07/25/2025
We would like to introduce the latest edition to our “People Behind the Product” series! In this series, we celebrate the incredible individuals who make up our diverse team worldwide. We are thrilled to introduce Bob McCarthy, Director of System Optimization.
Bob’s commitment to clarity, accuracy, and innovation is at the heart of system design at Meyer Sound. As Director of System Optimization, his deep technical expertise and forward-thinking approach guide the development and tuning of our systems, ensuring optimal performance in every space. Bob’s leadership helps deliver the precision and consistency that define the Meyer Sound experience.
To get to know Bob better, we asked him a few questions about his work at Meyer Sound and his life beyond the office.
Question: What is your favorite Meyer Sound memory?
Answer: This is not an easy question since there are 45 years of memories to choose from. On July 13, 1984 John Meyer and I were at the Greek Theater in Berkeley doing some of first SIM measurements during a Grateful Dead concert. This was a historic moment for the industry as the groundbreaking technology we were developing there would later become standard practice. We knew at that moment how important SIM measurement was and we expected widespread industry adoption in about 2 years. It actually took 20… but our vision was correct. I was just at Roskilde festival and noted that every system engineer used the offspring of SIM to measure their systems.
Q: What was your first job?
A: Union laborer on an 8-story hospital for McCarthy Construction Company. I was supposed to go into the family business until my love of music and sound turned me to a life of crime. My 1st pro audio job was night shift tape duplication in a recording studio. I realized after a few months that waiting for a studio mixing job to open up would take a long time. Since I was young I I decided I should hit the road doing live sound, and never worked in a studio again.
Q: What book is on your bedside table?
A: Sound Systems: Design and Optimization - 4th edition (it’s a work in progress that I hope to complete in 2026).
Q: What does a perfect day off look like for you?
A: A walk around my beloved New York City, Social time with my wife and friends, and play a show with my band at night
Q: What is an achievement you are proud of?
A: Saving two people from drowning. As a teenager, I was trained as a swimming lifeguard but never took it on as a job. And yet twice in my life, I have been presented with an unexpected emergency situation where I put it to use. Once, in a river at flood stage, where people should not have been swimming, and the second time, a child was swimming without parental supervision in a hotel pool. In both cases, I stayed calm and knew exactly what to do, and I take pride that there are two people alive because of it.
Q: What is your favorite gift you’ve given someone?
A: An 8-part surprise scavenger hunt for my wife that took her to a manicure, pedicure, lunch with a friend, massage, shopping, and finally a babysitter and hotel.
Q: Sweet or savory?
A: Savory. Crunchy. A lifetime search for the ultimate chips and salsa.
Q: Dogs or cats? Do you have any pets?
A: Dog. Our Coconut is a 15 yr old Papillon
Q: What’s one thing people don’t know about you?
A: I have been to the Indy 500 race 6x and will go again. My grandfather rode for an IndyCar team way back in the 1930s or so when the car had an extra person riding on the back to fix things. So this history was a big thing in my family growing up. We always watch the race, and I go as often as I can. If you have never been, I highly recommend it.
