History

Two engineers, Dave Alner and Paul Hamblin, formed Alner Hamblin Electronics in 1977. The principal business of the company at that time was the manufacture of high quality mixing desk Input and output modules for Midas Audio. Before long we were involved with the manufacture of the full range of modules and also power supplies, then latterly the design and test of input and output modules, and pcb assemblies.

Midas Audio introduced us to Martin Audio and we then began to manufacture control units for their loudspeaker crossover units. Our association with Martin Audio continues to this day, and for the last 10 years we have assisted them with their design of its electronic equipment. We design, manufacture, test, etc., crossover and EQ functions in the analogue domain from functions presented in the digital domain. We are also an approved service centre for Lab Gruppen amplifiers through Martin Audio. Martin Audio, then part of the TGI group, introduced us to another member of the group - Audix - and we commenced manufacture of power amplifier modules for them.

When Midas Audio was acquired by Klark-Teknik in 1989 we assisted in the manufacture of the new range of PRO Midas modules together with their own range of graphic equalisers. Klark-Teknik introduced us to another member of the group - D.D.A. - and for a short period we manufactured the D.D.A. range of mixer input modules.

Around the same time of the acquisition of Midas Audio by Klark-Teknik, two other companies had been born, Brooke Siren Systems and Autograph Sales. Both companies approached Alner Hamblin Electronics to manufacture their equipment. We manufactured and tested controllers for frequency dividers, Direct Injection boxes, and effects units for B.S.S. and distribution units and balanced Input stages for Autograph Sales.

The above is a brief description of our professional audio development. At the same time, our involvement with domestic high quality audio was also growing.

We now go back to 1965, where Dave Alner and Paul Hamblin first met as apprentices for Radford Electronics. At Radford's we built and tested the MA15/25, STA15/25 valve amplifiers, the SC22/P preamplifier, and also the FMT1, 2 and 3 FM tuners. We helped in the development of the STA100 valve amplifier, and also assisted Arthur Radford with development of the Beaumond, Tristar, Studio and Studio 360 transmission line loudspeakers. We were also instrumental in the design to production of the first Radford bipolar amplifier the SCA30. Our work consisted of testing, quality assurance and preparation of operator instruction and service manuals.

Later work at Radford Electronics included testing and QA of the Low Distortion Oscillator, Distortion Measuring Set and High Sensitivity Voltmeter, together with pcb design, development and test jig design for the Radford SPA50, SC24, and FMT4.

Dave Alner and Paul Hamblin left Radford Electronics in 1972 to co-found Nytech Audio as chief engineer and production manager respectively, latterly to become technical and production directors, both responsible for the design and development of the electronics and packaging of the Thomas Laney 100 and the Nytech CTA252. The CTA252 presented many challenges and as a result a lot of innovations were applied to the design, from the phono disc input stage to the preamplifier to the output stage. The FM tunerhead, stereo decoder and pilot tone/sub-carrier rejection filter was developed 'in house' and was also used in the Edinburgh Wireless Company Tuner (manufactured by Nytech Ltd.). The tuner head was also used in the A&R Cambridge (now Arcam), T21 Tuner.

In 1977 Dave and Paul left Nytech to form Alner Hamblin Electronics. Radford contacted us shortly afterwards with a proposal to produce the Radford TT100. The audio side of Radford Electronics was to be taken over by Woodside Electronics retaining the Radford Logo. Alner Hamblin Electronics then assisted with the manufacture of CD players and amplifiers for Woodside.

Along with the above, Alner Hamblin Electronics have manufactured for ATC, PMC, and Veritas, and been largely involved in the design and manufacture of AV International (AVI) audio equipment. We were also consulted to re-layout for production the classic Linsley Hood 80 Watt Amplifier, first published in ETI magazine back in 1984. We manufacture the mono bloc version of the amplifier to this day for Williams Hart Electronics.

Our work over the last six years has been mainly on high frequency, high power supplies and high power amplification, as these years have seen a switch from analogue amplification to digital amplification. The staggering rise in digital equipment over these last few years has brought an attendant increase in radio frequency noise, both airborne and conducted through the mains. To reduce the affect to high quality audio Installations, we have also designed and manufacture a mains filter, developed in our in house EMC facility.