AES News

• Give an Engineering Brief @ AES 143!

• Presenting and publishing your work is easier than you might think

There’s an easy way to put your applied audio engineering project in front of hundreds of colleagues from around the world during the 143rd Convention. Engineering Briefs (eBriefs) enable you to offer a short talk or poster presentation - casual, one-on-one or small group presentation of your work on a wide range of topics such as studio experience, equipment construction, new loudspeaker concepts, room acoustic measurements, analysis of audio equipment, and project studio startups, to name just a few.  

The New York Convention committee is eager to hear about your Engineering Brief ideas – act now to engage in an opportunity to:

- Reach an engaged and focused audience

– Share your work

– Educate and illuminate both peers and professionals

AES eBrief presentations are particularly suitable for practitioners and those doing applied work in studios, who might want to talk about a recent project or an area of operational practice. You don’t have to be an academic researcher, and you won’t need lots of references or scientific data. You’ll need to submit a proposal to www.aes.org/143rd_authors, in the form of a very short synopsis by August 9, and if it’s accepted you’ll need to submit a short article of up to 4 pages by September 6. Relaxed reviewing of submissions will consider mainly whether your eBrief is of interest to AES members and is not overly commercial. eBriefs will be available to all AES members for free download. If your proposal is accepted after review, you’ll be offered either a presentation slot or a poster opportunity. Note that presenters of eBriefs and Poster sessions must register for the full Technical Program of the convention in order to present their work.

Submit Engineering Briefs proposals at www.aes.org/143rd_authors

 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

2017 January/February, Vol 65 No. 1/2

I have several fond memories of my first AES convention, but one looms large. Let’s not bother with calculating how long ago it was.

Today—if you are working entirely in the box—double-clicking opens your session exactly as it was when you last worked on it. Not so, in the analog days of my first convention. Mixes could be recreated exactly as they were, but it was a labor of love. Assistant engineers would carefully document the position of every knob, switch, slider, and thing-a-ma-gig on the console, and on every piece of outboard gear used. The paper-based notes could then be used to recall that mix at a later date—two hours of work, not two clicks of a mouse.

At this particular AES convention, SSL was showing off Total Recall. Their innovation allowed software storage of the position of the analog controls on the console. With faders, EQ, compressors, expanders, aux sends, and more, each individual I/O strip had more than 100 controls demanding careful notation. 108, if memory serves. Total Recall saved the assistant considerable time as those consoles regularly had 64 or more such modules demanding documentation.

So how was Total Recall introduced to the attendees of the AES convention at the Javits Center that October? By recalling a mix naturally. Right there, on the floor, was an SSL 4000G with Total Recall, producer and engineer Tom Lord-Alge, with the multitrack playing Steve Winwood’s “Roll With It,” a song very much in rotation on the radio at the time. To this new student of audio, it was rather sensational. I’d not yet seen how elaborate the processing could be on a pop mix, but here was a studio’s worth of gear in action, meters dancing. I’d never worked with an engineer at that level, and here was Tom Lord-Alge happily chatting with the AES crowd he drew. On the AES convention floor, we were listening to a master multitrack tape, mixed before our very eyes. And there it was: the same mix that was on the radio, conjured before our very ears.

Thanks to AES, this story was only the beginning. My first AES Convention gave me a view of the top—invaluable for anyone interested in a career in music recording and mixing.

Within the year, I would start my first internship at a studio in Boston with an SSL (and Total Recall, thank goodness). The internship became a full-time job. I got to learn from the extraordinarily talented and generous engineers who worked there. And in about five years, I would be working at a studio in New York—SSL again—and I would have the pleasure of assisting Tom Lord-Alge. I’ve never stopped learning from him and other luminaries, on these and other consoles.

That is but one thread of many that defines my particular career. Local AES section meetings and future conventions would also help guide me on my way. There is very little I do professionally today that I can’t attribute to a personal connection, or educational experience, or moment of inspiration at an AES event.

For many, AES is synonymous with the AES international conventions—“I’m going to AES.” That is indeed a big part of what AES is. Look for it to grow, as we co-locate our convention this fall with the East Coast show of the National Association of Broadcasters. Audio meets, merges with, and adds value to all forms of broadcast media everyday. Our next convention embraces that: attend and your professional networking instantly grows to include that.

Of course, there is much more to AES than conventions, and we are working to increase and diversify your ways of interacting with the Society. There are more than 200 local professional and student sections, many of which run meetings monthly, covering every facet of audio science and practice. Sharply focused, topic-centered AES conferences occur several times a year, all over the world. The rich archives of the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, from the current issue to the very first, are available to all members through our Electronic Library. We’re investing in getting more multimedia resources online at aes.org in the form of podcasts and the AES Live set of videos recorded at conventions, conferences and other AES meetings. Keep coming to the conventions, of course. But look locally and online for ever-increasing value for your membership.

From wide-eyed student to, well, your AES president, I’ve relied on the AES all along the way. If you are new to AES, I hope you have already experienced memorable and career-defining moments. If you are a bit more vintage, I bet, like me, you have a First AES Convention memory or two. I’d love to hear them.

Alex Case
President

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 Following 2016’s two highly-successful AES Conventions in Paris and Los Angeles, the Audio Engineering Society is pleased to announce the distinguished membership of the committee charged with organizing the upcoming AES Berlin Convention, set to take place May 20 to 23, 2017, at the Maritim Hotel Berlin in Berlin, Germany. The Convention, being co-chaired by Sascha Spors (Professor at the University of Rostock and Chair, AES North German Section) and Nadja Wallaszkovits (Chief Audio Engineer, Phonogrammarchiv, Austrian Academy of Sciences and formerly AES VP, Central Europe Region), will once again be the largest European pro audio event and exhibition of the year, drawing professionals and students from around the world.

Offering four full days of in-depth programs and presentations, technical tours, and a three-day manufacturer exhibition of the top brands and services in pro audio, the AES Berlin Convention is being headed up by an international committee of individuals dedicated to providing a unique and informative program for all attendees. The committee reports that paper submissions are up 50 percent higher than typical. Multichannel, spatial and immersive audio will all be well represented in the technical program, as will acoustics, psychoacoustics, audio quality and perception, to name just a few topics that will be addressed during this industry-spanning event.

Berlin captivated attendees of the 135th AES International Convention in Berlin in 2014, making a repeat visit an attractive proposition. The 2017 AES Berlin Technical Tour Schedule illustrates the breadth of the importance of Berlin to the audio industry, as well as its cultural allure. The Tech Tours program will include several renowned Berlin recording studios, tours of market-leading Berlin-based audio manufacturers, broadcast and film sound production facilities and the Museum für Kommunikation (Museum of Communications).

“A full convention program could be built around just the combined knowledge of the committee for AES Berlin,” says Bob Moses, AES Executive Director. “When these accomplished individuals reach out to their colleagues, to the entire AES membership and beyond, the result is an amazingly multi-faceted and quality program. If you are serious about audio, you’ll join us in Berlin.”

Papers co-chairs for the 142nd convention are Jamie Angus (AES Fellow, University of Salford) and Thomas Sporer (Fraunhofer, AES VP, Central Europe Region), while Workshops will be overseen by co-chairs Sascha Disch (Fraunhofer) and Natanya Ford (AES Fellow, Buckinghamshire University). Jens Aherns (University of Technology Berlin) will serve as Facilities Co-Chair, and André Maletz (Mixing Ambulance) will Co-Chair the Technical Tours. Additional committee members will be announced soon.

Look for AES Berlin updates and registration information to come at aeseurope.com

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— Europe’s preeminent professional audio education and networking event will showcase a “A World of Audio” with exclusive content and events —

The Audio Engineering Society has opened registration for the upcoming AES Vienna 148th International Professional Audio Convention, taking place at the Austria Center, May 25 – 28. Online Advance Registration is open for the largest, dedicated European pro audio event of the year, which will bring together industry professionals, educators, students and more to celebrate “A World of Audio.” One-, two- and four-day All Access badges are available, as well as Exhibits-Plus badges, which offer admission to not only explore the exhibition floor but also to the special events line-up of experiences. Exhibits-Plus registration is complimentary for all AES members through May 15, with deep discounts on the upgrade to All Access registration for everything the Convention has to offer.

AES Vienna attendees will experience stellar, leading-edge recordings – including VR productions from the Abbey Road Spatial Audio Forum and examples of immersive music and game audio – presented with production insights from the engineers who brought the projects to life. Genre-shaping legacy productions will be examined, such as the music of Bruce Springsteen. Core audio topics and the technology of today and tomorrow will be explored, including audio for new distribution platforms like Magic Leap. Regardless of their level of expertise, AES Vienna will let audio professionals build their skills and enhance their careers across the full gamut of audio specialties – recording and production, acoustics and psychoacoustics, sound reinforcement, archiving and preservation, networked audio, product development and audio education, along with student and career development sessions. 

The 2020 AES Europe Convention is co-chaired by Piotr Majdak of the Acoustics Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and Nadja Wallaszkovits, AES Past President and Chief Audio Engineer at the Academy’s Phonogrammarchiv. AES Vienna committee members include Facilities Co-Chairs Thomas Gmeiner and Michael Mihocic; Papers Co-chairs Thomas Sporer and Areti Andreopoulou; Workshops and Tutorials Co-chairs Mattias Frank, Daniel Deboy, and Ana Monte; Technical Tours Co-chairs Michael Iber and Andreas Büchele; Student Volunteers Coordinator Katharina Pollack; and Education Chair Magdalena Piotrowska.  

Visit aeseurope.com to find out more and register now. 

Visit one of the premier resources for various terms commonly used by engineers in the pro audio field - an entertaining and informative reference for the industry:

http://www.aes.org/par/

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AES Membership is the best way to stay involved and grow as an audio professional, while also helping to promote best audio practices, standards, and audio quality. Share the benefits and status of AES membership, full access to the AES E-Library and more with your friends and colleagues, and, when they join the AES community, you’ll get rewarded. With the new AES “Refer-a-Friend” program, members can now build discount credits towards any purchase from the aes.org website, including membership renewals, AES Convention and Conference registrations, AES swag and publications. Get the details on how to “Find Five Friends – Renew For Free” at aes.org/membership/referrals/. 

There’s never been a better time to be a part of the Audio Engineering Society, with new Member Benefits such as full access to exclusive AES E-Library content – including proceedings from the recent AES Los Angeles Convention and the sold-out Audio for Virtual and Augmented Reality Conference – a benefit shared by all Members. AES partner discounts and exclusive AES services such as “Find an Audio Engineer,” AES member profile listings and much more are available both online and at dozens of events held worldwide every year. 

Refer a Friend, Reap Rewards, and become part of the 12,000-plus worldwide members who represent the Audio Engineering Society. Find out more at aes.org/membership/referrals/.

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Complete research paper downloads from the 141st AES International Convention in Los Angeles are now posted in the AES E-Library – available to all all AES Members as part of their full E-Library access member benefit. Check out many of the great topics presented at the AES Los Angeles Convention at http://www.aes.org/e-lib/

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The Audio Engineering Society (AES) East Coast convention in 2017 will be co-located with NAB Show New York at the Javits Convention Center in New York City, event organizers announced today. The AES annual fall USA Convention will be held October 18-21, 2017 and NAB Show New York will be held October 18-19, 2017. The adjacent location of these events creates the most comprehensive and largest media and entertainment event held on the East Coast with over 600 exhibitors. 

“Audio is the expertise of the AES, and NAB Show New York highlights expertise in video and content distribution. For today’s media professionals, it makes perfect sense for these two events to take place side-by-side, complementing each other’s missions, benefiting each other’s memberships and increasing the opportunities for all attendees,” said Bob Moses, Executive Director, Audio Engineering Society.

NAB Show New York showcases the best in next-generation technology for media, entertainment and telecom professionals, with conferences and workshops focused on television, film, satellite, online video, live events, corporate A/V, production and post. In 2015, the event hosted more than 7,200 attendees and 300 exhibitors. Traditionally held in early November, NAB Show New York is moving to October in 2017.

The Audio Engineering Society is a member organization of audio professionals and students with more than 12,000 members from across the globe. The society’s annual conventions are the largest gatherings of audio professionals in the world and include workshops, tutorials and technical papers. The 2015 AES Convention in New York had nearly 18,500 registrants and 300 audio-centric exhibitors.

“The co-location of NAB Show New York with the AES New York convention will create a powerful, exciting and more comprehensive fall opportunity for media professionals,” said NAB Executive Vice President of Conventions and Business Operations Chris Brown. “Given the co-dependence of audio and video, we see this as absolutely the right thing to better serve the industry overall. We expect it to drive an enhanced experience for all involved.”

There’s never been a better time to join the Audio Engineering Society, with new Member Benefits including full access to the AES E-Library, exclusive discounts and services, and the status of membership in the world’s premier professional audio organization. Join or Renew membership with the AES before now to gain instant access to the world’s largest collective of audio industry resources, as well as significant savings on attending the upcoming AES Los Angeles Convention, taking place Thursday, September 29 – Sunday, October 2, 2016, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

As the driving force behind many groundbreaking audio innovations over the past six decades, the Audio Engineering Society remains at the forefront of science and practice across the full range of professional audio disciplines. From the pioneering days of pro audio in the 1950’s, to present developments in networked and spatial audio, virtual and augmented reality, streaming, signal processing, and the latest recording and production technologies and techniques, the AES offers an incredible legacy of information in its E-Library. This online, searchable repository contains every paper, AES Standard, and Electronic Brief ever published, and is free to all membership types – Members, Associate Members and Student Members. Combined with deep discounts on AES events, access to the growing library of streaming videos featuring industry leaders on a variety of topics, eligibility for AES awards, and full participation in the global community of audio professionals, AES Membership is a no-nonsense way to invest in yourself and the industry like never before. 

To join or renew an Audio Engineering Society membership, visit http://www.aes.org/join/.

Members also receive the greatest savings on attending the upcoming AES Los Angeles Convention – Visit aesshow.com now to register now.

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