Interview with Don Ososke, July 9, 1996

Partial Transcript: Check for veracity, I think it's accurate.

Segment Synopsis: Ososke tells a story involving the sound amplification system at the Monterey Jazz Festival in Monterey (Calif.).

Keywords: Altec; Ampex; Ampex Corporation; Ampex Electric Corporation; Amplification; Amplifiers; Announcers; Armed Forces Radio Network; Broadcasting, stereo; Broadcasting, stereophonic; Channels; Commercials; Czech; Direct inputs; Dukes of Dixieland (Artist); Films; Hamann, Ken; Hamann, Kenneth; Heider, Wally; Inputs; Lindsay, Harold; Lyons, Jimmy (Artist); Microphones; Military; Monterey (Calif.); Monterey Jazz Festival; Newport (R.I.); Newport Jazz Festival; Ososke, Don; Raytheon; Recorders, tape; Signal Corps; Sound amplification; Sound reinforcement; Sound systems; Stereo; Stereophonic; Strip films; Stuttering; Tape recorders; Transcription; Transcription, radio; Wolf, Fred; Yanokvic, Frankie (Artist)

Subjects: Ampex corporation; Armed Forces.; Czechs--United States.; Dukes of Dixieland; History of science and technology; Lyons, Jimmy; Lyons, Jimmy, 1931-1986; Microphone; Military; Monterey (Calif.); Monterey Jazz Festival; Music; Newport (R.I.); Newport Jazz Festival.; Raytheon Company; Record labels.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Stereophonic sound systems.; Stuttering.; Wolf, Fred; Yankovic, Frank

Partial Transcript: Are you aware of the first eight channel that we know about? In, nineteen, I think, 1952?

Segment Synopsis: Ososke discusses the equipment produced by the Ampex Electric Corporation, such as the first 8-channel multi-track recorder.

Keywords: Ampex; Ampex Electric Corporation; Ampex corporation; Circuitry; Dolby Laboratories; Dolby, Ray; Ginsburg, Charlie; Hammar, Peter; Hammond, Peter; Heads; Heads, recording; Military; Noise reduction; Octopus, the; Oscillators; Oscillators, master; Ososke, Don; Paul, Les; Power supplies; Recorders, tape; Recorders, video; Recording tape, audio alignment; Recording tape, video; Sel-Sync; Sel-sync (selective synchronization); Selective synchronization

Subjects: Ampex corporation; Audio equipment industry; Dolby Laboratories Inc.; Hammond, Peter, 1942-; History of science and technology; Military.; Music; Paul, Les; Record labels.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History

Partial Transcript: I don't know, what, what--can I ask you your opinion of this project?

Segment Synopsis: Ososke and Schmitt Horning discuss her dissertation's premise that independent studios were responsible for innovation in the recording industry, with which Ososke disagrees.

Keywords: Arizona; Audio Engineering Society (AES); Audio Recorders; Audio engineers; Audio engineers, freelance; Audio engineers, independent; Chicago Symphony Orchestras; Classical music; Cleveland (Ohio); Cleveland Recording; Cleveland Recording Studio; Cleveland Recording Studios; Columbia Records; Columbia Records, Inc.; Compact discs; Crystals, the (Artist); Dissertations; Dolby Laboratories; Drugs; Eddy, Duane (Artist); Engineers; Fine, Bob; Fine, Wilma; Fine, Wilma Cozart; Germany; Hammar, Peter; Hammond, Peter; Hazelwood, Lee; Innovation; Lathes; Magnetophon; Magnetophone; Mercury Living Presence Series; Microphones; Miller, Jack; Mullin, Jack; Music historian; Music producers; Musicians; Neumann; Noise reduction; Ososke, Don; Overdoses; Pfeiffer, John; Poniatoff, Alexander; Producers; RCA Records; Radar; Rangertone; Ray Dolby; Record cutter; Record cutting lathes; Recorders, tape; Recording lathes; Recording lathes, Neumann; Recording studios; Recording studios, independent; Recording tape; Recording, stereo; Recording, stereophonic; Recording, tape; Records, kinds of: stereo; Reiner, Fritz; Renner, Jack; Ronettes, the (Artist); Santa Barbara (Calif.); Second World War; Signal Corps; Sound engineers; Spector, Phil; Stereo; Stereophonic; Studios; Tape; Tape machines; Technology; Telarc; World War II; World War Two

Subjects: Arizona; Audio Engineering Society; Chicago Symphony Orchestra.; Cleveland (Ohio); Columbia Records, Inc.; Compact disc industry; Crystals (Musical group); Dolby Laboratories Inc.; Drugs.; Eddy, Duane; Fine, Bob; Hazelwood, Lee; History of science and technology; Lathes; Magnétophone; Microphone; Miller, Jack; Music; Neumann; Pfeiffer, John, 1920-1996; RCA Records; Record labels.; Reiner, Fritz, 1888-1963; Santa Barbara (Calif.); Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Spector, Phil; Spector, Phil, 1939-; Stereophonic sound systems.; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Actually, it's fascinating, were you aware that in addition to Fantasia, which was produced by Disney in the forties and was the first film that we know of that made a serious attempt at multichannel surround sound, that the, um, not Cinemascope, but Cinerama and Todd-AO films of the early fifties used seven channels of magnetic sound.

Segment Synopsis: Ososke discusses the advent of surround sound in the motion picture industry. The two discuss the film 'Fantasia,' which used multiple channel sound. The two also talk about theatre sound system Cinerama and Todd-AO.

Keywords: Akron (Ohio); American Optical; Cameras; Channels; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Cinerama; Cycles; Disney; Fantasia (Motion picture); Films; Lenses, anamorphic; Modification; Motion pictures; Movies; Oklahoma! (Musical); Organ tones; Orpheum, the; Ososke, Don; Picture; Projectors; Reiner, Fritz; San Francisco (Calif.); Sonic; Sound; Sound, magnetic; Strauss, Johann; Stripes, seven channel maximum; Surround Sound; Theater sound; Theaters, movie; Todd, Michael; Todd-AO; Walt Disney Company

Subjects: Akron (Ohio); American Optical Company; Chicago Symphony Orchestra.; Cinerama; Fantasia (Motion picture); History of science and technology; Motion pictures.; Music; Oklahoma! (Motion picture); Organ.; Projectors.; Record labels.; Reiner, Fritz, 1888-1963; San Francisco (Calif.); Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Strauss, Johann; Strauss, Johann, 1804-1849.; Todd, Michael; Todd-AO (Firm); Walt Disney Company.

Partial Transcript: You're making me want to study classical stuff.

Segment Synopsis: Ososke discusses the effect of multitrack recording on classical music, which Ososke feels has led to decline in musical performance.

Keywords: Artists; Audio engineers; Bach, Johann; Bassoons; Classical music; Columbia Records; Columbia Records, Inc.; Concert halls; Conductors; Editing; Engineers; Frost, Jack; Goldberg Variations; Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, the; Gould, Glenn; Jazz; Microphones, multiple; Mixers; Multi-tracking; Musicians; Ososke, Don; Overdubbing; Performances; Recording studios; Recording tape; Recording tape, (kinds of): master; Recording, multi-track; Recordists; Renner, Jack; Sound; Sound engineers; Splices; Splicing; Splicing tape; Stokowski, Leopold; Stokowski, Leopold Anthony; Studios; Tape; Technicians; Telarc; Theory; Violins

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; Bach, Johann, 1604-1673; Bassoon; Columbia Records, Inc.; Frost, Jack; Gould, Glenn.; History of science and technology; Jazz music.; Microphone; Music; Record labels.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Stokowski, Leopold, 1882-1977.; Violin

Partial Transcript: Now, the other side of it that's fascinating--I have to bring this up while we're on this discussion of what a studio can do.

Segment Synopsis: Ososke discusses the effect that recording has had on live musical performance, which led to a decline in excitement and presence in today's classical recordings.

Keywords: 4 track; 4-track; Artistry; Balance; Balancing; Beach Boys, the (Artist); Beatles, the (Artist); Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Album); Compact discs; Compilations; Concerts; Distortion; Drummers; Dynamic; Dynamics; Editing; Erasure (Artist); Excitement; Four-track; Frequency responses; Keyboard; Live; Love Me Do (Song); Midi; Multi-tracking; Musicians; Neville Brothers, the (Artist); Ososke, Don; Performances; Pet Sounds (Album); Popular music; Pre-recording; Presley, Elvis (Artist); Recording; Recording, live; Recording, stereo; Recording, stereophonic; Recording, studio; Rhino; Rhino Entertainment; Rhino Records; Rhythm and Blues R&B); Sam and Dave (Artist); San Francisco Bay Area (Calif.); Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Album); Shoreline Amphitheater; Show; Singers, background; Sonic; Sonic Solutions; Speakers; Stereo; Stereophonic; Synchronization; Tonality; Vocalists (singers); Vocalists (singers), background; Vocalists (singers), lead; Wilson, Brian (Artist)

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; Beach Boys.; Beach Boys. Pet sounds; Beatles.; Beatles. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.; Erasure (Musical group); History of science and technology; Music; Neville Brothers; Presley, Elvis, 1935-1977.; Record labels.; Rhino Records; Rhythm and blues music.; San Francisco Bay Area (Calif.); Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Stereophonic sound systems.; Wilson, Brian; Wilson, Brian, 1942-

Partial Transcript: These are the H?

Segment Synopsis: Ososke discusses high-end audio equipment and its comparison to live sound. Ososke also talks about high-end audio equipment that is not worth the price.

Keywords: Ampex; Ampex Corporation; Ampex Electric Corporation; Amplifiers; Amplifiers, reference; Analog; Audio devices, expensive; Audio systems; Audiophiles; Cartridges, moving coil; Carver, Bob; Dolby Sound Laboratories; Dolby, Ray; Drummers; Fine Tuning of the Golden Ear, the (Book); Grado; Grado, Joe; Hammar, Peter; Hammond, Peter; Headphones; Headphones (models): Grado HP60; Headphones, Grado; History of technology; Innovators; Inventors; Is it live or is it Memorex?; Live music; Mariachi bands; Mariachi music; Memorex; Music; Ososke, Don; Paul, Les; Prices; Recording; Recording tape, analog; Recording tape, magnetic; Society for the History of Technology; Sound systems; Stereophiles; Technology and Culture; Tuners; Tuners, reference

Subjects: Ampex corporation; Carver, Bob; Dolby Laboratories Inc.; Hammond, Peter, 1942-; Headphones; History of science and technology; Mariachi.; Memorex Corporation; Music; Paul, Les; Record labels.; Society for the History of Technology; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History

Partial Transcript: So how did you come into this?

Segment Synopsis: Ososke discusses singing in boys' choirs and his experiences recording in his childhood. He also talks about his early career with the Ampex Electric Corporation.

Keywords: Adler, Kurt Herbert; Altec; Ampex; Ampex Electric Corporation; Ampex corporation; Audio engineering; Bacon, Madi; Carmen; Choir, children’s choir; Davies Symphony Hall; High schools; Jewish; Judaism; King's College Choir; Merola, Gaetano; Music; Opera; Ososke, Don; Parents; Playback; Prodigy; Professional; RCA Records; Recording business; Recording industry; San Francisco (Calif.); San Francisco Boys Chorus; San Francisco Opera Company; San Francisco War Memorial Opera House; Sound engineering; Speakers; Vienna Boys Choir; War Memorial Opera House

Subjects: Adler, Kurt Herbert; Ampex corporation; Bacon, Madi; Carmen.; History of science and technology; Judaism.; King's College Choir School; Merola, Gaetano; Music; Opera.; RCA Records; Record labels.; San Francisco (Calif.); San Francisco Boys Chorus; San Francisco Opera.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; War Memorial Opera House (San Francisco)

Partial Transcript: So did you ever get into working in a recording studio--well, yeah, Wally--

Segment Synopsis: Ososke discusses his time at Wally Heider Studios. He also talks about the downward trajectory of musical performance since the 1950s.

Keywords: Acapella; Ames, Ed; Andrews, Julie; Artistry; Artists; Audio engineer; Audio engineering; Beatles, the (Artist); Booths; Cleveland Opera; Cole, Nat "King"; Communication; Concert Halls; Concerts; Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg; Drummers; Duets; Editing; Effects; Erasure (Artist); Films; Flagstaff, Kirsten; Flanging; Gaines, Davis; Grateful Dead, the (Artist); Guitars; Halls; Harmonies; Hecklers; Heider, Wally; Jolson, Al; Lake Tahoe (Calif.); Lake Tahoe (Nev.); Los Angeles Civic Light Opera; Martin, Mary; McRae, Gordon; Melchior, Lauritz; Microphones; Microphones, vocal; Mixing; Multi-tracking; Music; Music, race; Musicians; Newton, Wayne (Artist); Nilsson, Birgit; Operas; Ososke, Don; Paul, Les; Percussion; Performance; Performing; Phantom of the Opera (Musical); Phasing; Pyrotechnics; Raitt, John; Recording; Recording studios; Recording tape; Recording, magnetic; Recording, multi-track; Rolling Stones (Artist); San Francisco (Calif.); Singing; Sopranos; Sound engineer; Sound engineering; State Theater; Studios; Talkies; Technology; Tenors; Theaters; Vocalists (singers); Voices; Wagner, Richard; Wally Heider Studios; Watts, Charlie (Artist); Williams, Andy (Artist)

Subjects: Ames, Ed; Andrews, Julie; Beatles.; Cleveland Orchestra.; Cole, Nat King, 1919-1965; Erasure (Musical group).; Gaines, Davis; Grateful Dead (Musical group); Guitar; History of science and technology; Jolson, Al, 1886-1950.; Los Angeles Civic Light Opera Association; Martin, Mary, 1913-1990.; Melchior, Lauritz; Microphone; Music; Newton, Wayne; Opera.; Paul, Les; Percussion.; Phantom of the Opera (Musical); Raitt, John; Raitt, John, 1917-2005.; Record labels.; Rolling Stones.; San Francisco (Calif.); Soprano voice.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Tahoe, Lake (Calif. and Nev.); Tenor voice.; Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883.; Watts, Charlie; Williams, Andy; Williams, Andy, 1927-2012

Partial Transcript: Well, gosh, we could probably carry on for hours.

Segment Synopsis: Ososke discusses innovation in the recording industry and opines on the state of historical research in general.

Keywords: Academy; Albums, stage cast; Analog; Armstrong and DeForest; Armstrong, Edwin; Bell, Alexander Graham; Blossom Music Festival; Carlos, Walter; Carlos, Wendy; Casts, stage; Classical music; Cleveland (Ohio); Cleveland Orchestra; Cleveland Symphony Orchestra; Cohen, I. B.; Cohen, I. Bernard; Courts; DeForest, Lee; Digital; Discovery, simultaneous; Dolby; Dolby Laboratories; Dolby, Ray; Edison, Thomas; Electric lights; FM patents; Faders; Fennell, Frederick; Films; Grateful Dead, the (Artist); Guitars; Heider, Wally; Hindenburg; Hindenburg blimp; Hindenburg crash; Hindenburg disaster; History; History of technology; Innovations; Inquisition, Spanish; Instruments; Interpretations; Jews; Kuhn, Thomas; Layering; Lights, electric; Limitations; Mellotrons; Movies; Multi-tracking; Noise Reduction; Noise reduction systems; Oklahoma! (Musical); Ososke, Don; Paul, Les; Perceptions; Persecution, religious; Popular music; Queen Isabella; Recording; Recording studios; Recording studios, independent; Recording tape; Recording, direct to Disc; Recording, multi-track; Reiner, Fritz; Renner, Jack; Revolution in Science; Reynor, Jack; San Francisco (Calif.); San Francisco Symphony; Science; Spain; Spanish inquisition; Structure of Scientific Revolutions, the (Book); Swann, Joseph; Switched-On Bach (Album); Synthesizers; Szell, George; Tapes; Telarc; Telarc International; Toys; Wally Heider Studios; Wilson, Brian (Artist)

Subjects: Armstrong, Edwin H. (Edwin Howard), 1890-1954.; Bell, Alexander Graham, 1847-1922.; Carlos, Wendy; Cleveland (Ohio); Cleveland Orchestra.; Cohen, I. Bernard, 1914-2003; Dolby Laboratories Inc.; Edison, Thomas A. (Thomas Alva), 1847-1931.; Fennell, Frederick; Grateful Dead (Musical group); Guitar; Hindenburg (Airship); History of science and technology; History.; Inquisition--Spain.; Isabella, Queen, consort of Ferdinand I, King of Naples, approximately 1424-1465; Judaism.; Kuhn, Thomas; Mellotron; Music; Oklahoma! (Motion picture); Paul, Les.; Record labels.; Reiner, Fritz, 1888-1963; San Francisco (Calif.); San Francisco Symphony Orchestra; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Spain.; Swann, Joseph T.; Synthesizer (Musical instrument); Szell, George, 1897-1970.; Wilson, Brian, 1942-