Ben Bauer
Microphone engineer, Shure
Major contribution
Bauer developed the Uniphase acoustical system behind the single-element directional Unidyne microphone, improving practical public-address pickup.
Bauer began work on a single-element directional dynamic microphone at Shure in 1937. Instead of combining separate omnidirectional and bidirectional cartridges, he controlled the sound reaching the front and rear of one diaphragm.
The resulting Uniphase system underpinned the Unidyne introduced in 1939. Its directional response reduced unwanted pickup, while its single dynamic element offered reliability and lower cost—important advantages for public address, where loudspeaker sound returning to a microphone can cause feedback.
Key work
- Single-element directional microphone development (1937)
- Uniphase principle and technical explanation (1938)
- Shure Model 55 Unidyne (1939)
In the chronology
Selected sources
- The Unidyne Story (1939–2014) · Shure Incorporated
- Single-element Unidirectional Microphone – Shure Unidyne, 1939 · Engineering and Technology History Wiki / IEEE