Title: Electrical Engineer
Company: HME
Location: San Diego
Overtime: He is an avid reader, photographer, and trail runner enjoying the beautiful views of his hometown San Diego.
Why You Need to Know Him: Gish knows the ins and outs of audio, a knowledge that began with a childhood of audio curiosity.
Pro AV or bust. That is one way to look at the young and promising career of Daniel Gish. But don't let his youth fool you, as inexperience it is not. Gish is connected to the past in Pro AV—whether it is his father's engineering prowess, grandfather's photography know-how, or mentoring by SCN Hall of Famer Charlie Butten.
Gish grew up on the fast track to the world of Pro AV. His father was an electrical engineer, so he was exposed to that from a very young age. "I always tinkered," Gish said. "I always took things apart—but when I was really young, I had no idea how to put it back together."
He acknowledges his father for his technical influence and love of engineering, but he also began mixing audio. "Nothing ever serious," he quickly added, "I just enjoyed it."
By the time high school rolled around, he came across electronic circuits, and it all clicked. "Coming into this realm where I am now, it was natural, and it was something that I already knew I loved," Gish said. "All those things, like the tinkering, the interest in audio, and the electronic circuits all came together into a career.”
Of course, entering the Pro AV world and finding out your mentor is Charlie Butten certainly helps. "He really instilled the love for [the profession] even more and taught me a lot more than I ever could have dreamed about the audio world," Gish said of his relationship with Butten. "He's such an easy person to talk to. We still do talk just about every day. I love talking with him. I'm either learning something new or I'm hearing some crazy, ridiculous, funny story that he's been through."
Butten invented wired analog partyline intercom systems, and the RS-100 analog beltpack made him a legend. When something is invented in 1968, no matter how ahead of its time it may be, it comes with downsides, whether it be in cabling, amplifier limitations, or other issues. Working in tandem with the pro audio icon, Gish has helped make huge strides, showing significant improvements that have plagued two-channel, two-wire intercoms for decades.
"People like to be connected," Gish said. "And that's the audio world. Being able to improve upon existing and time-tested technology that Charlie has invented or has been around for decades—to be able to address the long lasting problems that have plagued that stuff, to be able to appeal to the market in all facets from your more accessible systems to your higher end systems—you have to be able to improve what's been time-trusted and true, and just bring more reliable connection to more people in the audio world."
That's what Gish does for HME, the only company he has ever worked for. Yes, he wears several hats, from engineering design work to testing to verification. But it's always about the audio and making it as enjoyable for everyone as it is for him.
"I always want to improve and deliver the best for the Pro AV market," Gish explained. "I'm not afraid to look back at where we've been and what's been around and either come up with a new solution or an improved solution. I think that's something that I really value, and I think that it's something that Charlie and I have really worked on in the few years that we've been working together."
