About Us
The History of Heil Sound
The history of Heil Sound on video that was played at the opening of the Heil display at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.
You can also check our "Ye Old Stuff" page for more on the history of Bob Heil and Heil Sound.
Then & Now
1950's
Bob Heil started his theater organ career at the young age of 14, playing in various restaurants and at 15, he started playing the 4 manual Wurlitzer in the St Louis Fox Theater. It was during that time, that Bob learned to listen as he voiced and tuned that 25 year old Wurlitzer monster. Listening and mentally dissecting what he heard would prove to play a very important part in his future. At this same time, Bob became an avid amateur radio operator and fell in love with designing and building all kinds of transmitters, amplifiers and antenna systems.
1960's and 70's
The first half of the 60's Bob was designing, building and playing various theater pipe organ installations in the Holiday Inn North restaurant in St Louis. After playing 8 years, 6 nights a week, he decided to enter the retail music industry opening one of America's first 'pro' music shops in the small Southern Illinois hometown of Marissa. Because of the success of his music shop he was thrust into the rock market. He pioneered the live sound industry with clients such as the Grateful Dead, the Who, Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, Jeff Beck and scores of major touring acts of the 60's and 70's. It was Bob's unique approach to audio that created some of the most innovative products still in use today. The Heil Talk Box, made famous by Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton and Bon Jovi, as well as perfecting the first electronic crossover were some of Bob's great products. Heil Sound was selected by those sound companies still out there in the trenches today, to receive the first ever 'Pioneer Award' at the 1995 Audio Engineering Society convention in San Francisco.
1980's
As the 80's drew near, Heil Sound entered the amateur radio market to fix a problem that rotted the very core of Bob's most beloved hobby - poor transmitted and received audio. So, Bob applied the science of audio that he learned from the likes of Paul Klipsch, Don Leslie, Martin Wick and studying the Bell Labs Fletcher Munson curves. He developed his HC series microphones which brought maximum articulation to amateur radio communication. The goal of Heil Sound is still; to hear the world better and to improve communication.
1990's
As the nineties rapidly approached, Bob sought to bring the audio and video industry together. Combining thirty years of electronics experience with his passion for the movie theaters, Bob became the "guru" of the home theater movement in America and has designed over 2,000 audio/video systems as well as become one of the premier teachers and lecturers at major electronic and satellite conventions. Heil Sound was awarded the 1989 "Satellite Dealer Of The Year" by the SBCA in Las Vegas.
What's Happening Now?
The Heil professional division brings some new and exciting Heil innovations to the commercial broadcast and recording studio world using many of the techniques Bob learned from voicing and tuning that Wurlitzer theater organ 50 years ago.
Recently Bob was invited into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to put up a display of his historically important gear, including the first modular console (the Mavis) his custom quadraphonic mixer (for the Quadraphenia tour) and the very first Heil Talk Box.
No manufacturer has ever been invited into the Rock Hall before.
In 2007, Bob Heil won the Parnelli Award. Watch the video on YouTube.
Who Are We
- Name: Bob Heil
- Position: CEO/Founder
Started in: 1940
Bio: Bob's life mission is to have fun and bring LOTS of people along for the trip. Bob barely got through grade school and then started making more money than his teachers by playing the (Hammond) organ. Then Bob became a pimp for his high school gym teacher (Sarah can fill you in on the details). Bob had 50+ years of "just OK" life until God sent him a red headed bundle of joy along with her bundle of joy and together they have more fun than a couple of squirrels in a nut forest.
- Name: Sarah Heil
- Position: President
Started in: 1999
Bio: Having gotten off to a slow start (spending two years in kindergarten) she picked up the pace and graduated college with honors and now holds two degrees. Her favorite hobby is Bob. The End.
- Name:Michelle Levitt
- Position: Creative Director/ Web Mistress
Started in: August 2004
Bio: Michelle graduated from Drury University with her Bachelors in Fine Arts and Design Arts. Michelle has always loved art. When she was three years old she painted her mother's newly redecorated bathroom with all of her favorite shades of lip stick. She and her husband Ashley live in Columbia, Missouri and are avid St. Louis Cardinals fans.
- Name: Jerry Lynch
- Position: Production Manager
Started in: May 2000
Bio: Jerry was born and raised in Freeburg. At age 4 Jerry received his first drum kit, but he doesn't need a drum set to beat on; he beats on everything…tables, chairs, laps, computers, coworkers… ahh f*** it dude, let's go bowling.
- Name: Chip Margelli
- Position: Vice President, Amateur Radio Sales and Marketing
Bio: Chip grew up in Tacoma, Washington, although he was born in Carbondale, Illinois, just down the road from Heil Sound headquarters. He's run three marathons, loves to travel with his wife Janet, and he agrees with Jodi Foster's character in the movie Contact: "If we're the only ones in the universe, it sure seems like a big waste of space." Check out Chip's Morse Code skills on the Tonight Show.
- Name: Donna McIntyre
- Position: Service Manager
Started in: July 1993
Bio: Donna grew up in Fairview Heights. As a kid she grew specialty herbs in her mother's backyard. Donna is the mother of 3 dogs, 1 husband and 4 pet humans. She is also the very young grandmother of Grace, Emilee and Lilly.
- Name: Greg McVeigth
- Position: Artist Relations/Public Relations
- Name: Chris Mitchell
- Position: Assembly Technicial/ Official birthday cake cutter
Started in: August 2004
Bio: Chris attended Troy, Trojans grade school where she grew up. Chris is married to Gail Mitchell, Jr. (not to be confused with Gail Mitchell, Sr., the mayor of Fairview Heights). Chris' motto is "Shop till you drop."
- Name: Judy Rickert
- Position: Office Manager
Started in: December 1997
Bio: Judy attended college at Southern Illinois University where she received her degree in education. Maybe that's why Judy writes down all the crazy/bad things we do and reads them off at our Christmas party. Judy loves her husband Rick, her dog, her cats and her Cardinals.
- Name: Steve Warford
- Position: Operations Manager (Amateur Radio/ Pro Audio)
Started in: April 2000
Bio: Grew up in Belle Vegas, Illinois. Steve has 5 sisters and 1 brother and for some reason doesn't like to share. Steve is a natural at tinkering with things. As a kid he turned his robotics set and Mom's video camera into a home surveillance system.