Having cut his teeth preparing and maintaining technical equipment for some of the world’s biggest tours, Sam Pemberton, Director at Make Noise Pro Audio, has turned his proficiency in taking apart old or broken kit and giving it a new lease of life into a business.
In 2020, he formally established Make Noise Pro Audio, which he modestly referred to as a “selfish venture” to learn more about gear. Speaking exclusively to TPi, the service engineer turned entrepreneur shares the brand’s unique approach to reconditioning, and now, renting outboard equipment to the studio and live sector.
The height of the COVID-19 pandemic was when the company truly gained its footing, and through the uptick of people creating at home from content to music, to podcasts, Pemberton made himself busy through lockdowns repairing kit and selling it on. “I thought it was the perfect opportunity to set the company up properly, and I’ll be honest, we haven’t looked back,” Pemberton recalled.
Six years on, the company maintains its boutique nature, with two team members overseeing a raft of technical equipment. “It’s very busy,” Pemberton laughed. “Over the years we’ve been able to home in on what people want, which has made us busier.”
Pemberton believes his background has allowed him to fulfil enquiries from rental houses in the live entertainment and touring world. “There is crossover between the studio and the touring world,” Pemberton said, further revealing how Make Noise Pro Audio is taking a step back into the touring world. “We now operate as a rental house specialising in outboard equipment.”
According to Pemberton, traditional outboard equipment has “come back into fashion” after a hiatus, and people are “pivoting back to classic kit”. He elaborated: “It feels like a conscious thing for us to fill that gap in the market. We aren’t just in the world of selling used pro audio equipment; we operate as a rental house specialising in outboard equipment,” Pemberton explained. “We think that by having direct interaction with the kit, by repairing and the upkeep of it, we’re best placed to provide outboard to the touring world, and that is because we truly know the equipment.”
Pemberton believes that touring has appeared to become more “uniform” in recent years. “Mixing consoles and playback systems have gotten so good and shows themselves have become more uniform in how they are put together. I think part of the reason complex outboard is rearing its head is that it adds colour that you arguably can’t get in software or digital domains,” he stated. “It allows audio engineers, be that FOH or monitors, to put their own stamp on how a live show sounds and ultimately feels.”
He added: “Live sound engineers are trying to get the best sound out of a show so that everyone can enjoy it. I think it is the same in the recording studio world; hardware in my opinion, sounds better and therefore, makes a tangible difference.”
Make Noise Pro Audio aims to eschew what Pemberton dubs a “fast fashion mentality” when it comes to investing in equipment. He explained: “There is a lot of new kit arriving almost all of the time, and there are a lot of new toys that people want, but you cannot fault the classics and a lot of engineers, be that studio or live, want that too and we want to look after that equipment and repair them for as long as possible. Our in-house technician, Lawrence Ethan, is amazing and can restore almost anything.”
Make Noise Pro Audio stocks a focussed brand list for rental and for purchase, including Rupert Neve Designs, Solid State Logic, Smart Research, Tube-Tech, Bricasti, SPL, Mojave, RME and Ferrofish, among others. “We understand that certain projects might not require you to buy kit outright, and while that is a huge focus for us, we’re excited to continue to fulfil a niche in the industry by providing a rental service for outboard equipment,” Pemberton proudly concluded.
Words: Alicia Pollitt
Photos: Make Noise Pro Audio
