STL Pro Audio is a 100% New Zealand-owned importer, distributor, and retailer of professional audio equipment, based in Wellington City. Founded by audio engineer and musician Troy Kelly (TK), STL Pro Audio exists to help New Zealand’s audio community choose the right tools with confidence, tested in real studios and backed by local people who genuinely understand the gear.
How it Started
In the early 2000s, finding serious recording gear in New Zealand was difficult. Choice was limited, buying overseas was risky, and support was often non-existent. STL was created to change that by offering legitimate local supply, gear that had been properly used and tested with clear, experience-based guidance. The philosophy has always been simple: "If we’d use it ourselves, it’s worth selling”.
- 2003 – Launched as Sounds Too Loud Audio on Trade Me, starting with a single microphone brand
- 2006 – Opened a commercial recording studio, later becoming The Armoury in central Wellington
- 2010 – Attended our first NAMM show and began working directly with leading global manufacturers
- 2010 – Expanded to become an importer and distributor for 30+ brands
Today, STL Pro Audio:
- An authorised retailer for 60+ professional audio brands
- Supplies a nationwide wholesale network
- Works with universities, broadcasters, and post-production facilities
- Designs, supplies, and installs professional studios across New Zealand
Why Buy From STL Pro Audio
Because choosing professional audio gear shouldn’t feel uncertain. When you buy from STL Pro Audio, you’re not just purchasing equipment, you’re getting local support, real-world advice, and confidence that your setup will actually work. We help you choose the right tools, make sure they work together, and support you long after they’re installed, so you can focus on recording, mixing, and creating.
Authorised NZ Distribution
All products are officially imported and supported in New Zealand, with full manufacturer warranties and local after-sales support.
Tested in Real Studios
Every product is evaluated in our own commercial recording studio. If we wouldn’t rely on it ourselves, we won’t sell it.
Knowledge You Can Trust
Advice comes from engineers and musicians who use this equipment daily.
Local Stock & Fast Supply
We hold stock locally wherever possible, reducing wait times, customs risk, and downtime.
Support Before & After You Buy
From choosing a single microphone to designing a complete studio system, we’re here to help at every stage.
No Parallel Imports
What you buy is legitimate, supported, and covered.
Gear We Know Inside Out
Every product we represent is tested and used in our own commercial recording studio, The Armoury. If something doesn’t hold up in practice, we don’t carry it.
We understand the equipment:
- In real recording sessions
- As part of complete signal chains
- In day-to-day workflows, not just on paper
Brands We Represent
STL Pro Audio is the authorised New Zealand distributor for a carefully selected range of professional audio manufacturers. Each brand is selected for sound quality, reliability, and long-term usefulness, including:
- Rupert Neve Designs
- Solid State Logic
- ATC Loudspeakers
- Telefunken Elektroakustik
- Heritage Audio
- Empirical Labs
- Lauten Audio
- Plus many more
How We Help You Choose
We take a knowledge-first approach to pro audio:
- Recommending what fits your work, not what costs the most
- Explaining options and trade-offs clearly
- Helping you build systems that make sense now and later
- Supporting you until the job is finished
From first home studios to full commercial facilities, we’re here to help you make informed decisions and get results.
Built on Trust
STL Pro Audio has helped thousands of customers across New Zealand for over two decades. Our early Trade Me store maintained 100% positive feedback reflecting the way we work: personally, honestly, and with accountability. We’re continuing to build better ways to support the New Zealand audio community, through clearer guidance, deeper knowledge, and smarter tools for choosing gear.
If you’re recording, mixing, producing, or building a studio, we’re here to help.
Troy Kelly (TK)
Founder, STL Pro Audio