Marty Paule writes: Highly opinionated and fiercely independent in his views about pro sound, Bob Heil builds mics and possesses a professional resume to back up his often out-of-the-box attitude. And speaking of boxes, it was Bob who invented one of the most memorable guitar effects of all time: the Heil Talk Box that made Peter Frampton a fixture on ‘70s album charts.
He’s built sound systems for some of the most hallowed names in rock. Names like The Who, The Grateful Dead, The Eagles, Humble Pie, Peter Frampton, and pivotally, his longtime pal Joe Walsh with whom he shares an obsession for ham radio.
As we learned in our conversation with Bob, it’s his lifelong love of amateur radio that has surprisingly helped put Heil Sound at the forefront of live music reproduction with a collection of mics that has been winning converts everywhere.
The Interview
The HUB: When you entered the microphone market with Heil Sound, there were already a lot of manufacturers out there. What was the vacuum that you felt needed to be filled?
Bob Heil: My involvement in pro audio goes way back to the amateur radio side of things. Are you aware of that part of our company?
