Specialist microphone hire company Origin Audio has been purchased by Terry Tew Sound & Light. Formed more than 24 years ago by Stephen Higgs, Origin specialises exclusively in the hire of Schoeps microphones, and now falls within Terry Tew Sound & Light’s remit for audiovisual hire and sales for events, conferences and broadcast.
‘I started the business when I left the BBC, slowly building up the company and investing all profits back into stock,’ Higgs says. ‘I decided to invest solely in Schoeps because I’ve always used them and believe they’re the best and most versatile mics on the market.
‘When I started, I was working with film makers and I produced bespoke stereo kits that made the audio production of day-to-day stereo drama film making that much easier. That’s no longer a requirement, but making ‘widgets’, and other rigging items helped microphones ‘disappear’, enhancing major national televised events. Knowing what engineers want out in the field has always been my passion and my focus.’
Origin currently has a stock of more than 150 Schoeps microphones, and more than 140 active rods and cables – but it is not only this that has made it a success. The company has built up an illustrious list of clients including The Proms, all televised Westminster Abbey and St Pauls Cathedral occasions for past 14 years, A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings College, Cambridge, as well as Abbey Road and Air studios.
Higgs is now looking forward to taking things a little easier, splitting his time between London and Paris, where his wife is originally from: ‘When I was toying with the idea of selling up, I wanted to make sure that the ethos of the company would be continued,’ he says. ‘I had a chat with my clients, and discussing it with them it became very clear that Terry Tew Sound and Light was the right company to take it on and forwards.’
‘We are delighted to be able to carry on Stephen’s legacy,’ Tew says. ‘We have always had the same attitude towards our clients that he has and have longstanding relationships with them – for instance we’re currently working on our 14th consecutive series of one of the UK’s favourite television shows – so bringing Origin into our portfolio seems a very logical next step.’
More: www.terrytew.co.uk
