Category: Tech Topic

Claude is a conversational A.I. chatbot developed by Anthropic. Designed for text-based interactions, it performs tasks like summarization, editing, Q&A, and coding. Claude can maintain context over long conversations, process up to 75,000 words, and analyze uploaded files, such as images and PDFs. Claude is known for its human-like language, though it can occasionally make mistakes, like mere mortals do. Why name this program “Claude?” To honor Claude Rains? Or perhaps Claude Cat? Claude Rains and Humphrey Bogart, Casablanca, 1942… -more-

The U.S. entered World War Two in December 1941. The following Shure advertisement debuted in 1942. Of particular interest is this sentence from the ad – “Because of the unique processes, seven working days are necessary to complete a single microphone cartridge.” Note: Unfortunately, the sole archival copy of this 1942 ad is truncated at the bottom. Our Unidyne Model 55, introduced in 1939, was the first microphone to have a unidirectional cardioid using only a single moving coil dynamic… -more-

Twenty-five years ago, our SM7B was unveiled at the 2001 National Association of Broadcasters convention. Saturday, April 21 through Thursday, April 26, 2001. Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.The NAB Marketplace and Conference showcases the world of TV and Web convergence. There were three new aspects of the SM7B: 1) The model number; 2) The “plump” alternative foam windscreen; 3) The larger cardboard box to hold the additional windscreen. Functionally, the SM7B was still the SM7A from 1999 featuring a redesigned humbucking… -more-

In 1932, our Company launched the first Shure-branded microphones – the Model 44 condenser and the Model 33N carbon. S.N. Shure understood that customers required education about our products and their use. Informative communication was essential. Below is the second earliest Shure Apps Tech Tip/Engineering Bulletin known. Shure Engineering Bulletin, May 1932 In the early 1930s, the concept of a device to combine microphone signals was new. There were few commercially available mic mixers, so sound professionals would fabricate custom… -more-

The March 2016 issue of Physics Today contained an informative article by Alex Case, associate professor of sound recording technology, at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell campus. Evolving technologies for converting acoustic pressure into an electrical signal have driven changes in the performance practice and sound of pop singers. When you listen to the vocals in popular recordings, you do not actually hear the singers. What you hear are loudspeaker illusions of the vocals; illusions so compelling that you think you know the… -more-

As this date is April Fools’ Day, let’s look back at arguably the most successful hoax in radio history: The War of the Worlds; Orson Welles’ hyper-realistic radio dramatization of Martians invading Earth. Welles was twenty-three years old when his Mercury Theater On The Air company updated the H.G. Wells 19th-century science fiction classic, The War of the Worlds. Despite his youth, Welles had been in radio for several years, notably as the voice of The Shadow in the hit mystery program of the same name. The… -more-

Much of professional audio sprang from the collective genius of Bells Labs research. This Tech Tip examines the origins of the lapel microphone – a device to be worn on the clothing of a presenter.  Here is a February 1932 article from Bell Labs, published in Projection Engineering magazine: “The buttonhole microphone.” Please take note of the marketing pitch in the final sentence, “The instrument (microphone) will be a boon to speakers (presenters) who depend on gestures in effective delivery, who must… -more-

In the autumn of 1931, our Company prepared to launch its first Shure-branded microphones during the following January. Mr. Shure was keenly aware that potential customers would require education about our products. Informative, frequent communication was essential. Below is the earliest Shure Apps Tech Tip/Engineering Bulletin yet found. Shure Engineering Bulletin, 1931 Let’s examine subtleties and messaging in the above publication. The logo: New in 1931, this Art Deco logo alludes to the industrial design of a microphone. The concentric… -more-

March 15, 2026, marks the 60th anniversary of the Unidyne III U.S. patent issuance. To honor this milestone, today’s Tech Tip explains how Shure Brothers Company became interested in moving coil microphone technology. The Western Electric model 618 is considered the first professional moving coil dynamic microphone. Introduced in 1931, it became feasible as advancements in material science brought about smaller and more powerful permanent magnets. Unlike a condenser mic or a carbon mic, the 618 does not require an external… -more-

Sound system installers favor the UA864 antenna because it does not look like an “antenna” and can be painted to match the interior of the room.  However, the UA864 is often misapplied. Here are seven practical hints regarding this “doppelganger for a smoke detector.” UA864 antenna Hint #1: The UA864-US, for example, is a wide-band antenna, i.e., it covers 470-698 MHz. A wide-band antenna is best used when the installed wireless system employs the entire “wide-band” of 470-698 MHz. If the… -more-