Red-Eye Twin - Some History...

Question…

How did the Red-Eye Twins get started?

Response…

It was a talented, long-time, Austin musician named Marvin that got me to build the first Red-Eye Twin preamp. 

I was listening to him play at the old Evangeline Café while enjoying delicious Cajun food and fine Louisiana beer.  He was using two Red-Eye preamps to connect his mando and guitar to the Evangeline sound system.  He had continuous trouble with feedback when he’d set down one instrument close to a monitor as he picked up the other.  And his stomp tuner could tune only one instrument.

During a break, he suggested that there had to be a better way to play two instruments so I said I’d look into it.  The next time he played I brought him the first prototype Twin to try out.  It did the job pretty well and the feedback problem was history.  And with the Twin, his stomp tuner could tune either instrument.

I used the same strategy I’d used with the plain Red-Eye to optimize the design for musicians.  I made some more prototypes and gave them to Austin musicians.  Then I’d ask them to suggest improvements.  After making quite a few changes, the design started to settle down and the musicians were finally answering, “Well, maybe you’d better just leave it like it is.”  And we haven’t made substantial changes since.

Daren Appelt, Engineer, Fire-Eye Development, Inc.