PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Neilson/Clyne

Tel: (615) 662-1616

Fax: (615) 662-1636

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

•1•

AUDIO-TECHNICA MICS SOUND GREAT TO HARD HITTER SCOTT SPIEZIO

— Former Anaheim Angels slugger and first baseman now fronts his own band,

and they turn to A-T mics for reliable, high-quality performance live and in the studio —

•1•

NAMM WINTER SESSION, ANAHEIM, CA, January 15, 2004 — Fans of the Anaheim Angels know Scott Spiezio for both of his passions: baseball and music. When he was signed by Anaheim in 2002, Spiezio was on the threshold of the team’s greatest season ever, and he contributed to a home run in Game 6 as the Angels went on to win the World Series. He brings the same fiery spirit and charismatic draw to his performances off the field. Whether playing ball or playing music, Spiezio knows how to choose the right tools for success. His band Sandfrog, which is rapidly gaining popularity with fans of hardball and hard rock alike, selects Audio-Technica microphones as their pro audio equivalent of the Louisville Slugger.

Spiezio, who owns nearly a thousand CDs, has quickly become an influential musical icon. USA Weekend has listed his favorite albums, including recordings by Alice In Chains, Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam, and Audio-Technica endorsees Sevendust. In fact, a chance backstage meeting with Sevendust’s drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly led them to collaborate with Spiezio on the production of Sandfrog’s first album. That, in turn, led to even more gigs, along with the need for consistently great sound whether live or in the studio — a need that was filled for Sandfrog by A-T microphones.

“A couple of years ago, we bought a PA system from another band,” Spiezio recalls. “It came with a few microphones and we bought a few more over the Internet. But after we started recording we realized we needed a better quality vocal mic, so we asked the salesperson at Guitar Center about all the different top-end names in microphones. He recommended the AT4047, which we then used on everything in the studio — vocals, guitars, drums — it sounded fantastic on everything.” A few months later, at the Winter NAMM Show (also in Anaheim), Spiezio encountered his friend Brian Wheat, bassist for Tesla, who brought him to the Audio-Technica booth. He emerged an Audio-Technica fan for life. “We found out just how large an array of microphones A-T has, and how well they work for our music,” Spiezio says. “I love the AT4060 on vocals in the studio, and I use the ATW-3141 wireless handheld mic for live vocals. Our drummer uses the ATM75 headset microphone on stage, and a pair of the AE5100’s on overheads and on the kick drum he uses the AE2500 dual-element mic, which we also use to record the bass guitar cabinets. They all sound awesome. I’m glad I hooked into A-T — it was a good catch.”

Photo File: SANDFROG.JPG

...ends 420 words

Celebrating over 40 years of audio excellence worldwide, Audio-Technica is a leading innovator in transducer technology, renowned for the design and manufacture of microphones, wireless microphones, headphones, mixers, and electronics for the audio industry.

—For more information on the complete range of Audio-Technica products, contact

Karen Emerson, Audio-Technica U.S., Inc., 1221 Commerce Drive, Stow, OH 44224.

Tel: (330) 686-2600; Fax: (330) 688-3752; Web:

•1•

Audio-Technica is exhibiting at Booth #6740 during the 2004 NAMM Winter Session in

Anaheim, CA.

•1•