TUTORIAL SEMINARS
Version G.3, 2003-10-03
Friday, October 10
9:00 am – 11:30 amTS-1 MICROPHONE TECHNIQUES FOR STEREO AND SURROUND
Chair:
Geoff Martin, Bang & Olufsen A/S, Denmark
Panelist:
Frank Filipetti, Independent Engineer
Koru Itobayashi, NHK, Japan
Richard King, Sony Music, USA
Summary:
This seminar is hosted by leading industry professionals from the areas of classical and film music, as well as radio drama. Issues to be discussed include the characteristics of various microphone configurations, managing stereo and multichannel recordings at the same session, and upwards-and-downwards compatibility considerations.
This session will be of benefit to audio engineers of all backgrounds, including students.
1:00 pm – 3:30 pm
TS-2 THE BASICS OF DIGITAL AUDIO: A SEMINAR WITH DEMONSTRATIONS
Presenters:
Stanley P. Lipschitz, John Vanderkooy, University of Waterloo, Canada
Summary:
This is an introductory-level seminar aiming to explain and demonstrate with "live" examples the two fundamental aspects of any digital audio system - sampling and quantization. These two operations will be discussed and illustrated in real-time using a custom-built sampler and quantizer. This will enable us to present some of the pathologies of such systems, which should not normally be audible, and also show that, when properly implemented, a digital system has analog characteristics. This will make the presentation interesting to newcomers and "old pros" alike.
Topics to be covered will include:
- sampling only (without quantization)
- sampling artifacts (aliases & images)
- reconstruction
- quantization only (without sampling)
- quantization errors
- dither
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
TS-3 POWERED LOUDSPEAKERS
Chair: John Meyer, Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc., Berkeley, CA, USA
Panelists:
Pablo Espinosa, Meyer Sound, Berkeley, CA
Illpo Martikainen, Genelec, Finland
Bob McCarthy, Independent Consultant, St. Louis, MO
Bill Platt, Bill Platt Design Group, Pasadena, CA.
Summary:
The use of self-amplified loudspeakers has dominated the designs of studio monitors. More recently a large number of both small and large format powered loudspeakers have been designed to serve live reinforcement applications. These speakers vary from inexpensive plastic boxes to high tech, systems with networkable DSP on-board.
This seminar will explore the advantages and design and use implications of self-powered loudspeakers.
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
TS-4 GROUNDING AND SHIELDING
Chair: Bill Whitlock, Jensen Transformers, Van Nuys, CA, USA
Panelists:
Neil Muncy, Neil Muncy Associates, Toronto, Canada
Jim Brown, Audio Systems Group, Inc., Chicago, IL
John Woodgate, J.M. Woodgate and Associates, Essex, England
Summary:
Grounding and shielding techniques, at both the equipment and system level, have profound effects on immunity to interference. High-performance professional audio systems routinely encounter interference ranging in frequency from 50/60 Hz utility-power up to several GHz. A tutorial overview will explain basic interference coupling mechanisms as well as widely used grounding and shielding strategies. Expert panelists will discuss tradeoffs involved in these strategies, results of various equipment and cable tests, and recommendations for equipment and system designers. A question and answer session will follow.
Saturday, October 11
9:00 am – 11:30 am
TS-5 SURROUND SOUND MIXING - TIPS AND TECHNIQUES, A WORK IN PROGRESS
Chair:
Randy Ezratty, Effanel Music, Inc., New York City, NY, USA
Panelists:
Bob Clearmountain
Frank Filipetti
Kevin Killen, Independent Engineer
Bob Ludwig, Gateway Mastering & DVD, Portland, ME, USA
Ronald Prent
Elliot Scheiner, Independent Engineer/Producer
Summary:
Mixing for surround, both in the studio and for live broadcast, presents many challenges and creative opportunities.
This seminar addresses the surround mixing process- technically and philosophically. Topics to be addressed include: The overall soundscape, the role of the sub-woofer, surround panning, effects in surround, and the unique requirements for broadcast.
11:30 am – 1:30 pm
TS-6 ALL ABOUT: A/D CONVERTERS
Chair:
Dan Lavry, Lavry Engineering, Seattle, WA, USA
Panelists:
Robert Adams, Analog Devices
Richard Cabot, XFRM Inc
David Smith, Sony Music Studios, NYC, USA
Summary:
This tutorial workshop will review the key issues regarding the design and use of A/D converters. Almost no other type of gear garners more discussion and impassioned loyalty than these devices. Topics to be addressed: What gives an A/D converter its sound? How does converter architecture, clocks, jitter and bits impact sound? What are the issues beyond the generic specification sheet?
Core Issues
Architecture tradeoffs:
- Classical PCM or Sigma Delta? Advantages and disadvantages.
- The middle of the road Multi-bit sigma delta.
- Jitter is very important. More bits require less jitter.
- Jitter in PCM vs. Jitter in Sigma delta
- Do not confuse conversion jitter with data transfer jitter
- Internal clock, word clock, AES, SuperMac, Firewire
- Bits for conversion and bits for signal processing are not the same thing
- Real bits vs Marketing bits the 6dB per bit reality check.
- Dither, Noise Shaping, noise floor, Analog noise, Digital Noise
- CD needs dither and noise shaping but 24 bit DVD does not.
- Oversampling, advantages and disadvantages. Achieving a good compromise.
- Higher sample rate hardware related advantages and disadvantages (from relaxed filter requirements to increased demand for processing power)
- Types of distortions (Integral Linearity - large signal, Differential Linearity - small signal), Harmonic vs. non-Harmonic, Transient response.
- Running too hot and recovery from analog overdrive.
- That generic 1 kHz test tone does not tell the story
- Other tests and issues.
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
TS-7 ALL ABOUT: COMPRESSORS
Moderator:
Ed Simeon, TC Electronic
Panelists:
Frank Fillipetti, Independent Producer/Engineer
Another panelist TBA
Summary:
Compressors are commonly used in all aspects of the audio signal chain, in live performances, broadcast and in the studio.
This seminar is designed to explain how compressors work, where and how they can best be used, as well as discussing recent developments in compressor design, including the role of side chain analysis and multi-band compressors.
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
TS-8 ALL ABOUT: MICROPHONE PREAMPLIFIERS
Chair:
John La Grou, Millennia, Placerville, CA, USA
Panelists:
Eric Blackmer, Earthworks
Geoff Daking, Geoffrey Daking & Co.
Lynn Fuston, 3D audio
Dan Richards, The Listening Sessions
Summary:
Microphone preamplifiers have become a critical component in both the live and recording worlds. Few audio products have a wider cost spread with such similar specifications.
This seminar addresses key issues in microphone preamplifier design, selection, and use. A few of the issues to be reviewed are: The use of transformers, self-noise, impedance, distortion and perceived sonic differences. Plenty of Q/A time will be available.
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
TS-9 ALL ABOUT: EQUALIZERS
Presenters:
Dennis Bohn, Rane Corp., Mukilteo, WA, USA
Bruce Jackson
Don Pearson, Ultra Sound-Pro Media, San Rafael, CA, USA
Summary:
Equalizers are perhaps the most commonly used tools in recording, broadcast and live audio.
This seminar will review the key issues of: design, configuration, digital vs. analog, parametric & graphic and real-world use of equalizers.
Sunday, October 12
9:00 am – 11:00 amTS-10 AUDIO NETWORKS
Chair:
Deb Britton, Peak Audio, Broomfield, CO, USA
Panelists:
Michael Dosch, Telos Systems, Cleveland, OH, USA
John Grant, Nine Tiles Networks, Ltd., Cambridge, UK
Kevin P. Gross, Peak Audio, Broomfield, CO, USA
Richard Northwood, COMS, Surrey, UK
Summary:
The ability to move digital audio from one place to another via networks has taken several forms. Audio Networks now connect the live mixing consoles with the stage, inter-connect studios, distribute audio and control signals around large facilities and move audio across the Internet. Being part of the computer revolution, this technology is always in flux.
This seminar is designed to explore how this technology works and where it is headed
11:00 am – 12:30 pm
TS-11 SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION
Moderator:
Don Pearson, Ultra/Sound Pro Media
Panelists:
Dave Denison, Decibel Dave Productions
Ted Leamy, JBL Professional
Steve Sockey, SIA Acoustics
Summary:
Most sound systems are not well optimized. While this is commonly regarded as true, just what is an optimized system? System optimization involves setting up a system to make sure that a system has ‘optimum’ interaction with both itself and its acoustical environment. In recent years a number of new tools have become available for helping engineers optimize system performance.
This workshop will review the concept of system optimization and what areas of a system can be optimized once installed and which require alteration of the system or acoustical environment.
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
TS-12 ALL ABOUT: FIREWIRE AND USB
Chair: Michael Goodman, Centrance Inc, Morton Grove, IL
Panelists:
Klaus Buchheim, BridgeCo.
Matthew Mora, Apple Computers, USA
Summary:
Firewire and USB connections are two of the most commonly used ways to connect audio interfaces and storage devices to a computer. USB has recently been upgraded to 2.0 while Firewire has become increasingly common on all types of personal computers.
This seminar will review the capabilities, limitations and advances of these two standards
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
TS-13 ALL ABOUT: PERSONAL STAGE MONITORING
Chair:
Marty Garcia, Future Sonics, Pineville, PA, USA
Panelist:
Daniel East, Size 13
Larry Zinn, Monitor Engineer - David Letterman Show
Summary:
Personal stage monitoring has become a staple of both broadcast and live sound.
This seminar will review the key issues in how the performance of personal stage monitors is defined and how these units can best be used.
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
TS-14 RIGGING FOR DUMMIES
Summary:
Hanging equipment above performers and audiences is extremely commonplace. However, most audio engineers are not familiar with the basic principles of safe rigging.
This seminar will introduce these principles, and review safety practices.
Monday, October 13
9:00 am – 10:30 amTS-15 ALL ABOUT: TIME DOMAIN MEASUREMENTS
Moderator:
Sam Berkow, SIA Acoustics/WSDG, New York City, NY, USA
Panelist:
Perin Meyer, Meyer Sound Labs
Summary:
Most audio measurements are made in the frequency domain. However in many cases, making time domain measurements can be very informative in ways that frequency domain measurements are not. Time domain measurements can be critical in applications ranging from loudspeaker alignment to measurements of room acoustics.
This seminar will focus on the value of time domain measurements.
10:30 am – 12:30 pm
TS-16 WORKING WITH MICROPHONES – A practical review
Presenter: Ron Streicher - Pacific AV Enterprises, Pasadena, CA, USA
Abstract:
The focus of this seminar will be a hands-on demonstration of many of the practical aspects of using microphones: mounting hardware, shock isolation, pop screens, cables, powering systems, etc. Techniques for rigging or "flying" microphones and arrays also will be presented.
What will not be discussed is how or where to put a microphone for the best pickup of [insert your favorite instrument here.] That is an entirely different tutorial session. However, once you've chosen the microphone and its location, if you want to know how to get the microphone into that position most effectively and obtain optimum performance -- free from intrusive mechanical noises, wind pops or blasts, -- this seminar is for you.
1:30 pm – 6:00 pm
TS-17 LISTENING TESTS IN PRACTICE
Chair:
Nick Zacharov, Nokia Research Center, Audio-Visual Systems Laboratory, Tampere, Finland
Panelists:
Søren Bech, Bang and Olufsen a/s, Struer, Denmark
Durand Begault, NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA, USA
William L. Martens, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Sean Olive, Harman International Industries, Inc., Martinsville, IN, USA
Gilbert Soulodre, Communications Research Centre, Ottowa, Ontario, Canada
Thomas Sporer, Fraunhofer IIS/AEMT, Ilmenau, Germany
Summary:
This workshop presents a short but effective guide to preparing, performing and analyzing data for listening tests. The first part of the workshop will provide a general overview of experimental design methods that are generically applicable to all types of listening tests. The second part of the workshop will specifically consider three main types of listening test categories, providing examples of how they are correctly performed / analyzed and what is their scope of applicability
