As we went to press, we heard the sad news that audio innovator / pioneer (and a founding father of concert sound) Bob Heil of Heil Sound had lost his ongoing battle with cancer and passed away Feb. 28 at age 83.
Heil began his career in 1966 owning a music store in a small town in Illinois. Soon known as the “guy who could fix anything,” rock bands began seeking him out for his expertise. In 1967, he made his first electronic crossover, followed by the first modular console and the iconic Heil Talk Box, made famous by Joe Walsh and Peter Frampton. Heil had a fervent interest in horn designs, and while also becoming an ham radio operator, he assembled a P.A. system from some large speaker cabinets being discarded by an area movie palace. Heil was also a Sunn dealer and designed the Sunn Coliseum system for the company.
As word got around about a guy with a “huge P.A.,” Heil was soon supplying gear to The Grateful Dead and The Who. Later, as quad sound became the rage, Heil designed a surround console for the Who’s Quadrophenia tour — a board now on display in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1978, he published The Practical Guide for Concert Sound, a text that remains a classic among audio engineers.
For years, Heil developed mics for ham radio operators and broadcasters, and coaxed on by friend Joe Walsh, founded Heil Sound in 2006 to build world-class microphones, including the PR series, which are still in production today. In 2007, Heil was the fourth recipient of a Parnelli Audio Innovator Award and was also granted an honorary Ph.D. from the University of St. Louis. But Bob Heil will be long remembered for his friendly smile and warm heart. Rest well, old friend, you will be missed.
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