Practical audio solutions to problems you didn’t know existed
Specialist interfaces and utility tools for integrating, routing, and monitoring audio in real-world systems.
What we solve
Audio systems don’t always integrate cleanly.
Comms systems don’t connect easily to mixing consoles
Signal routing between equipment can be awkward
Monitoring often requires workarounds
TBA Engineering designs practical tools to simplify these problems and make systems behave as expected — whether that’s interfacing comms systems, routing signals, or managing multiple sources in real-world setups.
Real-world problems
Hearing comms without losing the mix
When mixing live shows, engineers often need to follow cues from a comms system.
Wearing a comms headset makes this easy — but it also isolates you from the PA, making it difficult to hear and mix the show properly.
Balancing both at the same time isn’t straightforward, and often relies on compromise or improvised setups.
Getting comms into a console
Comms audio is rarely available as a clean, usable signal.
Routing it into a mixing desk for level control, processing, or recording can be awkward without the right interface.
Managing multiple instruments and microphones
In performance setups, switching between instruments often means managing multiple inputs.
Muting unused sources and routing the correct signals isn’t always simple, especially in compact or live environments.
Featured Products
The CAi-2 is a comms audio interface designed to integrate communication systems with mixing consoles, monitoring setups, and external audio equipment.
By accessing comms audio through the headset connection, the CAi-2 provides a practical way to route, monitor, and manage communication signals within wider audio workflows. This allows comms and programme audio to be monitored simultaneously in live sound, broadcast, and production environments.
The unit also functions as a flexible utility interface for getting audio in and out of comms systems when dedicated interfacing hardware is unavailable.
Includes 4-pin female-to-female XLR headset adaptor cable. Additional adaptor variants available separately.
BubbleBee Sidekick Broadcast Earpiece allow comms and cue audio to be monitored while maintaining awareness of the surrounding environment and PA.
Unlike fully isolating headphones or earpieces, acoustically transparent monitoring allows engineers and operators to continue hearing the room naturally while still following comms, cues, or programme audio clearly.
This makes them particularly useful in live sound and production workflows where maintaining situational awareness is important. Paired with the CAi-2 and a headset microphone such as the Shure WH20, they provide a flexible and practical comms monitoring solution.
The Shure WH20 is a lightweight dynamic headset microphone commonly used in live production, technical, and comms environments.
Its close-position dynamic microphone provides reliable voice pickup while remaining resistant to feedback and background noise in high-level environments. The lightweight headset design and stable microphone positioning make it well suited to situations where communication clarity and comfort are important over extended periods of use.
Paired with the CAi-2 and a transparent IFB earpiece, the WH20 forms part of a practical monitoring and communications workflow for live sound and production applications.
