Recent

Thom Hannum Named Director of Education at Pearl Corporation

August 7, 2025

Excelcia Music Publishing and Wingert-Jones Publications Announce ‘Ready Sets’ for Concert Band

August 5, 2025

Get Ready to Rock The 2026 NAMM Show: NAMM Celebrates 125 Years with Five-Days of Music, Innovation and Industry Legacy

August 4, 2025

Jessica Tropea Joins Neutrik Americas as Customer Solutions Engineer

August 4, 2025

It’s Back to School Season: Is Your Store Ready?

August 5, 2025

Neil Potter Promoted to Director of National Sales at Allen & Heath USA

August 1, 2025

Sonique Drums Unveils Poly Pro Slim Snare Wire Straps

August 1, 2025

NAMM Announces New Leadership Teams For Women of NAMM and NAMM Young Professionals

July 30, 2025
Friday, August 8, 2025
  • Contact
MMR Magazine
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!
No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!
No Result
View All Result
MMR Magazine
No Result
View All Result

Heil Sound Celebrates ‘50 Years of Maximum Rock & Roll’

Christian Wissmuller by Christian Wissmuller
January 4, 2016
in Supplier Scene
0
939
SHARES
2.3k
VIEWS
Share on Facebook
ADVERTISEMENT

Heil Sound is marking 2016 as “50 Years of Maximum Rock & Roll.”

The yearlong celebration will kick off at the Winter NAMM show in January. A commemorative podcast series of interviews with company founder Bob Heil is also scheduled to debut in January. This series will highlight the history of Heil Sound as well as the many innovations in live sound that Heil brought to the industry.

ADVERTISEMENT

Founded in 1966, the company was first known as Ye Olde Music Shoppe, a music store located in Marissa, Il. The store had a reputation among the pros who were touring nationally as a place to shop and have repairs done. In addition to running the store, Bob combined his interest in pipe organs – he became the house player for the Wurlitzer organ at St. Louis’ Fox Theater at the age of 15 – and amateur (ham) radio, and began experimenting with live sound systems. Soon Ye Olde Music was supplying full sound system packages for venues and festivals throughout the Midwest.  

In 1970 Bob received a call from the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia on a tour stop in St Louis asking for help. The band’s gear – and sound mixer – had been “detained” in New Orleans and Bob was asked to provide a sound system for the show. Bob and his crew brought his gear to the show, and it was such a huge success the band hired them on the spot to join them on the road. Bob Heil recalls, “After the show Jerry said to me, ‘you should change the company name to Heil Sound.’ We did that and the rest is history!”

Heil Sound went on to tour with The Who (Bob created the quadrophonic sound system for the band’s Quadrophenia tour), Humble Pie, The James Gang and many others. The iconic Heil Talk Box, made famous by Joe Walsh and Peter Frampton, was also introduced.

By 1982 Heil Sound had curtailed the touring side of the business and concentrated on developing products for the amateur radio market. A home theater division was also launched to take advantage of the massive interest from consumers in high quality audio.

These two distinct markets – ham radio and pro audio – came together in 2006 when Joe Walsh, an avid ham operator and friend of Bob’s, called to suggest that Heil Sound develop microphones for concert use. Since that fateful call Heil Sound has been at the forefront of dynamic microphone design and manufacturing. Their PR35 vocal mic has become a “go to” mic for many high profile artists and the PR30 and PR40 are staples in not only concert sound, but also broadcast and studio use. The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland features an exhibit dedicated to the company’s many innovations with early products and memorabilia.

Heil Sound, now with Bob’s wife and business partner, Sarah Heil as president, continues to be a driving force in microphone design. 

Tags: Heil Sound
Previous Post

Polar takes on Tonebone in UK

Next Post

Vandoren Introduces V21 Saxophone Reed

Related Posts

MMR Global

Recording and Mixing Engineer Thiago Baggio Thrives with DPA Microphones

July 29, 2025
Cesar Lamschtein, incoming Audio Engineering Society President-Elect in 2026
MMR Global

Audio Engineering Society Announces Results of 2025 Elections

July 29, 2025
Jon Chadwick mixing Papadosio on Avantis Solo
Supplier Scene

Papadosio Employs Allen & Heath Avantis Solo on Latest Tour

July 28, 2025
Supplier Scene

Internationally Acclaimed Clarinetist Rocco Parisi Joins Chedeville; Inspires New Elite Bass Clarinet F00 Model

July 24, 2025
Chris Neethling, President of Neutrik Americas; Lukas von Arx, CEO, Neutrik Group, and Urs Sprenger, Chairman of Board, Neutrik Group
Supplier Scene

NEUTRIK Races Into 50 Years of Innovation and Connection

July 21, 2025
Supplier Scene

Geddy Lee and Tech 21 Present the Special Charity Edition MP40 Signature SansAmp

July 11, 2025
Next Post

Vandoren Introduces V21 Saxophone Reed

Please login to join discussion
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

Thom Hannum Named Director of Education at Pearl Corporation

August 7, 2025

Atomic Music: A 30-Year Legacy in the Heart of Beltsville

December 17, 2024

It’s Back to School Season: Is Your Store Ready?

August 5, 2025

Graph Tech Guitar Labs Launches Barrel Knobs for Ratio Machine Heads

January 6, 2025

Thom Hannum Named Director of Education at Pearl Corporation

Excelcia Music Publishing and Wingert-Jones Publications Announce ‘Ready Sets’ for Concert Band

Get Ready to Rock The 2026 NAMM Show: NAMM Celebrates 125 Years with Five-Days of Music, Innovation and Industry Legacy

Jessica Tropea Joins Neutrik Americas as Customer Solutions Engineer

Thom Hannum Named Director of Education at Pearl Corporation

August 7, 2025

Excelcia Music Publishing and Wingert-Jones Publications Announce ‘Ready Sets’ for Concert Band

August 5, 2025

Get Ready to Rock The 2026 NAMM Show: NAMM Celebrates 125 Years with Five-Days of Music, Innovation and Industry Legacy

August 4, 2025

Jessica Tropea Joins Neutrik Americas as Customer Solutions Engineer

August 4, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
The Latest News and Gear in Your Inbox - Sign Up Today!
  • August 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • July 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • June 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • May 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • April 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
© 2005 - 2025 artistpro, LLC
7012 City Center Way, Suite 207
Fairview, Tennessee 37062
(800) 682-8114

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!

© 2005 – 2024 artistpro, LLC 7012 City Center Way, Suite 207 Fairview, Tennessee 37062 (800) 682-8114

This is Modal Title

Click Me
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?