AES News

The AES Milan Convention, taking place 23–26 May at the NH Hotel Milano Congress Centre in Milan, Italy, will offer more ways to listen, learn and connect than ever before with its schedule of Student and Career development events. With significant savings on student All Access registration, attendees can affordably enjoy four full days of educational and career advancement events, a technical program featuring a host of presentations on a variety of audio engineering disciplines, special events such as the opening ceremonies and keynote speaker, and exhibition floor showcases and events from leading audio companies from around the world. Additional student activities include recording critiques, an Education and Career Fair, and newly expanded student design and recording competitions.

“AES Milan will be a big convention for the Student Delegate Assembly (SDA) and for student involvement,” states Kyle P. Snyder, AES Governor and Education Committee Chair. “With exciting announcements in our expanded student recording competition which now includes a remix category, the Saul Walker AES Student Design Competition, our education and career fair, and more, students are given the opportunity to network not only with their peers from around the world, but also with the industry as a whole. The exchange of ideas and connections made at these conventions are crucial in our mission of education and promotion of the art and science of audio engineering, and, combined with outstanding industry support again this year, the AES Milan Convention will be a destination and experience exemplifying our theme, ‘The Power of Sound.’” 

The official opening of the Convention’s student program, and a great opportunity to meet with fellow students from all corners of the world, is the opening SDA meeting. This event will introduce new events and election proceedings, announce candidates for the coming year’s election for the Europe and International Regions Vice Chair, announce the finalists in the Student Recording Competition categories and the Student Design Competition, and review the schedule of all student- and education-related events taking place at the convention. A closing SDA meeting will be held on the final day of the show, where the SDA will elect a new vice chair, and where competition comments and awards will be presented.

Student Recording Competition
The Student Recording Competition is a highlight at each AES convention, hosting a distinguished panel of judges to participate in critiquing finalists of each recording category in an interactive presentation and discussion. The top three finalists in each category present a short summary of their production intentions and the key recording and mix techniques used to realize their goals before playing their projects for attendees. This year, a new Remix category has been added, allowing competitors ample space and freedom to create what they feel best expresses, or enhances, the music from a provided track. The competition is a great chance for students to hear the work of their peers at other educational institutions and to network with other students and faculty. 

Student Design Competition
The Saul Walker AES Student Design Competition is an opportunity for aspiring hardware and software engineers to participate in a worldwide contest during AES Conventions and gain recognition for their hard work, technical creativity, and ingenuity, as well as advice and mentorship from the competition judges. The competition is named in recognition of Mr. Walker’s tremendous impact on the audio industry as an inventor and as an educator. Awards will be presented for product designs including loudspeakers, DSP plug-ins, analog hardware, signal analysis tools, mobile applications, sound synthesis devices, and more. 

AES MATLAB Plugin Student Competition and Showcase
Additionally, the AES will be announcing further details of a newly established AES MATLAB Plugin Student Competition and Showcase, in which students will design and present a new audio production VST plugin using MATLAB software. A special tutorial will be held at AES Milan, and later to be released as video, on the topic of MATLAB and outlining the competition’s rules and inaugural awards, to be given at the 145th AES International Convention in New York City in October 2018.

Education and Career Fair
The combined AES 144th Education and Career Fair will match job seekers with companies and prospective students with schools. Academic Institutions offering studies in audio (from short courses to graduate degrees) will be represented in a “table-top” session. Information on each school’s respective programs will be made available through displays and academic guidance. For those already searching for their entry or next path into audio engineering, AES Milan will host top companies looking for the best and brightest minds in the audio world. All attendees of the convention, students and professionals alike, are welcome to come visit with representatives from participating companies to find out more about job and internship opportunities in the audio industry.

Panel Discussions
As part of the ever-expanding program of Student & Career Development events at the convention, presentations providing insight from leading names in the industry also help give direction to those beginning or advancing their career in audio engineering. The open-format panel “Careers in the Professional Audio Industry – First Steps,” will be hosted by Richard Weir and cover marketing an individual to potential employers, how to format a CV/cover letter, and how to break into this exciting industry for those just starting out in your career.
 
The AES Milan Student Delegate Assembly will also host the presentation “Classical Music Recording Education Panel Discussion: Contemporary Production Practices and Training Engineers for Today and the Future,” with panelists from the UK, Canada, USA, and France. The panel will discuss ways in which orchestras and opera houses around the world are engaging audiences by experimenting with new and often simultaneous modes of distribution, emerging formats, and new technologies – for example, VR, 3D audio, and "live from…" simulcasts – as well as future obstacles and opportunities to optimize such recordings for maximum impact and preservation in the future.

Click here for the latest announcements on Student and Career Development events during the AES Milan Convention.

Themed “The Power of Sound,” the 144th International AES Convention will bring together audio professionals, students, enthusiasts and advanced audio technologies from around the world for four days of audio immersion, experiences and networking. Register now at for AES Milan at aeseurope.com for Advance Registration rates through 1 May, including additional discount pricing for AES Member and students. Complimentary Exhibits-Plus badges are also available by using code AES144NOW at checkout. 

The AES Milan Convention, being held 23–26 May at the NH Hotel Milano Congress Centre in Milan, Italy, will feature Malcolm Hawksford – Emeritus Professor within the School of Computing Science and Electronic Engineering at Essex University, Colchester, and a recent AES Gold Medal Winner – as presenter of the 38th Richard C. Heyser Memorial Lecture, speaking on the topic “Understanding High Quality Audio – A Personal Journey.” Taking place on Thursday, 24 May at 6:30pm, The Heyser Lecture is part of the 144th Audio Engineering Society International Convention Special Events schedule, open to all convention attendees. Register now for best pricing on All Access badges through 1 May, or opt for a complimentary Exhibits-Plus badge by using the code AES144NOW at checkout.

Established in 1999 by the AES Technical Council and the Board of Governors in conjunction with the Richard Heyser Scholarship fund, the Heyser Lecture series, featured at each AES Convention, brings eminent individuals in audio engineering and related fields to speak on a relevant topic of choice. Hawksford’s presentation at the AES Milan Convention will offer insight on his longstanding career of research and innovation. The abstract for his lecture, “Understanding High Quality Audio – A Personal Journey,” is as follows:

Audio engineering is bound by theoretical principles that ultimately establish what can be achieved in practical terms. The mapping of theory into a practical realization is inevitably moderated by system-specific approximations and increasing entropy as information travels through an audio system. While the theory may be deceptively simple, the means of implementation can embrace diverse concepts and ingenious design techniques. My career as an academic and researcher mirrors this diversity, which has witnessed remarkable transformations as the industry has adapted from analogue to digital (and back again!). Highly talented students worked with me on research projects principally motivated by an underlying ambition to extend the horizons of sound reproduction. Alongside personal reflections about factors critical to high-quality sound reproduction, my lecture will concentrate on important circuit and system factors, both analogue and digital. A new means of down-sample rate conversion will be demonstrated too.   

On behalf of the AES, Francis Ramsey stated, “As chair of the Technical Council, I am delighted that Malcolm has agreed to speak in Milan. His recent AES Gold Medal is a testament to his outstanding career in audio research and teaching, and the engineering of high-audio quality is one of his favourite topics. Everyone has something to learn here.”

Malcolm O. J. Hawksford was educated at Aston University in Birmingham, UK, where he received his B.Sc. with first-class honors in 1968, Ph.D. in 1972 and D.Sc. in 2008. He is now Emeritus Professor within the School of Computing Science and Electronic Engineering at Essex University, Colchester, UK. Early research embraced delta- and sigma-delta modulation (SDM) applied to color TV coding that, under the award of a BBC Research Scholarship, led to a method of luminance and chrominance multiplexing exploiting digital time-compression, a forerunner of MAC/DMAC. Hawksford’s principal interests include audio engineering, electronic circuit design, error correction in amplifiers and signal processing focusing on loudspeakers, SDM, PWM linearization, spatial audio and telepresence. He is recipient of the AES Publications Award for the best contribution by an author of any age for JAES (volumes 45 and 46) and holds the AES Silver Medal awarded 2006 for major contributions to engineering research in the advancement of audio reproduction. Additionally, in 2014 he was awarded the Peter Barnett Memorial Award by the Institute of Acoustics, UK, for his contributions in the field of electroacoustics extending over four decades. He is a chartered engineer and fellow of the AES, IET and IOA and has been formative chair of the AES Technical Committee on High-Resolution Audio and was a founding member of Acoustic Renaissance for Audio (ARA).

Themed “The Power of Sound,” the 144th International AES Convention will bring together audio professionals, students, enthusiasts and advanced audio technologies from around the world for four days of audio immersion, experiences and networking. Register now at for AES Milan at aeseurope.com for Advance Registration rates through 1 May, including additional discounts pricing for AES Member and students. Complimentary Exhibits-Plus badges are also available by using code AES144NOW at checkout. 

Does your research staff, faculty or students deserve access to the world’s most comprehensive collection of audio information? The continuously growing Audio Engineering Society (AES) E-Library contains over 16,000 fully searchable PDF files documenting the progression of audio research from 1953 to the present day. It includes every AES paper published from every AES convention and conference, as well as those published in the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society. From the phonograph to MP3s, from early concepts of digital audio through its fulfillment as the mainstay of audio production, distribution and reproduction, to leading-edge realization of spatial audio and audio for augmented and virtual reality, the E-Library provides a gateway to both the historical and the forward-looking foundational knowledge that sustains an entire industry. 

The AES E-Library has become the go-to online resource for anyone looking to gain instant access to the vast amount of information gathered by the Audio Engineering Society through research, presentations, interviews, conventions, section meetings and more. "Our academic and research staff, and PhD and undergraduate Tonmeister students, use the AES E-Library a lot,” says Dr. Tim Brookes, Senior Lecturer in Audio & Director of Research Institute of Sound Recording (IoSR) University of Surrey. “It's an invaluable resource for our teaching, for independent student study and, of course, for our research."

“Researchers, academics and students benefit from E-Library access daily,” says Joshua Reiss, Chair of the AES Publications Policy Committee, “while many relevant institutions – academic, governmental or corporate – do not have an institutional license of the AES E-library, which means their staff or students are missing out on all the wonderful content there. We encourage all involved in audio research and investigation to inquire if their libraries have an E-Library subscription and, if not, suggest the library subscribe.”

E-Library subscriptions can be obtained directly from the AES or through journal bundling services. A subscription allows a library's users to download any document in the E-Library at no additional cost.

“As an international audio company with over 25,000 employees world-wide, the AES E-library has been an incredibly valuable resource used by Harman audio researchers, engineers, patent lawyers and others,” says Dr. Sean Olive, Acoustic Research Fellow, Harman International. “It has paid for itself many times over.”

The fee for an institutional online E-Library subscription is $1800 per year, which is significantly less than equivalent publisher licenses.

To search the E-library, go to http://www.aes.org/e-lib/.
 
To arrange for an institutional license, contact Lori Jackson directly at [email protected], or go to http://www.aes.org/e-lib/subscribe/.

– New dimensions in audio production and playback technologies 
bring about new topics and experiences at AES Milan Convention

Audio industry leaders in new markets and media are slated to take on the multi-faceted topics of Spatial Audio and Audio for Virtual Reality at the AES Milan 144th International Convention, taking place at the NH Hotel Milano Congress Centre in Milan, Italy, May 23–26. Offering an in-depth look into these rapidly advancing and game-changing technologies, AES Milan will offer cutting-edge research presentations, tutorials, workshops and ears-on demonstrations highlighting spatial audio production in a variety of applications and settings. Advance registration pricing on All Access badges is available until May 1. 

Among the most talked-about new technologies at recent AES Conventions, Spatial Audio and Virtual Reality offer new and immersive opportunities for conveying “The Power of Sound” – the theme for the AES Milan Convention – with unique experiences in entertainment, scientific exploration and communications, with many possibilities still being pioneered. One of the key technologies gaining the attention of both audio professionals and consumers is Virtual Reality, which offers many new and exciting applications for art and science. The workshop ”Stereophonic Techniques for VR and 360º Content” will give examples of stereophonic techniques for VR production and show a workflow suggestion using practical examples, as well as the advantages of using conventional Stereo microphone arrays instead of first-order Ambisonics microphones. Conversely, the presentation “Virtual Reality Audio: B-Format Processing” will discuss the latest innovations in B-Format for processing recording, rendering and post-production.

Spatial and 3D Audio have also found an ever-increasing presence in interactive audio productions and real-world environments and simulations. Tutorials and presentations such as “Intelligent Acoustic Interfaces for High-Definition 3D Audio” and “New Surround and Immersive Recordings” will cover both technical and procedural aspects, while sessions including “Listening Session on Large 3D Audio System,” “Psychoacoustics of 3D Sound Recording” and “Surround with Depth Listening Session on Loudspeaker Cubes” will offer attendees concentrated listening experiences and insights unique to the AES convention.

One of the most exciting uses of spatial audio is in music production for creating immersive listening experiences for audiences in a variety of different formats. Jim Anderson (2018 Grammy winner for the album Early Americans) and Ulrike Schwarz, who have spent the past year recording and mixing music in high resolution and in immersive formats from New York to Norway to Havana, will highlight that work in the session “New Surround and Immersive Recordings”. The presentation “Production of Dance Music in 3D” will give an overview of basic psychoacoustics, the creation of 3D sounds for a dance track, and implementing 3D audio using keyboards and synthesizers. Further, the sessions “Kraftwerk and Booka Shade – The Challenge to Create Electro Pop Music in Immersive / 3D Audio” and “ANTON – Universe in 3D: Ambisonics in Electronic Music Production” will give detailed analysis of the technology and innovations used in these productions.

Register now for AES Milan to attend Europe’s premier pro audio education and networking event of the year, and get the inside track on the latest in Spatial Audio, Audio for VR and much more. Boasting the theme “The Power of Sound,” the 144th International AES Convention will bring together audio professionals, students, enthusiasts and advanced audio technologies from around the world for four days of audio immersion, experiences and networking. Register now at aeseurope.com for Advance Registration rates through May 1, including additional discount pricing for AES Member and students.

Register now for Europe’s premier pro audio education and networking event of the year – the 144th AES International Convention, taking place at the NH Hotel Milano Congress Centre in Milan, Italy, May 23–26, 2018. Built on the theme, “The Power of Sound,” AES Milan offers the latest scientific research, technologies and professional insights on a host of audio engineering topics. The event brings together audio professionals, students, enthusiasts, manufacturers and advanced audio technologies from around the world for four days of audio immersion, experiences and networking. Register now at aeseurope.com for special Advance Registration rates, including additional discounted pricing for AES Member and students.

The AES Milan Convention will offer four days of intensive Technical Program presentations, including research paper presentations, tutorials, workshops, discussion panels and other interactive ways for attendees to expand their knowledge while sharing ideas with their colleagues and peers. In addition to the many core topics covered at the AES Conventions, such as Recording and Production, Live Sound, Broadcast, and Signal Processing, the 144th International Convention will also take focus on technologies and techniques related to Cinema Sound, Surround Sound, Audio for VR, Loudspeakers for Studio and Stage, and related areas of interest. Preliminary program information is available at aeseurope.com.

Along with the comprehensive Technical Program, the AES Milan Convention will host a three-day pro audio gear and services exhibition, showcasing the latest tools and technologies from the leading manufacturers in pro audio. Dedicated demo rooms and listening experiences will showcase a variety of new and integrated technologies, while dedicated exhibition-floor stages hold event presentations from manufacturers and sponsors as part of the Professional Studio Expo. A complete program of Education and Career events will also take place throughout the four days of the convention.

“‘The Power of Sound’ is such a great expression of the AES, our goals, and our achievements over the past 70 years,” states Bob Moses, Audio Engineering Society Executive Director. “As the Milan Convention kicks off our year-long anniversary celebration, the AES is more in-tune than ever with the current and future state of the audio engineering industry. Throughout the four days of AES Milan, we encourage our audio community to immerse themselves in all things audio, gaining a better understanding of their current field of expertise; to sit-in on a session about a technology they’ve maybe only heard of; to check out new gear that is being shown for the first time at the show; and, most importantly, to listen, learn, and connect with their heroes and peers in the industry.”

Make plans to join us at the AES Milan Convention for these and other exclusive events, and follow the AES online at aeseurope.com for updates to the technical program, participating exhibitors and sponsors, registration, housing and more. Advance Registration pricing will be available for a limited time only. 

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 — The 144th International Audio Engineering Society Convention address will 
explore current audio coding technologies and advancements —

The Audio Engineering Society will take a deep look at the impact of digital audio coding during the upcoming AES Milan Convention keynote address, “How Perceptual Audio Coding Has Shaped Our Lives,” to be given by Dr. Marina Bosi, AES Past-President and Consulting Professor, Stanford University. Dr. Bosi’s speech, taking place on May 23, 2018, during the Opening Ceremonies of the 144th International AES Convention, will review the history, as well as look to the future, of coding technologies and practices, from both production and consumer standpoints. 

Taking place May 23–26 at the NH Hotel Milano Congress Centre in Milan, Italy, the AES Milan Convention will explore a diverse array of audio engineering topics and the diverse personalities and insights behind audio production and technologies from around the world. 

In her presentation, Dr. Bosi will examine some of the major shifts in audio consumption and how they represent new challenges and opportunities in coding audio for entertainment, information and other purposes, addressing the questions: “Who would have guessed twenty years ago that everybody would be clamoring for devices with MP3/AAC perceptual audio coders that fit into their pockets? As perceptual audio coders become more and more part of our daily lives, residing within mobile devices, DVDs, broad/webcasting, electronic distribution of music, etc., a natural question to ask is: what made this possible, and where is this going?”

“Based upon her deep experience in digital media coding research and standards, Dr. Bosi will offer unique insights into the widespread use of these technologies in applications ranging from production and distribution to the consumer experience,” says AES Convention Committee Co-chair Nadja Wallaszkovits. “Dr. Bosi's background also provides the foundation for an informed view of the future of digital media that will no doubt prove enlightening."

Dr. Bosi draws from a rich background of being actively involved in the development of standards for audio coding, video coding, and digital content management, having contributed to the work of ANSI, ATSC, the DVD Forum, DVB, ISO/IEC MPEG, SDMI and SMPTE, as well as the AES. She holds several patents and has authored numerous publications in the field, as well as the acclaimed textbook Introduction to Digital Audio Coding and Standards (Kluwer/Springer December 2002). Additionally, Bosi has authored or co-authored over a dozen published AES research papers on perceptual audio coding and related topics, available in the AES E-Library. Dr. Bosi is also a Past-President of the Audio Engineering Society and a senior member of IEEE, and was part of the research team at Dolby Laboratories that developed the AC-2A and AC-3 (Dolby Digital) technologies, where, in addition, she also led the MPEG-2 Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) development. She was Vice President – Technology, Standards, and Strategies at DTS, and later Chief Technology Officer of MPEG LA, an industry leader in the use of patent pools to create a “one-stop shop” for licensing the essential patents required of multimedia technologies, and was a founding Director (together with Leonardo Chiariglione, MPEG Chair), and also the Treasurer, of the Digital Media Project, a non-profit organization created to promote successful development, deployment, and use of Digital Media.

Dr. Bosi has been recognized for her work with such honors as the AES Fellowship Award for her contributions to audio and video standards development and two AES Board of Governors Awards for chairing the 97th AES Convention and again for chairing the first international conference on high quality audio coding.

Make plans to join the AES in Milan for these and other exclusive events, and follow the AES online at aeseurope.com for the latest details about the technical program, exhibitors, registration, housing and more.

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The Journal of the Audio Engineering Society January/February edition is now online - features include "Automotive Audio Drive Forwards" and Call for Contributions for the upcoming AES Milan Convention. Also check out AES Section Reports, Book Reviews, and other news you need to know regarding the AES! http://www.aes.org/journal/ 

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 — This May’s 144th International Audio Engineering Society Convention to cover the full spectrum of professional audio topics including 3D Audio, Sound Reinforcement, Sound for Cinema, Sound for VR, Multichannel Audio, Recording and Production and Room Acoustics —

The Audio Engineering Society has announced the distinguished membership of the organizing committee for the 144th International AES Convention and Exposition, taking place in Milan, Italy, May 23–26 at the NH Hotel Milano Congress Centre. Embracing this year’s theme – “The Power of Sound” – the convention will be co-chaired by Alberto Pinto (Professor – CESMA, NUCT University, Stanford University) and Nadja Wallaszkovits (Chief Audio Engineer – Phonogrammarchiv, Austrian Academy of Sciences and AES President-Elect), who have assembled a team of leading audio professionals to organize the events and presentations for Europe’s largest professional audio education, networking and gear exhibition of the year.

“Throughout their 70-year history,” says Wallaskovits, “AES conventions have gathered the foremost minds in audio to educate and connect with attendees. AES Milan 2018 will carry on that tradition in Northern Italy – not only a wonderful locale, but also home to numerous prominent professional audio manufacturers.”

The all-volunteer committee is representative of the caliber of participants in the convention. The committee members are Workshop Co-chairs Natanya Ford (Senior Lecturer – The University of the West of England; AES Fellow) and Magdalena Piotrowska (Manager and Sound Engineer – Hear Candy Mastering; Post-doc – Gdansk University of Technnology), Papers Co-chairs Ville Pulkki (Tenure-track Assistant Professor – Aalto University; AES Fellow) and Sascha Spors (Professor – University of Rostock), Facilities Co-Chairs Marcello Mannini (Sound Engineer, Skeldon Società Cooperativa) and Layan Thornton (Senior Member – AES European Convention TPVR Team) and, as Advisor, Umberto Zanghieri (R&D Manager – Z Division, RCF). “This outstanding committee is developing four full days of content that will educate and enlighten convention attendees,” states Pinto. “For audio professionals looking to advance their knowledge and skills, for students and all others interested in the audio sciences and arts, AES Milan is an essential event.”

“AES Milan is offering Workshops and Tutorials from across the broad range of audio engineering specialties,” elaborates Piotrowska. Sessions will include 3D Audio, Sound Reinforcement, Sound for Cinema, Sound for VR, Multichannel Audio, Recording and Production and Room Acoustics. “Convention attendees can share and expand their audio knowledge from the fundamentals through to the latest technologies,” she furthers. “New media – AR and VR, game sound, immersive audio, mobile platforms – will be the focus of numerous sessions and panels, including the experience of 3D audio through a high-order ambisonics system with dance and electronica musical playback, among other genres – as well as the presentation of spatial audio production techniques used such as B-format processing and spatial microphone capture. The AES Milan technical program will cover the application of technology – such as live sound system optimization and mixing – as well as present panels and presentations focusing on the latest in topics such as audio processing and portable streaming audio.” 

A mainstay of AES Conventions are Paper and Poster sessions, presenting the results of scholarly and commercial research covering all aspects of audio technology and including human perception of sound. Pulkki and Spors are heading the team of peer reviewers busy vetting the bountiful submissions for AES Milan 2018.

Students are also a major part of all AES Conventions. AES Milan is no exception, with student-oriented educational sessions and events that include student recording and design competitions, mentoring and a career and school fair.

The four-day technical program at AES Milan will run May 23 through 26, with the exposition taking place May 24 through 26. The technical program sessions include over 160 research paper presentations, covering the latest in audio research, technologies and techniques aimed at educating audio professionals and students, alike, while exemplifying the Convention theme: “The Power of Sound.” 

The companion exposition will showcase leading manufacturers with the latest gear on-hand for demonstration and evaluation, along with educational presentations and panels taking place on the show floor. The expo will also feature dedicated demo rooms and other unique listening experiences, complementing the full schedule of special events and social opportunities going on throughout the show. 

Make plans to join the AES in Milan and follow us online at aeseurope.com for the latest details about the technical program, exhibitors, registration, housing and more. For information on AES Milan Convention discounts, AES E-Library research archive access, special student and education events, visit aes.org.

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 The inaugural AES@NAMM Pro Sound Symposium: Live & Studio opened today, offering a full slate of unique educational programming and training sessions covering a rich and varied array of live sound- and studio production topics. The event, produced by the Audio Engineering Society in partnership with NAMM, runs through January 28, concurrent with the 2018 NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA. Bringing its 70 years of experience in professional audio education to the Symposium, the AES has gathered its leading industry experts to train attendees on practical applications of audio science and technology. Attendees also have the opportunity to explore the Main Stage area events and training room listening environments revealing some of the latest pro audio gear and technologies, while networking with industry peers and pros alike.

"On behalf of all our members, we are grateful to the AES leadership team who has created the energy and excitement of AES@NAMM,” said Joe Lamond, President and CEO of NAMM. “This educational and networking opportunity will benefit many, especially the young people coming to NAMM that truly represent the future of the industry.”

The 2018 AES@NAMM Pro Sound Symposium: Live & Studio sessions emphasize the practical, with ample content for attendees, be they a skilled professional, a beginning hobbyist, or somewhere in between. With half- and full-day passes available for purchase, attendees can home in on their specific interests while accommodating their available time. The schedule offers a range of compelling training and tutorial sessions continues, and onsite registration will remain open, through the close of the NAMM Show 2018.

"For audio professionals, networking is typically first thought of in a technical sense, but networking with people is more important than ever. From my perspective, The NAMM Show is one of the biggest networking opportunities in our industry,” commented AES@NAMM Executive Chair and ATK/Audiotek President Michael MacDonald. “The AES@NAMM Pro Sound Symposium has been designed to help AES members and non-members alike expand their ‘human network.’ Our program is formatted to merge in-person networking opportunities with hands-on training and expert tutorials about relevant topics affecting our industry today."

AES President and Director of Global Concert & Rental Business for Bose, David Scheirman added, "With the professional audio industry growing and changing rapidly, it makes sense for our Society's in-person gatherings to evolve as well. Considering the advances taking place in the technologies and tools we use as audio professionals, nothing can replace direct, in-person exposure. This event has been designed to provide a sampler of knowledge and hands-on training along the entire signal path, from microphone to speaker. We're grateful to see the enthusiastic response and solid support from across the audio equipment manufacturing industry for this inaugural event."

AES@NAMM Pro Sound Symposium: Live & Studio 2018 Supporters include Apogee, Adamson, Allen & Heath, Alteros, Bose Professional, DAD (Digital Audio Denmark), dB Technologies, EAW, DiGiGrid, Eventide, Focal, Genelec, Lectrosonics, Meyer Sound, QSC, Sennheiser, Ultimate Ears, Waves and Yamaha. For complete event information and detailed schedule of programs and presentations for the 2018 AES@NAMM Pro Sound Symposium: Live & Studio, visit aesatnamm.com.

— AES Executive Director Bob Moses hands over the reins; Financial Planning Officer Bill Foster appointed as Interim Executive Director —

After six-and-a-half years of service as the Audio Engineering Society’s Executive Director, Bob Moses has elected to leave his position, effective July 1, 2018. “I’m proud of the work we’ve done,” said Moses. “Re-engineering the AES to make it more valuable to the Society’s membership, convention attendees, exhibitors, and our industry, has been our priority and focus. Event numbers are up, membership value is up, innovation is up, and the industry’s enthusiasm about AES is up. From my engineer’s perspective, the blueprint has been released to production and this engineer is ready for his next project. I’m ready to pass the baton to a new Executive Director and support them as they take the AES forward into its eighth decade.”

Moses assumed the position of Executive Director in 2012 after having served on the AES Board of Governors continuously since 1999, including a term as AES President. Upon assuming the title of Executive Director, his stated goals were to enhance AES service to its key stakeholders, bringing the Society more effectively into the information age, with a focus on the membership’s online experience and enhancing value to manufacturers, service providers and content creators. 

“We’ve made great strides in making the Society’s tremendous resources more available,” said Moses. “AES has the greatest repository of audio knowledge available, the AES E-Library, which is now a core membership benefit. As individuals increasingly interact with content online, we created the AES Live: Video series, and leveraged social media to engage the next generation of audio professionals. AES Conventions have been revitalized and are now more relevant to a broader spectrum of attendees and exhibitors. I’m extremely grateful to the AES staff and volunteers who have fought with me in the trenches to achieve these goals and more, sometimes under very difficult circumstances, but always with a shared passion.”

“The AES has been the backbone of my career,” Moses concluded, “providing a forum for me to promote my inventions and receive feedback, build my teams, and to learn. It’s a community that I’m proud to be a part of. I want everyone to have that same kind of experience. Continuing to participate and contribute as a Member and volunteer will be an important part of my future.”

AES President David Scheirman emphasizes, “The entire AES leadership team expresses its gratitude to Bob Moses for his dedicated service to the Society, and we believe our global membership shares those feelings. The Board of Governors and our headquarters staff look forward to building on his work and wish him well as he engineers the next phase of his personal career.” 

AES and industry veteran Bill Foster, an AES member for 30-plus years who has served as an officer and Chair in the AES’s British Section as a regional AES Vice President and a past member of the Board, and who is currently the Society’s Financial Planning Officer, will serve as the interim Executive Director of the Society, with Moses working on a project basis through summer’s end. “Given his intimate knowledge of the AES’s finances and operations,” said Scheirman, “the Society is fortunate to have in Bill Foster someone uniquely qualified to manage the Society’s business for the interim. We look forward to continued progress while we carefully and deliberately select the next Executive Director for the Audio Engineering Society.”

The AES will soon announce details of its recruitment search for a new permanent Executive Director.

About the Audio Engineering Society

The Audio Engineering Society, celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2018, now counts over 12,000 members throughout the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Japan and the Far East. The organization serves as the pivotal force in the exchange and dissemination of technical information for the industry. Currently, its members are affiliated with 90 AES professional sections and more than 120 AES student sections around the world. Section activities include guest speakers, technical tours, demonstrations and social functions. Through local AES section events, members experience valuable opportunities for professional networking and personal growth. For additional information visit aes.org.

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