Ray Dolby

In his three-and-a-half-hour interview, Ray Dolby (1933-2013) discusses his early interests in technology and music. He describes tinkering with tape recorders and starting to work at Ampex while still in high school (even getting national security clearance at age eighteen to work on classified projects). He talks of his main projects at Ampex, including developing an all-electronic system for synchronizing sound, which resulted in his first patent. Dolby then discusses his work on the first video tape recorder, alongside fellow engineers Charles Ginsburg and Alexander M. Poniatoff. He chronicles creating a pulse FM system for modulating the signal going to video tape, and outlines the developments that made the recording system viable. He talks about creating Dolby Laboratories and developing his revolutionary noise reduction system. Dolby recalls the initial doubts from the sound industry about the usability of his system, explains how he adapted Dolby noise reduction for movie theaters, and recounts the reluctance of theater owners to use it. He speaks of the challenges of building his company and hiring the right people, talks of what it's like to be a household name, and shares how he'd like to be remembered. Karen Herman conducted the interview on March 26, 2007 in San Francisco, CA.