Fred Ampel, a strategic development consultant during the launch of Residential Tech Today, a CEDIA Fellow, and a 50-plus-year veteran of the professional audio industry, died on Sunday, August 29, 2022.
Born August 6, 1947, Ampel grew up in Mahopac and Queens, NY. As a young man, he worked at Cue Recording in New York City and earned an FCC 1st Class license. He graduated from Long Island University with a BA in English and Music. Fred then joined the Air Force, was stationed in Guam, and flew numerous B52 missions as a bombardier and navigator.
After his discharge from the Air Force in 1972, Ampel went on to Boston University, where he received a Masters in Electrical Engineering and Public Communications. During his time in Boston, he was a recording engineer at Woodland Sound Studios where he learned how to work with multi-track tape recorders and recording mixing consoles. He also worked for WBUR radio, where he produced a classical music program, and at WGBH, where he managed audio for Julia Child’s cooking shows. Ampel received personal cooking lessons from Julia Child and continued to cook gourmet meals throughout his life.
At Woodland Sound, Ampel had met Monty Stark, a musician and songwriter who invited Fred to accompany him to Los Angeles where Stark hoped to further his musical career. In the 1970s in the LA area, Ampel worked with KPFK Radio, Sound City Recording, Dave Kelsey Sound, and Audio Concepts, which was Fred’s own company. During this era, he became an accomplished recording engineer and worked with many well-known artists of the day. Ampel gained the nickname, “The Drum Doctor,” for his ability to mix and process raw drum tracks and turn them into a “big fat foundation” for rock and roll music. Ampel continued this work on a part-time basis for many years and has recently worked with modern EDM music artists.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Ampel worked with famed tour-sound pioneer, M.L. Procise at ShowCo. He did front of house and monitor engineering for well-known artists of that period.
After seeing an ad, Fred contacted Intertec Publishing. At that time, the company was focused on agricultural magazines but wanted to expand into electronics publications. Intertec invited Ampel to move to the Kansas City area where, in 1988, he became the first editor of Sound & Video Contractor and a few years later the first editor of Systems Contractor News magazine, and much later consulted, along with Chris Foreman, on the early vision for Residential Tech Today and the hiring of Jeremy Glowacki as its executive editor.
Over the years, Fred also became active with NSCA, InfoComm, CEDIA, and AES where he participated in event management, standards development and organization planning. Ampel authored and presented numerous educational programs and technology demonstrations at these organizations’ trade shows.
In Kansas City, Ampel met his future wife Linda and asked her to dinner. She said, “no”. Ampel suggested a conversation instead and met Linda’s dog, Makenzie who put his paw on Ampel’s leg. Fred said, “He thinks we’re supposed to be together.” Ampel and Linda were married, shared an unbreakable love and traveled the world together, before she passed away in 2007.
After retiring from Intertec, Ampel formed Technology Visions Analytics, a consulting and business development firm. For his audio industry clients, Ampel did business and marketing consulting, assisted in product development, and performed in-depth market surveys. In recent years, Ampel has worked as an acoustics and audio systems consultant for churches in the Kansas City area and created and presented educational seminars for worship organizations and at CEDIA Expo.
Ampel leaves behind an enormous legacy of service to his clients and the professional audio industry. Those who have known and worked with Fred mourn his passing as a good friend and trusted colleague. An Orthodox Jew, Ampel was a man of faith and truth and a dedicated member of his local temple in Kansas City.
Fred’s ashes will be interred near his parents in Hartsdale, NY. No funeral will be held but a “virtual wake” is planned for October. Those who wish to attend should watch Ampel’s Facebook page or LinkedIn page for an announcement. Donations may be made in Ampel’s name to the Scottish Terrier Club of America Rescue Trust Fund c/o Linda Hill, PO Box 187, Gramling, SC 29348.
