SPECIAL EVENTS

Friday, September 22, 11:00 am
Opening Ceremonies and Awards Presentations
Each year the AES acknowledges the work of the individuals whose outstanding contributions to the Society in the areas of research, scholarship and publication enhance our industry. The 109th Convention Opening Ceremonies included the AES Awards Presentation, a keynote address by Grammy� winning modern music pioneer, Herbie Hancock and a performance by the Airmen of Note, the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force. The Airmen of Note celeberated its 50th anniversary of carrying on the tradition of Glenn Miller's Army Air Corps dance band and is one of today's few touring big bands.
Keynote Address: The 109th AES Convention welcomed legendary jazz musician and composer Herbie Hancock. The Grammy� and Oscar� award-winning jazz icon recorded his first solo album, Takin' Off, and Top 10 hit, "Watermelon Man" in 1963 for Blue Note Records. Over the next several years, he worked with a number of visionary artists including the legendary Miles Davis. His innovative 1973 Headhunters album pioneered a sound that would be coined 'fusion' — a melting pot of funk and rock with jazz — and marked the first time he recorded with a synthesizer. This platinum recording became the largest-selling jazz album in history. In 1983, Hancock released Future Shock, a pioneer electronic piece featuring the Grammy-winning single, "Rockit." Hancock accepted his seventh Grammy in 1998 for "Gershwin's World."

Platinum Record Artists and Producers Series
This series featured an exploration of the relationship between the artist and producer with panels including Dave Alvin and Al Schmitt, and American and British platinum producers who discussed their various techniques and shared anecdotes on the making of some of their chart-topping hits.
Friday, September 22, 12:30 pm
Beyond the Board: Mysteries of the Artist-Producer Relationship
Moderator: Robert L. Doerschuk, Harmony Central, Palo Alto, CA, USA
There is more to recording than gear or, even, talent. The final ingredient involves building trust and a creative rhythm between the artist and the producer. We explored this topic with Blasters co-founder, solo artist, and producer Dave Alvin, along with one of the many associates who have worked with him on landmark projects.
Saturday, September 23, 12:30 pm
Platinum Producers Panel
Moderator: Paul Verna, Independent Producer/Engineer and Pro Audio Journalist, New York, NY, USA
Panelists: Al Schmitt (honoree), Ed Cherney, Tommy LiPuma, George Massenburg, Phil Ramone, Elliott Scheiner
Focusing on the career of Al Schmitt, renowned producer/engineer whose credits include music icons Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra and Steely Dan, this panel discussed the technical and musical challenges of producing platinum projects. A special guest appearance by one of Mr. Schmitt's platinum artists was also featured.
Sunday, September 24, 12:30 pm
Behind the Glass: Platinum Producers
Moderator: Howard Massey, EQ Magazine and Surround Professional Magazine, Port Washington, NY, USA
Panelists: Jack Douglas, Geoff Emerick, Eddie Kramer, George Massenburg, Alan Parsons
How do you make a hit record? "Behind The Glass: Platinum Producers" presented an all-star cast of top American and British producers who compared and contrasted their working techniques and provided real-world anecdotes about the chart-topping hits they crafted on both sides of the Atlantic.
Friday, September 22, 2:30 pm
Mixing 5.1 Surround Live
Chair: Ron Streicher, Pacific Audio-Visual Enterprises, Monrovia, CA, USA
Multichannel and surround sound have been a part of the audio industry's vocabulary for several decades, primarily as accompaniment to the visual entertainment media such as film and, more recently, video productions. This Special Event Workshop focused on the production of live surround sound events. A panel of industry experts discussed how they produce audio programming for live television, theater and concert events, where there is no chance to do a re-take.
Friday, September 22, 2:30 pm
AES31-3-1999 Digital Audio File Interchange Format
Chair: Mark Yonge, Solid State Logic, Begbroke, Oxford, UK
The ability to move digital audio projects easily and reliably from one computer system to another is crucial for the development of professional audio in all fields, but has previously been elusive. In December 1999, AES standard AES31-3-1999 was published to provide an open format for interchanging audio file and edit data, compatible with multiple computer platforms. At this special event, manufacturers presented AES31 interchange solutions and experts were on hand to answer questions on its implementation.
Friday, September 22, 7:30 pm
AES Wild West Party
at Autry Museum of Western Heritage
We stepped back in time to a bygone era at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage, where we enjoyed an extraordinary reception of spectacular food and cocktails in a unique Western atmosphere that celebrated both the historical and mythical Old West. In a career that spanned 60 years of the entertainment industry, "America 's Favorite Singing Cowboy," Gene Autry, was unsurpassed as an image-maker of the American West. Earning five stars on Hollywood's Walk of Fame for radio, records, film, television and live theatrical performance, Autry was part of a group of singing cowboys whose music shaped American entertainment and became a fundamental element of the American experience.
Saturday, September 23, 3:00 pm
Successful Women in Audio Panel Discussion
Chair: Cosette Collier, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
In recognition of the first Women in Audio session held 20 years ago at the AES 66thConvention in Los Angeles, and to celebrate the completion of Women in Audio: Project 2000, this panel included some of today's top women in audio who addressed the current issues that women in the industry face.
Saturday, September 23, 3:00 pm
"An Afternoon with . . . Sidney Harman"
Moderator: George Peterson, Mix Magazine, Emeryville, CA, USA
Founder of Harman-Kardon, Inc. and a pioneer of the high-fidelity industry, Dr. Sidney Harman participated in an interactive discussion with the audience, which focused on his career as an innovator of audio products.
Saturday, September 23, 6:30 pm
Multichannel Audio Over the Internet2:
The McGill to USC Demonstration
Chairs: Chris Cain, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Jeremy Cooperstock and Wieslaw Woszczyk, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; USC School of Cinema/TV
This demonstration presented the Internet transmission of multichannel music in high-resolution 24bit/96kHz PCM and MPEG AAC with video and spatialization control between McGill University in Montreal, Canada and the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Discussion focused on technical issues, challenges of latency, quality of service and a review of applications. Bus transportation to the nearby USC Campus and School of Cinema/Television was provided.
Saturday, September 23, 8:00 pm
Organ Concert featuring Graham Blyth
Continuing the tradition of presenting organ recitals during AES conventions since 1993, Graham Blyth, renowned organist and technical director of Soundcraft, performed a recital on the 98-rank Aeolian-Skinner organ at the Pasadena Presbyterian Church. During the recital, Ron Streicher conducted a student workshop on live, on-location recording techniques.
Sunday, September 24, 9:00 am
SPARS Business Panel: The Care and Feeding of Your Most Important Valuable Resource-Your Employee
Moderator: Michael Tarsia, Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, PA, USA
An elite panel of studio owners and managers discussed salary basis for studio and audio/video facilities, how to cover non-compete clauses in contracts, incentives for employees who expend extra effort to make your business successful, what to look for when hiring employees and how to keep them, and if an employee leaves, how to prevent them from taking clients.
Sunday, September 24, 3:00 pm
Grammy� Recording SoundTable at AES
The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Inc. is proud to present its 12th Annual Recording SoundTable at the AES Convention in Los Angeles. This year' s event featured the creative teams behind some of the year's most successful recordings including Smooth (Santana) and The Return of the Saturn (No Doubt). These teams provided an in-depth look at the process and techniques involved in these recording projects. The Academy's presence at AES also included a one-on-one conversation with Glyn Johns, the engineering and producing legend behind the seminal recordings of the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Eagles, Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin. Over the past decade, the Recording SoundTable has brought together panelists of the highest stature from Bruce Swedien to George Massenberg, Al Schmitt to Bob Clearmountain and Roger Nichols to Tom Lord-Alge. "This year's program will continue the high standard of professional excellence that this series has established, " said Michael Greene, president/CEO of the Recording Academy. "We are proud to have been partners with AES since the inception of this series."
Monday, September 25, 9:00 am
Hearing Protection for Music Performance and Audio Production Professionals
Co-chairs: Bob Schulein, Etymotic Research, Elk Grove Village, IL, USA and Ellen Kelly, Center for Speech and Hearing Sciences, Inc., East Brunswick, NJ, USA
It's becoming a topic of ever-increasing concern: musicians and sound engineers are at risk of hearing loss due to their exposure to high levels of live and amplified music. Loss of hearing acuity can be detrimental to a career in music or audio production. However, several methods exist that can effectively protect hearing while still allowing the professional uncompromising performance. The purpose of this Special Event Workshop was to assist music and audio production professionals in reducing sound exposure by using current technologies. The presentation familiarized the participants with changes in the auditory system resulting from excessive levels as well as the effect that hearing loss has on the ability to monitor and play music. Specific emphasis was placed on the use of various forms of hearing protection devices, the use of in-ear monitors and architectural modifications to the listening environment.
Continuous Throughout Convention
"When Vinyl Ruled" Exhibit
A special working exhibit literally opened a door into the early years of commercial stereo recording, organized by the AES Historical Committee. The pro audio scene of the early 1960s didn't have computers or DAWs, and its faders had to fly to keep pace with the agile digits of dedicated studio engineers. Vintage gear featured a portable console designed by Universal Audio's Bill Putnam for the United/Western Studios, whose remote location recording staff worked under Wally Heider, as well as an Ampex 300 three-track reel-to-reel tape recorder, and Altec 604 speakers for in-your-face monitoring. Oodles of ancillary gear completed a functioning control room environment that excited nostalgia in some and wonder in all, at how things were in the days "When Vinyl Ruled."