Remembrances of Chris Jaffe—An innovator in many fields, our colleague, and friend

Abstract

A remembrance of Christopher Jaffe in the technical perspective will be given, in a matrix of the human perspective of working with him, learning from him and enjoying his vision, friendship, and wit. The authors all collaborated with Chris: Wade Bray as a consultant at Jaffe Acoustics, Mahlon Burkhard as an acoustical colleague and developer of electronic technologies proposed by Chris through the major era of the Electronic Reflected Energy System (ERES) starting with the “Live from Studio 8H” NBC television symphonic concerts—birth of the Chris-named “NBC Delay”—and Klaus Genuit fulfilling Chris's vision of binaural technology in multiple uses—Chris providing the avenue for HEAD acoustics GmbH to begin serving North America. Christopher Jaffe was a thorough, novel acoustician: fluent and innovative in both non-electronic and electronic techniques, though perhaps better known for his lifelong passion about the latter in the pure service of the listening experience and its reaching more people. He had a unique personal, charismatic presence, an ability not only to explain technical acoustics in artistic context to nontechnical people, but also to enfold them in the enthusiasm, skill and momentum of his spirit. We celebrate him; we miss him, his path lives.