For Release: May 20, 2010
Top Audio Engineers & Producers Gather For AES London
Titelman, Massenburg & Lipson, Plus Engineers From Abbey Road & Metropolis To Feature In AES Seminars
London, UK, May 2010: The 128th Convention of the Audio Engineering Society is due to open its doors at the Novotel Convention Centre in Hammersmith, West London, in just a few days. As you might expect from a trade gathering taking place in one of the worldwide recording industry's great cities, this year's Convention has seen a rather higher number of producers and engineers of distinction pre-register than in some previous years. The location of the show within a two-mile radius of some of the world's finest recording and mastering studios, including the renowned British Grove and Metropolis Studios, has undoubtedly helped in this respect.
Nor will the cream of the audio industry simply be pacing the aisles at the AES Exhibition (running from May 23rd-25th), or sitting listening in the audience during the presentations of the technical sessions at the AES Conference (May 22nd-25th). Thanks to the AES's usual commitment to running an active series of presentations and seminars at the Convention and the collaboration and contribution of the APRS, the professional body representing the UK audio industry and those employed in it, many big industry names are actively presenting seminars or appearing in discussion panels at the show. Below are a few highlights.
"Having the European AES Convention in London for the first time in 23 years has definitely helped attract more industry professionals," comments Roger Furness, Executive Director of the AES. "And we're very excited about the programme of seminars and presentations which the AES and APRS have prepared this year. Whether you're interested in expert takes on producing audio for computer games or broadcast, want to know what the minds behind Metropolis and Abbey Road have to say about how forward-thinking studios are keeping afloat in today's fast-changing industry, or would just like to hear what Jon Kelly, Phil Harding or Steve Lipson have to say about the craft of the engineer/producer in Howard Massey's Behind The Glass sessions, there's something here to interest almost anybody involved in the industry."
Conference Highlights
Some of the best-known producers and engineers in the business are appearing in two 'Behind The Glass' discussion sessions, one on Sunday May 23rd, the other on Tuesday May 25th. Named after the two books about the craft of the modern record producer written by Howard Massey, the sessions will feature discussions with big names such as George Massenburg, Chuck Ainley, Jon Kelly, Steve Lipson, Russ Titelman, Andy Bradfield and Phil Harding, and will be chaired by Howard Massey himself. Discussion topics will include the role of the producer in managing a tight budget, how to get the best performances from artists in the studio, how to fit much-loved analogue technology into today's predominantly digital working methods, and how best to engage with new means of music delivery and distribution.
George Massenburg will make another appearance to chair a talk on Monday May 24th on the issue of delivering quality audio recordings in today's budget-strapped, MP3-driven world, with contributions from the head of Naim Records, Rob Kelly of AIR Lyndhurst/The Strongroom studios, and Crispin Murray of Metropolis. Management from Metropolis and the legendary Abbey Road studios will also take part in a business-orientated debate on Sunday morning on how to keep traditional recording studios alive as the market for recorded music continues to change. And on Tuesday, the final day of the show, APRS Executive Director Peter Filleul will chair a large panel of industry figures including Chris Clark from the British Sound Archive, producer Tommy D, and Simon Hutchinson from rights organisation PPL, on the subject of archiving, asset protection, and metadata — in other words, a look at how the industry can maintain existing recordings, make them suitable for delivery in as-yet-undeveloped future formats, and how to ensure that everyone involved in the original recordings is rewarded for their contribution each time the material is released.
This is just a selection of the biggest seminars taking place at AES, and does not include any of the technical presentations or papers being given during the Conference. Topics covered by these presentations will include producing audio for game soundtracks, mixing surround sound for sports broadcast, an explanation of forensic audio techniques and a discussion of the merits of high-resolution audio delivery formats. For a full listing, see www.aes.org/events/128/program or www.aes.org/events/128/calendar/calendar.cfm for a graphical calendar of all the events and presentations, divided by day and hour.
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About AES
The Audio Engineering Society is the only professional society devoted exclusively to audio technology. Founded in the United States in 1948, the AES has grown to become an international organisation that unites audio engineers, creative artists, scientists and students worldwide by promoting advances in audio and disseminating new knowledge and research. Currently, over 14,000 members are affiliated with more than 75 AES professional sections and more than 95 AES student sections around the world. For additional information, visit www.aes.org.
