The study of technological applications & hardware design

In 2019, music technology has finally been recognized as one of the subjects within the California music education standards for the first time in state history. Although music technology has been around for decades, understanding how sound is captured by studying the frequencies and sound waves that is all around us can help students to realize a potential for careers in music that go beyond performance and composition while seizing opportunities for interdisciplinary connections across science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and providing meaningful collaborations with the arts (STEAM). 
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james lamb - point source audio

James' career as a professional trumpet player led him to New York, where he also became an arranger and music director—and even conducted at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. When James returned to California, he became the national sales manager of Apogee Sound. In 2000, Lamb was hired by Digigram, a French manufacturer of broadcast sound cards and network audio, where he spent 10 years in the company's business development side. After noticing that there was a niche in the market for a more durable earset microphone, Lamb founded his own company, Point-Source Audio (PSA), in 2008. -Mixonline.com
​James grew up in our Sun Valley community, having attended Byrd Middle School and Poly High School where he played trumpet. After graduating from Poly in 1978, James went on to attend CSUN and became a military musician. Although it has been decades since James physically returned to the Poly campus, he has provided Poly with incredible resources from equipment and instruments to virtually speaking with Poly students about careers and gears in music technology. Using his extensive knowledge and experience in having provided audio gear to some of the top Broadway productions, including Hamilton, Hairspray, Chicago ​and Mean Girls, and having patented multiple audio technology, Poly students gained valuable information on mic placement and connections to pricing on gear with a behind-the-scenes look on the impact of sound in live performances.
James guest lecturing virtually to the music technology and industries studies class in February, 2022
Point Source Audio is a solution-based design, engineering, and manufacturing company in the audio industry. With over 60 years of combined professional audio industry experience, the PSA product designers approach every product detail with a depth of understanding that results in ease, convenience, and efficiency in design. Point Source Audio has developed, engineered and manufactured transducer products for companies under a variety of brands. While continuing to do this, PSA is also focused on developing products under the Point Source Audio brand affording our customers a streamlined path for purchasing high value products. We sell our products exclusively through a network of high caliber resellers, contractors and distributors throughout the world. It is our goal to provide performance based products at great prices with the very best customer service and support. -Point-SourceAudio.com

PROUD MILESTONES
​Since its founding in 2008, Point Source Audio's lineup includes miniature microphones from earsets, headsets, lavaliers, proprietary earmounts and communication headsets. Through its developments, James even secured at least three patents for the EMBRACE earmount mics and the CM-series in-ear headsets. The company focuses on products for theater, broadcast, houses of worship and live sound where all of the products aim to "provide tools that help performers achieve the magic that they do on stage" (James in a 2018 interview). Headquartered in Petaluma, CA, designs all of its mics and headsets in-house with an eye towards developing innovations to “stay ahead of the curve in terms of identifying new tools and features that are useful to the industry.” -Mixonline.com
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In 2014, PSA was named the worship industry's "Best in Microphone" and was voted TV Technology's "Best of Show" in 2017. View the video below to hear more about the PSA's innovations and impact on the live music industry.
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