Astatic
Astatic
Also known as: Astatic Commercial
UnclaimedFounded in 1931 in Youngstown, Ohio by ham radio operators C.M. Chorpening and F.H. Woodworth, Astatic grew from a kitchen-table experiment into a cornerstone of American audio engineering. The company's name reflects its original mission — creating "static-free" microphones — and its first product, the D-104 crystal microphone, became the gold standard for ham radio operators and CB enthusiast...
Founded in 1931 in Youngstown, Ohio by ham radio operators C.M. Chorpening and F.H. Woodworth, Astatic grew from a kitchen-table experiment into a cornerstone of American audio engineering. The company's name reflects its original mission — creating "static-free" microphones — and its first product, the D-104 crystal microphone, became the gold standard for ham radio operators and CB enthusiasts over a span of nearly seven decades. A chrome-plated base station mic known as the "Silver Eagle," the D-104 remained in production until 2001 and is one of the most recognizable microphones in amateur radio history.
Astatic's other legendary product is the JT-30, a bullet-shaped crystal microphone introduced in 1939 for public address and communications use. Blues harmonica players discovered that the JT-30's compact shape allowed them to cup the mic against their harmonica, creating an airtight seal that produced a fat, overdriven tone with a raw midrange character. Little Walter's use of the JT-30 on recordings like "Juke" helped define the sound of amplified blues harmonica, and the mic was adopted by generations of players including James Cotton, Big Walter Horton, Junior Wells, Carey Bell, George "Harmonica" Smith, William Clarke, Kim Wilson, and Dennis Gruenling. The JT-30 remained in production for 74 years before being discontinued in 2013.
In 1988, Astatic formed CAD Professional Microphones as a pro audio division, and in 2000 the company reorganized under the CAD Audio umbrella. The Astatic brand continues as a commercial audio product line, offering boundary, gooseneck, handheld, and paging microphones built around Variable Pattern Technology for use in boardrooms, airports, houses of worship, and other installed-sound environments. The CB radio side of the business was acquired by DAS Companies.
Astatic has 3 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Dynamic Microphones.
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