Toni Roger Fishman, electronic visionary and founder of pioneering microphone company TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik, passed away on July 12, 2024 at his vacation cottage near company headquarters in South Windsor, Connecticut. At press time there were no further details.
The company's administrative team issued the following statement, "Toni was a visionary leader and founder, and an integral part of our company from Day 1. This news is deeply saddening for all of us here. Toni was not just the owner, but also a mentor and friend to many. His vision, passion, and dedication were the driving force behind our success, and his absence is deeply felt by all of us. Despite our loss of Toni, we will carry on. It was Toni's wish that our company continue to create the finest audio equipment in the world. Our entire team will work together to ensure that operations continue smoothly. We have a strong and capable team, and we are confident in our ability to navigate through this difficult time."
TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik of South Windsor, CT, USA was incorporated in 2001 out of the desire to remake restoration parts to keep vintage iconic microphones in excellent working condition. This passion grew into the ambitious goal of recreating the legendary ELA M 251 in all of its original glory, both sonically and structurally. The new production 251 was first showcased at the 2002 Audio Engineering Society convention and astounded the professional audio industry with its remarkable accuracy to the original, both inside and out. The microphone won the 2003 Technical and Creative Excellence TEC Award for Studio Microphone Technology.
David Goggin, longtime friend, company photographer and public relations director since its inception, stated, "I first met Toni at recording studios here in Hollywood when he was searching for the most pristine of vintage classic microphones, which he reverse-engineered and combined with historic Telefunken schematics and documentation to preserve the legacy of these unparalleled instruments used to record music. Toni was always on target and relentlessly continued his quest for sonic excellence throughout his remarkable career."
The vision of TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik is to preserve the excellence of iconic microphones and their history, and to develop new technologies that draw inspiration from them. The company continues the tradition of producing high fidelity instruments to benefit the recording and performing world, and to continue to accurately preserve music for generations to come.
Toni Fishman is survived by his wife Yuki and son Ethan.
