SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY

Goodby Feedback: Say goodby to piano microphone feedback, says John Berry, co-founder of Barcus-Berry Inc., a musical instruments equipment maker in Huntington Beach.

Berry says his company, which annually sells about $1 million in microphones and other musical equipment, is marketing a device that can replace traditional microphones and give studio-like sound quality to every bar piano.

The company’s product is a sensor that is attached to a piano’s soundboard. The sensor picks up sound produced by the piano, filters out signals that can produce feedback, and sends it directly to a public address system or sound-mixing console.

Berry said the product is aimed at the estimated 2 million to 3 million commercial pianos in bars and recording studios across the United States.

“After 24 years of research, I have found a simple solution to a very complex problem,” said Les Barcus, president of Barcus-Berry and inventor of the device. “This system is capable of enhancing the sound of all pianos.”

Berry said the gadget, which is 2 1/2 inches long, an inch high and half an inch wide, will be available in two versions in 2,000 piano stores nationwide. The more sophisticated version sells for $349 and a standard version is $225.