The NAMM TECnology Hall of Fame Announces Seven New Inductees

TECnology Hall of Fame founder George Petersen and the NAMM TEC Committee have announced seven defining audio products and innovations as the newest entrants to the prestigious TECnology Hall of Fame (TECHOF). The designations, which were voted on by a panel of audio experts, including authors, educators, engineers, and other professionals, honors audio products and innovations that have made a significant contribution to the advancement of audio technology and production.

“Every one of these innovations made a major contribution to how sound is created and reproduced – even years after their debut,” says TECnology Hall of Fame Director George Petersen. “In fact, all of these technologies are still in use every day.”

Joining the 160 previous honorees at the TECnology Hall of Fame, the seven inductees for 2020 are: Multichannel Film Sound for Fantasia (Walt Disney Productions – 1940); UREI Cooper Time Cube (Duane Cooper/Bill Putnam – 1971); Roland TR-808 Drum Machine (Roland – 1980); Scholz Research & Development Rockman (Tom Scholz – 1982); Neutrik Combo XLR-1/4″ connector (Neutrik – 1992); 2002 Crane Song Phoenix Plug-in (Dave Hill – 2002); and the QSC K-Series Speakers (QSC – 2010).

“The collaboration of Walt Disney Productions with Bell Labs and RCA to create the 4-channel ‘Fantasound’ playback process used in 1940 for the production of Fantasia set the course for later breakthroughs in cinema sound, that also included Dolby Stereo’s Star Wars, recorded 35 years later,” continued Petersen. “As another example, Roland’s TR-808 programmable drum machine became part of the foundation of music movements in hip-hop, rap and electronica. And although made in 1980 — almost 40 years ago — the once $1,200 TR-808 remains a highly-prized studio tool today, with working units valued in the $4,000 range.”

Inductees to the TECnology Hall of Fame are selected by nearly 50 audio experts and will be officially inducted Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. in the NAMM Member Center inside the Anaheim Convention Center.