From: Heil Sound
What: Meet Dr. Bob Heil
When: August 11, 2020 6:30 PM
Sponsor: Broadcasters General Store
Our August 11 guest speaker was with Dr. Bob Heil, who joined us for a friendly visit. This meeting was a rare opportunity to meet and learn from a true great of professional audio innovation who is having an amazingly interesting, varied, and rich career.
Dr. Heil is widely known as the founder of Heil Sound and for creating the template for modern rock touring sound systems for The Grateful Dead, The Who, and many others. Bob also developed the high-powered "Talk Box," a device that created an unusual vocalization effect featured in Joe Walsh's single, "Rocky Mountain Way," Peter Frampton's "Do You Feel Like We Do," and many others.
Historically, Heil Sound designed and manufactured amplifiers, equalizers, and mixers focused on the unique requirements of touring musicians. Heil's work had such an impact on the industry that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame dedicted a room to Heil's innovations.
Today, Heil Pro audio manufactures world class microphones and headphones for stage, studio, broadcast, podcast and amateur radio use. Dr. Heil is an avid amateur radio operator (amateur callsign K9EID) who began designing and building transmitters and antenna systems in his teens. Bob now hosts the popular Ham Nation podcast.
Our meeting was held virtually via the Internet, with Zoom costs sponsored by our friends at Broadcasters General Store. We established the conference at 6:00 pm and told a few "war stories" while other joined. About 6:30 pm, we had a brief bit of business and started our program.
Meeting Video: