At the 33rd Annual NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards (TEC Awards), eight products and technologies inspired by a series of global sound pioneers will take their place in audio history when they are inducted into the prestigious NAMM TECnology Hall of Fame (TECnology Hall of Fame). The ceremony, followed by the awards presentation, takes place on Saturday, January 27, as part of The 2018 NAMM Show.
A history lesson in innovative sound and production products is on the list, spanning a world of innovation from the late 1800s to 2000. The honorees include:
The first known device for recording sound by transcribing sound waves, the Phonautograph (1857). Initially used in the study of acoustics, the Phonautograph could be used as a visual study of sound waves, including measuring the amplitude and waveforms of speech or other sounds. While the Phonautograph had no playback mechanism, the device, created by French scientist Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville, was considered the forerunner of the phonograph.
Tape Echo Slap (1954): developed by the legendary Sam Phillips of Sun Studios, tape echo slap delivered previously unheard echo and delay effects on many of the studio's 1950s recordings, giving a new texture to the popular music of the time.
When it was launched 50 years ago in 1968, the Shure Vocal Master PA was considered the "first complete portable sound system." With a combination of control consoles, mixers, amplifiers and microphones, multiple components and systems could be combined to expand it.
In 1971, Eventide introduced the 1745 digital delay, which offered two independent delay channels from a single input. Originally designed for a Maryland-based public broadcaster, the product would offer 0 to 200 milliseconds of delay through a hundred shift registers. The invention gave birth to several other models, including the 1745M, one of the first uses of RAM in an audio product.
The Deane Jensen 990 Discrete Op-Amp redefined the op-amp market in 1979. A separate discrete component, the 990 quickly outperformed other amplifiers in terms of distortion, slew rate, stability and output drive. The 990 continues in production in its third-generation 990C made by the John Hardy Company, and today Jensen Transformers operates as a subsidiary of Radial Engineering.
It wasn't until 1992 that L-Acoustics introduced the V-DOSC, the first line array loudspeakers, and changed the industry forever. Designed by founder Dr. Christian Heil and his team, the system was based on the company's Wavefront Sculpture Technology (WST) theory, offering the first high-frequency device capable of creating a constant-phase planar output.
In 1998, the Line 6 POD revolutionized guitar tones with its digital amp modeler, which quickly made its way into personal and professional studios. The first of its kind, the POD was easy to use and affordable, and it would go on to spawn multiple iterations, becoming a staple for guitarists in the studio or at home.
In more recent years, the 2004 debut of the Solid State Logic AWS900 changed the concept of the console forever. At just 56 inches long, the AWS900 studio console redefined traditional console design. With a DAW controller and an HUI-compatible control surface interface, the AWS900 provided everything needed to record, edit and mix professional audio in a revolutionary small-desktop configuration.
"The technological breakthrough represented by each of these products was unprecedented at the time of its release," said Carolyn Grant, executive director of NAMM's Museum of Making Music and presenter of the TECnology Hall of Fame. "Each product was carefully selected based on a variety of factors, but one thing all the products share is that each represented a cultural shift in the way many people listened to and made music."
The Hall of Fame was established in 2004 to honor and recognize products and innovations that have contributed significantly to the advancement of audio technology. This year's eight products were chosen by more than 50 recognized experts in audio and sound production, including authors, educators, engineers, facility owners and other professionals. Products or innovations must be at least 10 years old to be considered for induction. Among those already in the Hall of Fame are some of the earliest expressions of audio production, such as Thomas Edison's cylinder recorder (1877), as well as more recent inventions such as Pro Tools (2001), the Neumann U67 (1960), the Wah-Wah pedal (1966), the API Lunchbox 500 Series module enclosure (1985) and others.
The TECnology Hall of Fame event takes place on Saturday, January 27, at 4:00 p.m. in the San Simeon room at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel. After the ceremony, the NAMM TEC Awards will begin, celebrating the companies and technical innovations behind today's sound recordings, live sound, films, television and video games in two categories: Outstanding Technical Achievement and Outstanding Creative Achievement. In addition to products and projects, a Les Paul Innovation Award winner will be honored. The award is presented annually to individuals who have set the highest standards of excellence in the creative application of recording technology in the spirit of the famed audio pioneer, inventor and musician Les Paul. The Les Paul Innovation Award has been presented at the NAMM TEC Awards to a remarkable roster of distinguished and accomplished people from the music industry, including legends such as Sir Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townshend, Slash and last year's winner, Joe Perry.
Along with the Les Paul Award, one individual will be inducted into the NAMM TEC Hall of Fame. The NAMM TEC Hall of Fame award was started in 1988 to honor audio technology pioneers as well as the music industry's most acclaimed producers and audio engineers. In 2017, legendary Aerosmith engineer and producer Jack Douglas was inducted into the NAMM TEC Hall of Fame, joining luminaries such as Skunk Baxter, Ed Cherney, Hal Blaine, John Meyer and others.
Tickets can be purchased at the box office or in advance for $65 (general admission) or $195 (VIP). The show will be hosted by musician and comedian Demetri Martin.
Congratulations to the new TECnology Hall of Fame inductees
1857 Phonautograph - first audio recorder (Leon Scott)
1954 Tape Echo Slap (Sam Phillips, Sun Studios)
1968 Shure Vocal Master PA system
1971 Eventide Model 1745 Digital Delay
1979 Jensen 990 discrete op amp (Deane Jensen)
1992 L-Acoustics V-DOSC (first line array)
1998 Line 6 Pod guitar processor
2004 Solid State Logic AWS900 studio console
