Renkus-Heinz
Encyclopedia
Renkus-Heinz is a manufacturer of loudspeaker
s and related professional sound reinforcement equipment. Based in Foothill Ranch, California, the firm has a global presence in permanent installations at auditorium
s, transit centers,, sports venues, houses of worship
and musical performance venues
as well as in the concert touring industry.
under industry veteran John Kenneth Hilliard
. The elder Renkus followed Hilliard to Ling-Temco-Vought in the 1960s and joined Hilliard's 1970s consulting firm. Together, Hilliard and Jonas Renkus issued an Audio Engineering Society
paper in 1966 detailing their improvement in horn-type compression drivers obtained by incorporating polyimide
.
Before joining Renkus-Heinz in late 1979, Jonas Renkus had helped found Emilar Corporation in 1974. Emilar was a manufacturer of loudspeaker components which employed Renkus' patented high-compliance polyimide driver. In 1978–1979, Jonas Renkus worked with Gene Czerwinski at Cerwin-Vega
to develop a reliable and efficient high frequency driver. While at Renkus Heinz, Jonas Renkus patented a new triple lamination construction method in 1980. In 1981, the two Renkus men left Renkus-Heinz to assist Emilar which was having trouble staying in business. Harro Heinz remained president of Renkus-Heinz.
While Jonas and Algis Renkus were at Emilar, they began using the patented triple lamination method which had been assigned to Renkus-Heinz. Heinz sued for damages but dropped the case during the hearing.
In 1989 Harro's son Ralph D. Heinz joined Renkus-Heinz to work with Don B. Keele, Jr. and Gene Patronis and further his knowledge of electro-acoustics and horn loudspeaker design. Ralph Heinz eventually became senior vice-president of R&D
and patented a method of arraying loudspeakers for better phase coherency in 1994. In 1996, he patented a multiple driver horn which was promoted as the "CoEntrant" transducer, covering both mid- and high-frequency bands in one horn.
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
s and related professional sound reinforcement equipment. Based in Foothill Ranch, California, the firm has a global presence in permanent installations at auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
s, transit centers,, sports venues, houses of worship
Place of worship
A place of worship or house of worship is an establishment or her location where a group of people comes to perform acts of religious study, honor, or devotion. The form and function of religious architecture has evolved over thousands of years for both changing beliefs and architectural style...
and musical performance venues
Music venue
A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music...
as well as in the concert touring industry.
History
Renkus-Heinz was founded on April 1, 1979 by Harro K. Heinz and Algis Renkus (1937–1997). Heinz had previously been awarded a patent in 1975 for his work on a "Comprehensive feedback elimination system employing notch filter" that was performed while he was employed at Rauland-Borg Corporation. Algis Renkus was joined in the new enterprise by his father Jonas A. Renkus (b. 1912) who had worked at AltecAltec Lansing
Altec Lansing is a line of professional, home, automotive, computer, and multimedia audio products first developed in 1936. They were used in many studios as monitor speakers...
under industry veteran John Kenneth Hilliard
John Kenneth Hilliard
John Kenneth Hilliard was an American acoustical and electrical engineer who pioneered a number of important loudspeaker concepts and designs. He helped develop the practical use of recording sound for film, and won an Academy Award in 1935...
. The elder Renkus followed Hilliard to Ling-Temco-Vought in the 1960s and joined Hilliard's 1970s consulting firm. Together, Hilliard and Jonas Renkus issued an Audio Engineering Society
Audio Engineering Society
Established in 1948, the Audio Engineering Society draws its membership from amongst engineers, scientists, other individuals with an interest or involvement in the professional audio industry. The membership largely comprises engineers developing devices or products for audio, and persons working...
paper in 1966 detailing their improvement in horn-type compression drivers obtained by incorporating polyimide
Polyimide
Polyimide is a polymer of imide monomers. The structure of imide is as shown. Polyimides have been in mass production since 1955...
.
Before joining Renkus-Heinz in late 1979, Jonas Renkus had helped found Emilar Corporation in 1974. Emilar was a manufacturer of loudspeaker components which employed Renkus' patented high-compliance polyimide driver. In 1978–1979, Jonas Renkus worked with Gene Czerwinski at Cerwin-Vega
Cerwin-Vega
Cerwin-Vega is a manufacturing company that produces professional audio components, home audio speakers, and car audio components. It is part of the Stanton Group, along with Stanton Magnetics and KRK,...
to develop a reliable and efficient high frequency driver. While at Renkus Heinz, Jonas Renkus patented a new triple lamination construction method in 1980. In 1981, the two Renkus men left Renkus-Heinz to assist Emilar which was having trouble staying in business. Harro Heinz remained president of Renkus-Heinz.
While Jonas and Algis Renkus were at Emilar, they began using the patented triple lamination method which had been assigned to Renkus-Heinz. Heinz sued for damages but dropped the case during the hearing.
In 1989 Harro's son Ralph D. Heinz joined Renkus-Heinz to work with Don B. Keele, Jr. and Gene Patronis and further his knowledge of electro-acoustics and horn loudspeaker design. Ralph Heinz eventually became senior vice-president of R&D
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
and patented a method of arraying loudspeakers for better phase coherency in 1994. In 1996, he patented a multiple driver horn which was promoted as the "CoEntrant" transducer, covering both mid- and high-frequency bands in one horn.