AES Show 2024 NY

The field of audio production is always evolving. Now with immersive audio formats becoming more and more prominent, we should have a closer look at what possibilities come with it from a technical but most importantly from an artistic and musical standpoint.
In our Workshop, "Unlocking New Dimensions: Producing Music in Immersive Audio," we demonstrate how immersive audio formats can bring an artist's vision to life and how the storytelling in the music benefits from them.
In order to truly change the way people listen to music and provide an immersive experience, we must transform how we write and produce music, using immersive formats not just as a technical advancement but as a medium to create new art.
In this session, we will explore the entire production process, from recording to the final mix, and master with a focus on how one can create a dynamic and engaging listening experience with immersive formats like Dolby Atmos. We believe that immersive audio is more than just a technical upgrade—it's a new creative canvas. Our goal is to show how, by fully leveraging a format like Dolby Atmos, artists and producers can create soundscapes that envelop the listener and add new dimensions to the storytelling of music.

Philosophy

Artists often feel disconnected from the immersive production process. They rarely can give input on how their music is mixed in this format, leading to results that may not fully align with their artistic vision. At High Tide, we prioritize artist involvement, ensuring they are an integral part of the process. We believe that their input is crucial for creating an immersive experience that truly represents their vision. We will share insights and examples from our collaborations with artists like Amistat, an acoustic folk duo, and Tinush, an electronic music producer known for his attention to detail. These case studies will illustrate how our method fosters creativity and produces superior immersive audio experiences.

New workflows need new tools

A significant pain point in current immersive productions is the tendency to use only a few stems, which often limits the immersive potential. This often happens because the process of exporting individual tracks and preparing a mixing session can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. We will address these challenges in our presentation. We have developed innovative scripts and workflows that streamline this process, allowing us to work with all available tracks without the typical hassle. This approach not only enhances the quality of the final mix but also retains the intricate details and nuances of the original recordings.
Our workshop is designed to be interactive, with opportunities for attendees to ask questions throughout. We will provide real-world insights into our ProTools sessions, giving participants a detailed look at our Dolby Atmos mixing process. By walking through the entire workflow, from recording with Dolby Atmos in mind to the final mix, attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of the steps involved and the benefits of this approach to create an engaging and immersive listening experience.

Building on the industry standard that saw the development of Parametric Equalization as the first step in providing the audio engineer with complete control of spectrum modification, this presentation concerns the application of a new update, built on Parametric equalization technique to professional audio control. Invented in 1998 by Roey Shamir, now is a product in its alpha stage of development. The technique and product will be fully demonstrated by the inventor and well known mix producer (Roey Shamir).
The co developer of the hardware Useful Arts Audio / Peter Swann will also discuss matters of the hardware while its being developed. Peter  built his first console in 1982, and has been working ever since to create signal processing devices that don’t just measure well on the bench, but translate sound to compliment the perceptual mechanisms of the human ear and brain. In 2017, he launched Useful Arts Audio, which manufactures specialty front-end gear designed to accentuate musical performances by taking advantage of the natural emphasis the brain places on dynamics and harmonic content. Mr. Swann creates original designs aimed at translating incoming musical signals into compelling listening experiences.

Only the proof of concept Software will be demonstrated the hardware will not be ready for AES NY Convention Fall 2024.

There will be a well known song played in immersive 7.1.4 with examples of the new technique in the elements of the immersive mix.

Sound for Visual Media finalists will make presentations, we will hear their submissions, and the judges will give their comments.

Join Focusrite Group’s Lee Whitmore in an interactive panel conversation and listening session with 19-time GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY winner Rafa Sardina, Dolby’s Tom McAndrew, and ADAM Audio’s Mark Cummins. Listen to Dolby Atmos Music mixes by Rafa Sardina, and chat with industry experts about best practices for creating, mixing, and playback of immersive audio for music, film, TV, gaming, audiobooks and podcasting, as well as considerations for your studio and workflows.

Also held on 10/10 at 12:45pm

Joseph J. Chudyk is a multi-platinum mixer and educator with significant experience mixing albums in immersive audio. In addition to teaching at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY, some of his recent notable Atmos mixes include work with Elle King and Miranda Lambert, and Mitchell Tenpenny. In this session Joe will play some of his Dolby Atmos Music mixes, talking about his experience, sharing tips and best practices, and more, with ample opportunities for attendees to ask questions.

These non-competitive sessions are an opportunity for AES student members at all stages in their studies to receive feedback on their mixes from a panel of industry professionals – live and in-person. Join us to hear mixes by other students, and get tips, tricks, and advice to push your skills to the next level! Advance submission procedures for each event will be posted at www.aesstudents.org. Very limited sign up will be available on-site. Maybe one of your mixes can be featured!

Justin Gray is a leader in Immersive Audio music production and has presented at numerous AES events on the topic. As an early adopter of object-based technology for music production, Justin has mixed and mastered over 2000 songs in immersive formats (Dolby Atmos and Sony 360).

In 2020, Justin began composing new music for a project specifically conceived for immersive production. This project was recorded over 40 days in a world-class studio in Toronto, Canada, and included over 40 musicians from across the globe. The music draws influence from a diverse range of musical traditions and was composed, orchestrated, recorded, edited, mixed, and mastered with immersive intent at each stage.

Justin has drawn upon his broad musical experience as a composer, arranger, performer, recording engineer, producer, and engineer to bring this musical project to life. He is inspired to share the music, philosophy, and immersive production process with the AES community.

As Immersive Audio continues to expand its scope in the global music community, Justin believes that the next step is for artists to integrate immersive design into their creative practice. This can begin at the initial composition stage, and carry through each stage of a musical production.

In this workshop, Justin will share examples from the project in Dolby Atmos. He will also explore composing and orchestrating music with immersive intent, a rarely discussed topic in this field. The presentation will also include an in-depth look into immersive production techniques, including contemporary immersive recording techniques and immersive mixing philosophy/aesthetics.

Each performance in the project was filmed at a cinematic level, further supporting the learning experience.

Justin also rigorously documented the technical aspects of the project and will have additional visual content to support the presentation.

This AES event will be one of the first public previews of the music. The full album will be released in various cities worldwide in Dolby Atmos movie theatres in early 2025.