After playing guitar in surf and psychedelic bands during the 60's, Steve Rabe turned his talents to musical electronics, working for manufacturers such as Cerwin-Vega and Acoustic Control Corporation. Rabe joined Acoustic in 1973, and was involved with the design of more than 20 amplification products for the company, as well as personally directing the maintenance of Jaco Pastorious' Acoustic 360 amplifiers.

In 1984, Rabe started his own company, SWR, which became the world's leading manufacturer of bass and acoustic instrument amplification systems. In 1998, he began designing the series of professional audio products that would become the Raven Labs product line.