Smart Research

Smart Research, was originally formed by Alan Smart to develop high performance audio equipment. He has worked in the professional audio industry for some 20 years since starting as an assistant engineer in Wave Studios in London, and then as an electronics engineer at Digital Audio Systems, who provided Sony PCM mastering systems to UK studios; manufactured Weber test tapes, and restored and extended several Neve consoles and other equipment.

Engineering at SSL’s ‘Huge’ studios in Oxford led to a position as commissioning and service engineer for SSL. His first assignment abroad was to commission George Benson’s SSL at Lahaina Sound in Hawaii, after which he went on to either service or commission many of the rapidly expanding collection of SSL Studios such as Virgin’s Townhouse 1 and 2; Sarm West; Wessex; Abbey Road; Air Studios and others.

Experience with broadcast studios came at the UK’s BBC, Denmark Radio, and Japan’s NHK, and travel for SSL included visiting Holland, France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Japan, South Korea, the West Indies and the USA.

This period involved solving the problems at each new installation, as SSL moved to from around 25 console sales, to become a world standard. All this experience has been the basis of Smart Research