Legendary design engineer and API co-founder Saul Walker provided insight and opinion to students from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, recently, with a lecture he titled

'Mic Preamps — What are they; what do they do; how do they work; why should we care?'

After an overview of the basic types of microphones that exist and how they work, Saul explained how the microphone/preamp matchup along with the design of the preamp itself, can have a direct and audible effect on the resulting signal that is preserved by a recording.

The Peabody Institute is in Baltimore, not far from API's headquarters in Jessup, MD. The lecture was coordinated by Scott Metcalfe, Director of the Recording Arts and Sciences Department. Saul Walker currently teaches one undergraduate and one graduate-level course in audio at NYU in New York City.