Focusrite Audio Engineering Managing Director Phil Dudderidge has been awarded an Honorary Professorship by Thames Valley University (TVU).

The accolade comes after twenty years at the helm of one of the world's leading audio hardware manufacturers and a forty-year career in professional audio. 

Earning his stripes in the live sound arena, Phil landed the job as Led Zeppelin's live engineer in 1970, using a pair of WEM Audiomasters connected together to achieve a 10-channel mixer!

Discovering first hand that there was a gap in the market for larger mixers, Phil went on to co-found Soundcraft in 1973, developing the company into Europe’s leading console brand, before selling it to Harman International in 1988.

Shortly after this, Phil bought Focusrite, a young company with a prestigious reputation founded by Rupert Neve. Under Phil's control, Focusrite's product portfolio diversified from studio consoles, and the company re-focused on the outboard hardware market. Soon, Focusrite's Red Range mic-preamps, equalisers and dynamics processors were in use in professional studios across the globe, with subsequent product ranges designed for the new breed of home-studio owners selling in their thousands.

Today, Focusrite and sister brand Novation, acquired in 2004, are the leading European brands in their respective fields, conquering markets across the globe.

Commenting on his Honorary Professorship at TVU, Phil commented "I am exceedingly proud to be chosen for this honour by the Faculty of the Arts, especially by record producer and senior lecturer Pip Williams, who has known me on and off since I was an 18 year old roadie.

Education in the recording and live production arts was unheard of when I was young. Today there are countless schools and colleges offering such courses, from basic to advanced degree level, and TVU is without doubt one of the leaders in the field in the UK. I am proud that Focusrite products have been some of the equipment choices made by TVU for the studios, and I look forward to making a personal contribution to the University in the coming years."
For more information on T.V.U, head to www.tvu.ac.uk.