Product Engineers

Jon Bormann attended his first AES Show in 1973.  Just two years later, at the age of 25, he formed his own pro audio dealership, AVC Systems.  Soon Jon began designing and building studios while seeking to provide the best sound system possible.  In many cases this meant creating gear specific to those customer needs.  Since 1990, Jon has been running his own rep firm and is still very much close to the pro audio gear that first launched his career.

Pete Brown is a Principal Software Engineer in Windows at Microsoft and oversees the company’s MIDI 2.0 implementation. He grew up in Massachusetts and was introduced to synthesizers while in high school. The school had a few keyboards and the music teacher allowed Pete to take the gear home over the summer, which he connected together over MIDI. That locked in his passion and soon he was working at Gordon’s Music where he was exposed to even more electronic instruments, and picked up a Passport MIDI interface for his Commodore 128, starting a life-long love of MIDI and music tech

Frédéric Brun grew up in Paris, France and has been playing the violin since age 6. He attended university studying chemical engineering, but always had music in his head and a desire to start his own company. These dreams became a reality when Frederic met Gilles Pommereuil, another student at the Grenoble Institute of Technology, and together they started Arturia with a goal of using technology to bring music to everyone. The first product they released, Storm, was a virtual studio with capabilities of being used anywhere by anyone to create music.

Rusty Brutsche and two friends formed the famous pro audio rental company Showco with the simple mission to produce good sounding concerts.  The goal required the building and maintenance of cutting edge and often innovative gear such as boards, pre-amps and lights.  Their Varilight system became a very successful product as it revolutionized concert lighting with motors that moved the lights and changed colors instantaneously.  In addition to the gear, Rusty and his staff went on the road to mix front of house for bands all across the country.  For example, Rusty mixed Led Zeppel

Don Buchla grew up with a passion for music and a passion for engineering. When he combined the two loves, he created electronic musical instruments the world had never dreamed of before. His early synthesizer work parallels the similar work Robert Moog was doing on the East Coast while Don was working in Berkeley, California. In 1965, the composers of the San Francisco Tape Music Center commissioned Don to build an electronic musical instrument for live performances and recording. As a result, Don introduced developed his first voltage-controlled synthesizer modules and, soon aft

Roger Bucknall is an instrument maker who formed Fylde Guitars, which is located in Penrith, England, not so far from the Scottish border. Roger’s long and well regarded career as a guitar builder began as a teenager, although he actually made his first guitar when he was just nine years old. Roger’s love of tool making, woods and the process of designing and hand crafting instruments, is more than his job, it is indeed his passion.  

Phil Burk has had a passion for electronics since he was a kid growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area. He built radio circuits before he was a teen and combined that interest with his love of music. He later developed his skills at Mills College Center for Contemporary Music and worked in the video game industry in the early days of DSP (digital signal processors). In 2013 Phil joined the Android Audio Framework team at Google, a job fitting for his skills and background.

Charlie Butten, audio engineer, teamed up with Bob Cohen in the mid-60’s to create an intercom system for crew communication in live productions. By 1968, they developed the industry’s first distributed amplifier analog beltpack system, known today as the ‘partyline analog beltpack system’ and established the “Clear-Com” business in San Francisco. The original RS-100 was used by such groups as Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, and the Grateful Dead, and later versions were adopted by many production crews in various music venues all over the world.

Joe Calzone grew up playing drums. His passion for the instrument lead to his involvement with several bands and memorial concert performances before having the idea of creating his own style of road cases. He spoke to many fellow musicians and designed a line of products that became standard in the music industry and would later branch out in to many other industries as well. Calzone Cases teamed up with its only other large competitor, Anvil Cases, which Joe purchased in 1996. Since that time the two largest custom case makers have been guided by the passionate drummer from

Claudio Capponi is a musical instrument technician with a passion for the Farfisa Organ, after all he worked for the company for many years. His interest and dedication to the instrument and its history led him on a fascinating journey to create the Farfisa Museum in Camerano, Italy. Along the way, he has collected many instruments made in the factory as well as company documents and photographs. Claudio has his own business in restoring and tuning instruments with a special focus on the piano.  

Christopher Cardone is a musician, technologist, and entrepreneur whose career bridges the worlds of music and computing. Based in Denver, Colorado, Christopher has long explored the intersection of audio, video, and software, developing systems and tools that support creative expression. With a background in both music performance and computer engineering, Christopher has held leadership roles in several ventures, including serving as CEO of APC Instruments and later founding Luigi’s Modular, where he focused on modular synthesis and electronic instrument design.

Tim Carroll started his musical career as a session and touring keyboardist. He loved being surrounded by the latest innovations in musical technology and was always an early adopter, especially as digital audio workstations began to appear. From his session and touring experiences, he became acquainted with many of the companies developing the technology, namely the team at Digidesign, the makers of Pro Tools. Tim joined Digidesign in 1997 just as Pro Tools was changing the audio world.

Ed Caustin was the nephew of guitar pioneer George Beauchamp.  Ed recounted several stories about his very creative uncle, who Ed looked up to as an inspiration.  In fact, Ed later worked as an engineer in aerospace and with the space program. At times, he used audio and sound waves in his work.  George often brought his latest invention over to family gatherings and Ed, as a child, played on the guitars with megaphones or the latest model of the Frying Pan, which his uncle helped to design along with Adolph Rickenbacker.

Malcolm Cecil was the engineer and product designer behind the famous synthesizer known as TONTO! TONTO is the acronym for "The Original New Timbral Orchestra," the first, and still the largest, multitimbral polyphonic analog synthesizer in the world, designed and constructed over several years. TONTO started as a Moog modular synthesizer Series III owned by record producer Robert Margouleff. Later a second Moog III was added, then four Oberheim SEMs, two ARP 2600s, modules from Serge with Moog-like panels, EMS, Roland and Yamaha. Malcolm credited his long and successful career in

Emmett Chapman was studying guitar when he began playing a two hand tapping style. As he researched the idea he found that he could create a unique instrument and style of playing that would later be explored by musicians of nearly every musical style. The Chapman Stick has become one of the most celebrated string innovations of the last 50 years and has enjoyed a great following among players and fans alike. Not being satisfied with just one model, Emmett designed several products over his career including the team effort with Ned Steinberger to create the NS Stick, which was int

San Pao Chen is the General Manager for Taye Drums in Taiwan.  Mr. Chen was interviewed during the NAMM Show in 2013 and provided great insight into how the company was formed and his views on the growth of the product lines, as well as his friendships throughout the industry.  His passion for music and the goals of his company are driving forces for him to continue to innovate and provide the best possible product and customer service.

Tsutomu Chiba is the president for the Barock Music Company in Japan. He is also a musical instrument designer for many products. With the distribution company named PlayWood Professional Percussion Instruments, Chiba-San has introduced his own designed products ranging from drum sticks and mallets to triangles and cowbells. One of his most noted products are the food-shaped shakers. He expanded on the idea he saw with the egg shakers in a toy shop and created shakers in the shape and colors of food such as apples, peanuts, corn and strawberries. His innovative ideas have led to n

Chris Schyvinck is the President and CEO of Shure Incorporated, the pro audio manufacturer known around the world for its innovative products including the Unidyne microphone. Chris played French Horn in the youth orchestra and also had a passion for math and science. At one point she considered becoming an astronaut but ultimately took the path of mechanical engineering. In 1989 she joined the Shure team as a quality engineer and assisted with the training of the team to help with quality and the infrastructure of the manufacturing process. She was part of the team that worked on

Bruce Clark was interviewed for the NAMM Oral History program during the 2015 Piano Technician Guild’s (PTG) annual convention in Denver, Colorado in July 2015.  During his interview he covered his passion for music and well as his long association with the piano industry.  Much of his design work has been related to his association with the Mason & Hamlin Piano Company.  Over the years, Bruce has been a passionate spokesman for the company, which was established by Henry Mason and Emmons Hamlin in Boston back in 1854.  In addition to his role with Mason & Hamlin, Bruce ha

Rock Clouser is the String Brand Manager for KHS America but would you believe his passion for music started with the zither? His fondness for the instrument ignited a passion for playing stringed instruments. By the time he was nine he was playing guitar and soon after studied the string bass. While in college he focused on broadcasting, creating jingles for the school’s radio station. His introduction to the music products industry began when he provided some 50 lessons a week at Don’s Music and Opus One, which he continued for nearly a decade.

David Cockerell designed one of the earliest synthesizers produced in the United Kingdom. The Synthi was introduced in the late 1960s by EMS Ltd. The unit, which came in a case with a KS keyboard, used patch cords to root reverb and ring modes. David also included two oscillators both with shape and level controllers as well as a frequency control. The design marked the beginning of many contributions to the industry over the years including his work on guitar effects pedals for Mike Matthews in the 1980s.  

Jim Coleman Jr. has proudly served as president of the Piano Technicians Guilds (PTG) Board as well as provided classes and training for its members.  He grew up in the industry and followed in his father’s footsteps, who also served the PTG over his long career.  In addition to tuning, Jim Jr. began creating his own tools at an early age.  Feeling the tools he made could be of benefit to his fellow piano technicians, he opened his own company.  The Coleman Tool & Supply Company offers products such as the 20 Degree Tuning Head, temperament strips, string sealer, key pin polis

Christy Coobatis is a college music professor whose amazing musical journey includes playing professionally before he was a teenager, beta testing guitars for Leo Fender, and helping to create a guitar synthesizer for Allan Holdsworth! Christy’s latest and longest tenure as a teacher has been at MiraCosta College in Oceanside California, where he started in 2000. He grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, taking lessons at one music store in town and teaching at another. In elementary school, he played at the local fair and at 12 he was wearing a tuxedo and playing in a wedding band!

Jack Cookerly was an accordionist who was among the first to connect the instrument to the technology behind the electronic keyboard. He was chief engineer at Lowrey Organs and designed a number of unique and important advancements for the electronic organ. The resulting efforts can be found in the now historic Lowrey MX1.

Dave Coontz is a regular sight at NAMM Shows each year behind the counter within the Shubb booth and as it turns out, he played a big part in that company’s success.  Rick Shubb was passionate about playing music since he was a child and as he progressed as a musician there were certain ideas he had to help fellow musicians and to improve his own playing.  One such idea was to create a capo for the banjo.  He created a partnership with his friend Dave, the engineer and ideas man, and in 1974 they set out to create “unique products to the highest standard of quality.”  And since th

David Cox was a software engineer who decided to create a computer solution for music retailers’ accounting and rental management. David created Tri-Technical Systems, Inc in 1984 and focused on designing software to meet the needs of music stores, which he now admits required more attention than most other stores in terms of their needs. For example, he is proud of the solutions he came up with to address the rental program needs of music retailers, which is now a standard component of his products.  

Roger Cox began his career at Ampeg in Linden, NJ.  At Ampeg he served as Vice President of Operations responsible for Quality, Manufacturing, Service, and Research and Development.

Glen Darcey’s journey in music began as a young saxophonist who attended a summer session at Berklee College of Music in 1980, where he realized his future would not be as a professional performer but as an innovator behind the instruments themselves. Discovering synthesizers sparked a lifelong passion, leading Glen to learn keyboards and perform in new wave bands while immersing himself in the emerging world of electronic music technology.

Mark Darnell, as a musician, often wondered about the inner workings of the microphones he used, so he set out to learn more and in 1992 was asked to join the Crown International team in the customer service department covering the company’s microphone products. He soon became an expert on the product line and was the first Crown Microphone Engineering Tech, a position he enjoyed very much. He worked closely with product engineer Tom Lininger (1935-1998) and honored Mr. Lininger during his NAMM Oral History interview by having Mr. Lininger’s image behind him. Mark worked for Crown

Chuck Davies is the founder of American DJ, which provides a long list of innovative products, many of which Chuck designed and engineered. He opened his own audio store in 1979 selling Hi-Fi equipment, which has since branched out to include six locations in Southern California. By 1982, it was clear to Chuck that he could provide the type of speakers his customers were requesting. He was among the first industry leaders to travel to China and form relationships with manufacturers in building new products, which soon included effects lighting and professional audio. 

Les Deutsch is a Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) scientist in the aerospace industry who holds several patents for electronic musical instruments. His father, Ralph Deutsch, invited the sound generator technology for the first digital organ. That instrument, produced by Allen Organ and first shown at the NAMM Show in the early 1970s, opened the door to personal keyboards and synthesizers which use the same principals. While in graduate school, Les was issued several patents, many of which were used by the Kawai company. His work with Kawai includes creating controlled harmonics fo

Omer Deutsch’s career as a luthier was fueled by his passion for heavy metal rock. In college, he studied industrial design and later had a job outside of music. He dreamed of a day when he could design and create his own musical instruments for others to make music from. With his wife’s strong support, Omer built his first OD Guitar instrument in 2015. He began to use Facebook and other social media to market his customer guitars, which have now been sold around the world. It was a pleasure to interview Omer at the 2018 NAMM Show in Anaheim when he became the first person born in