Microphone Help

[Harvey Gerst]

Nope, I didn't have anything to do with that. Continuously variable pattern controls have been around for years, thanks to Neumann. Don't misunderstand me; the guys at Equitek are very sharp. The company is Astatic which has been making mics for years.

My contribution was coming up with a low cost multipattern mic by using two small inexpensive cardioid capsules back to back. At the time, the lowest price multi-pattern mic available was the AKG 414 at about $1,200.

At the 1987 AES show in NY, we (IMC) debuted the working prototype and had a lot of interest from dealers and everybody (including some very concerned high-end mic manufacturers). The retail price was to be around $350 and we actually cast about 1,000 bodies to start building the thing.

IMC canceled the project at the last minute, so I gave the whole concept, drawings, etc. to Dick Rosmini, who was consulting for Equitek (who was looking for a unique mic design to enter the pro/semipro mic market). With some very minor changes, it became the CAD E-200, and it helped launch their entry into the mic market.

Even though Dick said that all his corespondence with the company credits me with the concept and the original design, CAD maintains they don't have a clue as to who I am, nor my involvement with the design. That's what pisses me off the most. I don't want royalties or payment; just an acknowledgement that, "Yeah, the E-200 was based on a design by Harvey Gerst.".

 

[chessrock]

Even though Dick said that all his corespondence with the company credits me with the concept and the original design, CAD maintains they don't have a clue as to who I am, nor my involvement with the design.

Hmmm. Interesting. Now, I'm not going to try and defend CAD in any way, but it does kind of sound like maybe the right hand doesn't necessarily know what the left hand is doing over there . . . and it's quite possible that during all the "restructuring" they've done in the past few years (Fletcher has brought this up a few times), that maybe their left hand has just been severed altogether?

 

[Harvey Gerst]

Yeah, that's pretty much what I think happened, plus this all started in 1989, so there's a lot of chances the communications were simply lost. Still, it pisses me off a little bit. The credit would have been nice.

 

[formerlyfzfile]

Well for what it's worth Harvey....

I LOVE my e-200.

It has definitely been one of my better investments and I make good use of the multiple patterns.

Thanks for thinking it up.


-mike

 

[tarnationsauce2]

Nope, I didn't have anything to do with that. Continuously variable pattern controls have been around for years, thanks to Neumann. Don't misunderstand me; the guys at Equitek are very sharp. The company is Astatic which has been making mics for years.

My contribution was coming up with a low cost multipattern mic by using two small inexpensive cardioid capsules back to back. At the time, the lowest price multi-pattern mic available was the AKG 414 at about $1,200.

At the 1987 AES show in NY, we (IMC) debuted the working prototype and had a lot of interest from dealers and everybody (including some very concerned high-end mic manufacturers). The retail price was to be around $350 and we actually cast about 1,000 bodies to start building the thing.

IMC canceled the project at the last minute, so I gave the whole concept, drawings, etc. to Dick Rosmini, who was consulting for Equitek (who was looking for a unique mic design to enter the pro/semipro mic market). With some very minor changes, it became the CAD E-200, and it helped launch their entry into the mic market.

Even though Dick said that all his corespondence with the company credits me with the concept and the original design, CAD maintains they don't have a clue as to who I am, nor my involvement with the design. That's what pisses me off the most. I don't want royalties or payment; just an acknowledgement that, "Yeah, the E-200 was based on a design by Harvey Gerst.".

I found this thread when searching for some Astatic info.
While I hate to bump up an old thread, that is interesting about the E200.
Yes, the E200 is great, and if you had some part in it's design you should be proud. I'll give you recognition that you deserve.