Founded in 1975 in Milton Keynes, England by Mick Barnard — a former Genesis guitarist — and fellow engineer Doug Russell, Bel began as a manufacturer of analog mixing consoles and effects processors for the recording industry. The company's first major product was the BF-20 Stereo Flanger, a rackmount analog unit built around bucket-brigade delay (BBD) chips that became the flanger of choice at studios including Air Studios, Townhouse Studios, and Metropolis, and was used by artists such as Phil Collins, The Rolling Stones, and Yes.

In 1984, Bel released the BD-80, a mono digital delay and sampler that offered just over two seconds of sampling at 15kHz bandwidth, with CV and trigger inputs for keyboard control. Often described as the "poor man's AMS DMX 15-80S," the BD-80 became a fixture in studios worldwide and spawned expanded models including the BD-80S (stereo), BD-240 (8-second delay), and BD-320 (32-second delay). De La Soul are among the artists known to have used the BD-80 series. The BD-80's progressive high-frequency filter on repeats, phase-invert capability, and oscillator-driven modulation gave it a distinctive character that keeps it sought after on the vintage market.

From the 1990s onward, Bel shifted focus to professional broadcast audio and video equipment, producing audio synchronization delays, confidence monitors, and format converters under the Bel Digital Audio name. In 2017, Mick Barnard revived the classic BF-20 design as the BF-20-500 for the 500-series format under the Bel Heritage Designs banner.

Bel has 1 product cataloged on Equipboard, including Effects Processors. Their gear is featured by 5 artists, with the strongest followings in Electronic, Rock, and Pop. Notable users include The Future Sound of London, Nick Beggs, and Richard H. Kirk.