3 chapters across the catalog
Bob Heil, Early Life and the Fox Theater Organ
Bob Heil recounts his early introduction to audio through ham radio and the organ. He describes becoming the protege of Stan Cann at the Fox Theater in St. Louis at age 15. Heil explains how voicing and tuning thousands of pipes in a Wurlitzer organ taught him how to "listen" and harmonically dissect sound, a skill that would later define his career in microphone design.
Grateful Dead, Fox Theater and the Birth of Rock Sound
Bob Heil details the accidental birth of his professional sound company when the Grateful Dead's PA system was confiscated by federal agents before a show at the Fox Theater. Heil provided a massive system built from discarded Altec A4 speakers and Macintosh amplifiers. The success of that night led to a touring contract with the Dead and a front-page story in Billboard magazine.
The NYPD is implementing extreme security measures for the July 4th holiday, including welding manhole covers and filling dump trucks with sand. Skeptics suggest these high-profile actions are "security theater" designed to justify massive police overtime payouts rather than addressing specific, credible threats.
