Installing equipment and wiring in a new audio facility is never an easy task, which is why so many top studios prefer to leave the job to the experts rather than tackle it in-house. And the company that many turn to when they are either opening a new studio or refurbishing an existing one is Newfield King Ltd (NFK), a specialist design and technical installation company headed by Bill Ward.

Over the years NFK has worked with studios such as Abbey Road, Angel, Mayfair and Sarm in London, as well as high profile Soho-based post production facilities such as 750 mph and The Production Factory. Its list of UK and European clients extends from concert venues, educational institutions and law courts through to internationally acclaimed recording artists such as George Michael and William Orbit for whom NFK has installed private studios.

According to Bill Ward, one of the main factors in NFK’s success is its relationship with key suppliers such as VDC Trading, through which is sources all of its cabling and connectors.

"We always use the highest quality products because that’s the only way to ensure first rate results for our customers," Ward says. "VDC Trading has been my principle cable supplier since I started the company six years ago. The staff at VDC understand the technical issues involved in the business and are always willing to act quickly in order to fulfil orders."

In recent months NFK has completed three major projects, all with VDC Trading’s help. The first of these was the installation of a Solid State Logic AWS 900 analogue digital workstation into Greenhouse Studios in Iceland, which is owned by producer Valgier Sigurdsson, whose credits include extensive work with Bjork.

"VDC’s support was vital whilst out in Iceland because shipping was incredibly expensive, so complex orders needed to be executed without hassle," Ward explains. "As we were not in a situation where we could ‘nip back next week to finish things off’, it was imperative that stock was available in quantity and next day. Added to this, our client was taking a no compromise attitude to the technical designs, therefore we needed top end quality as always."

NFK has also completed a project in Glasgow – installing a Solid State Logic SL4048G+ Series console in Mixing Rooms, a new three-studio facility owned by producer Stuart McCredie that also houses a Solid State Logic AWS 900. Mixing Rooms, which opened just before Christmas, is now Scotland’s premier recording facility.

Bill Ward says: "Although this installation didn’t require an abundance of cabling – most of it was supplied by the client - there was a whole host of connectors, racking and custom made studio looms and cables required, all of which were effortlessly supplied by VDC."

Another studio that has benefited from the combined resources of NFK and VDC is Riverlight in Chelsea, London, which is owned by film music composer and producer Leo Cottakis. This installation was a re-fit of an existing NFK/VDC control room, in which the old console was replaced with an SSL AWS 900 analogue workstation, which also includes the first UK installation of the new SSL X-Rack dynamics package.

Ward says: "This was a massive technical installation – in fact the largest and most comprehensive AWS 900 install we have carried out so far. It involved a complete system re-wire plus a new a patchbay incorporating eight full width bantam strips so that Leo’s extensive collection of outboard equipment could be linked to the desk. Once again, our client took a no compromise approach to the technical installation and was happy to return to both NFK and VDC to ensure the job was done properly."