THE music mixing desk group Solid State Logic, beloved by rock and pop stars around the world, has been sold by media group Carlton for £43.5m.

Managers at Solid State Logic, of Begbroke, near Oxford, which in 1970 revolutionised recording studios by computerising mixing consoles, have backed a buyout by investment group 3i.

SSL marketing director John Andrews said: "It is a great relief really that our future is secure with the backing of a big investor like 3i."

The company's 250 UK staff, mostly employed at its base in Begbroke, will not be affected and nor will the 100 other employees outside the UK.

Mr Andrews said: "It will be business as usual. We have always been a very cash-comfortable company and will continue to make profits."

Sting, Eric Clapton and Peter Gabriel have all installed SSL equipment in their homes, while its systems are used by studios across the world including London's legendary Abbey Road.

Following its rapid take-up by the music world during the early 1970s, SSL branched into sound mixing for broadcast, post production and film companies. Its 1,000-plus customer list now includes the BBC.

Carlton, which recently announced a merger with United News & Media, is currently selling off its non-core businesses.

Carlton bought SSL as part of its 1989 acquisition of the UEI engineering conglomerate.

The company was founded in 1969 by entrepreneur Colin Sanders, who sold it for £27m in 1986. Mr Sanders died when his twin-engine Squirrel helicopter crashed near his family home at Souldern Manor, near Bicester, last January.s

Story date: Thursday 23 December

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.