About Us
History
Ballarat’s Hardy Audio was created by Paul Hardy in 1998. Paul Hardy (1952-2008), was widely known in the industry at the time as the hit ‘em in the face, retail voice of Harvey Norman.
Paul Hardy moved to Ballarat and into the Hardy Audio studio of today at a time when broadband was changing the way the industry worked. In 1998, the Hardy Audio studio had two booths and three mixing suites with Soundscape and Tascam digital mixers.
Lauren’s team brings a wealth of experience in digital content and in-stream marketing via podcasts and music streaming services, as well as script writing, foreign language translations and audio design.
Discover new Talent
Who's behind Hardy Audio?
Peter | Operations Manager
Peter has over 30 years’ experience working in commercial television, covering a vast array of responsibilities in the operational and on-air space.
As the recently appointed Operations Manager at Hardy Audio, Peter is the driving force behind the team.
Peter has over 30 years’ experience working in commercial television, covering a vast array of responsibilities in the operational and on-air space.
Peter is no stranger to working with tight deadlines and the time pressure of ‘I need it now’ requests. On more than one occasion Peter has been known to ‘pull a rabbit out of a hat’.
Peter’s measured, calm demeanor and extensive experience ensures that even on the busiest of days, expectations and deadlines are met, with a smile.
Peter’s favorite part of the day is the calm before the storm, savouring his first cup of coffee, followed by the satisfaction of completing every job by the end of the day, and of course meeting the client’s expectations with the best possible outcomes.
He also enjoys connecting with Hardy Audio’s clients, both new and old; familiarising himself with their special requirements, and an understanding about what works best for each particular job.
Peter is always willing to go above and beyond for clients and is constantly looking for ways to improve the experience, ensuring that the team provides a seamless and stress-free experience for everyone.
A final word: If you can’t find Peter at work, then it’s quite likely he’s on a plane to an exotic location for a bit of ‘R’ and ‘R’.
Robbie | Production Engineer
Robbie is the team’s Production Engineer and even after a lengthy and successful career in the industry, he still loves the thrill of producing high quality voiceovers for audiences around the world.
Robbie’s love of music saw him become a radio hack working in his home state of Tasmania. After building up his name and profile in Tassie with the Hit Network he joined 3BA in Ballarat as a Production Manager before joining the Hardy Audio family.
Robbie never tires of speaking to his clients to find out exactly what they need. From straight forward 15 second ads, to complex corporate videos, Robbie treats every job equally, knowing the importance the final product is to his clients.
He loves working closely with the talent to ensure the end result fills the brief every time. Robbie also enoys the challenge of working on multiple projects at once.
“I love the thrill of many projects running concurrently and being able to action campaigns in a short timeframe. It’s incredibly rewarding to supply material to clients who need a great result on a tight deadline.”
A final word…
“It’s a dream job with a fantastic talent roster and wonderful clients. I love our small team & the satisfaction of hearing feedback from clients about successful campaigns Hardy Audio has been involved with.”
Lisa | Client Services
From a stint as a magazine editor to working at the local cemetery, Lisa brings a diverse mix of career experiences to Hardy Audio studio.
Lisa is the new face of the Hardy Audio Team. Swept up by Lauren’s charismatic invitation to come on board (hey, you like people), Lisa accepted the offer and has embraced all aspects of her newfound audio-land.
Although fresh to the ranks, Lisa has quickly adapted to her Client Services support role and relishes the opportunity to nail each brief as it lands. Her favourite part of the role so far?
“I love exceeding clients’ expectations and finding solutions to any problems that emerge, plus the fun game of learning how to pronounce tricky words”, said Lisa.
From a stint as a magazine editor to working at the local cemetery, Lisa brings a diverse mix of career experiences to the Hardy Audio studio.
Meeting tight deadlines and caring for clients are familiar responsibilities. As a newcomer, Lisa appreciates the Hardy Audio team approach towards each project and concern for detail, at every step.
Her most loved tasks are writing, being introduced to new people and developing those client relationships. (Lauren was right, as it turns out).
On weekends Lisa can be found attending fabulous events, trying new food offerings, and engrossed in a thrilling book.
A final word: Lisa supports the inclusion of pineapple on pizza and hopes we can all still be friends.
Tom | Audio Engineer & Producer
As a skilled recording and mixing engineer, Tom brings an extremely high level of audio expertise to every project.
As an Engineer and Producer at Hardy Audio Tom makes sure everything sounds amazing.
As a skilled recording and mixing engineer, Tom brings an extremely high level of audio expertise to every project.
“I always wanted to work in Audio. Many years ago, I pieced together my first recording system from a borrowed computer and mixing desk I found in a skip. I can’t say it was the best system, but I got it working and cut my teeth on it,” said Tom.
While at Hardy Audio, Tom has had the opportunity to learn different sides of the business, such as administration.
While it’s been a steep learning curve, Tom’s really happy to have learned something new about the business.
Tom has a real passion for audio, so often looks for new industry mentors to learn more about his craft.
Tom has recently been setting up an analog recording system with his Dad, who used to work at recording studios in the late 70’s.
Tom says his dad is very good with an old tape machine, but not so much with a digital system.
Tom is a huge Liverpool Football Club supporter, and plays for the Daylesford and Hepburn Springs Soccer Club (Go Pumpers!)
A final word: Tom is weirdly good at painting miniature models.
Lauren | Director & Owner
Lauren believes that successfully operating Hardy Audio from Ballarat proves you don’t need to compromise, when working with a regional business. Audio has no boundaries!
Lauren’s career began at 15-years old; working part-time as a camera assistant at Ballarat’s BTV 6 television station.
“Lisa, (my best friend at school), and I were lucky enough to get weekend work at the station, and I was fascinated by the process, especially the camera work
“We spent our weekends with the news crews. I’ve never worked as hard as I did when we worked on the Stawell Gift race,” said Lauren.
Lauren loves every part of the industry and celebrates new advances in technology because it allows for such a wealth of possibilities.
“Being part of the industry and loading films live to air, or watching DubSat deliver the first digital ad has been amazing. Today, I get to work with producers, fantastic voice over talent and industry creatives. I just love the work,” said Lauren.
Lauren believes that successfully operating Hardy Audio from Ballarat proves you don’t need to compromise, when working with a regional business. Audio has no boundaries.
Hardy Audio was founded by Paul Hardy in 1998. Paul was the one of the original voices of the Harvey Norman ads.
“He would voice literally thousands of ads a month and was truly an extraordinary man who had an amazing voice. When I bought the company, I wanted to keep the name going in honour of his legacy in the advertising industry, ” said Lauren.
A final word: Lauren loves her animals. Her backyard on a sunny day looks like the set of Doctor Doolittle, with dogs, chickens and guinea pigs. And of course, they are all incredibly talented.
