From Filmtech to Soundkit
Soundkit’s story began long before the company itself. Founder Martyn Richards had already spent almost 20 years working in sound for television and film, beginning with PA systems for BBC outside broadcasts before moving into the design and manufacture of portable audio mixers.
Following the sudden death of his business partner, Martyn continued the manufacturing business alone. Working from the family home, he built the Filmtech range of mixers by hand, including the successful LSP4. The first circuit boards were assembled using tweezers in the front room, and on one occasion Martyn even took components and a soldering iron to Las Vegas so he could continue working after exhibiting at the NAB Show.
As audio technology evolved, Martyn realised that sound professionals needed more than mixers. They also needed microphones, bags, cables, batteries and reliable advice about how everything worked together.
Soundkit was founded in 2002, bringing all of that equipment together in one specialist place. Once the company began supplying brands such as Sound Devices and Sennheiser, everything fell into place.
A family business
Soundkit grew as a small, independent family business, run by Martyn alongside his daughters, Caitlin and Hannah.
While the company supplied professional equipment across the UK and internationally, it retained the personal approach of a much smaller operation. Customers could phone the office and speak directly to somebody who knew the equipment, understood their work and often remembered them from previous conversations.
Caitlin managed much of the company’s day-to-day operation and, through her own work as an actor and voice-over artist, understood the pressures faced by production teams on set. Hannah also supported the office and website, helping Soundkit provide the friendly and dependable service for which it became known.
As film and television production expanded in Cardiff, Soundkit regularly supported sound teams working on major productions including Doctor Who, Casualty and His Dark Materials. Some customers had known Martyn since his mixer-building days, while others discovered Soundkit when assembling their first professional kit.
The approach remained simple: knowledgeable advice, practical solutions and, in Martyn’s words, “no fuss, no palaver”.
The right home for Soundkit
After 24 years of running Soundkit, Martyn decided that 2026 was the right time to retire, while Caitlin moved on to a new challenge. Finding the right organisation to continue what they had built was therefore extremely important.
Stage Sound Services felt like a natural home for Soundkit. Both businesses were established in Cardiff by people with a hands-on understanding of professional sound, and both grew by providing dependable equipment, technical knowledge and personal service.
Stage Sound Services began as a small local audio rental operation before developing into a major technical production resource. Today, its Pontprennau premises bring together professional sound, video and staging hire, installation services, equipment repairs, cable manufacturing and custom flightcase production.
From August 2026, Soundkit became part of the Stage Sound Services group. The move gave Soundkit access to the facilities, investment and wider technical expertise needed to develop further, while preserving the specialist knowledge and straightforward service its customers valued.
For Martyn, it marked the end of an era, but also the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for the company.
The next chapter
Soundkit is now run day to day by Chris, Rhys and James, with support from the wider Stage Sound Services team.
To ensure customers continue to receive the high level of technical knowledge and practical advice that Martyn was known for, Soundkit will also be supported by experienced sound professionals Elis Griffiths and Lyndon Jones.
Elis is an experienced production sound mixer and recordist with a long-standing background in broadcast, television and media production. Lyndon brings decades of experience across broadcast audio and production, including more than 20 years with BBC Wales, alongside his work as an independent media producer and lecturer.
Their combined industry experience will help us preserve Soundkit’s knowledgeable, no-fuss approach while the business continues to grow.
With the backing of the Stage Sound Services family, we plan to expand Soundkit’s product range, develop a dedicated showroom in Cardiff and make it easier for customers across the UK and beyond to find the equipment they need.
Whether someone is choosing their first recorder, replacing an essential cable or building a complete location sound package, we want Soundkit to remain the first place they turn for trusted equipment, honest advice and dependable support.