Pro Audio-Recording

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) today announced the session schedule for its new Hands-On-Training (H.O.T.) Zone at the 2010 NAMM Show, which will take place in Anaheim, Calif., Jan 14-17, 2010.

 Yoshiharu Abe is known as the father of personal multi-track recording in the audio engineering field.  He was one of the five founders of TEAC in 1957 and went on to become one of the company’s most important product designers.  Abe-son designed several landmark products over his long career including the 80-8 and the Portastudio series.  He later worked for Fostex and was a key player in the teams that created the B-13 and X-15.  Beginning in 1948 he also began writing extensively

 Ken Achard played such an important part of the industry that he was asked to write a book.  The book entitled “The Peavey Revolution” was released in 2005 and covers Ken’s long association with the innovative company and its founder.  Ken met Hartley Peavey in 1972, who entrusted Ken to open up the UK operations of the Peavey Company.  The task did not come without challenges, but as Ken put it, “It was a great opportunity to be a part of something big. 

Tom Beckman opened a music store with his band director while still in college in 1958. The relationships he created in the store lead to a road salesman job with C. Bruno. He traveled the country for nearly a decade before establishing his own distribution company, Beckman Musical. He later began a long association with Roland Corporation. Tom’s interview included a review of the changes he has witnessed in the industry over the past 50 years, including the growth of the NAMM show.
 

William Bevan has proudly served as an engineer at Shure Inc. for over 40 years. He was a key engineer in many of the company’s products from the early 1960s and running into the 2000s. He worked in the electronic development departments with a focus in his early years in photograph cartridges and microphone development. William often spoke of his enjoyment serving Shure and described his co-workers as “a family team.”

John Boylan is best known as a hit-making record producer working with Charlie Daniels, Linda Ronstadt, Boston and the Little River Band. In addition to his successful career, John has a passion for the history of electronic and recording equipment. He has studied the roots of recording gear and its development over the last one hundred years. In recent years John has worked on several movie projects including “Born on the Fourth of July” and the TV program, Elmopalooza. 

Ernie Briefel played a tremendous role in the wholesaling of musical instruments in New York City, beginning in the 1950s. His understanding of the business and close partnerships have resulted in creative innovations, the establishment of brands, the growth of markets and accessibility to in-demand instruments. While interviewing Ernie, it is clear that the friendships he developed along the way have truly been a key factor not only in his success but also in the enjoyment he has found within the music products industry over his long career.  

Bob Casey enjoyed a long career in pro audio and radio. It all began when he was four years old when he saw the large sound cones on his father’s truck. His father formed Edward P. Casey’s Sound System Company and became one of the early inventors of PA (Public Address) systems in New York. Over the years Bob’s father created the sound systems for many of the Catholic churches in the city as well as for Yankee Stadium. Bob formed his own company creating sound systems for night clubs and studios in New York and on occasion would work with his father on larger projects such as when the Pope provided mass at Yankee Stadium in 1979. Bob also played an important role for the Armed Forces Radio Network during the Vietnam War.

Roger Cox was a pioneering product engineer with Fender Musical Instruments in the 1990s when he brought the Passport system to the market. The project caped a long career with Fender that included working on several landmark projects with many of the icons in the industry. Rodger enjoyed success at a number of companies during his career including CMI (staying on during the Norlin days) and CBS Musical Instruments.

Sol Fleising worked for Erikson’s Musical after earning his business degree and even worked in a small music retail store for a while, but he had a vision to own his own company. During the boom of pro audio and electronic instruments of the 1970s, Sol focused on bringing products to the Canadian market that otherwise may not have been covered by the larger wholesalers at the time. SF Marketing built a strong reputation for service and innovative products, which Sol took great pride in developing and expanding into new or different markets.