Remembering Eric Small
• Legendary broadcast engineer Eric Small, the co-inventor of the original Orban Optimod® FM audio processor died last Thursday in Delray Beach, FL when he was struck by a car in the parking lot of a local supermarket. He was 71. The driver of the car also died.
Small entered the broadcasting industry in 1964 at Classical WNCN in his native New York City. Five years later he became a member of the technical department at A&R Recording under the legendary Phil Ramone and then went on to become Chief Engineer at WXLO/New York. In 1974, Small co-invented the original Orban Optimod® FM audio processor, which soon became standard equipment in virtually every major FM station in the U.S. Small later consulted most of the major broadcast groups in North America. In 1981 he founded Modulation Sciences, which developed and manufactured innovative products for radio and TV. After the World Trade Center was destroyed on 09/11/2001, Small was at the site that most NYC broadcasters picked to get back on the air, loaning equipment where needed and helping broadcasters get back on the air with stereo audio.
Small’s longtime friend Jim Davis, Owner/CEO at ExtremeCom Corp., said, “If you have worked in the broadcasting business for any time at all, chances are you had one of Rick’s inventions. He co-invented the Optimod; he invented microgroove recording for Columbia Records as well as numerous inventions for the television, cable and radio industry. The list is impressive.”
Small is survived by his beloved wife Roberta; children Gary Moskoff and Eric (Shannon) Moskoff; grandchildren Avi, Tessa and Aiden and sister Linda (Don) Sussman. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Chabad Jewish Center of Monroe, 261 Gravel Hill Road, Monroe Township, NJ 08831 or Chabad of Boca Raton, 7950 North Military Trail, Boca Raton, FL 33496. [Thank you, Denise Oliver]
