Eugene “Gene” Czerwinski (Cerwin-Vega) has died

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08-14-2010, 04:50 AM
JBL 4645

Eugene “Gene” Czerwinski (Cerwin-Vega) has died

http://www.dailynews.com/business/ci_15747512

http://www.more-pro.com/album/pics/f...2112145158.jpg

http://www.more-pro.com/album/pics/f...0912941276.jpg

Pioneer of the Cerwin-Vaga sensurround Eugene “Gene” Czerwinski has passed away.

http://www.dailynews.com/business/ci_15747512

His development of the system made a huge impact on my life, in the awareness of sound around (1974) with universals Earthquake. His collaboration with universal earned him a technical academy award which was worthy of his efforts.

RIP Eugene
08-14-2010, 07:15 AM
Harvey Gerst

I worked for Gene briefly in the mid 70's. He was truly "one of a kind." This is sad news.

R.I.P. Gene.
08-14-2010, 07:18 AM
JBL 4645

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harvey Gerst

I worked for Gene briefly in the mid 70's. He was truly "one of a kind." This is sad news.

R.I.P. Gene.

Harvey, I saw you responding to this, and thought you knew Gene. I was right.

Do you think he had more inventive ideas?
08-14-2010, 07:50 AM
Harvey Gerst

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBL 4645

Harvey, I saw you responding to this, and thought you knew Gene. I was right.

Do you think he had more inventive ideas?

At one point, I bought a Berlant Concertone tape Recorder from him (he was the Berlant rep) out of a little office he had in the San Fernando valley.

I again met Gene at a HiFi Institute show in L.A. when I worked at JBL He had an 18" speaker with a transistor amp mounted to the back end of the speaker, so the speaker acted as a heatsink for the amp. I thought that was damn clever.

Later at Acoustic Control, I contacted Gene and we used his 18" speakers in the 361 and 371 bass bins.

After Acoustic, I did some product spec sheets for Cerwin Vega (photography and layouts), and had to run them by Gene for approval. His highest praise was "That's not too terrible".

He was a true maverick and he marched to his own drummer.
08-14-2010, 08:03 AM
JBL 4645

An 18” speaker with an amplifier mounted to the back of it? Pictures please if any?
08-14-2010, 08:11 AM
Harvey Gerst

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBL 4645

An 18” speaker with an amplifier mounted to the back of it? Pictures please if any?

I saw this about 50 years ago. I don't know if any pictures were ever taken. It was right around the introduction of transistor amplifiers. I just thought it was a clever use of a magnet assembly as a heat sink for the amplifier.
08-14-2010, 08:30 AM
JBL 4645

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harvey Gerst

I saw this about 50 years ago. I don't know if any pictures were ever taken. It was right around the introduction of transistor amplifiers. I just thought it was a clever use of a magnet assembly as a heat sink for the amplifier.

Oh, I see 50 years ago chances are very rare if such a picture turned up. So where talking around late 1950’s?

I read or heard that speakers in the old days (1920’s) was powered by batteries to give the magnetic pull. So what year was magnetizing speakers introduced?

Edit:After combining a dozen keywords together I come up with this on audiokarma posted around 2003. It fits the description you mentioned. Interesting post

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=5505
08-14-2010, 08:56 AM
Harvey Gerst

Probably I saw it around 1959 or 1960.

Yes, older speakers used electromagnets (with field coils) to create their magnetic energy, but this precedes my entry into the speaker world by a number of years.

Alnico magnets were introduced in the 30's.
08-14-2010, 09:08 AM
JBL 4645

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harvey Gerst

Probably I saw it around 1959 or 1960.

Yes, older speakers used electromagnets (with field coils) to create their magnetic energy, but this precedes my entry into the speaker world by a number of years.

Alnico magnets were introduced in the 30's.

Huh, cheers for that information. I guess no one uses those type of loudspeakers anymore expect for a museum?
Alnico
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alnico

I’ve been looking at pdf list of current CV products, I Like the pro-amps.
http://www.cerwinvega.com/pdf/cv_pro_brochure.pdf
08-15-2010, 10:09 PM
Ken Andrew

Sub in a coffee table

Surely his best 1970s product was the 18" sub woofer inside a very large and heavy, veneered box that had four square legs on each corner where the grille pegs would normally be. When placed cone face down on the legs it was the right size for a coffee table. The gap between the box and the floor allowed the bass to escape. Not as good as a direct radiator but high WAF.

The back panel/now top was inlaid with geometric parquetry to complete the disguise. The only thing to give it away was the wires from the front panel. Dealers would thread these under the carpet.
08-16-2010, 02:21 PM
JBL 4645

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Andrew

Surely his best 1970s product was the 18" sub woofer inside a very large and heavy, veneered box that had four square legs on each corner where the grille pegs would normally be. When placed cone face down on the legs it was the right size for a coffee table. The gap between the box and the floor allowed the bass to escape. Not as good as a direct radiator but high WAF.

The back panel/now top was inlaid with geometric parquetry to complete the disguise. The only thing to give it away was the wires from the front panel. Dealers would thread these under the carpet.

hmm interesting so, downward firing subs have been around much longer than I thought?
08-17-2010, 02:35 PM
Altec Best

Sad Day !!!

I too enjoyed his work, like has been noted, the 18" woofers he developed for sensurround my first intro into that was "Midway" '76 cool very cool.I think they were folded horns with CV 189E's 18" woofers.The sensurround were backward firing folded horns (Doghouse) I think. He will be missed R.I.P Gene :crying: I wish the best for his family.

http://www.in70mm.com/newsletter/200...ound/about.htm

http://www.in70mm.com/news/2007/sens...ance/index.htm

:applaud::applaud::applaud:
08-19-2010, 02:36 PM
Altec Best

Quote:

Originally Posted by Altec Best

I too enjoyed his work, like has been noted, the 18" woofers he developed for Sensurround my first intro into that was "Midway" '76 cool very cool.I think they were folded horns with CV 189E's 18" woofers.The Sensurround were backward firing folded horns (Doghouse) I think. He will be missed R.I.P Gene :crying: I wish the best for his family.

http://www.in70mm.com/newsletter/200...ound/about.htm

http://www.in70mm.com/news/2007/sens...ance/index.htm

:applaud::applaud::applaud:

The sensurround was what started my curiosity into sound Subs/woofers :bouncy:

Foundation shaking woofers :yes: Thank You Gene :applaud:
08-25-2010, 02:47 PM
Radiotubes

This is almost prophetic news. I just bought a pair of D-9's today...I've wanted a pair since I first heard them back in '86. I'll listen to them in his honor!