AES Show 2024 NY

In this workshop you’ll gain insights into Dolby Atmos audio with a particular emphasis on using your original stereo mix as a starting point to create an Atmos mix. You will learn how to set up your stereo mix session in a way that will make the transition into Atmos easy as well as create an Atmos mix using stems.

By now we know a lot about how immersive microphone arrays work, from fully coincident, to semi-coincident, to fully spaced etc., and how they can be used to make spectacular 3D productions, But what happens when we use the same recording techniques in very different acoustic spaces with different size ensembles etc.? Various hi-resolution immersive recordings of acoustic music from around the globe made in extraordinary acoustic spaces including Skywalker Scoring Stage, Zlin Concert Hall, Notre Dame University, NYU's Paulson Center, CNSO Studios, Smecky Studios, and other exceptional churches and concert halls will be presented. Along with critical listening exercises, we will share microphone set-ups, multi-track recordings, videos and photo documentation of the spaces with the participants.

In a perfect world, one would record projects in the perfect space with musicians performing in perfect balance, with perfect results, but for us, the perfect world doesn’t exist and we’re presented with projects that were never intended for surround or immersive presentation, In this illustrated talk, we will play projects that were recorded (even in the last century!) and have been turned into successful immersive and surround recordings..

Volumetric sound recording techniques , where multiple 3D sound signals are captured throughout the recording area and mapped later for playback, have shown great promise in the world of positional tracking immersive experiences. But is volumetric sound capture an effective and plausible technique for music production ? What advantages does volumetric have over more traditional recording techniques and single position Ambisonic recordings and how the signals are combined for a stationary immersive listening experience ? These questions will be addressed by sharing immersive recordings, documentation, and discussing the outcomes of recent and ongoing work conducted at New York University and McGill University.

Richard King plays high resolution 7.1.4 music recordings of Yo-Yo Ma and Eric Clapton, and from the excellent Chevalier sound track album, describing also some of the techniques used.

This masterclass series, featuring remarkable recording artists, is a chance to hear 3D audio at its best; as we discuss factors of production, distribution and reproduction that makes it worth the effort. Thomas exemplifies the important qualia, auditory envelopment (AE); and we evaluate how well AE latent in the content - from intimate to grand - comes across in this particular listening room.

Seats are limited to keep playback variation at bay, and the session is concluded with Q&A. If you attend multiple masterclasses, consider choosing different seats each time.

Ambisonic microphones offer a dynamic and multifaceted approach to capturing and creating immersive audio experiences. This workshop delves into the process of transforming multichannel A-format raw recordings into versatile Ambisonic B-format files. These files can then be decoded into various audio formats, including stereo, binaural, surround, and spatial 3D audio. This makes it an ideal technique for crafting head-tracking binaural audio for 360/3D videos and VR gaming environments.
Participants will gain hands-on experience with the Zoom H3-VR portable recorder and learn how to create Ambisonic recordings. The session will guide you through processing raw recordings using Reaper and the dearVR AMBI MICRO plugin and illustrating the workflow for integrating Ambisonic audio into 360/3D video and VR games for head-tracking binaural sound. Attendees are encouraged to bring their laptops and headphones, install the necessary software, and download the provided demo projects for an interactive experience. Additionally, the workshop will offer insights into capturing immersive audio with various Ambisonic microphones, including the new em64 Eigenmike Spherical Microphone Array.

Susan talks about her incredible carrier in science and music, working with artists such as Julia Darling, David Byrne, Prince, Laurie Anderson, Tevin Campbell and many more; all garnished with high resolution listening examples.

This masterclass series, featuring remarkable recording artists, is a chance to hear stereo and 3D music at its best; as we discuss important factors of production, distribution and reproduction. Thomas exemplifies the underrated qualia, auditory envelopment (AE); and we evaluate how robustly intimacy and AE latent in the content may be heard across this particular listening room.

Seats are limited to keep playback variation at bay, and the session is concluded with Q&A. If you attend multiple masterclasses, consider choosing different seats each time.

Join veteran audio engineer Matt Boudreau, who has mixed in ATMOS for Alanis Morissette, Green Day, and Deafheaven, as he delves into immersive audio mixing. In this session, Matt will discuss his approach to mixing in ATMOS and stereo simultaneously and provide a look into his Pro Tools mixing template. Drawing from his extensive experience and his Mixing in Stereo and ATMOS course, Matt will share practical tips for creating dynamic mixes that excel in both formats. Whether you're new to ATMOS or refining your skills, this presentation offers valuable insights for all audio professionals.

Morten details 3D music recordings from his 2L catalogue, including high resolution listening examples from new releases.

This masterclass series, featuring remarkable recording artists, is a chance to hear 3D audio at its best; as we discuss factors of production, distribution and reproduction that makes it worth the effort. Thomas exemplifies the underrated qualia, auditory envelopment (AE); and we evaluate how robustly AE latent in the content may be heard across this particular listening room.

Seats are limited to keep playback variation at bay, and the session is concluded with Q&A. If you attend multiple masterclasses, consider choosing different seats.

Ulrike Schwarz and Jim Anderson discuss recordings from their extraordinary catalogues, including high resolution listening examples in formats 5.1, 9.1 and 7.1.4.

This masterclass series, featuring remarkable recording artists, is a chance to hear surround and 3D audio at its best; as we discuss factors of production, distribution and reproduction that makes it worth the effort. Thomas exemplifies the underrated qualia, auditory envelopment (AE); and we evaluate how robustly AE latent in the content may be heard across this particular listening room.

Seats are limited to keep playback variation at bay, and the session is concluded with Q&A. If you attend multiple masterclasses, consider choosing different seats each time.

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.

The masterclass consists of two parts, the first dedicated to jazz. Kseniya details 3D studio productions and live recordings from a German club “Unterfahrt”, featuring jazz legends among large ensembles and stunning new bands. The second part presents new msm-studios 3D tracks, including from the latest Boris Blank and Peter Gabriel albums.

This masterclass series, featuring remarkable recording artists, is a chance to hear 3D audio at its best; as we discuss factors of production, distribution and reproduction that makes it worth the effort. Thomas exemplifies the underrated qualia, auditory envelopment (AE); and we evaluate how robustly AE latent in the content may be heard across this particular listening room.

Seats are limited to keep playback variation at bay, and the session is concluded with Q&A. If you attend multiple masterclasses, consider choosing different seats each time.

George plays high resolution stereo, 5.1 and 3D recordings from his fabulous back catalogue, commenting on production techniques, dynamics processing and the most appropriate listening format considering each track.

This masterclass series, featuring remarkable recording artists, is a chance to hear 3D audio at its best; as we discuss factors of production, distribution and reproduction that makes it worth the effort. Thomas exemplifies the underrated qualia, auditory envelopment (AE); and we evaluate how robustly AE latent in the content may be heard across this particular listening room.

Seats are limited to keep playback variation at bay, and the session is concluded with Q&A. If you attend multiple masterclasses, consider choosing different seats each time.

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.

In this 3D for Two, Bob Katz and Hyunkook Lee take turns when playing high resolution music examples and presenting two production techniques: Bob created recent 3D mixes based on headphone monitoring, in contrast to Hyunkook's microphone recordings.

We listen and discuss how each method comes across in this room, touching also upon topics such as integrated microphone pickup, level-panning, use of LFE; and the current distribution formats available for 3D music.

Seats are limited to keep playback variation at bay, and the session is concluded with Q&A.

With the popularity of Dolby atmos growing, the need to re-mix classic albums has become popular. In this case study on Billy Joel's latest Atmos releases, our panel of engineers will go over their step by step process, from tape transfers, to finding the correct takes, restoring the stereo mix and opening it up to Dolby Atmos. We will touch on how much artistic liberty we have as well how to future proof a mix in an ever changing world.

Distinct differences between music and atmosphere recordings are even more noticeable in 3D audio than in stereo. In this 3D for Two, Marcela Zorro and Florian Camerer take turns when playing high resolution recording examples of music and outdoor atmosphere, explaining also microphone and production techniques from the two sides.

We listen and discuss how each method comes across in this room, touching also upon topics such as microphone arrays, location recording, mixing, use of LFE; and the current distribution formats available for 3D audio.

Seats are limited to keep playback variation at bay, and the session is concluded with Q&A.

The journey of Bob Marley’s music from analog to atmos will be discussed. In 2022-23, Burnin’, Catch A Fire, Exodus and Kaya were mixed in atmos by Nick Rives with the Marley estate’s approval. Eliot Kissileff created the stems used for the mixes. Nick went on to work on the Marley feature film released in 2024. Chris Walch, UMG VP of Assets and Archives will give some background on how the original tapes are preserved, digitized and presented for various projects. The panel will give insight into the evolving processes for creating the stems and focus on Nick’s creation of the atmos mixes, giving the audience insight into the processes and evolution of the format.

Current music production has opened up a relatively new opportunity in the creation of 3D content, now easily available online and in various forms. Artists and labels are increasingly asking for 3D content to be delivered along with a standard stereo master. Many practitioners, however, are at a loss when it comes to how and what to deliver, as various streaming services implement their own binaural processes. Remixing older catalog content or even recent Stereo releases has proven to be problematic when working from stems that are badly prepared, or very costly when going back and remixing from scratch, using the original multitrack masters. The panel will speak to best tactics regarding the creation of stems to be delivered for use in immersive mixing, along with some examples of routing with sub-master processing, along with proper use of LFE and center channel, sides, rear and height channels. Other issues to be discussed include room simulation, loudness measurement and the various binaural processes. Questions from the audience will be a welcome part of the workshop.