A conspiracy of voices

Conspiracy theorists will probably be delighted to learn that a smallish, 100 person company out of Louisville controls the announcement systems in just about every important public space in the United States. They do it for 110 airports including JFK, LAX, and Chicago O’Hare, all 26 buildings at the Capitol, the Mayo Clinic, the Kennedy Space Center, and the New York City subway system, just to name a handful. (The NYC MTA has a host of other voices for specific platform announcements; for instance, Charlie Pellett says, "stand clear of the closing doors.") They also work worldwide, from China to Iceland and everywhere in between.

"Conspiracy theorists will be delighted to learn a small Louisville company controls most US announcement systems."

Listen to Carolyn Hopkins speak about her transition from music to announcements

The company responsible for the voices, IED, short for Innovative Electronic Designs, is the preeminent supplier of what’s known as an automated paging system: networked, computer-controlled equipment that controls audio notifications for big complexes. Though competitors exist — Biamp, and QSC, for instance — IED is the main US player in this specialized sector. The company was founded in 1978, but its genesis really occurred in tandem with the birth of rock ‘n’ roll.

Though it never had the fame of Memphis, Detroit, or Muscle Shoals, Louisville, KY, where IED is based, was an important early meeting point for soul, R&B, and electric instruments. The city nurtured popular touring bands like the Sultans and artists like Wilson Pickett. Louisville was also home to Harvey Fuqua, The Moonglows’ bandleader, who would later go on to help found Motown records and serve as Marvin Gaye’s mentor. IED’s co-founder, Hardy Martin, was a fixture in the scene, playing guitar in a band called The Carnations.

But he also had a head for business: Martin formed part of a music-booking agency, Triangle Talent, that worked with major bands in the area. It was there that he began to pick up engineering skills.

“I started out building sound and lighting equipment for The Carnations, then different bands that Triangle Talent handled,” says Martin.

Martin and his partner Ray Allen also started Allen-Martin Productions, a recording studio that at one time employed Bill Porter, one of the creators of the Nashville Sound. The studio later branched out into commercial and video work.

“The first job I had with Allen-Martin was to write the lyrics and the music for a jingle for a hot rod supplier called Big Red,” remembers Carolyn Hopkins, the female voice of IED. She had already been working with Triangle Talent as the lead singer of a regional touring soul band called the Chaparrals, and before that, in radio as a producer. The Chaparrals had a full horn section, sounded a bit like Earth, Wind & Fire, and played in full evening attire: gowns, tuxes. “Absolutely excruciating in hot, Kentucky weather,” says Hopkins.