Earth Sound Research Corporation was founded in 1971. This
Farmingdale based manufacturer produced audio equipment and was originally
branded the Instrument Systems Audio Corporation (ISC Audio), which was a
division of the Benjamin Electronics Sound Company. The Benjamin Electronics
Sound Company was owned by Joseph N. Benjamin, who was also president of that
same company. Although the company was founded in 1971, the company was
incorporated in New York on October 17, 1975.
ISC Audio’s first two employees were Mark Neuman and Tony
Picciano, and Mark was the employee who convinced Benjamin to move forward with
the new company. Eventually Mark Neuman, along with a gentleman named Dave
Garrett, become owners of Earth Sound Research Corporation.
Earth Sound Research Corporation specialized in electric
bass and guitar amplifiers. Besides their specialization, they also
manufactured PA mixers, power amps, keyboards, stand-alone solid state reverb
units, and ESR brand distortion pedals. Amplifiers from Earth Sound Research
Corporation can be considered rare items and tend to be preserved by many
collectors of amplifiers.
At the beginning of the company’s creation, amplifiers were
produced using tube circuitry and were assembled in Benjamin Electric Sound’s
Farmingdale plant, while subcontracting out for some components. The
subcontracted components were rumored to be replications or copies of Peavey
Electronics’ creations. Although the replications seemed to be obvious, there
was no litigation or infringement suits. The company met its demise due to its
own financial failures and closed in the early 1980s.
Sources:
"Earth Sound Research." Wikipedia.
Wikimedia Foundation, 30 July 2020. Web. 14 July 2021.
Pedalhaven. "An Untold History of Earth Sound Research
Amplifiers." Pedal Haven. 11 June 2021. Web.
14 July 2021.
