May 9 2007
John Eargle r.i.p.
John has gone to a higher place...
May 9 2007
John Eargle r.i.p.
Forwarded by Garry Margolis:
It is with great sadness that I inform you that John Eargle, one
of
the finest audio engineers and teachers it's been my privilege to
know, has passed away.
He was scheduled to speak to an Audio Engineering Society chapter in
Minnesota on Tuesday evening, and when he failed to communicate with
them, his JBL colleagues went to his home and found his body.
John holds degrees in music from the Eastman School of Music and the
University of Michigan. He holds degrees in engineering from the
University of Texas and The Cooper Union for the Advancement of
Science and Art, and pursued studies in acoustics with Dr. Cyril Harris
at Columbia University. He was a fine pianist -- he had a Boesendorfer
Concert Grand with extended bass in his living room, and it shared
the room with his Steinway D until the latter was sold.
His superb musicianship was evident in the many recordings he
engineered for Delos.
I met him when we worked together at JBL, and we quickly became
friends as well as colleagues. Although he retired from recording a
few years ago, he continued to consult for Harman International as
well as write and revise his superb textbooks on audio. He was a
regular lecturer at the Aspen Recording Institute every summer, and
he was a frequent speaker at both Acoustical Society of America and
Audio Engineering Society meetings.
For the past two decades, I had the privilege of assisting him with
his computing needs. He was expert in computer technical drawing --
he did all of his own book illustrations -- and, with the changes in
technical publishing, he became fluent in page layout as well. In
recent years, he took up photography with typically excellent results.
Because he lived alone and was concerned about what could happen if
he had a medical emergency, he recently decided to sell his home in
the hills above the Hollywood Bowl and move into a retirement
community. Ironically, his concern was justified.
Requiescat in pacem, my friend...
Garry
.
JBL REGRETS THE PASSING OF JOHN
EARGLE
Company marks the
passing of an industry and corporate legend with plans to memorialize his
legacy.
NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA, May 15, 2007
— JBL
Professional today announced the passing of John Morgan Eargle at the age of 76.
Dr. Sidney Harman, founder and executive chairman of Harman International
Industries, the parent company of JBL, made the announcement.
In
announcing the passing, Dr. Harman called Eargle an industry legend and
commended his 31 years of contributions to the JBL and Harman family of
companies. “The industry
lost a giant with the passing of John Eargle,” Dr. Harman said today, “but
we at JBL and Harman International lost a beloved and revered member of our
family. John Eargle cannot be
replaced, but his life, his vision, and his many contributions to our industry
can and will be memorialized in concrete ways by our company.”
John Eargle joined JBL as a
consultant in 1976, and shortly thereafter moved to a full-time position as Vice
President of Product Development for a six-year period.
In the early 1980's he returned to a consulting role with the title
Senior Director, Product Development and Application, the position he held for
the rest of his life.
John participated in product
development activities for both the Professional and Consumer divisions of JBL,
for Harman Becker on branded car sound systems, and for other Harman divisions
such as AKG microphones. He wrote
extensively for the companies, creating articles, applications and technical
notes, owner's manuals and others materials in support of products and their use
in recording and sound reinforcement. He
championed the concept of flat power response in sound reinforcement
applications, and conceived of the application of the Bi-Radial®
constant-coverage horns to both studio monitors and cinema systems.
In 2002 John received a Scientific and Engineering Award from the Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences along with other JBL engineers for the
concept, design and engineering of the modern constant-directivity, direct
radiator style motion picture loudspeaker systems.
He had just completed the book
"The JBL Story: 60 Years of Audio Innovation" and had previously
co-authored "JBL Audio Engineering for Sound Reinforcement" which are
among ten books on audio, loudspeakers, microphones and recording which he had
authored. Many of his books have
long been used as texts at the university level.
In recording, he was a member of the
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), and had engineered
and/or produced over 275 Compact Discs. He
was at the forefront of the development of multi-channel surround sound.
Jazz recordings which he engineered for Joe Williams and Ruth Brown were
awarded Grammys, and in 2001 he was awarded the Grammy for Best-Engineered
Album, Classical for Dvorák: Requiem, Op. 89; Sym. No. 9, Op. 95 "From the
New World."
He
had a deep commitment to education, presenting at many forums as a guest
lecturer and serving on numerous panels and committees.
He taught at the Aspen Audio Recording Institute for more than 20 years,
in concert with JBL and Harman support of the Aspen Music Festival and School,
and was a member of their corporate board.
John
Morgan Eargle was born on January 6, 1931 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
He received degrees in music and electrical engineering from the Eastman
School of Music (B.M.), University of Michigan (M.M.), University of Texas (B.S.E.E.),
and Cooper Union (M.E.). He was a member of the National Academy of
Recording Arts and Sciences; a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences; a member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers; a
Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers; a Fellow
of the Acoustical Society of America and reviewer of electro-acoustical patents
for the ASA Journal; and a Fellow, Honorary Member, and past-president of the
Audio Engineering Society, a member of the AES Journal Review Board and was
awarded the AES Bronze Medal.
John
Eargle is survived by brother Robert Gray Eargle, sister Pauline Tennison Eargle
Dahlgren, nephew John Paul Eargle and five additional nieces and nephews, all of
Texas. Funeral arrangements will be
private. Industry colleagues have
established a remembrance Website at Plans are underway for a memorial convocation for friends and
associates to be held in the near future.
About
JBL Professional:
Headquartered in Northridge,
California, JBL Professional is the world’s leading designer, manufacturer,
and marketer of professional loudspeakers for recording and broadcast, musician,
cinema, touring sound, commercial sound and contracting applications. JBL
Professional is the proud recipient of the 2005 Technical GRAMMY® award. JBL
Professional is part of the Harman International network of professional and
consumer audio companies. For complete product and company information, go to
the JBL Professional website at .
About
the Harman Pro Group:
The Harman Pro Group (www.harmanpro.com) is the world’s largest provider of professional audio products and system solutions for commercial sound, contracting, tour sound, recording and broadcast, musician, portable PA and cinema applications. The Group is headquartered in Northridge, California and includes industry leaders AKG Acoustics, BSS Audio, Crown International, dbx, DigiTech, JBL Professional, Lexicon, Soundcraft, and Studer. The Group is part of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (NYSE: HAR. Harman International designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of products for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. Its brands include Harman Kardon®, JBL®, Mark Levinson® and Infinity®. The company maintains a strong presence in the Americas, Europe, and Asia and employs more than 10,500 people.
###
A
scholarship fund has been established in John's name under the auspices of the
Audio Engineering Society's Educational Foundation. The John M. Eargle
Memorial Scholarship will be given to a deserving student who combines the
attributes of engineering capability and musical interests in the tradition of
John Eargle. The Scholarship is being established with an initial donation
from JBL/Harman International Industries, Incorporated. Contributions
should be made by check to the AES Educational Foundation with instructions to
credit the Eargle Fund. They should be mailed to: AES Educational
Foundation, Robert Sherwood, Treasurer, One Wolf's Lane, Pelham, NY, 10803.
All contributions will be acknowledged.
About the Audio Engineering Society Educational Foundation:
The Audio Engineering Society Educational Foundation is dedicated to
encouraging the entry of talented students into the profession of audio
engineering and related fields. Since its establishment in 1984, the Foundation
has awarded grants for graduate studies to exceptional applicants, most of whom
have since gone on to prominent and successful careers in the profession.
Applications are accepted from students world-wide, and Foundation grants have
provided a measure of financial support for studies at major universities in
many countries.
Read a rare 1948 Audio Engineering Article about Sapphire
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Click here to play the Sapphire Strut !
