Moderator: Welcome to our chat with Mr. Larry Droppa of ATI. Larry, could you give us a brief history of what you do for those to lazy to read the bio?

Larry Droppa: First, let's clarify...it's Larry Drrroppa!

Moderator: Sorry.

Larry: After college, I worked with a small sound company, in Ithaca, NY, then on to a regional sound company in upstate NY. I had an opportunity to work the Joe Jackson Night and Day Tour, which was my first bus and truck tour. Eventually, I made the move to Maryland, working with Maryland Sound and hooked up with a couple of other engineers who had an interest in starting a company to manufacture high-quality audio gear. That company became ATI... and rest is history!

Paul Tucci: I wonder where the idea for the Paragon came from. How much of its lineage goes back to the MSI “Superboard”?

Larry: Admittedly, ATI's first design engineer, Chris Strahn had been involved in the MSI board, but the final designs resembled almost nothing of the original idea from MSI.

Moderator: For all its capabilities, operating a Paragon is quite intuitive. Was this a design priority?

Larry: Yes, thanks, and it's because the design team and the current staff at ATI have strong backgrounds in the touring industry, mixing sound live. We all think that intuitive operation of a large mixing console is a high priority.

Andy: How easy was it to convince the touring types to use your first consoles?

Larry: Believe me, the first ones were a struggle. It was tough to introduce a totally new product from a small company, and compete with the big boys. But when MD Systems got on board, putting a Paragon on Garth Brooks, and then Clair Brothers followed with a commitment to the company and the console, it got easier.

Paul Tucci: I can concur on that easy to use point. My first time on it, at a festival in Spain, there was a 4K and the Paragon available on the bill. The other engineer, Steve Guest, said to me "Which do you want?" I said the 4K but he was a senior to me at MSI at the time so he got the 4K. The Paragon was absolutely easy to use day of show.

Larry: Well thanks so much for the kind words...we remember that Spanish company. They bought two Paragons early on.

Andy: Seems as if any new product, no matter how good it is, has that problem! (If it doesn't have "The Name" on it.)