Walter Sear RIP

[airmate]

What a loss! He was a genius and a true gentleman.

I have already posted in the thread in the mastering forum - I took this picture during my visit at Sear Sound one year ago.

[ajfarber]

It seems as if Walter didn't want any type of memorial. No private or public services are planned. I did hear, however, that Roberta Findlay will continue to operate Sear Sound foreseeable future. That, anyway, is good news.

I'll be working with bil emmons tomorrow at Clinton. (yes, he spells his name with no caps and one "L" in bil) bil was a staff engineer at Sear for many years and he will keep me up-to-speed on ant more news about Walter and Sear Sound. Naturally I will fill in all you cats here ate the "slutz".

[Legacy]

Thanks for the update - thinking of him daily - a great loss for us all.

I'm very glad to hear that Roberta, Chris, Dave and crew will keep Sear Sound running - the best tribute to Mr. Sear and vitally important for NYC as more large rooms close every year.

I have just made a donation to a scholarship fund for audio education in his memory. The AES has one (AES Educational Foundation) as do most schools that have audio programs.

I respectfully put forth that anyone who wants to pay tribute to Walter consider doing the same.

-Silas

[tombak]

A New York Times article about Walter's passing...
Walter Sear, an Audio Engineer With a Passion for Analog, Dies at 80 - Biography - NYTimes.com

"The cause was complications of a subdural hematoma, or bleeding from the brain, after he injured himself in a fall, said his daughter Julia. "

Had this not happened I believe he would have lived to Les Paul's age.

[ajfarber]

Originally Posted by tombak

A New York Times article about Walter's passing...
Walter Sear, an Audio Engineer With a Passion for Analog, Dies at 80 - Biography - NYTimes.com

"The cause was complications of a subdural hematoma, or bleeding from the brain, after he injured himself in a fall, said his daughter Julia. "

Had this not happened I believe he would have lived to Les Paul's age.

Walter had already beaten the odds. He chain-smoked for 60 years but died from a head injury. Go figure.

[PlugHead]

Originally Posted by ajfarber

Walter had already beaten the odds. He chain-smoked for 60 years but died from a head injury. Go figure.

Pretty odd with him in his prev. life as a tuba player! I guess there's hope for me yet (as a smoker/tubist!) I performed his (tuba) Sonata when I was a kid, and never got to know/meet him in any other capacity. I sure wish I could've met him as studio owner/eng., but it never happened.

All kidding aside, my thoughts go out to his family and friends.

RIP Walter...

[7rojo7]

RIP
Nice Tracks

[sleeper1400]

just found out today in my fresh issue of tape op;

i found a great article he wrote in 2004.
so, its a little dated. but i got quite a chuckle.

=====================
In response to the article in the August 2005 issue entitled IN DEFENSE OF:
THE BIG PRO STUDIO, I'd like to make the following comments:
DO BRAIN SURGERY AT HOME
FOR FUN AND PROFIT
I'm not very technical but I just love doing brain surgery. I couldn't see wasting all
that time to get an undergraduate degree in science, then wasting four more
years in medical school and another three or so as a resident, but I'm sure that I
can make up for the deficit with my enthusiasm and my love of brain surgery.
First of all, you really don't need to be in a big fancy building like a hospital. I use
my ping-pong table in the basement to do my surgery. (I do throw a plastic sheet
over it to preserve the paint). By doing it at home, I save on rent. I admit that
sometimes the neighbors complain about the occasional screams that they hear,
especially late at night.
Next thing is the equipment. They have all of that shiny stuff in the operating
room and believe me, you don't really need it. I equipped my Operating Room at
my local 99 cent store. At the hardware department, pick up a hack saw. This is
very handy for cutting off the top of the skull. If you want to get fancy, pick up a
cross-cut saw, for emergencies. A good claw hammer is handy for removing any
extra bone that you missed with the saws.
Move on to the housewares department. Here, for $.99, you can get a whole set
of steak knives. These are very sharp and they are good for the fine work. For
the rough work--get a bread knife.
In the sewing department, you can pick up a sewing kit with all kinds of needles
and different colored threads This is handy to sew the scalp back in place. You
can also get a set of three different-sized scissors. Sometimes they come in
handy.
There! For $7 to $8, you can completely equip your operating room.
On TV, you see the OR full of assistants. This is a waste of space. If you really
watch them, they are all just standing around doing nothing. In my home
operating room, I have eliminated all of these unnecessary people. I do, however,
engage the family dog to sit under my operating table to clean up the scraps.
You see how simple it is to do brain surgery at home? Anyone with a love of
brain surgery can do it. I never read Grey's Anatomy although I did see a copy
once. Very nice pictures but half of it was in Latin. Who wants to bother with that!
If you really want to be a brain surgeon, all you need is the desire and
enthusiasm.
My prices are very cheap since I don't have all that stupid overhead.
ANYONE NEED TO HAVE A BRAIN TUMOR REMOVED? CALL ME.
Walter Sear
waltersear@aol.com
To see my Operating Room, go to Sear Sound NYC, NY