Speaker Dave finds a job...musings on the industry.

[speaker dave]

Steve F, and others that know me know that I have been out of work for over 2 years after leaving PSB. Well, I am pleased to have landed a full time position at a Toronto firm, Simex-Iwerks as their Chief A/V Design Engineer. Simex manufactures and installs small to medium sized film and digital theaters that combine 3D picture with seat motion, and other effects. They are built primarily in conjunction with museums and theme parks.

This is a little bit different than my loudspeaker design background, but I like that it couples a number of my interests including theater acoustics, high output systems, multichannel audio, film and video projection, etc. Also, after 30 years of designing loudspeaker systems I can use a shift to something a little different and broader based.

Of course, some of this is putting a positive spin on the fact that there aren't a lot of jobs in loudspeakers in this country anymore. Canda was one of the last bastions of real manufacturing but API (Mirage and other brands) closed down a beautiful manufacturing facility about 3 years ago when they realized that they couldn't compete with China. Paradigm still builds some products here but I don't know how long that will last.

The odd thing is that most companies not only shifted their manufacturing to China but have sent there engineering there as well. This is odd in that the Chinese have very little design capibility. I have no doubt that they will develop it over time but their current proficiency is pretty low, especially when it comes to high end systems.

So a lot of the designers I know have taken up consulting or work for a broker or distributor as designing liasons between Chinese manufacturers and North America brands. Eventually the tail will wag the dog and the Chinese will buy up most of the brand names, as we have seen in other industries over the decades: getting rid of your manufacturing seems penny-wise smart in the short term but it is really the beginning of the end for an industry.

I don't mean to sound negative. I really enjoy my new position and am grateful to be back at work in a very pleasant environment. Its just a little sad that a long tradition of American Audio design, starting with radio/gramophones in the 20's seems to be coming to an end.

David

[kkantor]

Congratulations! That sounds like very cool stuff, and probably at least as close to "real" audio as most of what engineers do at "audio companies" these days...

I agree with your musings. Societies become successful, standards of living rise, investment becomes a primary source of income, manufacturing deteriorates, standards of living fall. Repeat, if lucky...

"Eventually the tail will wag the dog and the Chinese will buy up most of the brand names, as we have seen in other industries over the decades: getting rid of your manufacturing seems penny-wise smart in the short term but it is really the beginning of the end for an industry."

The thing is, individual companies don't seem to want government doing this kind of thinking, which amounts to, "central planning." The government doesn't want industry doing it, because it risks, "monopolistic practices." Capital markets don't support it, as yields are seen to be "uncompetitive." So, the net result is that private companies tend to try and optimize their individual bottom line, and almost always in the short term and at the expense of human resources. Everyone's stock goes up for a while, then you look around and suddenly there is no more industry or labor force.

-k

Steve F, and others that know me know that I have been out of work for over 2 years after leaving PSB. Well, I am pleased to have landed a full time position at a Toronto firm, Simex-Iwerks as their Chief A/V Design Engineer. Simex manufactures and installs small to medium sized film and digital theaters that combine 3D picture with seat motion, and other effects. They are built primarily in conjunction with museums and theme parks.

This is a little bit different than my loudspeaker design background, but I like that it couples a number of my interests including theater acoustics, high output systems, multichannel audio, film and video projection, etc. Also, after 30 years of designing loudspeaker systems I can use a shift to something a little different and broader based.

Of course, some of this is putting a positive spin on the fact that there aren't a lot of jobs in loudspeakers in this country anymore. Canda was one of the last bastions of real manufacturing but API (Mirage and other brands) closed down a beautiful manufacturing facility about 3 years ago when they realized that they couldn't compete with China. Paradigm still builds some products here but I don't know how long that will last.

The odd thing is that most companies not only shifted their manufacturing to China but have sent there engineering there as well. This is odd in that the Chinese have very little design capibility. I have no doubt that they will develop it over time but their current proficiency is pretty low, especially when it comes to high end systems.

So a lot of the designers I know have taken up consulting or work for a broker or distributor as designing liasons between Chinese manufacturers and North America brands. Eventually the tail will wag the dog and the Chinese will buy up most of the brand names, as we have seen in other industries over the decades: getting rid of your manufacturing seems penny-wise smart in the short term but it is really the beginning of the end for an industry.

I don't mean to sound negative. I really enjoy my new position and am grateful to be back at work in a very pleasant environment. Its just a little sad that a long tradition of American Audio design, starting with radio/gramophones in the 20's seems to be coming to an end.

David

[genek]

Great news, Dave. I'm not in your industry, but I know how it feels to be out of work or have to take something unrelated to the work I'd rather be doing. Congratulations!

[Carlspeak]

Congratulations Dave. I hope your new job won't keep you so busy you won't be visiting here in the future with your thoughtful insights and comments on our musings!

With regard to KK's input here, it seems to me the cycle will continue long into the future with low cost mfg. labor moving further West to India and eventually to Africa where we all originated from. How's that saying go? what goes around - comes around?

Of course I'm talking 1 or 2 centuries away for all this to happen, but firmly believe it will.

[speaker dave]

Congratulations Dave. I hope your new job won't keep you so busy you won't be visiting here in the future with your thoughtful insights and comments on our musings!

Thanks guys. I'll definitely keep up with CSP (even sneek in a little at work, from time to time).

Zilch should be happy, I will be specing in a lot of large JBL constant directivity theater systems.

David