AES Show 2024 NY

Wireless audio, both mics and in-ear-monitors, has become essential in many live productions of music and theatre, but it is often fraught with uneasiness and uncertainty. The panel of presenters will draw on their varied experience and knowledge to show how practitioners can use best engineering practices to ensure reliability and performance of their wireless mic and in-ear-monitor systems.

We are excited to present an educational workshop centered around the creation of custom audio plugins in Matlab. This hands-on session is designed for both students and educators on the endless possibilities of plugin development, while also encouraging participation in AES student competitions and fostering increased membership.

The workshop, titled “The Plugin Kitchen: Coding a custom effect and putting it in the mix” will offer a unique blend of real-time coding and practical application. Participants will be guided through the process of developing a comprehensive channel strip plugin, incorporating an EQ, a compressor, and a reverb effect.

Our session will begin with an introduction to audio plugins and their importance in modern music production. We will then dive into the hands-on coding segments:

1. Multi-band Parametric EQ:
Participants will learn to implement a parametric EQ, implementing multiple bands and adjusting parameters such as frequency and gain.

2. Compressor:
We will use Matlab’s built-in functions to create a compressor, covering essential concepts like threshold, ratio, attack, and release times. Attendees will see the immediate impact of these parameters on audio dynamics.

3. Reverb:
The final coding segment will focus on adding a reverb effect, including experimenting with decay time and pre-delay.

The workshop will culminate in a live demonstration by renowned engineer Paul Womack, showcasing the practical application of the developed plugin in a mixing session. This will illustrate the real-world benefits and versatility of the plugin, inspiring participants to explore further and engage with AES competitions.

Throughout the session, we emphasize interaction and practical application, ensuring that participants leave with both theoretical knowledge and a functional plugin they can continue to develop. Join us to unlock the potential of Matlab for audio plugin development and take a step towards innovative audio engineering.

The Healthy Ears, Limited Annoyance (HELA) certification scheme, which originated within the AES Technical Committee on Acoustics and Sound Reinforcement, launched in summer 2024. Tailored for event organizers, sound engineers, venue managers, musicians, and all other key live event industry stakeholders, HELA offers a comprehensive framework for delivering live music experiences that protect audience hearing and minimize neighborhood disturbances. This session will delve into the balance between sound quality, hearing health and community harmony. Attendees will gain practical insights into HELA's guidance on sound level management and effective communication strategies, fostering a community dedicated to sustainable live event production. Join us to discover how HELA Certification can set a new industry standard, creating memorable yet safe and respectful experiences for everyone involved.

Mary Campbell – In Memoriam
Manager Electric Lady Studios & Unique Recording, Sony Studios Booking Admin.

Mary Culum-Campbell was a legend of the NY studio scene for decades. She came from Montana in 1982 at age 21, and with a forged backstage pass and some other tales of delinquency talked her way into a job in the shop at Electric Lady Studios with tech extraordinaire Sal Greco, who went on to build Paisley Park for Prince. Sal’s comment recalling her job interview at her memorial was ‘She’s trouble. She’ll fit right in’. Within six months Mary became the studio manager. A trailblazer with attitude who also loved the music around her as a genuine fan, Mary was one of the few women in a power position at a major recording studio in the 80’s. Working in an intense and occasionally cutthroat environment during a tumultuous period in both music and music technology, she kept the studios booked and partied with the best (and worst) of them while managing both Electric Lady and the equally electric Unique Recording. She also had a stint working at the massive Sony Music Studios. The panel discussion will cover some of Mary’s history as well some of the history of the console and technology changes she presided over. Speakers will include former chief technicians Jim Gillis and Brian Macaluso, as well as associate Tony Drootin and engineer extraordinaire Ron Saint Germain.

Held together by Elliot Kissileff , Co-Moderator Roey Shamir

https://helenafuneralhome.com/obituaries/mary-c-campbell-age-61/

Women's Audio Mission presents a panel discussion with award-winning mastering engineers and vinyl cutters who will talk about the intricacies of the vinyl format and the strategies used in mastering modern music to vinyl including how to address factors such as sibilance, managing low frequency stereo information, sequencing strategies, program length and volume, etc.

Moderator: Terri Winston

Panelists:

Kim Rosen - Kim Rosen is a GRAMMY- nominated mastering engineer who works out of her own “Knack Mastering” located in Ringwood, NJ, USA. Recordings Kim has mastered have garnered twenty-six Grammy nominations with five winning across multiple categories including Bonnie Raitt’s Song of the Year. She has mastered projects for Wynonna Judd, Johnny Cash, Aimee Mann, The Milk Carton Kids, Allison Russell, Superdrag, and Flogging Molly.

Margaret Luthar - Margaret Luthar is a Grammy-nominated Mastering Engineer who has worked at Chicago Mastering Service (where she learned to cut vinyl) and at Welcome to 1979 in Nashville. Currently a Broadcast Recording Technician at NPR and a freelance mastering engineer based in Los Angeles. She has mastered thousands of projects including The Lumineers, Tinashe, Spiritualized, Soccer Mommy and has significant experience in audio restoration, from her work at the Norwegian Institute of Recorded Sound.

Piper Payne - Piper Payne is a Mastering Engineer based in Nashville, TN. Piper has mastered a wide variety of music including nationally renowned artists such as Janis Ian (Best Folk Album Grammy Nomination 2023), Dolly Parton, Third Eye Blind, LeAnn Rimes, The Go-Go’s, Madame Gandhi, and many more. After moving her mastering studio to Nashville from the San Francisco Bay Area, she ventured into vinyl manufacturing, opening Physical Music Products.

Moderated by Terri Winston, Executive Director of Women's Audio Mission. Women's Audio Mission (WAM) is dedicated to closing the chronic gender gap in the music, recording and technology industries. Less than 5% of the people creating and shaping the sounds that make up the soundtrack of our lives are women and gender-expansive people. WAM is “changing the face of sound” by providing training, mentoring and career advancement that inspires the next generation of women and gender-expansive music producers, recording engineers and audio technologists and radically changes the narrative in these industries.

Traditional Acoustic Recording finalists will make presentations, we will hear their submissions, and the judges will give their comments.

Traditional Studio Recording finalists will make presentations, we will hear their submissions, and the judges will give their comments.

Modern Studio Recording finalists will make presentations, we will hear their submissions, and the judges will give their comments.

This workshop falls under the category of an AES Tutorial. This workshop outlines the tested method implemented in a small house of worship, and aims to demystify WHO standards as well as communicate an effective solution to implement hearing health monitoring.

Implementing affordable and efficient hearing health monitoring in small music venues is crucial to align with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines aimed at preventing hearing damage due to prolonged exposure to high sound levels, which have become much more standardized in recent years. This tutorial will address the unique challenges faced by small music venues, especially houses of worship, which often operate under tighter budgets and where user-friendly permanent solutions are key to long term success. The WHO guidelines emphasize regular monitoring of sound levels, provision of adequate hearing protection, and educating both patrons and staff about the risks of hearing loss and the measures that can be taken to mitigate these risks. This workshop will provide a detailed, practical, and cost-effective roadmap for small venues to implement these recommendations without compromising on the quality of the musical experience. We will walk through interpreting the WHO and AES hearing health standards for live venues, and making sense of large technical documents to communicate to volunteers and newer employees, as well as outline a real world tested solution to implementing hearing health monitoring. Another area of focus will be a brief explanation of how human hearing works, and how it can be damaged. The tutorial will demonstrate how to collect and interpret data, and practical everyman solutions to adapt to hearing health challenges as they arise. Another critical aspect of the tutorial will be on hearing protection strategies. Small music venues can provide disposable earplugs to patrons and staff at a minimal cost or invest in reusable earplugs that offer better sound quality while protecting hearing. The tutorial will discuss the different types of earplugs available, their cost, and how to encourage their use among patrons without detracting from the concert experience. Education is a cornerstone of the WHO guidelines, and this tutorial will explore effective ways to raise awareness about hearing health. This includes training staff to recognize the signs of excessive sound exposure and understand the importance of hearing protection, as well as developing clear and engaging signage and informational materials for patrons. By the end of the workshop, attendees will have a comprehensive understanding of how to implement a hearing health monitoring system in their venues that is both practical and affordable, aligned with the WHO guidelines, and tailored to the unique needs of small music venues. They will leave equipped with actionable strategies, practical tools, and a network of peers committed to promoting hearing health in the music community. This tutorial not only aims to protect the hearing of patrons and staff but also to enhance the overall quality of the live music experience by fostering a safer and more aware listening environment.

Quickly developing, it's often difficult to keep up with the latest in AI, and how AI based products are permeating into the industry. What AI based products are in use? Are they changing what we need to teach? What do we think will be coming next? Join us as a panel of educators and professionals (connected to AI in the industry) discuss these things, and answer your questions about and the state of AI in the industry. This panel is presented by the Technical Committee on Machine Learning and Artificla Intelligence and the Education Committee.

Last year saw the release of the Grammy-nominated album “Evenings at the Village Gate – John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy” on Verve. It was the result of many years of intensive detective work by Jessica Wood, Assistant Curator at New York Public Library’s Music & Recorded Sound Division. A long-missing cache of tapes from Richard Striker’s Institute of Sound, recorded by legendary New York engineer Richard Alderson, had been discovered and located by Wood.

Wood, Alderson, and NYPL Audio Preservation Engineer Jeff Willens then went through hundreds of tapes. Among them were unreleased studio and/or live recordings by Bob Dylan, John Coltrane, Nina Simone, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, and many other jazz and classical artists, as well as performers as diverse as Tom Paxton, Moondog, and poet Hugh Romney (aka Wavy Gravy).

In this talk, we will explain how this collection of vital, previously unknown recorded documents of the 1960s New York music scene was “lost,” located, and reclaimed by NYPL. We will also tell the story about how two of these unheard reels were brought to the public, filling some gaps in the Coltrane canon. And we will also share why a maverick NYC engineer at the top of his game, left the city and his invaluable tapes behind.

We will be playing samples from the Striker Collection during the talk and inviting attendees to help us “crowdsource” some of the unidentified recordings therein.

This 45-minute workshop is designed for music production students eager to dive into the world of modern hip hop and rap. With hard-hitting beats, intricate rhythms, and innovative production techniques, hip hop/rap continues to dominate the music scene. Our session will cover essential techniques and creative tips to help you produce tracks that capture the essence of contemporary hip hop and rap.

Workshop Overview

Title: Crafting Modern Hip Hop/Rap: A Hands-On Guide

Duration: 45 minutes

Target Audience: Music production students and aspiring producers

Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) and audio production

Objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

Understand the key elements of modern hip hop and rap music.
Learn how to create hard-hitting beats and basslines.
Explore techniques for crafting catchy hooks and verses.
Gain insights into mixing techniques to achieve a polished hip hop/rap sound.

Workshop Content

Introduction to Modern Hip Hop/Rap (5 minutes)
Brief history and evolution of the genre
Key characteristics: Beats, basslines, and lyrical flow
Influential artists and iconic tracks

Creating Hard-Hitting Beats (10 minutes)
Overview of drum machines and sample packs
Layering and sequencing drum sounds
Practical demo: Designing a punchy beat

Crafting Catchy Hooks and Verses (10 minutes)
Importance of hooks in hip hop and rap
Techniques for writing memorable verses and choruses
Practical demo: Building a hook and verse from scratch

Basslines and 808s (10 minutes)
Essential bass patterns and 808 techniques
Using sub-bass and distortion for impact
Practical demo: Programming a powerful bassline

Mixing for Hip Hop/Rap (5 minutes)
Key principles of mixing for clarity and impact
Using effects to enhance the vibe: Reverb, delay, and saturation
Practical demo: Quick mixing tips for a hip hop/rap track

Q&A and Wrap-Up (5 minutes)
Recap of key points
Q&A session for participants
Additional resources and next steps

Since the 1980s, several digital recording systems were produced that used open reel tapes (DASH standard and ProDigi), cassette tapes, DAT, Video8, VHS (ADAT), U-Matic, etc and the more recent MOD (magnetic optical disk).

All these formats became obsolete with the introductions of Hard Disk and software-based recording systems.

Today, many of these formats can still be found in our archives and need to be preserved, but the real issue is having the machines to read them. This is why the second-hand market is relied upon.

But what happens when these machines are broken? Are there still resources available to repair them? This is the challenge that the world of archiving, and beyond, must face.

Gabriele Franzoso and Bob Shuster will discuss creative solutions for repairing and maintaining these legacy playback machines

We will discuss Loudness Management, Dialog Intelligibility, and the new Loudness Education Website. This committee meets weekly and has produced a number of significant Technical Papers including TD-1008. Also recently, they wrote the standards AES71 and AES77.

Large scale systems face unique challenges of scale, shape, acoustic overflow restrictions, flown weight restrictions and yet still must produce high quality experiences for the audience. Join Bob McCarthy for a discussion of the large-scale outdoor systems used in festivals from the NY Philharmonic in Central Park through major rock festivals.

Embarking on the journey from innovative research to launching a successful company in the audio technology sector can be both exciting and daunting. This workshop aims to demystify the entrepreneurial process for AES engineers and professionals who aspire to transform their research into a recognized product and a thriving business. By featuring a panel of seasoned entrepreneurs who have successfully navigated this path, attendees will gain invaluable insights and practical guidance on how to start and grow their own ventures in the audio industry.

Workshop Overview:
This workshop will provide a comprehensive roadmap for audio engineers and technologists considering the path of entrepreneurship. It will feature detailed discussions on the following key topics:

1. Identifying market opportunities:
- Understanding market needs and gaps in the audio technology sector.
- Conducting market research and validating your product idea.

2. Building a strong foundation:
- Transitioning from a research idea to a viable product.
- Establishing a solid business plan and securing initial funding.
- Protecting intellectual property through patents and trademarks.

3. From prototype to production:
- Developing and refining prototypes.
- Navigating the challenges of manufacturing and scaling up production.
- Ensuring quality control and meeting industry standards.

4. Go-to-market strategies:
- Crafting an effective marketing and branding strategy.
- Leveraging digital platforms and social media for product launch.
- Building partnerships and distribution channels.

5. Sustaining growth and innovation:
- Fostering a culture of continuous innovation and adaptation.
- Managing growth and scaling operations.
- Securing follow-on funding and exploring exit strategies.

Interactive elements:
The workshop will emphasize interaction and engagement, providing ample opportunities for attendees to pose questions and share their own experiences. Each panelist will deliver a brief presentation, followed by a moderated discussion and an open Q&A session.

Target audience:
This workshop is tailored for audio engineers, researchers, and technologists who have developed innovative audio technologies and are considering starting their own companies. It suits those with a basic understanding of audio technology and a keen interest in entrepreneurship.

State of the Music Business

In Depth Conversation on the State of the Music Business - Streaming,
Royalties and AI

Panelists:

Scott Rubin, Reach Music Publishing
Music Publisher
https://www.reachmusic.com/

Judy Tint, Attorney, Consultant, Producer, Professor/NYU
https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/people/judy-tint

Hank Shocklee, Artist, Musician, Producer, A&R, Content Creator

Moderator: Angela Piva. Co Chair Education Committee

The majority of loudspeaker design now relies on simulation software such as Klippel. This approach has been effective in improving various speaker characteristics. However, the overreliance on simulation software without a deep understanding of electro-acoustic transducers has led to a neglect of the fundamental principles of speakers. This has become a bottleneck in enhancing the sound quality of speakers.

This session re-focuses on impedance characteristics, which are no longer receiving sufficient attention today. It explains the sound quality issues associated with impedance fluctuations, methods for addressing them, and how to design speakers based on information derived from impedance characteristics.