When noting the contributions of Don and Carolyn Davis to the professional audio industry, it’s hard to know where to even start. Their book, Sound System Engineering, originally published in 1973 (and since updated), remains the standard as the audio and systems resource.

Founders of Syn-Aud-Con, Don and Carolyn established the industry’s pre-imminent and most respected (and independent) educational resource, teaching thousands the essential concepts of audio and acoustics that in turn has led to remarkable advancements in systems and sound quality that we all enjoy. Now consider that these accomplishments just scratch the surface of their crucial role in leading the industry to its current modern era…

Don & Carolyn

I recently had the privilege of spending an afternoon with Don and Carolyn while attending a Syn-Aud-Con seminar and workshop in southern Indiana. They were gracious enough to travel to meet me, with the warm and at times reverential reception they received from attendees standing as a testament to the tremendous respect they’ve tirelessly earned in service. Our conversation was fascinating, spanning a wide range of topics and touching on crucial historical landmarks that lend perspective and understanding to the current state of the industry.

Now “retired”, they continue to travel extensively, staying in touch with an ever-growing network of friends and exploring new places. Like many long-married couples, they have the endearing trait of often finishing each other’s sentences or interrupting to take the conversation in new directions. Frankly, I didn’t have to interject much as the two shared the fascinating tale of their lives in pro audio. So without further adieu, let’s roll tape and simply say, “go”.

Keith Clark: Don, I understand you worked with Altec Lansing prior to the founding of Syn-Aud-Con.

Don: I worked with Altec from 1959 through the early ‘70s, marketing and, really, managing mostly. I was a field rep based in Chicago serving a big chunk of the Midwestern U.S. We weren’t exactly sales reps, but more comprehensive in scope. Prior to this point, Altec Lansing products were distributed through Graybar, and major installations were often headed up by the Altec Service Company, the theater service division.

Just at the time I joined the company, they decided to set up their own distribution with sound contractors. A guy named Mo Morris had seen the vision that sound contracting was a viable thing, that it was a good way to move inventory out of the factory and into the warehouses of the contractors, and that it was a good way to respond quicker to needs.

So my job was to go out and identify potential contractors, and then to set them up as dealers and make sure they were supported, providing any encouragement possible.

This led to doing a little bit of everything. I enjoyed this role a great deal, and in the process, I worked with some of the “old-time” guys who had been Western Electric contractors. They were superbly trained people and quite used to top-of-the-line equipment – a piece of Western Electric equipment cost more than anything else, yet they invariably got all the better jobs.

Nate Reese in Detroit is a good example of this. It was said that during his first couple of years in business, he lost almost every job he bid on. But then he followed up with these same customers a bit later, knowing that most would be unhappy. He’d say ‘hello, I’m Nate Reese and I was high bidder on your project. Are you happy with the work?’ And, of course he got most of them on board as permanent customers.