History
Originally conceived as a domestic hi-fi speaker, the NS-10 was designed by Akira Nakamura and launched in 1978.[2] [3]The
speaker was poorly received. Recording engineers came to rely on the
NS-10 as a benchmark. The model was discontinued in 2001.[4]
The NS-10 displaced the Auratone 5C Sound Cube as the nearfield monitor of choice in the 1980s and was recognised for its ability to reveal shortcomings in recordings.[5] It probably first reached American shores through a recording engineer's visit to Japan. The engineer, likely to have been Greg Ladanyi, monitored a recording session through the speaker in a Japanese studio and brought a pair back on his return to the US. Ladanyi then began using the speakers in a Los Angeles studio. Other engineers heard the NS-10 for the first time and were impressed by its sound. Its use spread to New York where the NS-10 was adopted at The Power Station and other studios.[6]
Early use of the NS-10 among engineers include Bob Clearmountain, Rhett Davies, and Bill Scheniman in the US, and Nigel Jopson in the UK.[6] Clearmountain, then a rising star in record production, is often credited for the popularity of the NS-10;[7] Phil Ward, writing in Sound on Sound, suggested that Clearmountain was probably not the earliest, but was certainly the most influential early adopter.[6] It became a legend that Clearmountain had chosen it because it was the worst speaker he could find.[6] He was one of a new breed of creative freelance recording engineers and producers who would travel from studio to studio equipped with their own gear that included microphones, and a pair of Yamaha NS-10, as a reference.[6]
Recording studios around the world, particularly those specialising in rock and pop music, adopted the speaker as the standard.[6][8][5] In excess of 200,000 pairs were sold throughout the world.[9] Gizmodo referred to it as "the most important loudspeaker you never heard of".[7]
Yamaha stopped manufacturing the speaker in 2001, citing problems sourcing the wood pulp for the drivers.[6][10][11] Even years after it was discontinued, the speaker continued to be found in studios everywhere.[6] Mix reported in 2008 that variants of the NS-10 were still commercially available in the Japanese consumer market.[8]
The NS-10 displaced the Auratone 5C Sound Cube as the nearfield monitor of choice in the 1980s and was recognised for its ability to reveal shortcomings in recordings.[5] It probably first reached American shores through a recording engineer's visit to Japan. The engineer, likely to have been Greg Ladanyi, monitored a recording session through the speaker in a Japanese studio and brought a pair back on his return to the US. Ladanyi then began using the speakers in a Los Angeles studio. Other engineers heard the NS-10 for the first time and were impressed by its sound. Its use spread to New York where the NS-10 was adopted at The Power Station and other studios.[6]
Early use of the NS-10 among engineers include Bob Clearmountain, Rhett Davies, and Bill Scheniman in the US, and Nigel Jopson in the UK.[6] Clearmountain, then a rising star in record production, is often credited for the popularity of the NS-10;[7] Phil Ward, writing in Sound on Sound, suggested that Clearmountain was probably not the earliest, but was certainly the most influential early adopter.[6] It became a legend that Clearmountain had chosen it because it was the worst speaker he could find.[6] He was one of a new breed of creative freelance recording engineers and producers who would travel from studio to studio equipped with their own gear that included microphones, and a pair of Yamaha NS-10, as a reference.[6]
Recording studios around the world, particularly those specialising in rock and pop music, adopted the speaker as the standard.[6][8][5] In excess of 200,000 pairs were sold throughout the world.[9] Gizmodo referred to it as "the most important loudspeaker you never heard of".[7]
Yamaha stopped manufacturing the speaker in 2001, citing problems sourcing the wood pulp for the drivers.[6][10][11] Even years after it was discontinued, the speaker continued to be found in studios everywhere.[6] Mix reported in 2008 that variants of the NS-10 were still commercially available in the Japanese consumer market.[8]
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