Photo: Jamie Ford
Engineer Dale Manquen (pictured), one of the original designers of Flying Faders automation and an expert on analog tape machines, spoke at Webster University in St. Louis, Mo. on October 2 during an event sponsored by the university’s AES chapter.
“Success is a journey and not a destination; that is what a career is,” Manquen said in beginning his speech. As Manquen continued to speak, it became clear that this journey was the focus of the whole discussion.
During the event, Manquen spoke to the room full of students, professionals and educators about his achievements in audio as an inventor and entrepreneur, including the 3M Model 56 16-track recording machines and Flying Faders. Manquen explained the process in which all his audio inventions came about, going into detailed descriptions of how they were made and how they work. It became apparent to all present how knowledgeable Manquen is regarding electronics and audio manufacturing.
Manquen used stories of running audio for artists such as the Beach Boys as a way to inspire the audio students present to work hard and pursue their goals.
“If you expect something to happen, you have to position yourself where something can happen,” Manquen said while ending his speech. He continued by making it clear that despite being a great innovator in the field of audio, his greatest achievement was teaching at the University of California.
Manquen, now semi-retired in audio, spends his time talking to different schools and organizations, sharing his achievements as a way to inspire more people to work for their goals. He also enjoys toying around with his true passion: a 500-foot Lionel train set in his attic that appears to defy gravity.
For more information, visit www.webster.edu/aes and www.manquen.net.
