ProAudio Review - July 2008 - (Page 32)

Behind The Scenes: JBL Professional – A 60-Year Legacy by Mel Lambert BL Professional, Harman International’s pro audio loudspeaker division, can boast a fascinating ancestry, dating back over 60 years to a highly talented engineer whose initials still grace the company logo. James Bullough Lansing was born James Martini on January 14, 1902, the ninth of 14 children in Macoupin County, Illinois. While relatively little is known of Lansing’s early days, he was particularly interested in things electrical and mechanical, constructing crystal sets and a small radio transmitter. During the late-1920s, Lansing moved to Los Angeles and set up Lansing Manufacturing Company to make loudspeakers for use within radio receivers; it was at this time that Martini changed his name to James Bullough Lansing, for reasons lost in the mists of time. During the following decades Lansing’s firm built loudspeaker systems for motion-picture theaters and recording facilities. However, financial problems continued to plague the fledgling company until, in September 1949, James B. Lansing passed away, aged 47. William Thomas eventually became the sole company owner and decided to capitalize on the initials, JBL. The ‘50s and ‘60s saw JBL develop a number of pro audio designs utilizing new-generation LF and HF drivers for recording studios and motion-picture theaters, culminating in the early 1960s with the Model 4320 Studio Monitor. In 1969, Thomas sold the firm to Sidney Harman of the Jervis Corporation; under Harman, the company grew from a modest $8 million per year business to about $60 million. In early 1977, Harman sold JBL to Beatrice Foods. Three and a half years later Harman re-acquired JBL, which remains a leading producer of branded loudspeakers throughout the world, with more than 50% being sold to export markets. FIVE VERTICAL MARKETS Drawing upon its extensive experience of developing high-performance loudspeakers systems for recording studios, post facilities and motion-picture theaters - the latter result- turn, during the ‘80s became the first THXapproved cabinets for the blossoming theatrical market. “We combined constant-directivity horns mounted on our unique compression-driver designs with direct-radiating LF transducers in vented boxes; the end result offers very smooth A Multichannel Listening Lab that was custom-designed to reduce subjectivity during critical listening tests. Several loudspeakers can be quickly moved into the same physical location behind an acoustically transparent scrim. ing in a blossoming demand for powerful touring/permanent PA systems - today JBL Professional addresses five vertical markets, according to VP of Marketing Mark Gander. “We innovate products relevant to Touring Sound, Recording/Broadcast/Post Production, Installed Sound, Cinema Theaters and Portable PA, with VPs or marketing directors overseeing each specialty,” Gander says. “One of the keys to our success has been the design and manufacturing of our own transducers. JBL Professional is hence one of the very few companies that is in charge of its own destiny. That continuity from design to manufacturing means that we can respond quickly to our customers’ demands and continue to develop new technologies as the needs of our markets change. We listen to our customers, and try to anticipate their needs, which maybe even they are not currently aware of! It’s a cyclic process, where market demands and our ability to respond rapidly feed off one another – we don’t innovate in a vacuum.” Gander considers that the company’s unique ability to offer new, JBL-innovated technologies has revolutionized the cinema industry during the past 25 years. “The older paradigm focused on cone woofers with largediameter compression drivers. The Shearer System, which secured a Technical Oscar in the ‘30s, evolved into our Cinema Series, which, in power handling.” The resultant system secured three JBL engineers — John Eargle, Mark Engebretsen and Don Keele - a coveted Science and Engineering Award in 2002 from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; two other engineers - Bernard Werner and William Gelow — secured Technical Achievement Awards from the Academy for development of the ScreenArray System. “Today, JBL Professional supplies the majority of cinema systems worldwide,” Gander states. As a result of the firm’s evolutionary highpower designs for motion-picture theaters, during the ‘60s and ‘70s a growing number of touring-sound system designers began to take a closer look at using the same components for sound-reinforcement applications. “Indeed,” the VP continues, “a growing number of music-touring companies and larger amphitheater operators started to specify our components for large-scale playback systems. During the Sixties there was a growing emphasis on guitar-based music, which required high-power amplified sound systems to reach their audiences. Our large voice-coil systems with rugged construction were perfect for that market – Clair and Showco here in the US were both early users of our heavy-duty components, together with Jands Productions in Australia and Hibino PA in Japan.” 32 | ProAudio Review | July 2008 www.proaudioreview.com http://www.proaudioreview.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ProAudio Review - July 2008

ProAudio Review - July 2008 Contents Publisher's Page: Inside Broadcast Production Studio News and New Products Steinberg Nuendo 4 Digital Audio Workstation Developments & Trends: Digital Audio Workstation I/O JZ Microphones Black Hole BH-1 Apple Logic Studio Behind The Scenes: JBL Professional – A 60-Year Legacy Broadcast News and New Products WLOY: Real World Facilities For An On-Campus Radio Station Post News and New Products Hot Gear InfoComm 08 Chandler Limited TG1 Abbey Road/EMI Series Limiter/Compressor Live News and New Products Cerwin-Vega! Professional Active Series CVA-28 and CVA-118 Speakers QSC Audio Model GX5 Power Amplifier From The Road: A Week In The Life — Gear Essentials Contracting News and New Products Taming The Driving Factor — Drums UpSampler: sE Instrument Reflection Filter Buyer’s Guide: Live Sound Amplifiers Single Slice: Roger Powell “Fallout Shelter”

ProAudio Review - July 2008

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