page_title: Electro-Voice
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Electro-Voice / History
caption_attribution_description: Electro-Voice Model 642 Long-Range Microphone, 1961 In 1963, Electro-Voice received the honor of being one of the few manufacturers ever to receive an Oscar for technical achievement for the Model 642 Cardiline, a long- range mic. Also called a “shotgun” mic, many film and television sound engineers felt that the 642 significantly advanced the quality of sound on film. The award, in part, read “To Electro-Voice for a highly directional dynamic line microphone... capable of picking up sound in situations where a microphone cannot be placed close to the sound source and where unwanted sounds are to be discriminated against." Loaned by Frank Spain &#160;
context_page_description: Electro-Voice is an American manufacturer of audio equipment, including microphones, amplifiers, and loudspeakers, focused on pro audio applications such as sound reinforcement. As a subdivision of Telex Communications Inc. since February 1998, Electro-Voice markets products for use by consumers as well as small or large concert venues, broadcasting, houses of worship, and in retail situations.
context_section_description: On September 1, 1927, Lou Burroughs and Albert R. Kahn began a small business called Radio Engineers, servicing radio receivers in the basement of the Century Tire and Rubber Company in South Bend, Indiana. Because of the Great Depression, according to Kahn, “We found ourselves insolvent to the extent of $5,000 ($76,524 today). They decided to focus their business on audio products. The company designed a PA system for Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne. Rockne, who had difficulty being heard at football practices due to health problems that affected his voice, called the new PA system his "electric voice". Rockne's remark inspired the company's name. On June 1, 1930, Burroughs and Kahn incorporated under the name "Electro-Voice".
  The partners recognized an opportunity to capitalize on what they perceived as the generally poor quality and high prices of existing microphones. They purchased a lathe and a drill and started producing about one microphone a week. Soon after, Burroughs withdrew from the business, leaving complete ownership to Kahn. By 1933, the previous business debts were completely paid off, and Electro-Voice began hiring manufacturing employees. In 1936, twenty people were hired, and Lou Burroughs returned as chief engineer.
  During World War II, EV developed the noise-canceling microphone. Noise cancelling microphones such as the Electro-Voice T45 lip microphone were instrumental to fighter and bomber airplane, tank, battleship and ground troop radio communications. EV licensed the patent to the government for free to be applied by other manufacturers to produce what was needed for the war supply.
  In 1946, the business moved to a bigger facility in Buchanan, Michigan and expanded its engineering efforts. In 1948, they began successfully producing phonograph pickup cartridges. In 1950, they started production of the first automatic TV booster. They also started to design and produce a consumer loudspeaker line in response to increased public interest in Hi-Fi music listening. In 1952, EV patented the Compound Diffraction Horn, which changed the look and performance the traditional cone-shaped paging horn. Known for its high output, the CDP was deployed by the Navy on aircraft carriers and other high noise environments.
  In 1963, EV received an Academy Award for their 642 Cardiline shotgun microphone, the first ever given for an audio product.
  Electro-Voice launched its RE Series of microphones in 1968, most notably the RE-20, which continue to be extensively used in broadcasting applications. The RE series used "Variable D" technology first developed by EV in 1953, which eliminated changes in tone and frequency response corresponding to changes in the physical distance of the sound source from the microphone  
  In the early 1970s, EV developed the first commercial system for matrix four channel stereo called Stereo-4. When Columbia/CBS and Sony developed their Stereo Quadraphonic system (SQ) that system became the leading matrix system and Electro-Voice adapted their decoders so they also could play SQ records as well as Sansui's QS records. The EV system could also simulate four channel sound from two channel sources.
  Also in the 1970s, EV acquired TAPCO. The company, founded by Greg Mackie, specialized in audio mixers. TAPCO products soon became prominent in the EV product line.
  In 1978, Electro-Voice patented its Constant Directivity Horn, which produced an even balance of frequencies across the listening field. It overcame the uneven dispersion of high frequencies that affected the typical high frequency horns used in many professional sound speakers until the late seventies. 
  In the late 1980s, EV became the first microphone manufacturer to use neodymium magnets in its microphones. The N/DYM microphones were introduced in the mid 1980s to combine the high output and high frequency response characteristics of condenser microphones with the rugged shock resistance of dynamic microphones. Around the same time EV's first wireless microphones were being produced.
caption: Electro-Voice received a 1963 Academy Award for their 642 Cardiline shotgun microphone.
exif: {"Image ImageWidth": "3264", "Image ImageLength": "2448", "Image Make": "SAMSUNG", "Image Model": "SCH-R760", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "SCH-R760.FB14", "Image DateTime": "2012:04:22 14:26:54", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image ExifOffset": "226", "Thumbnail ImageWidth": "320", "Thumbnail ImageLength": "240", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "862", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "49854", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/15", "EXIF FNumber": "53/20", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Aperture Priority", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "50", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0220", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2012:04:22 14:26:54", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2012:04:22 14:26:54", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "39/10", "EXIF ApertureValue": "281/100", "EXIF BrightnessValue": "263/100", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "281/100", "EXIF MeteringMode": "CenterWeightedAverage", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, auto mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "397/100", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "0", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "3264", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2448", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF ImageUniqueID": "SHEJ01"}