“Bob Heil (October 5, 1940) is…most well known for creating the template for modern rock sound systems. He founded the company Heil Sound in 1966,which went on to create unique touring sound systems for bands such as The Grateful Dead and The Who. He invented the Heil Talk Box in 1973, which was frequently used by musicians such as Peter Frampton, Joe Walsh and Richie Sambora, and is still in use today.”
Bob Heil is a great American inventor. I’ve written about him before on this site; click here for an example. Here’s a quick look at some of Heil’s products from the mid 1970s. If anyone out there is still using any of these pieces, drop us a line and let us know…
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Bob is more famous in ham radio circles than in audio today. His Ohmega amplifiers were revolutionary, but blew up spectacularly, (and he wouldn't tell anyone what the transistor part numbers were) and his RCA lookalike mics are great props from a distance but are not even in the same universe as the really good AEA Wes Dooley ribbon mics. In other words he's kind of a schlockmeister, like a lot of ham radio people once the Art Collinses died off.
A few months back I found a Heil Sound mixer at a flea market for 30 bucks. I knew that the guy selling it had no idea what he had, so I picked it up immediately. I brought it home and turned it on, and of course it doesn't work. But I found your post and discovered it was a HM 88! I emailed Heil Sound to inquire about the mixer and maybe to get some insight on how to go about fixing it. I received an email from Bob Heil himself and he spoke highly of the mixer, and mentioned that it was WAY ahead of its time. So figured i'd let you guys know that I found one!
Just picked up a Heil Sound Ohmega stereo amplifier Model number 200. I'm assuming it's a 200 watt stereo amplifier. Not a whole lot of information on it.
BOB AND I WERE BOTH FRIENDS FOR OVER SIXTY YRS. WE WERE BOTH HAM OPERATORS, (HE; K9EID, AND I K9GAQ IN THE SIXTIES, KF9F NOW). - JOE WALSH IS A HAM WB6ACU, AS IS RONNIE MILSAP WHO’S CALL I HAVE FORGOTTEN-.
WE BOTH PLAYED KYBDS (BOB WOULDNT PLAY ROCK & ROLL AT ALL).
HE WAS ONE OF THE FEW WHO COULD TUNE THE PIPES OF A PIPES ON A PIPE ORGAN BY EAR. A VERY MUCH GENIUS, IN THE FIELD OF BOTH SOUND / AUDIO AND ELECTRONICS. (NICKNAMED “HIGH TECH HEIL” ON A LOCAL TV SHOW.. HE WAS SENT SIXTEEN ANTENNAS BY A COMPANY IN THE U.K. TO ASSEMBLE AND DEVELOP A PHASING NETWORK FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE. BOB DROVE A 1956 THUNDERBIRD, WITH A KILOWATT, 144 MHZ AMPLIFIER IN THE TRUNK.
ON MANY OCCASIONS, I WOULD TALK TO HIM AS HE WENT FROM HIS GIG AT A ST. LOUIS UPSCALE RESTAURANT TO HIS HOME IN MARISSA. I WILL GREATLY MMISS HIM, A WONDERFUL PERSON, HE ALWAYS HAAD TIME TO CHAT WHE WE MET AT AMATEUR RADIO GATHERINGS OF TEN OR TEN THOUSAND HAMS. AS HIS ILLNESS INCREASED, WE STAYED IN TOUCH VIA EMAIL FROM HIS HOME IN BELLEVILLE, IL.
THE LAST GIG HE HAD THAT I AM AWARE OF WAS PLAYING ACCOMPANIMENT TO THE OLD TIME BLACK AND WHITE MOVIES FROM FILM HISTORY, AT A THEATER IN BELLEVILLE. I WILL MISS BOB AS AN ELECTRONIC WIZARD, A FELLOW HAM RADIO OPERATOR, MUSICIAN, AND TRUE FRIEND. AS WE SAY IN HAM RADIO SPEAK, ‘73 OLD MAN.