Strategic Briefing SR117 Product Launch — Post-Mortem Analysis
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Full Transcript Below
EARTHWORKS AUDIO — STRATEGIC BRIEFING
RE: SR117 Product Launch — Post-Mortem Analysis
DATE: April 2023 — January 2024
DISTRIBUTION: Executive Leadership
CLASSIFICATION: Internal Strategic Review
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The SR117 live vocal microphone launch (April 1, 2023) represented the fourth iteration of our product launch system, following ICON/ICON Pro (streaming) and ETHOS (broadcast). This briefing documents the coordination infrastructure, market validation, and outcomes that led to:
- TEC Award win (January 2024)
- Church market penetration validated within four days post-launch
- Press coverage across four major publications
- Artist adoption (Van Morrison, featured in Forbes August 2024)
- Dealer in-house adoption (Sweetwater Event Productions, editorial staff)
- System refinement leading to DM6 launch success (February 2024, second TEC Award)
This analysis focuses on what worked, why it compounded, and what's transferable to future launches.
DESIGN PARAMETERS & MARKET POSITIONING
Primary Objective: Create the best live vocal microphone possible at sub-$200 retail price point.
Strategic Rationale: Market didn't need another $1,000 microphone. Target audience required:
- Condenser quality with dynamic microphone safety
- Performance for both professional engineers and first-time volunteers
- Minimal EQ requirements out of box
- Superior plosive, wind noise, and sibilance protection
- Pricing accessible to church market (8-12 vocalists per stage = bulk upgrade opportunity)
Product Configuration:
- SR117 handheld: $199 MAP
- SR3117 wireless capsule: $179 MAP (cheaper than handheld = upgrade incentive)
Church Market Thesis: One engineer tests handheld → entire stage upgrades to wireless capsules. Single sale converts to 10+ units.
COORDINATION TIMELINE
Phase 1: Alpha Feedback (Pre-Beta)
Strategic partners provided design input on visual identity, performance priorities, and market positioning:
- [REDACTED — rental house contacts]
- [REDACTED — megachurch technical directors]
- [REDACTED — touring engineers]
- [REDACTED — production companies]
Key Decision: Maintained stainless steel ring (brand identifier) despite some feedback suggesting all-black for TV discretion. Rationale: Signature visual element creates "Earthworks identifier from 50 feet away that only mic nerds know" (per rental house feedback).
Phase 2: Beta Testing Infrastructure ("Kennedy Bullets")
Seven prototype units tracked via serial numbers and UPS codes as they moved through network:
Primary Beta Testers:
- Brian Pomp (Olivia Rodrigo monitor engineer)
- Kevin Glendinning / KG (Jerry Harvey extended network)
- Froggy (touring validation)
- Paul Scodova, Tim Lessons, Michael Lewis (field testing under real conditions)
- Lee Chapman (Produce Like a Pro — content partnership)
Two-Sensitivity Testing Protocol:
Units tested in low and high sensitivity configurations. Feedback collected via structured survey covering:
- Plosive/sibilance/wind noise protection (1-5 scale)
- Feedback resistance (1-10 scale)
- Durability/tour-worthiness (1-10 scale)
- EQ requirements and frequency response observations
- Handling noise and proximity effect behavior
Strategic Placement Pre-Launch:
- Gateway Church (Dallas megachurch): 5 wireless capsules, March 21-23
- America's Got Talent: Same 5 units, March 24-25 (broadcast filming)
- SIR Studios LA: Units stocked in every rehearsal space (rental house seeding)
- Trinity Broadcasting Network: Coordinated through [REDACTED]
Kennedy Bullet Strategy Rationale: Limited inventory moving through high-value targets in compressed sequence creates appearance of widespread adoption while maintaining tight control over units. Gateway Church → AGT handoff proved network coordination capability under 72-hour timeline.
VOCABULARY HARVEST & LANGUAGE SEEDING
Intelligence Collection:
Beta survey systematically extracted language patterns that became market vocabulary:
From Dave Godowsky (Soundwide/Universal Audio Artist Board Director):
"I like how flat it is, it feels less committal. This has best of both worlds."
→ Harvested: "Flat but not uninspiring," "less committal," "best of both worlds"
From Matt Lowe (Free Chapel megachurch):
"We swapped from a DPA 4018 which is about $1,500 to this and we want this over the DPA. This thing will literally be in almost every church in America."
→ Harvested: Competitive displacement messaging, church market penetration prophecy
From Gareth [REDACTED] (CEO/Designer interview):
"This is what you've always wanted your other mics to sound like. We've invented a better wheel."
→ Harvested: Aspirational positioning, evolutionary not revolutionary framing
Back-of-Box Copy (Parrot Protocol):
Packaging designed as vocabulary delivery vehicle. Language engineered for inheritance by:
- Unboxing YouTubers (read verbatim on camera)
- Dealer sales conversations (repeat to customers)
- Press reviews (quote in articles)
- Engineer testimonials (cite in recommendations)
Final Four Bullet Points:
- Voiced with rich, clear lows, smooth vibrant mids and open airy highs
- Tight pattern control across all frequencies for maximum feedback rejection
- Enhanced wind, plosive and sibilance protection
- Minimal handling noise
"V7 Killer" Vocabulary Emergence:
Early testers began calling SR117 the "V7 Killer" (referencing sE Electronics V7 at $99, church market favorite). We amplified this phrase back into network via email communications: "The gossip stemming from all of our initial tests has already led everyone in the church market to call this one the V7 Killer." Language propagated organically from there.
LAUNCH COORDINATION (APRIL 1-7, 2023)
Simultaneous Multi-Channel Activation:
Dealer Network:
Launch email blast with Jason Batuyong testimonial ("The SR3117 will be on every stage, every production, and every church by the end of this year"). Assets provided: product photography, frequency graphs, polar plots, competitive positioning materials.
Press Coordination:
- Tape Op: Giveaway contest with same messaging as dealers
- Technologies for Worship Magazine: Church market blast (April 4)
- Recording Magazine, Sound on Sound: Review unit distribution
- Headliner: Technical feature placement
Strategic Partnerships:
- Sweetwater: Guest speaker at morning sales meetings (April 4-5), office hours coordination, demo units for Event Productions team
- Full Compass: Content repurposing from TFWM blast
- [REDACTED — additional dealer coordination]
Creator Ecosystem:
- Casey Cooper (YouTube): Launch video coordinated since January
- Matt Lowe (Free Chapel): Testimonial video production with strategic briefing document
- [REDACTED — additional content partnerships]
Competitive Displacement Content:
- "SR117 vs Telefunken M80" thought leadership (SEO ambush)
- "V7 Killer" messaging in church market channels
- SIR Studios placement article ("Today's Top Stars Rehearse With Earthworks Mics")
All channels launched April 1-5 with unified messaging and vocabulary.
MARKET VALIDATION
April 5, 2023 — First Customer Testimonial (Day 4 Post-Launch):
Scott Bartholomew (Technical Director, Grand Avenue Baptist Church, Fort Smith, AR) sent unsolicited testimonial:
"I got an email Monday about the SR117, immediately ordered it from Sweetwater (couldn't believe the price!), got it yesterday, and tried it out last night at home. So far, I've been blown away by this mic! I don't know how to describe it. It just sounds like… me, haha."
Critical Details:
- Ordered April 4 (Day 3 post-launch)
- Received April 5 (Day 4)
- Testimonial sent same day unprompted
- Committed to 9 additional wireless capsules upon Sennheiser compatibility release
- +9 sales cascade validated church market thesis in four days
Network Effect Visible:
Scott learned about Earthworks through:
- Stephen Arruda (MicRentals — our beta tester)
- Jeff & Lee (MxU — Lee Fields, our beta tester)
- Church had previously demo'd FlexWand (prior positive experience)
Trust compounded through network referrals, not advertising.
Timing Advantage:
I was at Sweetwater headquarters (Fort Wayne, IN) for post-launch dealer meeting when testimonial arrived. Immediately forwarded to Sweetwater executive team (Mitch Gallagher, Lynn Fuston, Jason Koons) demonstrating real-time market validation during coordination session.
IN-HOUSE ADOPTION CASCADE
Sweetwater Internal Adoption (April 4-6):
Mitch Gallagher (Editorial Director / Sr. Director of Content Creation):
- Tested SR117 during April 4-5 visit
- Subsequently adopted for personal band use
- Content creation opportunity identified
Lynn Fuston (Manager of Written Content):
- Tested SR117 during April 4-5 visit
- Potential for Sweetwater written reviews/articles
Jimmy Blankenship (Event Productions):
- Heard SR117 during sales meeting presentation sound check
- Requested units for Sweetwater Saturday productions
- Quote: "I imagine it will sound as good as it did for the sales meeting"
- We immediately offered DK7 drum mic set for permanent theater inventory (Easy Ask execution)
Strategic Implication: When dealer's own production team adopts product for internal use, sales team gains credibility claim: "Our own Event Productions uses it."
PRESS VALIDATION & ARTIST ADOPTION
Major Publication Coverage:
- Sound on Sound (UK technical authority)
- Recording Magazine (US industry standard)
- Tape Op (indie/DIY market)
- Headliner ("Uncompromising clarity at a sensible price")
- Forbes (August 2024): "Earthworks Audio's SR117 Is The Mic That Van Morrison Loves"
Portfolio Elevation Strategy:
Used SR117 launch momentum to elevate SR314 ($700 premium vocal mic) credibility. April 7 (Day 6 post-launch): Sent Willow Smith SR314 placement to Sweetwater partner marketing.
Asset: Spotify Twitter post showing Willow Smith with SR314 on album cover. Entire live album recorded at Electric Lady Studios with SR314.
Positioning: Churches/engineers discovering Earthworks via $199 SR117 learn about full product line. Sales engineers gain upgrade path story: "Want even better? Willow Smith recorded with SR314."
Competitive Intelligence:
Nate Baglyos (Director of Marketing, Kali Audio — competitor) response to launch email (April 3): "Fucking nice. Congrats. This is gonna be huge." Peer validation from competitor marketing leadership.
TEC AWARDS OUTCOME
January 2024 — SR117 TEC Award Win:
Nominated for TEC Award. I left NAMM early to visit family, did not expect to win (multiple prior nominations, zero wins career-to-date).
Outcome: Won. Phone notifications upon landing indicated I'd missed ceremony. Had arranged backup acceptance (colleague attending), but colleague was in bar line when award announced and did not reach stage in time.
First TEC Award win in career — not present to accept.
January 2025 — DM6 TEC Award Win:
DM6 kick drum microphone (launched February 14, 2024 using identical coordination playbook as SR117) won TEC Award. This time attended ceremony and accepted on stage.
Subsequent Development: Photo of me holding TEC Award became face of TEC Awards ceremony. Image now used in all TEC Awards marketing materials.
Strategic Significance: Two consecutive TEC Awards (SR117, DM6) using same launch system proves coordination infrastructure is:
- Repeatable across product categories
- Transferable (vocal mic → kick drum mic)
- Refineable (each iteration improved execution)
- Industry-validated (peer recognition via TEC)
DEALER RELATIONSHIP INFRASTRUCTURE
Sweetwater Coordination Arc (February 2022 — April 2023):
February 2022: Introduction to Mitch Gallagher via Steve Danielson (Triad-Orbit). Initial relationship building around ICON/ETHOS reviews.
May 2022: Earthworks Drum Off event at Sweetwater (hosted by Casey Cooper). Relationship maintenance through experiential programming.
March 2023: Advance notice of SR117 launch. Guest speaker slots secured for April 4-5 morning sales meetings.
April 2023: Launch coordination, testimonial sharing (Scott Bartholomew), in-house adoption cascade.
Relationship Timeline: 14 months from introduction to coordinated SR117 launch. Trust built through:
- Product review support (ICON, ETHOS)
- Experiential events (Drum Off)
- Regular office hours presence
- Executive briefings (morning meetings)
- Pre-launch preview access
Post-Launch Value Delivery: Offered NAMM filming location for Mitch's content creation even while sharing SR117 victory. Continued relationship deposits beyond transactional exchanges.
SYSTEM REFINEMENT ACROSS FOUR LAUNCHES
Launch Evolution:
1. ICON/ICON Pro (Streaming Mics) — Learning the Template
- Established basic beta testing process
- Developed initial dealer coordination approach
- Learned content partnership model (Standard management, YouTube creators)
2. ETHOS (Broadcast Mic) — Refining Coordination
- Improved press outreach (Mark Sparrow/Forbes playbook)
- Enhanced vocabulary harvest methodology
- Tested strategic placement principles
3. SR117 (Live Vocal) — Executing Under Pressure
- Kennedy bullets strategy (limited inventory, high-value sequential placement)
- Church market thesis (1 sale → 10 cascade)
- Coordinated multi-channel blitz (dealers, press, churches, creators simultaneously)
- TEC Award win validates industry recognition
4. DM6 (Kick Drum) — Defending the Title
- Identical playbook as SR117
- Refined execution (no debugging required)
- Second TEC Award proves system transferability
- Victory photo becomes TEC Awards brand image
Each launch debugged friction points and improved next iteration.
TRANSFERABLE PRINCIPLES
What Made the System Work:
1. Limited Inventory Forces Discipline
Seven prototype units required precise network activation. Couldn't spray and pray — had to know exactly who to call, what sequence, why each placement mattered.
2. Vocabulary Compounds
Language engineers use in Week 1 becomes language dealers repeat in Month 3 and press quotes in Month 6. Seed correct phrases early, market inherits them.
3. Testimonials Beat Advertising
Scott Bartholomew's April 5 email did more for credibility than any ad campaign. One engineer saying "it just sounds like me" in his own words validates product better than marketing copy.
4. Coordination Infrastructure Is Reusable
Same beta tester list worked for SR117 and DM6. Same press contacts. Same dealer relationships. Same strategic placement principles. Build once, execute repeatedly.
5. Trust Deposits Compound
Gateway Church tested FlexWand previously (positive experience) → willing to test SR117 wireless → became reference story for other churches. Stephen Arruda relationship (beta testing) → referred Scott Bartholomew → +9 sales cascade. Network effects require years of relationship deposits before they pay dividends.
6. Systems Make Success Inevitable
By fourth launch, we weren't improvising or hoping. We were executing proven process. When you document what works, build reusable infrastructure, and refine based on prior iterations, outcomes become predictable.
COORDINATION INFRASTRUCTURE COMPONENTS
Reusable Assets Developed:
Beta Testing Protocol:
- Two-sensitivity testing methodology
- Structured survey for vocabulary extraction
- Kennedy bullets tracking system (serial numbers, shipping, return logistics)
- "Test to failure" instructions for field validation
Launch Communication Templates:
- Dealer activation email with testimonial integration
- Press outreach with giveaway contest hooks
- Church market messaging via Technologies for Worship
- Competitive displacement content frameworks
Strategic Placement Playbook:
- Rental house seeding (SIR Studios model)
- Broadcast TV coordination (AGT, TBN)
- Megachurch adoption cascade (Gateway, Free Chapel, Grand Avenue Baptist)
- Creator content partnerships (Casey Cooper, Matt Lowe)
Relationship Maintenance Systems:
- Dealer office hours cadence
- Post-launch testimonial amplification
- Continued value delivery beyond transactions
- Executive briefing access for key partners
LESSONS FOR FUTURE LAUNCHES
What Worked:
✓ Compressed timeline forced system discipline (no time for improvisation)
✓ Kennedy bullets strategy created high-value placement sequence with limited inventory
✓ Vocabulary harvest from beta testers seeded market language successfully
✓ Church market thesis (+9 cascade) validated in four days
✓ Simultaneous multi-channel activation (dealers, press, churches, creators) created amplification velocity
✓ In-house dealer adoption (Sweetwater Event Productions) reinforced sales team credibility
✓ TEC Award industry validation compounded across consecutive years
What Compounded:
✓ 20-year relationship deposits (Brian Pomp, KG, Stephen Arruda, Lee Fields) cashed in 72-hour coordination windows
✓ Prior product launches (ICON, ETHOS) built trust with Mitch Gallagher at Sweetwater → enabled SR117 morning meeting access
✓ FlexWand demo at Gateway Church → SR117 wireless adoption willingness
✓ Stephen Arruda network → Scott Bartholomew referral → +9 sales cascade
✓ SR117 TEC Award → DM6 launch credibility → second TEC Award → became face of ceremony
What's Transferable:
The coordination infrastructure works because principles transfer:
- Beta testing methodology (any product category)
- Vocabulary harvest process (any market)
- Strategic placement sequencing (any channel)
- Dealer coordination cadence (any partnership)
- Press outreach framework (any publication)
- Testimonial amplification (any customer base)
By DM6, we weren't debugging the system. We were executing a proven playbook.
CONCLUSION
The SR117 launch succeeded not because of heroic individual effort, but because it was the fourth iteration of a coordination system refined across multiple product categories.
When Scott Bartholomew ordered on April 4 and committed to +9 wireless capsules by April 5, it validated that:
- Product actually worked as designed (minimal EQ, volunteer-friendly)
- Pricing enabled bulk church orders ($179 wireless vs. $1,500 DPA displacement)
- Network referrals (Stephen Arruda, MxU) drove adoption faster than advertising
- Testimonial harvesting (unsolicited, in customer's own words) built credibility
When the TEC Awards validated SR117 (January 2024) and DM6 (January 2025) consecutively, it proved the system produced industry-recognized outcomes, not one-time flukes.
When my photo holding the TEC Award became the face of the ceremony, it demonstrated that systematic excellence — not individual wins — creates lasting brand elevation.
The hit factory works because we stopped treating every launch like the first time and started executing a proven process.
STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION:
Document this coordination infrastructure as reusable playbook for future product launches. System components (beta testing, vocabulary harvest, strategic placement, dealer coordination, press outreach, testimonial amplification) are category-agnostic and transferable.
Next product launch should execute same playbook with refinements based on SR117/DM6 learnings.
END STRATEGIC BRIEFING
[REDACTED — Additional proprietary coordination details available upon request to executive leadership]
END OF TRANSCRIPT
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