Primeau Productions, Inc.
Since 1984, Ed Primeau has concentrated on diverse set of skills acquired within the audio visual field, including a strong emphasis on A/V forensics.
www.primeauproductions.com
Ed@PrimeauProductions.com
In 1979, Ed began as an apprentice audio engineer and was trained to record and edit spoken word recordings such as training tapes and audio books. He remained a dialog editor using razor blade editing as the only form of audio editing available back then. Ed used audio perception (not visual perception which is how audio editing is executed today) to match voice tone and levels as well as create smooth content and flow for these products.
That apprenticeship led Ed to becoming a full time audio engineer for nearly 8 years. In 1986 he left Ambience Recordings where he completed an apprenticeship and worked as a full time audio engineer and national sales manager and began to grow a part time business Primeau Productions.
Ed attended the University of Detroit from 1979 to 1985 with my major in communication studies and a minor in criminal justice. While at the University, Ed was a volunteer probation officer for the 53rd district court in Troy Michigan under judge Drewery.
Since then, Ed has completed dozens of audio and video evidence based cases for many courts and attorneys across the United States.
He has authored several articles that have been published by LEVA, NSA, TASA, Homeland Security and Midwest Meetings. Ed also authored the book “The Art of Production” as well as the E Book “The Video Revolution”.
Ed is a member of AES, ACFE, IAI, and NSA. He earned a merit award in 1993 from the Michigan chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for sound restoration on an NBC show “Peter and the Wolf”.
Ed helps court and law enforcement agencies understand the science and technology of voice identification. "We all have distinctive characteristics to our voice and words as well as how we pronounce those words".
"Each of us has a unique nasal cavity, larynx, teeth, tongue, and mouth. These distinct characteristics all come together and create a unique sounding voice that can be examined and analyzed using computer software and auditory perception to determine if voices in question are from the same person".
Ed Primeau
Ed's philosophy is that forensics examination and restoration of audio/video media ideally combines art as well as science. The methods that he uses require attention to detail and scientific principles, complemented by an appreciation for clarity and aesthetics.
Ed's techniques are derived from both formal education and application of skills gained by working in many forensics situations.
A few milestones:
• 1979-1985: University of Detroit (Communications major, Criminal Justice minor)
• 1978-1981: Probation officer, 52nd District Court, Troy, Michigan
• 1980-1988: Ambience Recording Studio, audio engineer/national sales manager
• 1984-present: Primeau Productions, Inc., President; focusing on marketing videos for professional speakers, audio/video editing, convention/conference production
• 1996-present: TASA audio and video identification/restoration/authentication expert
• 2006-Member of International Association for Identification
• 2005 Member Audio Engineering Society
• 2006 Member American College of Forensic Examiners
• 1998-1999: National Speakers Association of Michigan, President
• 2000-present: Member of Law Enforcement/Emergency Services Video Association (LEVA)
• Certified Digital Video Expert at Pelco Global Training Institute
• Member American Society of Information
• Established expert with acetate and vinyl restoration – Primeau Productions, Inc.
• Hundreds of spoken-word recordings analyzed, clarified and/or restored using computer technology and visual examination of audio and videotape to establish critical listening skills
• Experienced in court testimony and pre-trial preparation of counsel
• Published author, audio and video forensics articles (LEVA, Homeland Security magazine of the American College of Forensic Examiners; National Speakers Association)
• Author of the book "The Art of Production"
• Resource Audio and Video Forensics for Dateline NBC.
• Served as voice ID expert for the Wall Street Journal
• Appointed to the Office of Drug Control Policy of the State of Michigan under State Drug Czar
AUDIO FORENSIC SERVICES*
• Background noise removal/sound clarification
• Voice identification
• Audio recording authentication
• Micro cassette transfers to any format audio
• Audio conversion to compact disc
• Courtroom Testimony
VIDEO FORENSIC SERVICES*
• Video Authentication and restoration
• Video image clarification
• Frame capture from video
• Video conversion to DVD
• CD ROM and DVD design and programming
• Courtroom Testimony
*Any and all formats of audio and video accepted
Reference cases
Steven Potter
Auburn Hills Michigan
248-377-1700
(Contact Misty)
Haddad v Indiana Pacers
I was the video expert for the defense, the Indiana Pacers, during this one week trial, took the stand once to explain the video evidence I had assembled from all network sources, including ESPN, Fox Midwest and WB20. I testified in The United States District Court, Eastern Division of Michigan
The jury returned a not guilty verdict on behalf of the Pacers.
U.S. Gold and Diamonds vs. JKD Diamond Brokers.
Dianne Marx
Dayton Ohio
937-222-2500.
This case is in Federal Court in Dayton Ohio November 3rd, 2008. It involves my examination of a Integral Technologies digital video CCTV system examination and authentication of video evidence and the operational characteristics of the system itself.
The Software is version 4.0. Integral Technologies was sold to Pelco December of 07 and is now known as Pelco; Global Leaders in Security Systems.
We won the case! On November 24th 2008 the jury awarded my client a total of 6.9 million dollars in loss and compensatory damages as well as legal fees.
A letter from my client reads:
Ed,
Just writing to let you know the jury came back with a very favorable verdict: $8,400 which represents the actual cost of the diamond, plus the cost of shipping ($400); $1.7 million representing the wholesale price of the diamond and $2.3 million which represents the retail value. We are entitled to treble damages on the $2.3 million. We couldn't have done it without you! We, obviously, are very, very pleased, as is Mr. Stafford. Thank you again for all your help.
Patty
Complete article appears in the Dayton Business Journal November 25th 2008.
Link to article: http://dayton.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2008/11/24/daily21.html
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Contributed to an article as voice ID expert for the Wall Street Journal:
Hi Ed,
Thanks again for your help with the story. Your critical ear was right; it was Pynchon. When I confronted the publisher with your findings they admitted it, so it was a great scoop for the Journal. Here's a link to the story.
-Steven Krutz
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/08/11/pynchon-revealed/
•
• August 11, 2009, 12:01 PM ET
Yup, It’s Him: A Pynchon Mystery Solved
Last Tuesday, long-suffering fans of the reclusive writer Thomas Pynchon received a double gift. Pynchon’s latest book, “Inherent Vice,” a stoned-out detective story set in early-‘70s L.A., was released by Penguin Press (read the Journal’s review). And to promote it, the publisher put out a cool video trailer featuring a narrator whose slow, lazy cadence sounds suspiciously like that of Pynchon’s, as evidenced by a guest appearance on “The Simpsons” and this clip from what appears to be a German TV spot.
Inquiries by GalleyCat and others as to whether Pynchon is the guy channeling the novel’s main character, beach bum private eye Doc Sportello, have been met with “no comment” from Penguin Press and the video’s producers, Meerkat Media. And, of course, the man himself is mum (Would Pynchon fans expect anything else?).
In an effort to solve the mystery, Speakeasy did a little sleuthing and called Ed Primeau, a Michigan-based sound engineer and voice identification expert.
Like handwriting analysis, voice identification is an inexact science, often used by law enforcement to rule out a suspect rather than to provide a 100% clear-cut ID. Still, people have unique vocal timbres and deliveries, especially Pynchon, who sounds like actor John Astin (i.e. Gomez Addams from the old TV show), mixed with a Midwest corn farmer, with a dollop of aging stoner.
So is it possible to rule out the man in the “Inherent Vice” trailer as being the same guy in the Simpsons episode and German TV clip? Not at all, according to Primeau. In fact, he says, based on a preliminary analysis the speech pattern and inflection is “virtually identical” in all three clips. “It’s a very unique style of delivery,” Primeau says. “It’s very up-and-down. He’ll hit these accented spots every few words.
You know the TV show “Dragnet,” how Joe Friday talked? It’s the opposite of that.”
We should point out Primeau is an unbiased witness, having never read Pynchon (“I don’t know this guy but it looks like he has some history as an author,” he said). Nevertheless, if he hasn’t been taken by the man’s work, Primeau is intrigued by his voice, which he describes as “a tobacco-driven soft rasp.”
Primeau’s conclusion: “Beyond a reasonable degree of professional certainty, I believe these voices were delivered by the same person.” Confronted with Primeau’s findings, Tracy Locke, a publicist at Penguin, came clean and admitted, “It is, in fact, Thomas Pynchon doing the narration.”
Copyright 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Edward John Primeau
Audio Forensic Expert
Certified Digital Video CCTV Expert
Member ACFEI, AES, IAI, NSA
Primeau Productions, Inc.
248- 853-4091
248- 853-4098 (FAX)
800-647-4281
