11 Questions with John Meyer---------------------July August 2017 Issue!
As John and Helen Meyer celebrate 50 years together and 50 years of innovative
audio solutions, PALM technology catches up with John Meyer. The Founder of the Berkeley based pro-audio manufacturer fields
11 questions on his perceptions about speaker system designing, overcoming challenges, current global market scenario for pro-audio
and his expectation for Meyer Sound for the next five years.
Founder and CEO, Meyer Sound
Founder and CEO, Meyer Sound
1. What is your approach to designing a speaker system?
I think that sound quality is a given so what needs to be done is to figure out how to configure systems so they’re practical to
use for different types of environments. When I start on a design I always pay attention to the space they’ll be used in and also
how they interact with each other. Meeting the specifications in small and large numbers is essential.
2. You have contributed directly to a long list of breakthrough developments that have earned the company 100 US and international
patents as well as numerous industry awards. But which of the Meyer speakers would you say is your favorite and why?
It’s very difficult to choose a favorite. So many of our products have been inspired by the artists who work closely with us. I think our small
mm4xp is an example of a product that was inspired by the artist, Bill Fontana, to use in the light rail system in Lyon, France for both
music and announcing. We developed the mm4 specifically to fit within the tight spaces in the stations. The product has evolved into the
mm4xp and mm4xpd which is a directional, powered version. I’m also pleased with our evolution of line arrays because they have shown
exceptional versatility and sound fidelity. I think the Leopard system is a real milestone in this technology.
3. The UPA-1, has been one of your top selling products. What do you think made it such a big success?
The UPA-1 was aimed specifically to be powerful and small to fit easily into Broadway show sets. It was a huge advance at the time and it
was ten db more powerful than anything on the market. We later made it self-powered which increased its versatility and ease of use.
4. Looking back over your long and illustrious career, what do you think has been the highlight of your career?
I’m very proud of the company that I’ve built and the dedicated team that also believes that innovation is an ongoing effort.
5. You are a renowned inventor, but you are also a businessman per se. How do you balance both? Is it a challenge? As in, being an inventor
is it important to give priority to design over financial gains or vice-versa?
I think it’s important to recognize that you may have strong strengths in one area and weaknesses in others so inventing and developing are
obviously my strong points. However I seek help and expertise in other areas of the business.
6. Your wife Helen is also your business partner. What is her role in the company and what aspects does she look into?
Helen maintains the relationships which include sales, marketing, admin, operations and all the things that make the company run. The two of
us work closely together on all strategic aspects of the company but we have a division of labor since I handle all of the engineering and
visionary work. We are supported by an incredible team of people in all areas of our business.
7. How do you think the live-sound and install industry has changed globally in the past decade?
The industry has changed from supporting bands directly which was originally supported by record sales to the bands making their money on touring
itself. Originally the tours were a promotion for records but records sales have dropped with the start of the internet and iTunes etc. So the
tours have to make money on their own. So speed and set up time, the amount of equipment and cost of fuel all have affected the way tours are run
these days and everything must be done more quickly and more cost effectively. The install market has been more stable and it’s a growing market
for us.
8. Today, Line arrays have become a norm for live sound reinforcement. What do you think is the single most important factor that has led to this
wide scale adoption? And what do you think comes next?
I think line arrays have been around since the 1940’s and the “grateful dead” used them in their ‘wall of sound’ so each musician could have his own
line array because they only take up vertical space. This helped in all kinds of shows - touring and Broadway - because space is always at a premium.
I think we’ll see more and more multi-channel and multi-spacial sound systems, more immersive systems so that every single performer can have the sound
originating from where he or she is even when they move around.
9. What is your perception of the global market for pro-audio products and how does India fit into this global scenario?
I think that concerts will continue to grow and my understanding is that India has more concerts every day than the rest of the world combined. So the
market in India is huge.
10. Tell us a little bit about your engagement with the Indian market and what does Meyer have in store for India in the near future?
We’re going to continue to work in India because everyone loves music and Indian musical instruments have
a huge range of complicated sounds. There’s a spirit and energy in India that is special and exciting and we want to help support it. We
recently added Sandeep Braganza as sales manager for the region as part of our commitment to this thriving market.
11. What is your vision for Meyer Sound for the next five years?
We expect the company to continue growing, innovating and expanding into our core markets as well as
into new, interesting sound adventures.