
21 August 2023
Situated in the vibrant West Midlands region and with an additional presence in North Wales, CS Audio stands as an independent professional sound production company. Owner Paul Hatt’s decision to integrate Outline’s innovative Newton FPGA processor into their equipment lineup was met with certainty and enthusiasm. The acquisition, facilitated by UK distributor CUK Audio, was prompted by the industry’s resounding praise for the Newton processor.
Situated in the vibrant West Midlands region and with an additional presence in North Wales, CS Audio stands as an independent professional sound production company. The company specializes in delivering top-tier equipment, skilled personnel, and comprehensive services to the domains of concert touring, theater, and events.
Owner Paul Hatt’s decision to integrate Outline’s innovative Newton FPGA processor from Outline Professional Audio into their equipment lineup was met with certainty and enthusiasm. The acquisition, facilitated by UK distributor CUK Group, was prompted by the industry’s resounding praise for the Newton processor. “The unit had been on my radar for a while thanks to the industry ‘buzz’ it has generated – some products quickly develop a reputation for simply being the right tool for the job and Newton is definitely one of them. It quickly became obvious that it was way ahead of any comparable product and ideal for our needs. Its ease of use, dual redundant PSUs and connectivity options, all in such a compact package, made it a very simple decision to invest.”
‘Adding Outline’s Newton to our rental inventory was a very simple decision’ – Paul Hatt
Hatt further elaborates on their utilization of the Newton processor, citing it as their preferred option for the FOH (Front of House) drive rack. Employing Dante as the primary network with AES backup, the Newton processor harmoniously integrates with CS Audio’s Martin Audio loudspeaker products. Notably, the processor has accompanied prominent artists such as Groove Armada, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Soft Cell, Emma Bunton, and Belinda Carlisle on their tours. Additionally, it played a pivotal role in The Alarm’s 30th-anniversary show. Hatt acknowledges the processor’s reliability and excellence in control software, qualities that have garnered praise from his teams. He also commends James from CUK Group for his invaluable assistance in navigating the challenging supply chain landscape that has impacted the industry.
Paul continues, “It has become our go-to choice for our FOH drive rack, using Dante as the primary network with AES backup, and it works so well with our inventory of Martin Audio loudspeaker products. It’s already been out on tours with Groove Armada, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Soft Cell, Emma Bunton and Belinda Carlisle plus we used it for The Alarm’s 30th anniversary show up here too. My crews really like it because it’s reliable, the control software is excellent and it’s everything they wanted. Also, James from CUK Group was incredibly helpful, managing to get us product on time during the supply chain problems that have affected the whole industry.”
One of Paul’s freelancers, James Jewry, was PA Tech on the The Alarm show and added: “Newton is a superb bit of kit for the heart of any audio system. The workflow and speed of operation helps me concentrate on the bit of getting the sound system tuned and lined up before handover to the band engineer. The variety of inputs and outputs, in only a 1U chassis, is super flexible to deal with whatever’s thrown at you.”
Reach out to us at sales@cuk-group.com for a tailored discussion on your audio-visual requirements.