ProSound News - December 2008 - (Page 5)

[5] The Melding of Circuit Boards and Surfboards by Frank Wells ready for dashes to the nearby beaches and ample other indications of Universal Audio’s relaxed corporate culture share space with computers, photocopiers and typical office paraphernalia in the headquarters space that Universal Audio has occupied now for about a year. Analog hardware manufacturing, software and hardware product development, marketing, distribution and SCOTTS VALLEY, CA—Surfboards sales are all handled within the new facility, with added bonuses of an onsite gym, hiking trails and a co-located caterer, and there’s room for UA to grow. Earlier this year, UA launched the second-generation UAD-2 DSP accelerator platform. UA president Matt Ward called the introduction “a milestone event.” During a visit with Ward this fall, PSN asked him to elaborate. (continued on page 72) Universal Audio president Matt Ward discusses the hand assembly of UA’s LA-2A leveling amp during a tour of the company’s facility. Blue Mics in Green by Christopher Walsh WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA—Among the manufacturers that have forged a niche in professional audio, Blue Microphones represents one of the most notable success stories. With the company’s equity investment by Transom Capital Group complete (April 2008 Pro Sound News), Blue is growing exponentially as its artistic, boutique approach has clearly been recognized in the mainstream. The coming months will see several important announcements concerning highprofile, brick-and-mortar and online retailers carrying Blue Microphones, says president/co-founder Skipper Wise, who, with partner Martins Saulespurens, retains an ownership interest in the company. “Before things become mainstream,” says Wise, “there’s a movement. The movement was real to me. I felt that we had to create microphones that were about the digital age, and create products for people recording today. Now we’re relevant.” Transom Capital Group is exactly the entity to usher Blue Microphones into this period of rapid growth, says Wise, a jazz and pop artist with 17 albums to his credit. “I couldn’t do all this on my own before,” he admits. “I didn’t know how to organize all the creativity and thoughts, or how to organize this from a business standpoint. When I was introduced to these guys, we hit it off. There’s a certain energy about them, and they’re hands-on: It was about actually working here and making a difference. I said, ‘Come and work for six weeks. If this works out, I’ll consider it.’ In six weeks we made more headway than I’d made in two years. It has been off to the races ever since.” Known for application-specific sonic signatures and innovative design and craftsmanship, Blue Microphones’ rising profile represents a confluence of factors. Wise brings an artist’s aesthetic and emotional approach to equipment design; the democratization of audio production, explosion in prosumer equipment, and meteoric rise of podcasting and other digital media have fostered Blue’s arrival. “This is our moment,” Wise observes. Digital recording played a direct role in Blue’s birth, he says. As an artist on audiophile labels, “if it didn’t sound good, you had to remix it on your dime,” he recalls. “Mics were an important part of what we got. I was in Holland and bought some old vintage mics. They were broken, and I met a guy named Martins Saulespurens, who became my partner in Blue. I left him one to see if he could fix it; he sent back a mic that not only was incredible-sounding, but the noise floor was unheard of in a tube mic—it just wasn’t there. “When I was on Cypress [Records],” he continues, “we were using the first 1/2- inch Sony 24-track digital machine, which revealed anything that was noisy. This mic became rather known, people were always borrowing it, and eventually I was sending him all my other mics to restore.” A side business repairing mics later evolved with the creation of the Blueberry. Exhibiting at the AES Convention, Blue quickly had a large purchase order from Guitar Center, Wise recalls. More recently, the Snowball USB mic, says Wise, has been particularly popular. “Art imitates life, and life imitates art. You put yourself into the product, just like when you write a song. The Snowball has been a huge success—we’ve sold over 160,000 of them in a short period of time.” Blue Microphones is represented in the Apple Stores’ Pro Lab courses, Wise adds. “Our Bluebird microphone is the key product. We’re the only professional mic sold in the store—our Snowflake, the Snowball, and now the Bluebird. That’s a very strong partnership.” Blue Microphones www.bluemic.com December 2008 prosoundnews.com http://www.bluemic.com http://www.prosoundnews.com http://www.electrovoice.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ProSound News - December 2008

ProSound News - December 2008 Sound Business Contents Hank’s Best Yet Sound Recording Studio Showcase: Great City Productions Software Tech Tracks Sessions Anticipating Post’s Future Post Showcase: Eargasm HD Audio Post The Business of Being Creative Sound Innovations: VRsonics VibeStudio Spatial Design Suites Field Reports: Product Profiles Yes We Can Hear Obama Live Sound Showcase: Stone Temple Pilots Centerstage Soundcheck Sound People View From the Top Product Spotlight Classifieds Advertiser Index Company Index Music, etc

ProSound News - December 2008

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