Shure Incorporated is an American corporation originally founded by Sidney N. Shure in Chicago, Illinois in 1925 as a supplier of radio parts kits. The company became a consumer and professional audio-electronics manufacturer of microphones, wireless microphone systems, phonograph cartridges, discussion systems, mixers, and digital signal processing. The company also produces listening products, including headphones, high-end earbuds and personal monitor systems.

Company history[link]

Shure was founded by Sidney N. Shure in 1925 as "The Shure Radio Company", selling radio parts kits in the days before complete manufactured radios were available. The company's office was located at 19 South Wells Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois. The following year, Shure published its first direct mail catalog, which was one of only six radio parts catalogs in the United States at the time. By 1928, the company had grown to over 75 employees, and Sidney's brother, Samuel J. Shure, joined the company, which was renamed Shure Brothers Company. The company moved into new offices at 335 West Madison Street in Chicago. In 1929, with the advent of the Great Depression and the increased availability of factory-built radios, Shure Brothers Company was forced to greatly reduce their staff and became the exclusive US distributor of a small microphone manufacturer.^[specify] In 1930, Samuel J. Shure left the company.

In 1931, Shure and engineer Ralph Glover began development of the first Shure microphone, and the following year, the Model 33N Two-Button Carbon Microphone was introduced, making Shure one of only four microphone manufacturers in the U.S.. Shure's first condenser microphone, crystal microphone, and microphone suspension support system (for which they received their first patent) were all introduced that same decade. In 1939, Shure introduced the Model 55 Unidyne Microphone, which went on to become one of the world's most recognized microphones.

In 1941, Shure was contracted by the United States armed forces to supply microphones during World War II, and by the following year, the T-17B was the microphone most widely used by the U.S. Army and Navy. Shure also manufactured throat, headset, and oxygen mask microphones, and adopted the United States Military Standard for all Shure microphones.

By the mid-1940s, Shure was also manufacturing and supplying phonograph cartridges to major phonograph manufacturers including Philco, RCA, Emerson, Magnavox, Admiral, and Motorola, and was the largest producer of phonograph cartridges in the U.S. at that time. Among Shure's innovations in phonograph cartridge design was Ralph Glover and Ben Bauer's "needle-tilt" principle for minimizing record wear while improving sound reproduction, and Jim Kogen's engineering concept of "trackability." Shure produced the first phonograph cartridge capable of playing both long-playing and 78 rpm records, the first cartridge with tracking force of only one gram, and the first cartridge meeting the requirements of stereo recording. At the peak of Shure's phonograph cartridge production, the company was producing approximately 28,000 cartridges per day, with 25,000 of those coming from a Shure phonograph cartridge plant in Phoenix, Arizona. After the introduction of compact discs in the 1980s reduced the demand for phonograph cartridges, Shure closed the Phoenix facility but continued manufacturing phonograph cartridges, and continues to manufacture them today.^[2]

Shure also developed and produced products for medical applications. In 1937, their 66A piezoelectric stethophone was designed to accurately reproduce chest sounds, and in the early 1960s, the SP-5, SP-5S and SP-6 stethoscope pickups were produced. Shure also produced hearing aid cartridges used in hearing aid products from manufacturers like Maico, Telex, Dictograph, Otarian, Vocalite, and Trimm.

In 1956, Shure moved its corporate headquarters to Hartrey Avenue in Evanston, Illinois, where it remained for 47 years. Beginning in the 1956, Shure manufactured magnetic tape recording heads and two years later, the company announced it was ready to mass produce 4-ch recording heads. By 1964, however, Shure announced it would no longer produce tape recording heads due to increased competition.

In 1953, Shure introduced their first wireless microphone system for performers, and in 1959, they introduced the Unidyne III Microphone, which was the predecessor to the SM57, which would be introduced, along with the SM58, six years later. Shure also produced portable equipment for broadcast field recording like Vocal Master, the M67 Portable Mixer, and the FP31 Portable Mixer. In 1990, Shure entered the wireless microphone market with the L-Series.

In 1994, James Kogen, Executive Vice President, Operations, was promoted to President and General Manager of Shure. The following year, Sidney N. Shure died at the age of 93, and Rose L. Shure was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors. In 1996, James Kogen retired; Santo (Sandy) LaMantia, Vice President of Engineering, was named President and CEO. Shure Brothers Incorporated was officially renamed Shure Incorporated in 1999.^[3]

In 2001, Shure acquired the Popper Stopper brand of studio pop filters from Middle Atlantic Products Inc.^[4] The following year, Shure adopted hearing conservation as the company’s corporate cause and established the Shure Bid for Hearing program. In 2003, Shure moved into new corporate headquarters in Niles, Illinois, into a building designed by architect Helmut Jahn which was originally the headquarters of HA•LO Industries. The 65,000-square-foot (6,000 m²) Krueck & Sexton-designed Technology Annex,^[5] opened in 2005, houses Shure's Performance Listening Center.^[6] In 2008, Shure celebrated the opening of The S.N. Shure Theater and Interactive Display at their corporate headquarters.

International offices[link]

• 1991: Shure Europe GmbH opened in Heilbronn, Germany to provide sales, service and support to Shure distribution centers in 34 European countries.
• 1999: Shure Asia Limited is opened in Hong Kong to serve Distribution Centers and distributors throughout Asia and the Pacific Rim.
• 2002: Shure Distribution GmbH established as a subsidiary of Shure Europe GmbH, to handle direct sales with Shure dealers in Germany.
• 2003: HW International, Shure's United Kingdom Distribution Center, acquired and renamed Shure Distribution UK.
• 2005: Sales and marketing office opened in Shanghai, China.
• 2006: Sales and marketing office opened in Tokyo, Japan.
• 2010: New subsidiary formed in the Netherlands^[7]

Production facility expansion[link]

• 1982: Manufacturing facility opened in Wheeling, Illinois
• 1983: Phonograph cartridge manufacturing facility opened in Agua Prieta, Mexico
• 1984: Wired microphone manufacturing facility opened in Juarez, Mexico
• 1989: Juarez, Mexico facility expanded
• 1994: Agua Prieta facility expanded in 1994
• 2005: Manufacturing facility opened in Suzhou, China^[7]

Products[link]

Wired microphones[link]

Shure 55S

Shure first began manufacturing their own products in 1932 with the introduction of the 33N two-button carbon microphone. The Model 40D, Shure's first condenser microphone, was introduced the next year, and the first of a line of crystal microphone, the Model 70, was introduced in 1935. With the introduction of the 55 Unidyne Microphone in 1939, the company's microphone offering included carbon, condenser, crystal, and dynamic microphones.^[2] Wired and wireless microphones together represent the largest category of Shure's overall business.^[8] Shure currently produces numerous series of microphones for various applications, including the SM, Beta, KSM, and PG series, as well as specialty consumer microphones, Microflex, and Easyflex (conferencing systems for commercially-installed applications).

One of Shure's most visually iconic microphone series is the Unidyne series, seen in use by heads of state and popular recording artists and performers from the 1940s through the end of the twentieth century, including President John F. Kennedy, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra. The Model 55 Unidyne is pictured with Harry S. Truman in the famous photograph where he is holding the Chicago Tribune newspaper with the erroneous front page headline "Dewey Defeats Truman." It is also pictured in front of Fidel Castro on the cover of the January 19, 1959 issue of Life Magazine and in front of Martin Luther King, Jr. during delivery of his famous I Have a Dream speech during the 1963 March on Washington. The original Shure 55 Unidyne microphone was designed by engineer Ben Bauer and first produced in 1939.^[8] The 55 Unidyne was designed to be a rugged public address microphone with exceptional audio performance, and was notable for its single-element, unidirectional design which was smaller, less susceptible to feedback, and less sensitive to ambient noise than other microphones on the market at that time. Several variants of the original Unidyne have been produced, most notably the 55S or "Baby Unidyne."^[2] The 55S is sometimes referred to as the "Elvis mic" due to its frequent use by Elvis Presley, and is the microphone depicted with Elvis on the commemorative first-class Elvis stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service in 1993.^[9] In 2008, the Unidyne Model 55 microphone was inducted into the TECnology Hall of Fame,^[10] and the following year, Shure released the 55SH Series II.^[11] A supercardioid version, the Super 55 Deluxe Vocal Microphone, was introduced in 2009, featuring high gain before feedback and excellent off-axis rejection and further extending Unidyne's 70-plus year legacy.^[12]

With the U.S. Army's approval of the Shure T-17 microphone for use during World War II, Shure began producing what would be several specialized microphones for U.S. military use during that war. Shure's adoption of the Military Standard Specification, and product redesigns intended to conserve raw materials essential to the war effort, positioned the company to fulfill the military's needs for specialized microphones. The T-17 Battle Announce Microphone was the most widely used microphone in the U.S. Army and Air Force during World War II, and featured a plastic case which not only conserved aluminum, but was also lighter and more reliable in a variety of temperatures and climates. A waterproof version was designed and used on nearly all U.S. Navy ships. Shure also designed the T-30 Throat Microphone for use by flight crews. The T-30 was held against the throat by a cloth strap, capturing the vibrations from the person's voice box directly, without the background noise of the airplane's engines or propellers. Shure also manufactured specialized headsets and the MC-1 oxygen mask microphone. In yet another example of the widespread use of Shure microphones by the U.S. military, U.S. lookout Private Lockhard used a Shure 700A microphone to announce his sighting of Japanese planes approaching Pearl Harbor on the morning of On December 7, 1941.^[2]

Patti Smith singing into a Shure SM58 microphone

The Shure SM series of microphones began with the introduction of the SM57 in 1965 and the SM58 in 1966. The SM (Studio Microphone) series microphones were originally developed with a non-reflective finish and no on-off switch for the TV studio market.^[13] The SM57 is well known for its durability and the versatile sound characteristics, much attributable to the Ernie Seeler-designed Unidyne III capsule.^[8] Produced since 1965 and still in production today, it has been widely used in many applications, including micing vocals, drums, and guitar amplifiers both in live sound and recording applications, including being used by every United States President from Lyndon Baines Johnson on. It was used by Michael Jackson when recording the lead vocals for the song "Billie Jean."^[14] The SM57 was inducted into the TECnology Hall Of Fame in 2004.^[15] Together, the Shure SM57 and SM58 have been the two bestselling microphones in the world since the late 1960s. Their feature set is nearly identical, with the main difference between the two being their different grilles.^[16] Shure later expanded the SM series, which now includes such models as the SM58, SM48, SM86, SM87A, SM57, SM94, and SM81.

Shure introduced Beta Series microphones in 1989, featuring supercardioid designs based on SM series microphones, but with neodymium magnet structures for higher output. The series also included two new microphones specifically for drums, the Beta 56 drum microphone and the Beta 52 kick drum microphone, later updated to the Beta 52A.^[17] The Beta 58A microphone was awarded a TEC award in 1996,^[18] and several other Beta series microphones have been nominated for TEC awards over the years.

Shure's first headset microphone for stage use was created in 1991. One of the earliest uses of a Shure headset mic onstage was for the television special Medusa: Dare to be Truthful. Among the headset microphones Shure has manufactured over the years are the WH20, WH30, WCM16 (introduced in 1993), Beta53 and Beta54. The newest of Shure's headset microphones, the MX153, part of the Microflex series, was introduced in 2012.

In 1999, Shure introduced the first mic in their KSM Series of premium recording microphones, the KSM32. KSM series microphones feature Class A discrete transformerless preamplifiers. Ten years later in 2009, Shure acquired Crowley and Tripp Ribbon Microphones from Soundwave Research Laboratories of Ashland, Massachusetts, along with the company's proprietary "Roswellite" ribbon material, and added both ribbon microphones, now rebranded the KSM353 and KSM313, to the KSM series.^[19]

Phonograph Cartridges[link]

Shure began supplying replacement crystal pickups to various manufacturers in 1933, and by the mid-1940s, Shure was the largest supplier of phonograph cartridges in America, supplying cartridges to record manufacturers like Philco, RCA, Emerson, Magnavox, Admiral, and Motorola. At the peak of Shure's phonograph cartridge production, the company was producing more than 28,000 cartridges per day, with 25,000 of those produced at Shure's Phoenix, Arizona phono cartridge production plant. While Shure continues to manufacture phono cartridges, the Phoenix manufacturing facility was closed in the late 1980s due to declining demand for phono cartridges.

Shure engineers introduced several key phono cartridge design concepts. Chief Engineer Ralph Glover discussed phono pickup design's relationship to record wear in a 1937 article in Electronics magazine entitled "A Record-Saving Pickup." Glover developed the "needle-tilt" principle with the assistance of fellow Shure engineer Ben Bauer, and considerations of needle angle, record wear, and fidelity were an integral part of Shure's cartridge designs. In 1966, Chief Engineer Jim Kogen published a research paper entitled "TRACKability" in Audio magazine. The concept in the article was that "trackability" was the ability of a cartridge to maintain contact with a record groove throughout any modulations.^[2]

Shure V-15VxMR

Shure is credited with several phono cartridge industry firsts. In 1948, the company introduced the 900MG, the first phonograph cartridge capable of playing both long-playing and 78 rpm records, and in 1954, Shure's M12 Dynetic Phono Reproducer tonearm and cartridge set established a new industry standard with a tracking force of only one gram. The M1 Studio Dynetic Cartridge introduced the principle of a moving magnet within a stationary coil, an engineering concept that dominated phono cartridge design for nearly 25 years due to its higher output, lower noise, and greater headroom.^[20] The Shure M3D, introduced in 1958, was the first ever stereo moving magnet cartridge, with 20dB of stereo separation at 20 kHz.

Shure has also designed and manufactured cartridges specifically for disc jockeys. Their M35 and Whitelabel cartridges are designed for playing records as they'd typically be played in a nightclub. The M44-7, however, is specifically designed to be used for scratching, which involves playing a vinyl record forward and backward rhythmically. The M44-7 and M44-7-H cartridges are renowned for their tracking and skip resistance, which has made them a popular choice of turntablists, including turntablism pioneers The Invisibl Skratch Piklz.^[21]

Shure's flagship V15 phonograph cartridge series, with the model name referring to the cartridges' 15-degree tracking angle, established itself for decades as the premier cartridge for low tracking force and high tracking ability. The V-15 series also included several industry firsts: The original V-15 model (introduced in 1964) was the first to feature "trackability," and utilized a symmetrical, bi-radial elliptical stylus. The V-15 Type II (introduced in 1966) was the first computer-designed phono cartridge and the first to feature a flip-action built-in stylus guard. The V-15 Type IV (introduced in 1978) was the first to feature the dynamic stabilizer, which both discharged static electricity from the record and stabilized the cartridge for playback of warped records. The V-15 Type V marked the introduction of a proprietary "ultra-thin wall beryllium" stylus shank with stiffness-to-mass ratio several times that of other cartridges on the market. In 1998, Sony Music Entertainment selected the Shure V15VxMR to transcribe 80 years of Columbia Records and Sony Music masters and recordings. In 2008, Gramophone Magazine awarded the V-15 an "Audio Choice" designation for outstanding performance and value. Due to the scarcity of the raw materials required to manufacture V-15 cartridges, Shure discontinued the series in 2004, and in June 2009, the last remaining V-15 stock was purchased by the Library of Congress.^[20]

Sound Reinforcement Systems[link]

Shure introduced the Vocal Master sound reinforcement system, touted as "the first portable total sound system," at the 1968 winter NAMM Show. The Vocal Master system consisted of a combination of control consoles, speakers, amplifiers, mixers, and microphones. Multiple components and systems could be combined to expand the Vocal Master system to larger sound reinforcement applications. The Vocal Master was at one time the official on-tour sound system for performing acts such as the 5th Dimension and The Carpenters among others. Vocal Master was also utilized for installed sound applications in educational institutions and churches, as well as at the Rockefeller Center's Rainbow Room where it was used for performances by such artists as Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington, and at the London Palladium.

Mixers and DSP[link]

Shure FP33 Field Mixer

In 1966, Shure introduced the M68, a portable mixer capable of being battery powered along with available accessories like a carry case and battery power supply specifically designed to address the needs of broadcast journalists and field recording personnel. The following year, the Shure M67 mixer added an illuminated VU meter and a line level output transformer for connecting the mixer to a telephone line. In August, 1969, Eddie Kramer recorded the 4-day Woodstock Festival using three Shure M67 mixers.^[2] Shure's portable mixer line later included other models such as the M267 and 268.

Shure introduced the FP31 mixer in 1983. The FP31 was smaller and lighter than other similar products at that time, small enough to be held in the palm of a hand and weighing just 2.2 pounds, positioning it as an ideal complement to the one-piece Sony Betacam video camera which had been widely adopted by remote video broadcast crews. The FP31 could operate up to 8 hours on two standard 9-volt batteries, and included two separate microphone/line outputs for two-camera video shoots. Its master section featured an adjustable threshold limiter to prevent overload distortion, and there was a separate microphone/line switch with low-cut filter on each channel. By 1984, just a year after its introduction, the FP31 was being used by ABC, CBS, NBC, Turner Broadcasting System, and was later succeeded by the Shure FP33.

In 1991, Shure introduced the FP410 automatic mixer, featuring Shure's patented IntelliMix circuitry which automatically activates special double-element microphones based on the direction of a talker's signal. That same year, the FP410 was recognized with the Technical Achievement Award from the International Television Association for "significantly advancing the state of the art in the field of non-network television."^[22] Shure later introduced the SCM810, an 8-in, 1-out automatic microphone mixer which also featured Shure IntelliMix circuitry.

Shure also introduced digital signal processing products for this market, beginning with the DFR11EQ digital feedback reducer (introduced in 1996) and the DFR22 2-in, 2-out feedback reduction audio processor, and portable headphone amplifiers such as the FP11 and FP22.

Conference[link]

Shure introduced the Automatic Microphone System (AMS) in 1983, one of the first automatic, high-quality mixer system using directional gating for installations utilizing multiple microphones. In 1987, Shure SCM810 Automatic Mixer installations begin at the United States Capitol, and by 1997, the US Capitol is one of the largest Shure automatic mixer installations in the world. In 2008, Shure introduced the Microflex microphone line specifically designed for conference room applications.^[2]

Wireless microphone systems[link]

Shure manufactures several lines of wireless microphone systems, many of them utilizing microphone capsules from their wired microphones models such as the SM58, SM87, Beta 58, and Beta87A. The systems range in scope from entry-level to high-end systems used for touring and large-scale event applications.

In the early 1950s, long before wireless microphone systems were widely used, Shure introduced the Vagabond 88 wireless microphone system. Operating within a copper wire circle either suspended from the ceiling or laid on the floor, the system could transmit within an area of approximately 700 square feet. The system consisted of a low-frequency FM radio transmitter and microphone, utilized five subminiature vacuum tubes, and was powered by two hearing aid batteries. The Vagabond system was expensive and somewhat fragile, but was adopted for use by several Las Vegas venues of the time.^[8] Not until 1990 did Shure re-enter the wireless microphone market with the introduction of the L Series.^[23]

Even before Shure re-entered the wireless microphone market though, concert engineers commonly specified Shure microphone capsules on for the wireless microphone systems they were using. Once Shure introduced its own UHF wireless microphone system, which featured wireless versions of several popular Shure microphones, they no longer made capsules available for other manufacturer's systems, which encouraged sales of Shure wireless systems and gained Shure market share in the category. Shure's top-of-the-line UHF system featured software control and the ability to operate as many as 78 systems simultaneously. On the ULX series (introduced in 2002), Shure featured the ability to scan for clear wireless channels and sound quality rivaling a wired microphones, in a more affordable package capable of operating as many as 40 systems simultaneously.^[24] The Shure ULX Series wireless microphone system was awarded a TEC Award in 2002.^[25]

In 2005, Shure introduced the SLX Series of wireless microphone systems. The SLX series featured Shure's patented "Audio Reference Companding," a level-dependent companding protocol which does not compand low-level audio where the wireless artifacts would be more audible. "Audio Reference Companding" helps a wireless system sound more like a wired microphone due to clearer sound, a lower noise floor, and greater dynamic range.^[26] In 2005, the Shure SLX series wireless was awarded a TEC Award.^[27] The following year, The UHF-R Series was introduced with Audio Reference Companding as a main feature and "Wireless Workbench" software for computer coordination and control of frequency selection, customized settings, and synchronization of multi-system UHF-R components.^[28] The UHF-R Series was honored with a TEC award in 2006.^[29]

In 2011, Shure introduced their first digital wireless system, the PGX Digital series, augmenting the entry-priced PGX series released previously. The PGX Digital wireless system transmits 24-bit/48 kHz digital audio and utilizes the 900 MHz frequency band, and is able to operate with up to five systems simultaneously. Like all Shure wireless, it is available with a variety of popular Shure microphone models, or in bodypack configurations for use with lavalier or headset microphones, or connected to an instrument cable.^[30]

Personal monitors[link]

Shure entered the personal monitoring system category in 1997 with the introduction of the PSM 600. In-ear personal monitoring systems enable a performer or public speaker to monitor audio separately from the amplified sound for the audience. Prior to in-ear monitoring, this was usually accomplished by monitor speakers placed on the stage and oriented toward the performer or speaker and away from the audience, and usually with its own separate "monitor mix" of audio. An in-ear monitor system isolates the monitor mix without the interference of other background sounds, and reduces the risk of other complications like feedback.

In 2000, the Shure PSM 400 Personal Stereo Monitor system was awarded a TEC Award. Shure introuduced the PSM 900 Personal Monitor System at the 2010 Winter NAMM Show.

Shure included in-ear sound-isolating monitoring earphones as part of their personal monitoring packages. As the popularity of portable music listening devices increased, Shure recognized the earphones from their personal monitoring packages being used for recreational listening, and later made versions of their sound-isolating earphones available for purchase separately specifically for that market.

Earphones[link]

A Pair of Shure SCL2 earphones

Originally included as a component of the company's personal monitor systems, Shure's earphones became an independent product after Shure realized that users were re-purposing the in-ear monitors for music listening on portable audio devices such as iPods and MP3 players.

Initially, Shure introduced both consumer and pro audio versions of each of their E Series earphone models. Later, Shure expanded the consumer side of their earphone line with dedicated earsets for use with cellular telephones, but featuring the premium audio components found on the E2, E3, and E4 on this line of cellular headsets to form the "I" series: dual-purpose earphones that can be used with both music and cellular devices. In 2006, Shure's E4c earphones were awarded a TEC Award from the Mix Foundation for Excellence in Audio for outstanding technical achievement.

Shure sought to simplify its earphone lineup for the consumer channel by introducing a three-armature earphone called the E500 (later renamed SE530) with a unique "Push-to-Hear" accessory (later released as a separate accessory). A few months after the E500 was first released, Shure released the SE earphone series. The SE series featured collapsible cables and an improved feature set (for example, the SE420 earphones use pre-emptive crossovers instead of the cooperative crossovers found in the E series). With the release of the SE110 earphones, Shure renamed the E series to the SCL line and reserved them for the professional audio channel.

All of Shure's earphones and/or earsets use a unique closed-canal noise isolation technology—allowing the earphones to isolate a high amount of environmental noise without the need for battery power (as opposed to noise-cancelling headphones). This makes the earphones lighter and more portable than a battery-powered version would be. Shure earphones also utilize sleeves in a variety of materials, shapes, and sizes to ensure users will be able to establish an ideal fit. The drivers used in these earphones vary based on price, and may utilize a small neodymium magnet or one to three small-mass, high-bandwidth balanced armatures. In an effort to keep their earphone lineup clear and understandable, Shure no longer produces two lines of single balanced-armature earphones.

Headphones[link]

In May 2009, Shure entered the on-ear headphone market with four models: the entry level model SRH240, studio use SRH440, professional monitoring SRH840, and the SRH750DJ, all of which are closed-back circumaural designs specifically designed for recording applications.^[31] All Shure headphones—excluding the SRH240—have detachable gold-plated cords that can easily be replaced if they are damaged. In 2011, Shure introduced a new top of the line pair of headphones, the SRH940.^[32]

Awards[link]

• 1943-1946: Army-Navy "E" Award and 3 "E" Stars for excellence in production awarded to Shure^[2]
• 2004: SM57 microphone inducted to the TECnology Hall of Fame^[33]

• 2003: Shure Incorporated awarded the National Academy of the Recording Arts and Sciences Technical GRAMMY, awarded to individuals and/or companies that have made outstanding contributions of technical significance to the recording industry^[34]
• 2004: Shure SM57 microphone inducted to the TECnology Hall of Fame^[35]
• 2006: Shure was named one of “Chicago’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For.”
• 2007: Shure SE530 awarded iLounge Best of 2007/Deluxe Earphone of the Year
• 2007: Shure SE530 awarded Windows Vista magazine Editor's Choice Award
• 2007: Shure SE530 awarded PC World magazine “100 Best Products of 2007”
• 2008: Shure Unidyne Model 55 microphone inducted to the TECnology Hall of Fame^[10]

TEC Awards and nominations[link]

Shure was nominated for (and won) other TEC Awards:

• 1991 [2]
  • VP88 Stereo MS microphone
• 1994 [3]
  • Beta87 microphone
• 1996 [4]
  • Beta58A microphone (Winner)
• 1999 [5]
  • KSM32 microphone
  • PSM 600 Personal Monitors
• 2000 [6]
  • PSM700 Personal Stereo Monitor
• 2001 [7]
  • PSM400 Personal Monitors (Winner)
  • FP24 small format mixer
  • KSM44 microphone
• 2002 [8]
  • Beta 98H/C microphone
  • ULX Series Wireless (Winner)
  • Auxpander sound reinforcement mixer
• 2003 [9]
  • SM86 microphone (Winner)
• 2004 TECnology Hall of Fame [10]
  • SM57 microphone
• 2005 [11]
  • SLX Series Wireless (Winner)
• 2006 [12]
  • E4c Earphones (Winner)
  • UHF-R Wireless Microphone System (Winner)
• 2007 [13]
  • KSM9 microphone
• 2009 [14][15]
  • URI-M Micro Bodypack
• 2010 [16]
  • SRH840 pro monitoring headphones
  • PSM900 Personal Monitor System
  • Beta 27 microphone

See also[link]

• List of microphone manufacturers

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shure

• Official Shure Incorporated website
• Retro Perspectives - Historical information about the Shure 55SH II microphone

Jason Thomas Mraz
Jason Mraz in March 2011
Background information
Birth name	Jason Thomas Mraz
Born	(1977-06-23) June 23, 1977 (age 35) Mechanicsville, Virginia, U.S.
Genres	Pop rock, blue-eyed soul, alternative rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano, mandolin, mandola, banjo, ukulele, baritone ukulele
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Elektra Records (2002–2005) Atlantic Records (2005–present)
Associated acts	Tristan Prettyman, Bushwalla, Jack Johnson, Colbie Calliat
Website	jasonmraz.com
Notable instruments
Taylor Guitars

Jason Mraz ( /məˈræz/;^[1] born June 23, 1977 in Mechanicsville, Virginia) is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, Mr. A-Z, in 2005, that Mraz achieved major commercial success. The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and sold over 100,000 copies in the US. In 2008, Mraz released his third studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and was a commercial success worldwide, peaking in the top ten of many international charts.

Mraz's international breakthrough came with the release of the single "I'm Yours" from the album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. The single peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Mraz his first top ten single. The song was on the Hot 100 for 76 weeks, beating the previous record of 69 weeks held by LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live". The song was a huge commercial success in the US, receiving a 5x platinum certification from the RIAA for sales of over five million.^[2] The song was successful internationally, topping the charts in New Zealand and Norway and peaking in the top ten of multiple international charts.

Early life[link]

Jason Mraz was born and raised in Mechanicsville, Virginia.^[3] He is of Czech descent through his grandfather, who moved to the United States from Austria-Hungary in 1915.^[4] His surname is Czech for "frost"^[4] (Czech: mráz). His parents, Tom (Tomáš) Mraz and June, divorced when he was four years old, but he asserts that he had an idyllic childhood, saying, "My hometown of Mechanicsville was very American. There were white picket fences, a church on every street corner, low crime and virtually no drug use. It was a good place to grow up."^[5] He went to Lee Davis High School^[6]

Music career[link]

[edit] Live at Java Joe's (2001)

In 2001, Mraz released a live acoustic album, Live at Java Joe's, a coffee-house type place in the Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego where Jewel also made her debut. Here, Mraz performed with percussionist Noel "Toca" Rivera and bassist Ian Sheridan and felt at home singing and scatting through jazzy-pop songs. He would deliver rapidfire lyrics full of verbal mischief, and he would riff off the crowd like a stand-up comic.^[7] The album featured Mraz's free-lancing vocal style and songs he later re-released, including "1000 Things", "You and I Both", and "Halfway Home."

The album was made available to download on iTunes on March 11, 2008, under the title Jason Mraz: Live & Acoustic 2001.

[edit] Waiting for My Rocket to Come (2002–2003)

In 2002, Mraz signed a recording contract with Elektra Records. He recorded his first album with the Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer producer John Alagía, and Virginia-based roots rock band the Agents Of Good Root.^[8] Mraz then released his first major-label debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come. The album was a relative commercial success, peaking at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 200 and at number two on the Top Heatseekers Chart. The lead single from the album, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" was co-written by music production team The Matrix and it was Mraz's first top 20 single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 15.

Mraz's friend and former roommate Billy "Bushwalla" Galewood collaborated on the album, co-writing "Curbside Prophet" and the album's third single, and "I'll Do Anything".

[edit] Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom (2004)

In 2004, while touring, Mraz released a live album and accompanying DVD^[9], Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom, a special two-disc set including an audio CD of his concert from Milwaukee's Eagles Ballroom^[10] , plus a video DVD of the concert plus tons of backstage footage. Mraz performed with his touring band including drummer Adam King, percussionist Noel "Toca" Rivera and bassist Ian Sheridan and keyboardist Eric Hinojosa along with a guest appearance from Blues Traveler lead John Popper. The Eagles Ballroom (part of The Rave complex) has a capacity of only about 3,200^[11] making it possible for Mraz to have significant interaction with the audience, bridging his earlier coffeeshop performances to his later much larger venue concerts.

[edit] Touring and Mr. A–Z (2003–2008)

Mraz opened for Tracy Chapman in March 2003 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In July 2005, Mraz opened for Alanis Morissette during her Jagged Little Pill Acoustic Tour. On July 26, 2005, he released his second major-label album, Mr. A–Z, for Atlantic Records. It entered the Billboard 200 album chart at number 5.^[12] In December, the album earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while its producer, the prolific Steve Lillywhite, received a nomination for Producer of the Year.^[13] In 2006 "Life is Wonderful" the first track of the album was featured in the Hilton Journeys Hotel commercial"

Mraz began his long-running tour in support of Mr. A–Z at the San Diego Music Awards on September 12. The tour featured several opening acts, including Bushwalla and Tristan Prettyman, with whom he had co-written the duet "Shy That Way" in 2002.^[14] Mraz and Prettyman dated, ending their relationship in 2006. They also co-wrote the song "All I Want For Christmas is Us".^{[citation needed]} In November 2005, Mraz opened for the Rolling Stones on five dates during their 2005–2006 world tour. Also in 2005, Mraz was one of many singers featured in the fall advertisement campaign for The Gap entitled "Favorites". The music-themed campaign also featured other singers including Tristan Prettyman, Michelle Branch, Joss Stone, Keith Urban, Alanis Morissette, Brandon Boyd, and Michelle Williams.^[15] In December 2005, Mraz released the first part of his ongoing podcast.

Jason Mraz performs at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut on May 17, 2006.

Jason Mraz at Gröna Lund In Stockholm, Sweden 2008

In March 2006, Mraz also performed for the first time at a sold-out performance in Singapore with Noel "Toca" Rivera as part of the annual Mosaic Music Festival.^{[citation needed]} In May 2006, Mraz toured mostly small venues and music festivals in the U.S., along with a few shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The tour included a May 6, 2006 acoustic show with P.O.D., Better Than Ezra, Live, and The Presidents of the United States of America. Mraz was featured as a headlining guest of St. Louis's annual Fair St. Louis and performed a free concert at the base of the Arch on July 1, 2006. During this time, Mraz was also the opening act at several dates for Rob Thomas' Something to Be Tour.

In December 2006, Selections for Friends, the live, online-only album recorded during the Songs for Friends Tour, was released. Selections for Friends features Jason's favorite songs from the Schubas Tavern and Villa Montalvo shows he played in July 2006. Jason Mraz began 2007 by debuting his new single "The Beauty in Ugly", an earlier track penned by Mraz entitled "Plain Jane" that he rewrote for the ABC television program Ugly Betty. The song was featured as a part of ABC's "Be Ugly in '07" campaign.^[16] He has since released a song in Spanish entitled "La Nueva Belleza (The New Beauty)".^[17]

In 2007, American Idol contestant Chris Richardson performed "Geek in the Pink", which subsequently garnered the song mass recognition and increased downloads at the American iTunes Store. "Geek in the Pink" peaked at No. 22 on the U.S. iTunes Store on March 10, 2007, but it was ineligible for the site's Hot 100.^{[citation needed]} The tape-recording of bootlegs during Mraz's shows is explicitly supported by him and his management.^[18] In 2007, he also provided background vocals on Mandy Moore's song "Slummin' in Paradise", of her studio album Wild Hope.

[edit] We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. (2008–2009)

Mraz released his third studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. on May 13, 2008, following the April 2008 "Music, Magic, Make Peace" Tour with Bushwalla, The Makepeace Brothers, and magician Justin Willman. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 200, giving Mraz his highest charting album to date. Following the success of its lead single, "I'm Yours", the album broke into the top ten of many international music charts and charted in the top three in Australia and the US.^[19]

The first single, "I'm Yours", reached No. 1 on AAA radio charts in the US. The single was a B-side to Mr A-Z, and was made famous by recordings from his live shows. In September 2008, the song became Mraz's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #6. As of October 14, 2008, the album has been certified Gold by the RIAA, selling in excess of 500,000 copies in the US. The song was a commercial success worldwide, peaking in the top ten of multiple European charts and topping the charts in New Zealand for six weeks.^[20] In 2008, Mraz launched his single "I'm Yours" at the music industry-only event titled Sunset Sessions. Exactly one year later, Jason was nominated for a Grammy on the single.

Mraz and his song "I'm Yours" were nominated for Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 2009 51st Grammy Awards. The album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical in 2009. On January 31, 2009, Mraz was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, performing "I'm Yours" and "Lucky", the latter with Colbie Caillat. "Lucky" peaked on the Hot 100 at 48.

With "Make It Mine" and "Lucky", Mraz won two awards for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals, respectively, at the 2010 52nd Grammy Awards.

On June 20, 2009, Mraz was awarded the Hal David Starlight award from the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.^[21]

[edit] Love Is a Four Letter Word (2009–present)

In early 2009, a song titled "Try Try Try" was leaked out into the Internet. The song was later released in 2010 by Michael Squire. New songs have been performed in his recent concerts, some of which have been uploaded onto YouTube. Earlier this year, Jason Mraz spent time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil working with Milton Nascimento. Mraz also recently met and worked with Willie Nelson, whose 'style' is fondly referenced in one of Mraz's early hits "Curbside Prophet."

In November 2009, Mraz posted on his MySpace page plans for a new album to be recorded starting in December, stating "In 2 weeks time I will enter the studio and begin recording the next album. Only a handful of songs are written and slated but the momentum of love is with me. Every day new verses get added on. The songs are coming together piece by piece. The process is unlike any of the other records before this. It's like I'm being gifted the album without having to do the work. I'm creating that in 6 months the project will be complete and then we'll hit the road again with new sounds and new musicians."^[22]

In 2010 Mraz spent time in London, England, where he worked on songs for his new album with producer Martin Terefe and wrote with British singer-songwriter Dido.^[23]

Mraz contributed vocals for The Grooveline Horns' eponymous EP on the track "Fun", a cover of the Con Funk Shun song, released March 2, 2010.^[24]

In August 2010, Mraz had a Q&A interview with Spin magazine. In the interview, he stated the current possible titles for his fourth album are Peace Canoe or The Love Album.^[25]

On September 13, 2010, Mraz was featured on the single "Love, Love, Love" by Hope.^[26]

On September 28, 2010, Mraz announced the upcoming release of the new "Life Is Good" EP consisting of recordings from his concerts from Maine to the Life is Good Festival in Canton, Massachusetts which will include live recordings of "Coyotes" and multiple new songs, "San Disco Reggaefornia", "Up", "What Mama Say", and "The Freedom Song". The EP was released on October 5, 2010.^[27] On the same tour, Mraz also showcased other new songs, such as "Thinking About You", "Love Looks Like" and "In Your Hands".

From December 26, 2010, the official website was updated with a series of images, the first seemingly a sequence of blocks separated by points to indicate a date, and the second image containing a rectangle, circle, triangle and a square, which appear to spell out the word "love." This image was also trademarked. Popular belief was that the "love" image was the beginning of a marketing campaign for a new record.

Appearing on VH1 Top 20 Countdown on March 5, 2011, Jason Mraz noted that he had 12 songs ready to go for the album but then decided they weren't good enough. In July 2011, his team's Twitter feed (@theRKOP) confirmed that his album will be released in early 2012.^[28]

JasonMraz.com relaunched in July 2011 with a new design and a message informing fans that a special announcement was imminent. A few days later, it was announced that Mraz would embark on a mini-global tour in September to November 2011, with occasional full band shows, but mostly as an acoustic duo with long time performing partner and friend, Noel "Toca" Rivera. The special shows marked the ten-year anniversary of the independently released Live at Java Joe's album. Mraz played in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Berlin and Prague, and was due to make a festival appearance in Hossegor, France before the festival was cancelled.

On September 19, 2011, Jason Mraz announced via his Facebook page the release of a new single titled "The World as I See It", which is intended to be the theme of the "In Search of Incredible" campaign, accompanied by the song being embedded via YouTube.^[29] On September 20, 2011, the single was released on the iTunes music store.^[30]

During the fall/winter tour, many songs old and new were showcased. Towards the end of the tour, Mraz announced that 'I Never Knew You' would not be featuring on the new album, suggesting that the final tracklist has been decided on and that the album is on course for release around February 2012.

On December 8, 2011, Mraz told Jeff Benjamin of Billboard that the "album is finished" except for one track he was attempting to re-work as an acoustic version. He described the album as, "It's not a departure in the sound of the genre in any way, it's just different tones, different textures. Musically, I think people are going to like it. It's personal. It's melodic. And it's mellow. There's a couple of up-tempo tunes, but mostly the rhythm of the heartbeat kind of takes precedence on this record. Medium-tempo tunes; which I love. It feels more like the pace of life. At least, based on my life and what I've been doing."^[31]

On January 20, 2012, during a performance streamed live from the Bing Bar at the Sundance Film Festival, Mraz told the audience that the album's title is Love Is a Four Letter Word. Mraz released a new single from the album, called "I Won't Give Up", and the single has peaked at No. 1 on iTunes.^[when?]

During January 2012, the Dutch online retailer bol.com accidentally released a tracklisting for the forthcoming album, which has been dismissed as being incorrect. On February 28, 2012, Jason released an EP entitled Live Is A Four Letter World. The EP was recorded live in San Diego and contains four tracks (one of which had already been released).^[32]

The new album was set to be released on May 8, 2012,^[33] however on February 14 it was stated that the new album is set to be released in stores and at all digital retailers on April 17, 2012.^[34]

Personal life[link]

Mraz was engaged to singer/songwriter and long-time close friend Tristan Prettyman.^[35] On June 7, 2011, Mraz said in an interview with the Daily Beast that he and Prettyman were no longer engaged.^[36]

Mraz lives a health-conscious lifestyle and enjoys eating mostly raw vegan foods.^[37] He owns an avocado farm in Bonsall in Northern San Diego County. Recently, he acquired the Garden Patch Farms&Orchard in Homer Glen, for its organic strawberries.^[38] Mraz is an active supporter of several charities including VH1's Save The Music Foundation, MusiCares, Free the Children, Life Rolls On, SPARC and the Human Rights Campaign.^[39] He has been named the 2010 SIMA Humanitarian of the Year. He also received the Clean Water Award in 2010 from the Surfrider Foundation.^[40] The same year, he also teamed up with The Nature Conservancy^[41] and created a PSA using his song I'm Yours to raise awareness about the non-profit organization's efforts to protect the earth.^[42] Jason performed at Farm Aid 2011 on August 13 in Kansas City. He has also advocated LGBT rights.^[43]

In 2011, Mraz appeared in the Visit California promotional film^[44] aimed at boosting tourism from the UK.

Discography[link]

• Waiting for My Rocket to Come (2002)
• Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom (2004) + accompanying DVD
• Mr. A-Z (2005)
• We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. (2008)
• Love is a Four Letter Word (2012)

Awards[link]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jason Mraz

• Official website
• Jason Mraz at the Internet Movie Database
• Jason Mraz at Allmusic
• Jason Mraz's channel on YouTube
• Jason Mraz collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
• Playlist: Jason Mraz – Nightline 07/17/09 – Reggae to rock, Mraz reveals his musical influences.
• Concert Photos: Jason Mraz – 09/17/2010, 09/18/2010 – Jason Mraz opens for Dave Matthews Band for two sold out shows at Chicago's Wrigley Field.