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Late last year, we sent a survey to Shure Notes subscribers, asking for article and topic ideas. Surprisingly, many of you wanted to know about the company.
As Shure celebrates its 81st year, still owned by the same family that founded it, here’s a brief look back at an enterprise that began as a radio parts store, supplied broadcast microphones for every US president since FDR, joined the war effort, made Elvis look even better, and won the hearts and minds of musicians, engineers
and consumers. It’s the story of the entrepreneurial spirit, a commitment to its customers and an American brand.
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Here are some of the highlights: |
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Shure Radio Company is founded on April 25 by Sidney N. Shure as a one-man company selling radio parts kits before factory-built radio sets were marketed. The office was located at 19 South Wells Street in downtown Chicago. |
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Shure grows to more than 75 employees. Sidney N. Shure’s brother, Samuel J. Shure, joins the company. Shure Radio Company becomes Shure Brothers Company, moving to more spacious quarters at 335 West Madison Street, Chicago. |
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The Great Depression grips the United States. Market for radio parts kits declines when factory-built radio sets become available. Staff is reduced to a few people. Shure becomes exclusive distributor for a small microphone manufacturer. |
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Samuel J. Shure leaves to pursue a career in heating and ventilation engineering. |
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Shure begins development of its own microphone. |
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Shure becomes one of only four U. S. microphone manufacturers with the introduction of the Model 33N Two-Button Carbon Microphone. It is the first lightweight, high-performance product in a market dominated by large, costly devices. |
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Shure’s 70A Crystal Lapel Microphone is installed in the carillon tower of the Chicago Temple, allowing the rich tones of the carillon to be heard by the congregation as well as by people outside the church. |
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Model 55 Unidyne Microphone is the first single-element unidirectional microphone. Its performance qualities and distinctive styling ultimately make it “the most recognized microphone in the world.” |
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Shure goes to war. The T-17B Microphone becomes the most widely used mic by the U.S. Army and Navy. Shure develops plastic cases for these mics, preventing them from getting too hot to handle in tanks. This construction also conserves scarce metal
for the war effort. |
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Shure is the largest producer of phonograph cartridges in the U.S., supplying cartridges to major phonograph manufacturers, including Philco, RCA, Emerson, Magnavox, Admiral and Motorola. |
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Reverend R.W. Armstrong leads interdenominational services at a drive-in movie theatre in Ottawa, Ontario. Even before the age of multi-media, he is using the drive-in movie screen to display hymn lyrics. One of his mics is the Shure Unidyne. |
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1,200 stations worldwide broadcast Reverend Billy Graham’s The Hour of Decision. In live events, he often uses a Shure Unidyne. |
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First wireless microphone system for performers, called the Vagabond. Powered by two hearing aid batteries, the system transmits within a “performance circle” of approximately 700 square feet. |
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The 333 Microphone makes its debut. It incorporates “the world-famous patented Shure Uniphase acoustic system which reduces pickup of unwanted noise by 73 percent.” |
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The Unidyne III Microphone is the first high-quality unidirectional microphone that is used by speaking into the end (“end-firing”) rather than the side of the microphone. This is the direct ancestor of the SM57. |
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Shure SM58 (“SM” for “Studio Microphone”) is adopted by rock-and-roll musicians, who like its rugged reliability and excellent sound quality. It quickly becomes the standard for live performance vocals and remains the most popular vocal microphone in the world. |
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Shure introduces the Vocal Master Sound System. It is an “all in one” sound system that gains wide acceptance at churches around the world. |
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Shure introduces the SM11, the world’s smallest dynamic lavalier microphone. |
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Shure’s FP31 Mixer is ”the most innovative field production mixer of its time.” Weighing just 2.2 pounds, it attached to Betacams, providing news crews with greater mobility. |
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Pope John Paul II uses a Shure SM58 to deliver a sermon for half a million people in New York’s Central Park. |
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At the Medinah Temple in Chicago, the Dalai Lama uses a Shure SM58 to speak to an audience of 3,000. Musician/composer Philip Glass is also on hand, with two SM57 mics amplifying the piano. |
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The PSM 600 Personal Stereo Monitor system quickly dominates the fast-growing market for “in-ear” monitoring systems. |
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Shure publishes Senior Applications Engineer Tim Vear’s 60-page “Audio System Guide for Houses of Worship”. |
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The KSM32 Studio Condenser Microphone for professional recording gains immediate acclaim and earns a place on “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno’s desk. |
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Shure wins the first Technical Grammy ever awarded for “outstanding contributions of technical significance to the recording industry”. |
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Following the successful introduction of its E Series Earphones to the mainstream consumer, Shure established the Personal Audio Business Unit to once again focus on the consumer electronics market. |
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More information about Shure’s fascinating history can be found online.
ProSoundWeb.com
Shure: A Long Journey That Continues to Pick Up Steam
Interview with Shure’s Michael Pettersen
Shure Timeline: 1925 Present
Shure: A Classic Pro Audio Success, Still Thriving Today
Shure.com
The History of Shure Inc. |
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