Alex Case
AES Boston Section
February 2009 Meeting
with Alex Case
On Tuesday February 10, 2009, the Boston Section of the Audio Engineering Society hosted a presentation by Alex Case on "Convolution for the Recording Engineer". He gave a brief overview of the different types of reverbs used over the years and described how reverb is a collection of reflections that recreate the ambient properties of a space. He described how digital reverb was constructed using repetitions of a signal in an attempt to recreate the actual reflections of an acoustic space. Using equations to show how these reflections are calculated, he was able to break down the "math" that is used when calculating these repetitions used for digital reverb processors.
Alex moved onto how convolution uses a series of reflections to create a series of numbers. These numbers are use to recreate the ambient properties of the space and that these numbers can be altered to change the apparent size and reflective properties of the space. He gave practical examples of how the recording engineer can use convolution and when it may pose limitations to its use.
Alex Case teaches Sound Recording Technology to graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He is author of "Sound FX - Unlocking the Creative Potential of Recording Studio Effects," published by Focal Press. Case has presented locally at section meetings as well as international conferences, Tutorials & Workshops Chair for the New York conventions, Chair of the Education Committee, Faculty Representative for the UMass Lowell Student Section, and past-chair of the Boston Section.
