidly growing Virtual
Reality medium are astounding. SoundField created the technologies that are now benchmark equipment for
capturing responsive atmosphere and a stunning sonic world. Oculus Rift, Playstation, Google, Samsung, HTC,
even Facebook are all exploring and expanding their immersive VR experiences,” added Freedman.
Chris Exelby commented, “We are proud to have brought the revolutionary SoundField microphone and processor
range to its current prominence across many sectors from live sports and broadcast events to music recording
and now to VR. It is fitting that SoundField has now found a new home with one of the world’s most
innovative microphone manufacturers, where it can be developed still further, while we at TSL Products
focus on our core broadcast business and invest further in the crucial R&D that will lead to the next
generation of broadcast control, monitoring and power management solutions.”
TSL Products’ Product Director Pieter Schillebeeckx will join The Freedman Electronics Group as New Product
Development Director, in January 2017.
Pieter Schillebeeckx said, “I am looking forward to a terrific new challenge. RØDE is simply the envy of the
audio industry and with Peter Freedman’s vision on both product innovation and market strategy this is a
great opportunity to develop new technologies and be part of the ongoing audio revolution that RØDE is
building. To be able to live and work in such a beautiful country as Australia is really a bonus.”
Freedman said, “I welcome Peter Schillebeeckx to the RØDE team. It’s very exciting that someone so steeped
in the SoundField microphone technology and history is enhancing our brains trust.”