John M Eargle

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1. Example Comment Says:
   May 10th, 2007 at 1:25 pm

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2. leslieannjones Says:
   May 12th, 2007 at 11:50 am

   I saw John several weeks ago at the memorial gathering for Amelia Haygood, founder of Delos Records. It was always a joy to see John and I looked forward to bumping in to him at various audio events, catching up on what each of us was doing. I’ve had the opportunity and good fortune to spend time with many of our industry’s great engineers and producers, but no one was as warm, and kind, and so truly happy and content as an engineer as John. He was so incredibly accomplished and yet that was so “under the radar”. He was aways the consummate gentleman. I know I speak for our entire Skywalker Scoring Stage staff when I say what a wonderful experience it was to have John working in our studio. I know it was an experience he also enjoyed immensely as every time we would see each other, if there was anyone within ear shot, he’d discuss his “Skywalker sessions” and what an enjoyable time he had. It was an honor and a privilege to know you John. Rest in peace.

3. Drew Daniels Says:
   May 12th, 2007 at 1:37 pm

   Since I first met John three decades ago, he has continually contributed directly to the improvement of my listening and recording skills and to the development of my career, its acoustical and electronic infrastructure, and the joy with which I can approach music and serve it using the knowledge he so prolifically shared. Through the years, no technical question was too tough nor too trivial for John who I’m certain regarded their answering as contributing to the future of the music he loved. John’s dedication to preserving the history and promoting the progress of audio influenced my choice to teach. He set a high standard to aim at and I am grateful for his support and his involvement in the UCLA programs he helped establish.

4. Jack Renner, Telarc Records Says:
   May 12th, 2007 at 4:36 pm

   John and I had somewhat parallel careers, starting in the ’60’s as “associates” of Century Custom Recording Service. As such, we recorded all kinds of amatuer groups while on our way to the “big time”. John was a dear friend and an engineer to whom I always looked for answers to tough recording situations. His books served as the basis of my teaching of audio engineering courses. As you all know, John was the consumate gentleman who found it difficult to accept compliments. When he won his recording engineering Grammy, I called to congratulate him. I told him that he was one of my “heroes” in the business. He, in true John fashion, found it difficult to accept my praise and answered with “you have always been one of MY gods”. I shall always be grateful for having known him and for the countless contributions he made to the business. I hope you are having a great time now John!

5. Steve Lampen Says:
   May 12th, 2007 at 9:41 pm

   There is a large picture of John in the continuing exhibit of the History of Audio in the United Airlines Terminal in San Francisco. I shall not be able to pass that picture without thinking about him. He was a “god” at AES, when I was a pipsqueak (back in the 1960’s). I was trying to reach him recently to find out why he didn’t have a section in his Microphone book about microphone cable. I should have tried harder!

   Steve Lampen
   Belden

6. Brian McCarty Says:
   May 13th, 2007 at 1:28 am

   At a SMPTE conference in the mid 1980’s, I met John Eargle and engaged him in a long discussion about the poor quality of film sound reproduction, despite the so-called advances brought by others to the industry. Although I’m not an engineer, Eargle strongly encouraged me to become a member of the film sound engineering committee. His words to me were “sometimes engineers need a good dose of real world users to focus their work”. Although many on the committee spoke engineering jargon unfamiliar to me, John usually sat near me in these meetings and assisted with my understanding of the issues as they related to my experience. On a couple occasions he even assigned me “homework”. And while the committee work on standards and practices is sometimes contentious, he quite often agreed with my objections to proposals that had no scientific basis even though proponents were his friends. His integrity was without peer.

   I had long before learned how many musical interests he and I had in common, and I was continually in awe of his ability to meld his engineering knowledge with his creative interests. Quite often in the audio world the gap in understanding between the “engineers” and the “creatives” leads to sharp disagreements. John was one of a handful that spanned both these worlds at the highest level.

   During our last discussion, we were comparing notes on the acoustics of the Disney Concert Hall during LA Phil concerts. As always, the observations I offered to him were dwarfed by the insights he shared with me.

   Brian McCarty
   Coral Sea Studios

7. Paul Matwiy Says:
   May 13th, 2007 at 10:54 am

   I had the good fortune many years ago to work with Tomlinson Homan when were both at THX. One of the high points of my tenure there was a visit from John Eargle.

   Over many years of high-end audio sales and engineering/recoding work for several classical radio stations, I always actively sought any recording on which John was the engineer. It seemed to me that, in addition to capturing the ambience and balance of a performance, he was able to correctly record a musician’s intonation which I consider the heart and soul of a musical experience.

   During a short chat with John, I told him of my observations. He thanked me graciously and we spent a few minutes discussing microphones and mic placement techniques. I learned quite a bit about recording in that brief period, but nothing more than the axiom that a recording must first and foremost serve the artist and the art.

   I will be listening to my collection of “Eargle engineered” recordings this week and remembering that.

   Paul Matwiy
   Lucasfilm Ltd.

8. Rick Chinn Says:
   May 13th, 2007 at 12:55 pm

   I was lucky/fortunate/blessed to get to help out on a couple of John’s recordings of the Seattle Symphony for Delos. He was humble, always appreciative, and willing to generously share his knowledge with those around him.

   I asked him about his microphone technique (a near coincident pair combined with flanking microphones) and got a very detailed answer; far more detail than I expected, enough detail that I could try the technique for myself.

   John, I will always remember you. May your example set the bar for those who follow in your footsteps. Rest in peace my friend.

   Rick Chinn
   Uneeda Audio

9. Duke Aguiar Says:
   May 13th, 2007 at 4:29 pm

   I first met John in the mid 70’s. John had a kind and thoughtful ways of helping people come up to his level and he always listened. I have always seen John as a gentleman even under some tough times. I have had many conversations about microphones and loudspeakers. His comments and suggestions have always has been in lighting. Through the years, no technical question was too tough or too trivial for him.

   We will surely miss him.
   Duke Aguiar

10. Victor E. Staggs Says:
    May 14th, 2007 at 1:29 pm

    Bart Locanthi invited me to his home in Pasadena twice, once before he finished designing the new horn tweeter driver for Pioneer/TAD, and once after.

    Bart said that John Eargle was the first person to hear the new driver in Bart’s home system, and that I was the second. Apparently John and I both commented that the coloration was gone, and that all there was left to listen to was the music.

    I mentioned this to John later at an AES meeting, and he launched into a learned description of all the resonances that existed on the diaphragm of the old JBL driver. So, I discovered that John was a formidably detail-oriented engineer.

    My last contact with John was via e-mail, when he helped me locate Daniel Gravereaux so that I could design a good software decoder for SQ-encoded LPs, transferred to digital form.

    John was most helpful.

    Victor E. Staggs, Ph. D.

11. Jim Haynes Says:
    May 15th, 2007 at 2:07 pm

    I’m very sad to learn of John’s passing. I knew him back in 1957 or so and kept
    intending to re-establish contact and never did. At that time he was running the
    short-lived Klipschtape division of Klipsch & Assoc. in Hope, AR. He had earned
    two degrees as an organist and had then been drafted into the Army. During the
    summer of 1957 he prepared and played programs on the landmark Aeolian-
    Skinner pipe organs in Longview and Kilgore Texas. These were issued as two
    Klipschtape reels. He also made, one at a time, all the copies of tapes that were
    sold. Besides his own performance these included a theater organ program by
    Weldon Flanagan of Dallas, a Dixieland program by Flem Ferguson of Texarkana,
    and a program of modern jazz by a band from Shreveport. We did a lot of work
    trying to improve the performance of a Berlant Concertone tape recorder, as
    we could not afford an Ampex 350. Some of the recordings were made by John
    with an Ampex 601 recorder he had purchased. At the end of that summer I
    retured to engineering school in Arkansas and John entered engineering school
    at the University of Texas. Over the next few years I got to hear recordings he
    had made and sent to Paul. I remember an excellent choral recording of the
    Austin College choir, and one of the North Texas State College band. I guess I
    never saw John again after that summer; but occasionally heard what he was
    doing in his various positions. I still have some of those old tapes and enjoy
    listening to the work of a fine musician and engineer.

12. Courtney Spencer Says:
    May 16th, 2007 at 8:05 am

    I first met John back in the 70s. Over the years we saw each other at trade shows, etc., and always stopped to chat for a few minutes. John was respected by all as a great engineer. More than anything, I appreciated his warmth and humility. A REALLY nice guy and a true gentleman who will be greatly missed by all of us.

    Courtney Spencer
    SIA Acoustics

13. Adam Stern Says:
    May 16th, 2007 at 10:06 am

    I met John shortly after my father, Irv Stern, brought him aboard at JBL. John and I hit it off immediately; his kindness, his vast knowledge of symphonic repertoire and his passion for it made for an immediate and lasting friendship.

    Years later, when John was the Director of Recording for Delos International, he knew that they sought an in-house producer who could manage the recording sessions and then edit the tapes at Delos headquarters in Los Angeles. John recommended me, even though I had never done this kind of work before; his rationale was that, being a musician who could read an orchestral score, I would be a good fit for the position. It ended up working out beautifully, but, as much as I enjoyed the work itself, I must say that the greatest joy attached to the job was the opportunity to spend literally hundreds of hours with John — on plane trips, in the recording booth, and in restaurants. He was the ideal traveling companion, since there seemed to be no end to the areas of commonality we shared and loved to discuss in depth (music, of course, but also politics, history, languages, and many, many other topics).

    Of my many fond memories, two stand out in particular. We were once recording some chamber music at SUNY, Purchase, and were staying in a hotel in next-door White Plains. The first day’s session ended at about 6:00 p.m., and we weren’t scheduled to begin until about noon the next day. John and I had a roughly three-and-a-half hour dinner, the wine (his) and beer (mine) flowing freely, during which we must have talked about 3/4 of the orchestral music ever written, and the recordings and executants thereof. It was one of the greatest musical discussions I have ever had with anybody.

    The other memory probably dates from December of 1990 or so. John was one of the nicest gentlemen ever; at the same time, I think he enjoyed occasionally playing the part of the ascetic curmudgeon (those of us who knew him well saw right through it, and played along). I drove to his house with a delivery of some home-made Christmas cookies. He asked me in, and inquired, “Are you out doing errands today?” “No…” “Oh…were you out visiting your parents?” “No…” At that point his face softened, and with a slight tremor in his voice he said, “You mean, you drove out here just to see me?” I know that he valued his solitude (a lifelong bachelor, he had an elegant, sparsely-furnished home in the hills of Hollywood), but sometimes the obvious love that his friends had for him would affect him very deeply.

    There are many other memories, of course…his hardcore, incredible cursing directed at an occasionally stubborn piece of recording equipment (shocking, but funny)…his utter disdain for pretense of any kind…his sweet phone calls when he heard of my parents’ deaths…and the clandestine removal of an obnoxious drunk’s copy of “Playboy” from said drunk’s briefcase after said drunk had falen asleep on a Los Angeles-to-Seattle flight (we took exception to the man’s rudeness to a very sweet stewardess, and thought it appropriate revenge…we could barely suppress our giggles when the man eventually woke up and started searching for it). I am sorry that my children will not have the chance to get to know one of their father’s best and most treasured friends.

    Here’s to you, John. I love you.

    Adam Stern
    Seattle

14. Karl Miller Says:
    May 16th, 2007 at 1:18 pm

    It was because of my friendship with composer Kent Kennan that I had the opportunity to meet and visit with John. John would periodically come to Austin to visit with Kent and we would all have dinner. I felt very lucky to be able to talk with John as I had the greatest respect for the intelligence and musicianship he brought to his work. He was the proverbial, “walking encyclopedia of knowledge.”

    I sensed that John believed in the value of the expression to be found in music and, to convey that expression in the clearest fashion, was his goal. We would talk more about the music than the technology. Thinking about him I am reminded of a long conversations we had about his work recording the music of Piston and Schuman. As we talked about his work on the New England Sketches of Piston, I marvelled at how well he was able to so clearly delineate the orchestral fabric, especially in the last movement. He responded to the communicative nature of the music, and the nature of the orchestration and how it really required that clarity, not to the process. Clearly, the music was the thing.

    In a recent exchange we talked about the music of Bill Schuman and I expressed my concern that the recent Schuman recordings done by Seattle ran contrary to my understanding of the nature of Schuman’s orchestration. I pointed to John’s recordings of works like Schuman’s Judith as the “right” way to do it. John, simply responded that he understood that a different approach was being taken. I sensed he was unwilling to criticize another approach or perhaps, like any artist, could acknowledge that there is not just “one answer” when it came to aesthetics. I could not help but feel cheated that he hadn’t done the recording.

    When I heard of his passing, I was about to send him some recent 78 rpm transfers I had done, plus a forthcoming release for our label. I know I could always get an informed, honest evaluation of our work. He was always generous with his time and seemed sincerely interested in our projects. I always felt I could share something with him and get a true sense of how we were doing. His comments were always constructive and encouraging. I can’t say I have ever encountered a more informed pair of ears…a pair of ears coupled with the best communications skills. He had the rare ability to put so much of the essence of sound into words.

    For me, he was a great musician who brought his art to the process of recording others. He was also, in my personal experience, a gentleman in the truest sense of the word.

    I should also add that as our mutual friend Kent approached death, John was one of the few friends that came to visit. I remember those emotional times and I will never forget the dignity that John brought to those visits and to the comfort he brought to our mutual friend.

    Karl

15. Elizabeth Cohen Says:
    May 16th, 2007 at 7:37 pm

    John was a great listener in so many ways. He understood artists, colleagues, and the audio engineering student. His wisdom and clear thinking will be missed by all.

    In particular I will miss being able to discuss audio issues with a fellow member of the “dawn patrol” coffee club. In the early days of Campanile, a restaurant here in LA, John and I would occasionally open up the place and speculate over coffees about this theory or that, tossing around our project ideas for the LA Phil, the Academy or Aspen. It was during one of those meandering breakfasts that John decided to nominate me as AES President. His generosity, thoughtfulness,and even his sense of humor were all evident in that one move.

    I will always treasure his fair and measured criticism and appreciate his tolerance of my often far ranging speculation.

    He simply made us better at all things audio.

    Elizabeth

16. Jeff Joseph Says:
    May 16th, 2007 at 8:20 pm

    I am deeply saddened by John Eargle’s passing. John Eargle dropped by my CES room a few times in the early days. He was one of the few in those days who actually understood what we were doing, and offered encouragement and support when we were just starting out. Apart from his brilliantly engineered recordings, I will always be grateful to him for his visits and kindness.

    Jeff

17. Sherman Watstein Says:
    May 17th, 2007 at 9:19 am

    I meet John at JBL during the 1970’s while I was the only non-contract full-time Technical Writer for JBL Professional Products. During those years, I remember having had the chance to edit some of the literature John wrote for JBL. After leaving JBL, I ran into John a couple of times during the CES shows in Las Vegas and we would always say our hello.
    John will always be remembered by those that he had contact with.

18. PPavelka Says:
    May 17th, 2007 at 4:24 pm

    John Eargle was someone I was fortunate enough to have many conversations with over the years. My first opportunity to work with him was during the renovation of the Samuel Goldwyn Theater at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills. He was consistently involved in the evolution of the sound of that theater, suggesting countless improvements to establish it as a standard for film presentation in the industry. I was awed by his depth of understanding and ability (and willingness) to explain the underlying concepts of his suggestions.

    Later during the construction of the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood, he continued his involvement even though we choose to use another company’s sound system instead of JBL for the screen speakers. He honestly critiqued the system without letting his association with JBL sway his opinion. It is the sort of approach one came to expect from John, opinions based on careful listening and sound engineering principles.

    The last time I saw John he was describing his latest book about the history of JBL. I asked him if he had learned any interesting new facts while researching the book. No, he said, he really hadn’t since he was involved in so much of JBL’s past. It was more a matter of deciding what to include and how to organize it. I can’t imagine a better person to write such a book and I look forward to reading it. I only wish John were still around to discuss it afterwards. John, we’ll miss you.

19. Denis Tremblay Says:
    May 17th, 2007 at 4:35 pm

    I had the opportunity to hear John speak before the Toronto AES section on several occasions. It was there that I had the good fortune to be able to talk with him for a bit about aspects of audio that were of mutual interest. His knowledge of even the more arcane areas of audio was breathtaking. His passing is a great loss to the professional audio world, there are few who could speak so authoritatively on such a wide variety of topics. He was in a very real sense a gentleman and his quiet and dignified demeanour had more of an impact than a more boisterous style ever would have. Very sorry to see him go.

20. Jim Long Says:
    May 18th, 2007 at 9:42 am

    Although our contact was sporadic, I knew John as a most unusually fine, generous and knowledgeable fellow. His range of experience amazed me. Not only his JBL and related industry knowledge but also his recording and writing work.

    I recall that I first met John in the 1970’s, when he was chief engineer of Mercury Records’ New York City office. Electro-Voice, now my employer of over 40 years, was then involved in the matrixed four-channel LP’s of the day. Somehow, John mixed and had pressed a demo record based on the Mercury Living Presence three-channel/three-microphone classical recordings of the 1950’s and 1960’s. I have no idea how John made three up-front channels into the matrixed four, but the result sounded great. I recall that John showed up at EV headquarters in Buchanan, Michigan, and that we hit it off because of our common interest in music and recording.

    Some years later, when I was spending the weekend in LA between an AES convention and working with our local rep, John invited me as his guest to a renaissance festival in the LA area, including a visit to his most interesting, musically oriented home.

    The last contact we had was a few years ago, when John asked for historical info on EV’s Variable-D directional microphones of the 1950’s. I was most happy to find on hand some appropriate original material for his recent mic book, one of his many works that help preserve our audio heritage.

    Jim Long
    Bosch Communications Systems/Electro-Voice

21. Jeff Levison Says:
    May 18th, 2007 at 9:46 am

    It was my good fortune to meet John Eargle in the late 1970’s, when I first arrived in Los Angeles. I had been studying his AES papers - particularly those on Quadraphonics – when I was first introduced to him at a Hollywood Sapphire Group meeting. From the very beginning, John struck me, not because of his technical prowess, but rather his gentle and easy way of interacting with people. At that time I was new to the audio world, yet John treated me, and all he met, as an equal colleague, completely part of the discussion. Thereafter, whenever we would meet, our conversation was that of two old friends who had never lost track of each other - no matter how long it had been since last we spoke.

    John was an inspiration to me as both a friend and a teacher. I have tried to follow his example by making myself accessible to students and newcomers, which has paid me back with dividends far greater than any specific technical information.

    His brilliance and kindness will forever be a part of those that knew him.

22. Chriss Scherer Says:
    May 18th, 2007 at 1:35 pm

    I used one of John’s books as a text book while a student in the Music Engineering program at the University of Miami, so when I met him for the first time at an AES convention after college in the early 90s, I was in awe to meet someone with so much knowledge and experience. What impressed me more was his willingness to talk to someone young and new to the industry with the same respect and interest as if I were his equal. I was far from his equal at the time (or even now).

    I briefly spoke with him at a recent convention, and felt the same sincerity.

23. Jonathan Novick Says:
    May 18th, 2007 at 4:09 pm

    I wish I could say that I’ve known John as long and as well as many of the others here. I had read several of his books and papers over the years. I was always impressed with his ability to present technical concepts in such a clear and simple manner. He helped me greatly before I ever go to know him.

    I finally got to meet John only in the last few years through the Hollywood Sapphire Group. He was the consumate gentleman and always willing teacher. If his lips were moving, I was probably learning something. I will miss his presence.

24. Peter J. Basch Says:
    May 19th, 2007 at 4:16 am

    We were students at the Eastman School of Music, and I will always remember John’s humor, kindness, brilliance and
    fascination for recordings. Our evenings were spent listening to diverse classical recordings, as well as attending
    numerous concerts in and about the City of Rochester, New York. His departure brings back fond memories. May he rest in peace.

25. Jane Erb Says:
    May 19th, 2007 at 9:56 am

    I first met John Eargle in 1980, when he began to lecture the Aspen Music Festival’s Audio Recording Institute students, which he did annually thereafter. Our acquaintance blossomed into friendship some years after that first meeting, from a mutual musical love, and in his later years here it became almost ritual for me to pick him up from the airport when he arrived in Aspen. After getting settled in his rented quarters, he and I would adjourn to a local watering hole, usually for several hours as we got caught up on the activities of the year just passed, anticipated future efforts, and settled those world problem which we felt would profit from our mutual intelligence.

    John was, as Karl Miller has said, one of the good ones who went too soon. Although I did not have the pleasure of visiting him in his home in Los Angeles, but I thought of him with deeply fond feelings. We kept up through the year via e-mail, and John was most generous in sharing with me information about some of the music he most enjoyed, as well as some of his most recent recordings. It was always my pleasure, not repeated often, to tell him of something I had heard or found with which he was unfamiliar.

    John was an extremely intelligent, knowledgeable, highly musically educated and aware, and generous friend. There are no words to say how much I shall miss him, not only this summer when he would normally have been here in Aspen, but always. He enriched my life with his friendship.

26. Margaret Ann Vinson Hooper Says:
    May 20th, 2007 at 2:58 pm

    I grew up next door to John. It was a priviliage to hera him practice panio but no fun when my mother kept telling me to practice so I could play like John!
    I remember when he played the pipe organ at our church and I always got goose bumps.
    I have a completly different view of John than most of you do but he was a great guy and will always be remembered fondly.

27. Ron Streicher Says:
    May 21st, 2007 at 11:36 pm

    John Eargle was one of the most respected and honored recording engineers of our time and true pioneer in the fields of stereophonic and surround sound production. He was the author of several of the most significant books on microphone and recording techniques in anyone’s library. He was an innovator in the design of loudspeakers as well as their implementation in acoustical spaces. He was an accomplished musician, with a deep understanding and appreciation of many different genre of music. He was a prominent lecturer throughout the audio community and a mentor to many aspiring (and even accomplished) engineers in the industry. He was all this and much, much more.

    Above all, however, John Eargle was a friend to all who knew him: a deep, warm, and giving friend, who never said “no” when asked for advice or assistance. He was a friend whose company you always enjoyed — whether at work or at a fine restaurant enjoying conversation over a good meal. He was a friend whose sense of humor was exceeded only by his charm, integrity, and grace.

    I am proud to have known John Eargle for nearly three decades. We met often in Los Angeles at meetings of the AES LA Section and Hollywood Sapphire Group, sitting across the dinner table discussing a wide variety of topics — not just restricted to audio. He was a valued colleague during my 18 summers at the Aspen Music Festival and School. Without hesitation, I credit him and owe him gratitude for contributing to the success of my own career as a recording engineer.

    News of John’s passing came to me just as I was preparing to leave Vienna, following the 122nd AES Convention. I was stunned and am not ashamed to admit that I wept for some time. John will be very much missed.

28. ANDY AUSTIN-BROWN Says:
    May 23rd, 2007 at 2:49 pm

    I entered into this industry with the convincing drive to learn, progress and continue in the pursuit of excellence.
    Through a good friend who worked for JBL, at a very early start in my career I was lucky enough to be presented with a book written by John Eargle, kindly, he signed the copy-Handbook of Sound System Design.
    The knowledge imparted, coupled with humility and quiet experience are both fundamental and exploratory.

    This book is a true reference and one I continually visit for guidance and problem solving.
    I did not have the honour of meeting John Eargle, though through press notices and advisories, realised that I must have been in the same vicinities as him over the years.
    I truly wish I had met him, where as I am sure that many before have addressed him personally and told their tale of his influence on their career.

    Thank you John.

    AAB

29. Mark Mayfield Says:
    May 25th, 2007 at 8:04 am

    When I worked at JBL Professional, I had the great fortune to be able to consult with John on an almost weekly basis. We did some research on the effect of cinema screen perforation on sound in the theatre, and spent many hours at the Dolby LA offices and the Goldwyn Theatre perfecting a new 3-way cinema loudspeaker system, resulting in a SMPTE paper and presentation with David Gray of Dolby. These experiences working side by side with John taught me more in 3 years than the rest of my entire career in pro audio. There was not one conversation with John that wasn’t the equivalent of a college level seminar in audio. Like many of you, I’ll miss him as a mentor, collaborator, and friend.

30. Skip Frazee Says:
    May 28th, 2007 at 7:56 am

    I had the honor of meeting John at an AES convention years ago. I was not a close friend, but always admired and respected the man.

    John was always a guide, mentor, instructor, and teacher.

    I am happy to have known him, and sorry he is no longer a part of the audio community.

31. Michael Pettersen Says:
    May 30th, 2007 at 12:00 pm

    I first learned of John Eargle when I purchased the first edition of “The Microphone Handbook.” The book quickly became one of my favorites: referred to often and well-worn. Soon after, I met John at an AES show and expressed my admiration for his book. Years later, John was working on the third edition and asked me to comment on a draft of a chapter. I was honored to do so. Later, he kindly send an inscribed copy when the edition was published. He was indeed a gentleman and a scholar.
    Thank you, John, for your many contributions to the professional audio industry. Like Peter Tappan, you will be missed.

    Michael Pettersen
    Shure Incorporated

32. Gerri Calamusa Says:
    June 12th, 2007 at 7:08 am

    I first met John Eargle in the early 1970s. He was a JAES reviewer since 1969. I worked with him these past five years as a reviewer for the Journal. He never told me he was too busy to review a manuscript. He was always kind and helpful to me. I will miss him.

33. Paul Pegas Says:
    June 12th, 2007 at 3:20 pm

    I first met John in 1999. I was so thrilled to meet him, having borrowed a first edition copy of his microphone book from a professor of mine. I was at the Aspen Music Festival for a week spending 6 hours a day with John lecturing and several hours each night observing live concert recording he was sort of supervising. He loved to share his wealth of knowledge with us and had no problem explaining things in several ways so that everyone in the class could comprehend it. One evening I even found him having a beer down at a local bar and he invited us to join him. He will be deeply missed by all in this small little community.

    Paul Pegas
    Los Angeles

34. Peter Mason Says:
    June 16th, 2007 at 12:29 pm

    John was one of my teachers during a summer course at the Aspen Music School in 2002. He was surprised to find several “older” pupils among the 20 something students that first day of class. Many others have mentioned John’s skill as a mentor/teacher. I too am grateful for his counsel. When asked about a particular technique or for advice for one’s own recording problem, I recall his answers always included the pertinent science behind the suggestion. This was never a pretense. Rather a genuine desire to give the listener/student a solid basis for further questions and exploration. Our paths have crossed many times since that Summer in Aspen. His cheerful presence and friendship is deeply missed.

    Peter Mason
    Los Angeles

35. Tom Ryan Says:
    July 2nd, 2007 at 11:58 am

    I was blessed to have John as an instructor at the Eastman School of Music in 83-84. It was John who steered me into acoustics as a profession. I kept in contact over the years and he always took the time to talk about the industry he helped shape. I ran into him a few years ago at the AES show in New York and he walked with me as he showed me the new edition of his handbook. It now is a prized possession of mine. A gifted teacher and good friend, he will be forever missed.

    Tom Ryan
    RPG Diffusor Systems

36. Alan P. Kefauver Says:
    July 8th, 2007 at 9:07 am

    It is with great sadness that I learn of the death of my friend John Eargle. John’s counsel, support and encouragement helped me start the Recording Arts program at Peabody/Hopkins. His recommendation to a competing publisher turned me into an author. When Harold Boxer and I first asked John to come and be a guest lecturer at The Aspen Audio Institute in 1980 it quickly became apparent that he would be an integral part of the program, and I don’t think he missed a year from then on. He was always willing to share his knowledge and expertise whenever and wherever asked and he was a mentor of unparalleled integrity. The industry has lost a giant. We will not see his like again.
    John, I miss you.
    Alan P. Kefauver

37. Glenn Phoenix Says:
    August 14th, 2007 at 11:43 pm

    My memory is a bit fuzzy on this, but I believe I first met John while working
    at the 3M company, at an AES convention in Los Angeles circa 1969 or 70.
    Imagine standing in the same space with John Mullin and John Eargle.
    I have a special space on the shelf for John’s books, C.D.’s an papers;
    some delivered in person.
    But as others have noted here, Johns most endearing quality was his
    genuine interest in “what new project you were working on”.
    Another giant has passed! We’ll miss you John.
    Glenn Phoenix, President, Westlake Audio

38. Eric Brooking Says:
    October 17th, 2007 at 11:12 am

    I was shocked to hear of John’s passing. I had just seen him at the NAMM show this year and he looked fine. We spent at least a half an hour talking about the good old days of smooth sounding 2440 drivers with Al diaphragms on Smith horns. He told me about the pursuit of higher power handling and more top end frequency response resulting in harsher resonances. He also talked about how he felt that he could no longer mix because of his ears not being what they once were. John was very nice, insightful and down to earth. I really enjoyed our talk. Thanks John.

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John M Eargle

13 Responses to “John M Eargle”

1. Bob Ludwig Says:
   May 12th, 2007 at 7:22 pm

   I’m so distressed to hear of John’s passing. I was singing his praises to a colleague just a few days ago,

   I first met John a long time ago, just a few years after the start of my career. I had just moved from A&R Recording to Sterling Sound. Steve Temmer, the owner of Gotham Audio, held a mastering seminar out at the Sheraton Universal. The purpose was not just to discuss Steve’s German disk cutting gear but also to teach us the physics of disk cutting. John Eargle brilliantly taught those concepts to us in a wonderful series of lectures. I was sure it would all be above my head but John explained everything in the most lucid and interesting manner. I was so impressed by him. I still have my notes from those lectures.

   I next met John when he was Chief Engineer of Mercury Records. When Mercury decided to sell their facilities at 110 West 57th St., OCG Technology, the public company which then owned Sterling Sound, bought the mastering operation and renamed it Masterdisk Corporation. I was personally sorry but John wisely decided to not stay on but to take a job at JBL.

   John was like a mentor to me, We both went to the Eastman School of Music. I always made a point to hear him speak whenever I could. I have learned a lot from his many books. He never disappointed, he always seemed to speak from a deep well of knowledge.

   John was an “expert’s expert”.

   John, George Massenburg and I all got to teach at Banff several years ago. I was grateful to share a ride with John for the 1 3/4 hour trip from Banff to Calgary to catch a plane home. We had a great conversation discussing Henri Dutilleux and other contemporary composers whose compositions he had engineered. It was always a thrill for me to get some private time with John, I’ll always miss him.

2. Garry Margolis Says:
   May 13th, 2007 at 5:18 pm

   I met John when we worked together at JBL, and we quickly became friends as well as colleagues.

   Others have posted about his many accomplishments in engineering. Additionally, a seminal paper that he and Mark Engebretsen presented to the SMPTE on cinema loudspeaker systems with direct radiating low frequency enclosures and constant directivity high-frequency horns led directly to the revolution in cinema sound reproduction epitomized by the THX sound system.

   What is perhaps less well known is that he was a fine pianist — he had a Boesendorfer Concert Grand with bass extension in his living room, and it shared the room with his Steinway D until the latter was sold.

   For the past two decades, I had the privilege of assisting him with his computing needs. He was expert in computer technical drawing — he did all of his own book illustrations — and, with the changes in technical publishing, he became fluent in page layout as well. In recent years, he took up photography with typically excellent results.

   Because he lived alone and was concerned about what could happen if he had a medical emergency, he recently decided to sell his home in the hills above the Hollywood Bowl and move into a retirement community. Ironically, his concern was justified.

   Requiescat in pacem, my friend…

3. John Mayberry Says:
   May 15th, 2007 at 3:14 pm

   John was was the quintessential gentleman of our industry. His gentleness came from a conviction of both strength and and incredible wealth of knowledge.

   One of his more endearing qualities was his ability to share detailed and useful information to those just entering the field and to those endeavoring to learn more. His passing marks a sad day, for he had much still left to share.

   May I suggest that an educational scholarship fund in John’s name be set up as his memorial? It seems entirely appropriate…

4. larry m roy Says:
   May 15th, 2007 at 5:14 pm

   When I was a member of the AES in Toronto, I heard John speak many times. That was many years ago. I still quote him to myself and to others. All I can say is thank you.

   larry

5. Harold Chaney Says:
   May 18th, 2007 at 9:50 am

   John and I met in New York, September 1963, soon after I had moved from Hamburg, Germany. John had recently taken a position with RCA’s classical division involving, I believe, product quality control. We quickly developed a very close friendship, which continued to flourish over more than four decades. In common between us was a love for the pipe organ  John with music degrees from Eastman and Michigan; and I, fresh from a two-year Fulbright Grant, breaking into the professional New York music scene. John unstintingly and patiently fed my amateur’s interest in and enthusiasm for the craft and technology of the recording art. Such was his passion and vast knowledge that he occasionally plied me with information that was a bit over my head.

   Throughout the years we continued to enjoyed dinners, movies, concerts and an occasional out-of-town trip. After his move to Los Angeles, we managed to see each other almost annually. On trips to the west coast, I had the good fortune to enjoy his hospitality; spending many hours together listening to his (or my) noteworthy recording discoveries, playing his pride-and-joy Bösendorfer Imperial grand piano, and consuming lots and lots of fine red wine. His was a stunning ranch-style house perched high above Mulholland Drive in Hollywood (John disliked that name, much preferring L.A. instead). When he came to New York for the AES conventions every couple of years, I enjoyed returning the favor: he would stay in my upper-westside apartment.

   Forty-four years is a long time for any friendship to endure; and for one that was so close, the unexpected loss is very difficult to accept. So long dear friend.

   Harold Chaney
   New York City

6. Scott Esterson Says:
   May 31st, 2007 at 9:19 am

   I met John twenty two years ago when I had just started working at Lexicon. I went to see him to demo a Lexicon reverb. The demo lasted an hour or so. We talked about reverb tonality and early verses late reflections for the next three hours. I learned more about reverb and room tone from that conversation. Over the years I would call him and ask a question about audio. He always had the answer and we would chat about each others lives.

   John and I always talked at every show about audio and what he found that was exciting.

   He was a gentleman, scholar and most of all one of the nicest people I ever had the privledge of meeting. He will sorely be missed by a great many people.
   Scott Esterson

7. marc spector Says:
   June 1st, 2007 at 3:43 pm

   Over the course of more than a decade, I had the great pleasure of collaborating frequently with John. His always enthusiastic, yet gentle, approach was appreciated by me and by so many others with whom he worked. His breadth of knowledge was remarkable; his commitment was unwavering and his humor and intelligence was always on point. I was shocked to hear of his passing and, like so many others, I will remember his presence for some time to come.

8. Stan Ricker Says:
   June 12th, 2007 at 5:34 pm

   It’s been so long ago that I really can’t remember when I first
   met John; I know that I was under his influence as far back
   as 1956 or 57.

   This man was an intellectual giant; the ONLY Audio/Music person I’ve personally met who really deserved, by stint of his Knowlege, Skills,
   and Abilities to be President of the Audio Engineering Society!
   John’s skills as an educator/his ways of explaining the most esoteric concepts/ put most “educators” and “teachers” under the table…….

   I owe my Mastering Career largely to John; he plucked me out of
   obscurity at United Sound, Burbank, and recommended me
   to the JVC Cutting Center for their on-going efforts in 4-channel
   lacquer mastering called CD-4. John was highly respected by
   the Japanese Audio community; Japan Victor Corporation had re-established its relationship some years earlier with RCA, and
   John’s expertise in phonograph record Quality Control and
   Quality Assurance processes influenced JVC’s decision to hire me;
   the rest is history.

   Along with Frederick Fennell of the Eastman Wind Ensemble, John
   is the most valued mentor I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing, much less being friends!

   I’m delighted that the AES is doing something along an Educational effort
   to honor John—anything less would be a travesty!!!

   Cheers and hugs, John!

   We’re ALL missing you!

   Stan Ricker

   12/JUN/2007 17:44:00

9. Jim Fletcher Says:
   August 15th, 2007 at 12:56 pm

   I noticed John’s obituary in the July/August edition of “Motion Imaging Journal,” the publication of SMPTE.

   I worked briefly with John Eargle when we were both at Altec Lansing in the early 1970s. I was impressed with his knowledge and his communications skills, and the engineers I worked with already knew his reputation from his Mercury recordings.

   In spite of that reputation, he was absolutely down-to-earth, without any trace of ego or self-importance. He was more than willing to talk to a technician without making me feel as though he were talking down to me.

   He was a true gentleman, and one that any engineer could look up to. I am deeply saddened by this loss to the engineering community and the totality of humanity.

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Nomination to Fellowship in the Acoustical Society of America

5 Responses to “Nomination to Fellowship in the Acoustical Society of America”

1. Neil A. Shaw Says:
   May 12th, 2007 at 9:10 am

   John was elected Fellow at the Hawaii ASA meeting last year (December 2006) and was to be honored at the upcoming Salt Lake City meeting this coming June.

2. Glen Farrell Says:
   May 14th, 2007 at 9:58 pm

   I was privileged to frequently cross paths with John when I worked as a systems engineer at JBL Professional. John always took the time to ask me what I was working on, how things were going. I know of few people who have given of themselves and to the audio/acoustics field the way that John did.

   I also appreciated his in depth knowledge of the history of JBL, Altec, and the audio industry.

   My deepest condolences to John’s family and close friends. He will be greatly missed. May he rest in peace.

   Glen Farrell

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6 Responses to “”

1. Steve Barbar Says:
   May 14th, 2007 at 7:29 am

   I first met John many years ago during a recording session in Washington, DC while I was still in school. Over the course of many years he has been source of both inspiration and encouragement. He was always generous with his time, and eager to assist - particularly in thinking “outside the box”. His perception was uncanny - and translated to recordings that stand as benchmarks. I will always remember the look on his face when he first heard LARES -almost twenty years ago now, it was priceless. My sincere condolences to John’s family.

2. Oliver Berliner Says:
   May 14th, 2007 at 8:19 am

   John and I used to joke about his theory that a certain method to eliminate a problem that existed in the early days of stereo discs (namely that when a stereo recording was played monophonically, the vocalist - when split onto both channels - would become too “hot”, i.e too far “in front” of the band) would not work. But unaware that John had declared that his method “wouldn’t work”, Bill Putnam used it repeatedly, including on an album that I produced and he mixed, and, of course, it did indeed work. Another instance where ignorance is bliss…where something was done because the creator of it didn’t know that it couldn’t be done.

   That was the only time I was able to catch John in a booboo; because to paraphrase W.C. Fields, anyone with an engineering degree from The Cooper Union can’t be all bad. [Most everyone knows that my grandfather, microphone (1877) and gramophone (disc player, 1887) inventor Emile Berliner, was too poor to do other than sneak into classes at Cooper Union where great minds like John’s could become unfettered.]

   And John apparently studied acoustics under the master - Cyril Harris who’d received the “Maker of the Microphone Award”, in memory of my grandfather, “for an outstanding contribution to the world of sound.” John certainly chose well for getting an education that would serve him - and the audio community - well during his all too short lifetime.

   John went on to become one of the greats. He’ll be missed…terribly.

   -Oliver Berliner

3. Al Schmitt Says:
   May 15th, 2007 at 10:25 am

   John and I worked together at R C A in the early 60s and we have been friends ever since. He was a great engineer and an even greater gentleman. A wonderful man to spend time with. He will be missed by me and anyone who new him.

4. Jim Pace Says:
   May 15th, 2007 at 3:50 pm

   It was apparent from the first time I met John in the early 80’s that every word he said was thoughtful, considered and above all, genuine. That was true on more than just a technical level. He always had a kind word and a statement of support, and never accepted accolades.
   He was a fountain of information and had a natural talent to teach. The depth of his knowledge was formidable though always tempered with humility. He seemed to take great pleasure in answering questions, a trait we could all try to emulate.
   I remember a conference we all attended at the Univ of Miami. CD’s were the topic, and the first speakers all had complaints and problems that effectively doomed the format. Speaking last, John asked if anyone had heard _any_ CD that sounded good. Most everyone said yes, to which John stated, “that proves the format can work.” In his own delicate way he challenged us all to be better.

   In the end I can say I was proud to know him and valued each and every time we crossed paths. My sincere condolences to his family. Every person I speak with about John voices the same reaction of loss of a good, good man.

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john m. eargle

11 Responses to “john m. eargle”

1. Marshall Long Says:
   May 14th, 2007 at 12:10 pm

   John was a unique resource in the audio community. He was enormously knowledgeable and generous with his time. His talks and presentations were meticulously researched and always entertaining. His many books and other contributions to the field are unsurpassed. It is a shame the Acoustical Society waited so long to honor him.

2. James D. (jj) Johnston Says:
   May 14th, 2007 at 1:07 pm

   I met John when he was recording the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra doing “Spectre’s Bride”. I was experimenting with a new mic technique, and he invited me (with NJSO’s agreement) to come along to try it out. It was an act of courtesy that seems rare in this world.

   He was a gentleman, a scholar, and he loved good music. He will be missed.

   My condolences to his family and friends.

3. Jonathan Valin Says:
   May 14th, 2007 at 1:28 pm

   I was saddened to learn of John’s passing. Although I only met him once (at this past year’s CES), I have for years found his wonderful book “Music, Sound & Technology” indispensable reading.

   My condolences to John’s family. Rest assured that he will be long held in the highest regard as a writer, thinker, engineer, and human being.

4. Aspen Pittman Says:
   May 14th, 2007 at 4:03 pm

   I was very fortunate to meet and get to know John at the Hollywood Sapphire Club many years ago. I see Ollie Berlinner, our Chairman for so many years, has already signed on here with some great stuff as he knew John long beforeme (darn!). Subsequently I also had the great forutne to have employed John as a consultant for Groove Tubes on mic related projects over the years. His input was priceless and worth twice what he charged (I say that now, but I failed to mention it at the time). But anyway John didn’t consult for the money. He loved the subject, loved people, loved to share his knowledge and probably would have helped me for free if I needed it!

   I don’t think anyone knew more about microphones than John, at least not anyone I knew. And, what I appreciated most about John was his very human approach to “consulting” with GT. He had such an intuitive and relaxed manner; like he knew where I was going with a thought before I got there, and then he already had the answer! Brain Storming with John was a blast! He really enjoyed exploring my very “unconventional” ideas and found a way to point me in the right direction without sounding “superior” (as he truly was!) and without making me feel dumb (which I truly was!). You also saw this great “soft shoe” style at any of his informative presentaitons, full of facts made interesting and fun!

   I thought I was having a bad day when I heard about John’s passing that morning. I was engulfed with the typically depressing business issues that day; employees, expenses, delays….then I got Garry’s email and all was put into perspective. Needless to say I stopped pouting about business and got seriously depressed, what a loss!

   I considered how many others, like me, would be also mourning Johns passing. Seems most everyone n this industry knew and liked/loved John. When I heard, I immediately prayed a short prayer for the comfort of John’s family during this difficult time of John’s passing on. I wonder if his family knows how special and unique he was in our whacky industry, sometimes family is the last to know. I wonder if they know how big a footprint John made on our industry’ how many will miss his advice now that he’s not a phone call away anymore.

   But in case they didn’t know all this, then this blog was a wonderful idea to inform them (and everyone) about what a special person has just passed on. KInda like an “on-line” wake…John would have liked that idea…so practical!

   So, God bless you John, and thanks for being my friend! I look forward to our next meeting, I hear the acoustics are truely perfect up there!

5. Fritz Koenig Says:
   May 14th, 2007 at 7:08 pm

   According to his older brother, John’s family knew something was up when he challenged his older brother to hit a key on the piano so John could show off by telling him the precise note that had been played. The piano of course was in a different room and this event apparently occurred during the teenage years. At the age of 6 or 7 John was already showing his talent playing piano. His mother is said to have taught herself how to play piano. The family knew John had global affect, but yes, this blog is meant to help them further understand who this relative of their’s is, and always will be.

6. Sam Berkow Says:
   May 15th, 2007 at 2:09 pm

   I feel lucky to have spent some time listening to some of the great recordings John made, with John. Each of his recordings presented a number of challenges and responses from him, addressed with various mic or mixing techniques. He enjoyed pointing out his moment or that.. captured via this technique or that!

   He encouranged me to explore concert hall acoustics not only from the point of view of the performers and audience, but also from the recordinging engineer.

   He was a wonderful man, and will be fondly remembered by many!

   Cheers John!

7. Brian Loudenslager Says:
   May 15th, 2007 at 3:09 pm

   Though I never met John in person, his studies, ideas and the wealth of information he has shared will live on for many generations to come. To this day and for many days to come his books will be on my shelves and referred to often.

   My thoughts are with John’s family.

8. Claire Hall Says:
   May 19th, 2007 at 1:47 am

   I had the good fortune to say hello to John at AES San Francisco in October last year. To thank him for his book “The Handbook of Recording Engineering” which I read from cover to cover many years ago - to tell him that his book was one of the inspirations that helped to develop my career in audio.

   Thanks John!

9. Terry Nelson Says:
   May 20th, 2007 at 7:24 am

   The name was, of course, very familiar but the first time I actually met John was at a Delos Records party at an AES in New York (’87? ‘89?)

   The man epitomised the word “gentleman” and was a mine of information and interest. I thought that we had spent a couple of minutes chatting before realising that the whole afternoon had gone! That in itself speaks volumes.

   I think it true to say that John was a “true Renaissance man” - he was a master at all that he did and was at pains to transfer his thoughts and experiences to those around him.

   We met up from time to time at following AES conventions for a chat and it was obvious from seeing his reaction to other people coming onto the stand that he know who you were - add an elephant’s memory to his list of talents! Tom Holman has already mentioned his surround recording of the “1812″ and I was lucky enough to discuss this with him after having heard it (still one of the most exciting surround recordings to date): in true modest - and informative - terms he almost apologised for the fact that the microphones (11 in all, if I recall correcty) were virtually ‘thrown up into place’ due to time and other constraints and that he had to envisage how things would sound. No problem - it was perfect.

   As many have already mentioned, the world of audio is a poorer place without him but he does - fortunately - leave us an impressive legacy of recordings and literature.

   One can be sure that some interesting discussions are being held with the great composers at present!

10. Sunil Bharitkar Says:
    May 24th, 2007 at 2:44 pm

    I had the honor of meeting John a couple of years back with friends over thanksgiving dinner. It was a real pleasure to meet someone as wise and knowledgable about so many different aspects. My condolences to John’s family.

11. Gray Eargle Says:
    June 4th, 2007 at 7:49 pm

    A special thanks to every one of you for the wonderful words and thoughts of your association with John. And I want to mention Mark Gander, Neil Shaw, Fritz Koenig and Myron Netinga f0r making our visit more bearable. My daughter, Cyndi Bird, and myself didn’t know which way to turn, in some cases. Thanks to these friends of John, I learned a lot more from them about John than you can imagine, during my stay in L.A.

    It was obvious early on that he was special. We weren’t a family of dummies by any means, but he was far and away the intellectual of the Eargles. He dildn’t know whether he wanted to be a doctor, scientist, engineer or a musician. Luckily for the music world, he channeled most of his abilities that direction and the rest is history.

    Thanks again to all of you.

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A one-of-akind guy

6 Responses to “A one-of-akind guy”

1. Bill Lightner Says:
   May 25th, 2007 at 12:46 pm

   Like many others, I met John in the early 70’s while an employee of Century Records, a custom phonograph record manuafacturing firm, and enjoyed his friendship, his willingness to explain a technical audio issues in terms I could grasp - even if he had to say it three different ways until I got it. Our friendship continued through my years at KDisc mastering studios right through the last opportunity I had to spend time with John at an LA AES dinner meeting only a couple months ago. I remember one very cold night sitting in an unheated van behind the Gardenia Club on Santa Monica Blvd with producer Ralph Jungheim and John recording a live date. We had laughter to keep us warm and little else. John recalled that occasion the last time I saw him. He personified the term Gentleman in my book and I will miss greatly.

2. Bill Finch Says:
   May 27th, 2007 at 8:57 pm

   I am shocked to hear of John’s death. I knew him as an engineering student at The University of Texas in Austin. John combined a unusual understanding of electronics, sound and music. John’s first job was won by confident chutzpah. RCA was poorly equalizing their “dynagroove” LPs. John contacted and explained the problem to a forgotten VP. They hired him on the spot. And then there was an afternoon in John’s apartment with Bill Blachly, a soldering iron, and a pile of home brew coils and capacitors. We were trying to improve the sound of a U47. We were convinced that we did. And then John taught us both how to sautee asparagus. John had a productive personal life that matched his illustrious career. Bill died a few years back, and now John. There are just a few of us early adapters left. We all owe more to John than we realize. He was a rare gentleman of extreme talent and remarkable accomplishment. I miss him.

3. Bob Snelgrove Says:
   May 28th, 2007 at 5:30 am

   They don’t make men like John Eargle anymore and I received the news of his passing with great sadness. I always found John to be pleasant and patient with everyone he spoke with. While he could be forceful when making a point, his depth of knowlesge, his great and varied experiences and his unique achievements as both a technical engineer and creative artist allowed him to easily guide a challenging discussion into safe waters. It was a privelidge to have known him and to have had an opportunity on more than one occasion to sit with him and gain the guidenace of his many and varied perspectives on a point of discussion.

4. Ralph Jungheim Says:
   June 4th, 2007 at 4:30 pm

   # Ralph Jungheim Says:
   June 4th, 2007 at 4:22 pm

   I was privileged to work with John on most of his Jazz recordings, both live and in-studio. Two of these won Grammys for their performances and incredible sound. Two more, which were also nominated, were done live at what was then Marla’s Memory Lane. John and I were barely able to squeeze into the “sound booth” with the board. The second and last night of recording was climaxed by the door falling off the booth! We were both convulsed.

   Nobody will ever top John for mixing Jazz on the fly with no rehearsals. His great ears and never-failing sense of humor made the impossible possible.

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Posted in Main Post Area for Comments | 6 Comments »

2 Responses to “”

1. Bruce Bartlett Says:
   May 31st, 2007 at 5:28 am

   I learned so much from John’s books about microphones and mic techniques that have been invaluable in my work as a microphone design engineer, recording engineer, and audio journalist. I owe a lot to him for his clear, well-thought-out explanations.

   John and I were talking one day about stereo mic techniques. He created a personal demo for me on a CD that compared the sound pickup of a stereo pair, outrigger mics, hall mics and spot mics, and those mic pairs in various combinations. That took a lot of work and I was honored that he put together this CD just for my learning. We lost a wonderful mentor.

   Bruce Bartlett
   Crown Microphone Engineering
   Author, “Practical Recording Techniques Fourth Edition” and “Recording Music On Location” (thanks to John)

2. Obagi Blue Peel Says:
   May 9th, 2008 at 11:47 am

   Obagi Blue Peel…

   I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you….

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Eargle Tribute Date Set and Memorial Educational Scholarship Announced

2 Responses to “Eargle Tribute Date Set and Memorial Educational Scholarship Announced”

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4 Responses to “”

1. Greg Oshiro Says:
   June 27th, 2007 at 6:25 am

   Are there any plans to publish John’s discography? After hearing the recordings during Leslie Ann Jones’ presentation at the memorial tribute, I think we could all benefit form listening to the man’s work.

2. Wade Bray Says:
   July 10th, 2007 at 11:47 am

   I am sorry to learn of the passing of John Eargle. He was indeed a renaissance man, combining to wonderful ends his great knowledge and talent in both engineering and music — and the history of both. He was indeed a fine classical pianist, as others have said; I had the honor of selling him the Boesendorfer grand piano in his living room in about 1980, which resulted in a long friendship although infrequently in touch. We (Kimball International/Boesendorfer) had just appeared at the New York AES Convention with a piano in a demo suite at the Waldorf-Astoria, which created a bit of a stir. Many times the room filled as audio personalities began to play, or came by simply to talk about music and pianos. John came in and, to a growing hushed audience, played. The next day he returned, took me aside, and asked if he could obtain a retiring concert-service instrument. He visited in Jasper, Indiana where we had gathered several candidate instruments, and picked out his favorite. He sensed and shared my interest in musical and architectural acoustics, and a major field trip evolved to interesting venues such as the St. Meinrad Archabbey, where despite about 9 seconds of reverberation in the furnitureless Abbey and being well beyond the critical distance, as John pointed out, the organ could be localized. He was deeply interested in human spatial hearing, spatial impression and their connection to music conveying its full emotion. He recommended recordings to me that exhibited image and “room” content beyond the speaker stage. By the next AES convention, at the Los Angeles Hilton, John’s Boesendorfer had taken its place in his home and he invited me, along with with other friends Larry and Elaine Zide of db Magazine, to a musical soiree dinner to celebrate the new piano. It was a memorable evening, with music (live and recorded) and much fascinating audio engineering history. John was one of my great mentors and always was interested in “everything,” making connections and bringing not only talents, but also people, together. The art of conversation has lost one of its finest practitioners. Fortunately he gave of himself so freely. He will be remembered as a gift to have known.

3. Darrell Johnson Says:
   July 17th, 2007 at 5:46 pm

   I had the pleasure of getting to know John in the early 70’s. He and I both worked for JVC during the hey-day of quadraphonic audio. Many of you may remember CD4. John and I spent countless hours in intense discussion of the pseudo acoustic perception and such heady stuff of the new opportunity to make surround sound recordings. I lived on Woodrow Wilson Drive in the Hollywood Hills just a little ways down the hill from John. It was always a please to visit with each other and share our vast music collections. We both had a great love of blues music and of the wonderful Hammond Organ. After leaving California in the early 80’s to work in television systems engineering on the East coast I continued to see John at AES, NARAS, and SMPTE events over the years. I always enjoyed getting together for a long chat about what had been going on in our lives.
   He will be sadly missed. We shall all look forward to hearing him in that Heavenly Choir. Via con Dios, your old friend DJ.

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   February 3rd, 2008 at 5:13 am

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1. Patrice Lockhart Says:
   July 19th, 2007 at 12:44 pm

   Please accept my deepest condolances at John’s passing. I attended the 1983 Eastman School of Music Audio Recording Institute. He was an inspiring instructor and I still refer to his work to this day. He left a strong impression and I was amazed that he would still take time from his busy life to spend a few weeks teaching! He was so down to earth.

   We met the summer that CD’s were first hitting the market and I still can see him holding up the first CD I had ever seen and talking about this new media! He talked about the emergence of digital recording and how it would be a revolutionary change in the industry. Eastman had just purchased and installed a digital recorder for records. He took us into the basement at Eastman to show us this magical machine, mounted in a wide base of concrete to protect it from vibration.

   I have several of his books that were required reading for the classes. I use them as references when training other engineers in our department for live or production tv sound. My favorite chapter is on pychoacoutics.

2. Gary Lynn Says:
   July 25th, 2007 at 12:14 pm

   I’m just learning of John’s passing, I’m sad, but very greatful and feel so blessed to have known him. I used to think of him as the “Yoda” of the AES, the all knowing all powerful, kind and gentle teacher to us all. I first met John when our little Soundcraft group moved over to the JBL Northridge facility. He would make regular visits for meetings and discussions for his many assignments there. During his visits he always took the time to go around a talk to many of us in our different areas. I was just lucky enough to have been in the role of Dir of Soundcraft when he was writing the chapter on mixers in one of his books. He would come in and park himself in my office and we’d talk and discuss mic preamps, headroom and virtual grounding, in a seemly light discussion but with his way filling in the gaps of my knowledge with historical fact and physics. It was weird, I always knew more about the things I thought I knew after he left…..a true “Yoda” experience.

   Four years ago, I was in Northridge on a vacation and decided to take my son to visit JBL. No surprise, just like me, my son 11 at the time, was already a musician and audio enthusiast-techy. After having “Gander” do a bit of mentoring, Mark gave Robbie a copy of the Audio Engineering book John and Chris (Foreman) wrote, and, on our way out we ran into John in the lobby. As usual, John took the time to engage my son in conversation, and, signed his book “To Robbie who has a real good start in Audio”. It made my son feel special and capped off a great visit with a lasting memory for both of us.

   This was John’s way, gracious and kind, teacher to us all, we will miss him.

3. Robert E Munger Says:
   July 27th, 2007 at 5:39 pm

   I met John way back in the 60’s when i was a Altec contractor in Seattle. Later on when starting the Audisar Co (transformers) and after he left Altec, he recommended our items to friends and clients of his. When we contracted to do the tram sound system at Universal Studios we had dinner on one of my trips there and i was able to show him the studio lot, facilities and work that we had been doing. We have remained friends since the Altec days. Knowing John personally,I would on ocassion call and chat with him. i feel a great loss at his passing as well as a loss to our industry.

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