14 l October 2012 showpreview UNITED STATES The showin the bay Erica Basnicki previews the forthcoming AES Convention in San Francisco
ResInno’s Grand Rossa piano design will be on the DPA booth
THE PRO-AUDIO industry is gearing up for the 133rd Audio
Engineering Society Convention, with multi-Platinum record producer Steve Lillywhite set to deliver the Keynote Address. The AES has been continuously updating its Preliminary Event Calendar as this convention promises to be one of the most informative and far-ranging AES events to date. “In addition to our traditional
programme, this convention marks the introduction of three timely new tracks,” said Committee co-chair Jim McTigue. These include the Networked Audio Track for Audio-over-IP networks, the Sound for Pictures Track focused on key technical and creative issues related to digital audio production for feature films and TV, and the new Project Studio Expo. “These events epitomise the AES mandate as the industry’s most authoritative platform for addressing critical issues of technical concern,” added McTigue. Live sound will also be a major
focus at this year’s convention, starting with The Women of Professional Concert Sound featuring a panel of all-female FOH engineers: Claudia
Engelhart, (Bill Frisell, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter); Deanne Franklin, (Tom Waits, David Byrne, Pink) and Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato, (Gwen Stefani, Jewel, Melissa Etheridge). ‘Acoustics For Small Live Sound Venues – Creating (& Fine-Tuning) The Consummate Performing/Listening Environment’ will address effective solutions for eliminating noise leakage out of and into venues, innovative acoustic treatments, room tuning and realistic programs for accessing club site selection. Transplanting studio
production to the live arena; computer-based solutions and infrastructure requirements; the symbiosis between lighting and video and new career paths in addition to practical engineering challenges will all be covered in ‘Live Sound Engineering – The Juxtaposition of Art and Science’. Further live sound highlights include a panel on tuning a loudspeaker installation, more debate on studying live sound vs. learning on the job, specialist panels on live sound for jazz performances and corporate events, and an exploration of audio DSP (do you know your guzzintas from your guzzoutas?). Equally as in-depth is the
convention’s Tutorial Program,
which will cover a wide range of both contemporary and traditional topics. Convention co-chairs Vene Garcia and Mike Wells developed a diverse programme of tutorials including ‘Social Media For Engineers And Producers’; ‘Small Room Acoustics’; ‘Large Room Acoustics’; ‘Mastering For Vinyl – Today’s Challenges’; ‘Noise on the Brain Part II – Higher Fidelity: Getting the Sound Out Of (And Into) Your Head – The Practical Acoustics of Headsets’; and ‘An Overview of Audio System Grounding and Interfacing’. The 133rd Convention won’t be without a few exciting product announcements to report on. To being with, Prism Sound will be celebrating its 25th anniversary, and is promising to launch two new recording products “so sensational and innovative that Prism Sound can hardly bear to keep them under wraps until the show”. In addition to the mystery products, the company will make a very limited edition series of 25 black, numbered Orpheus audio interfaces available for sale, which will include the normally optional Thunderbolt adapter. These will be available on a first come, first served basis.
Telefunken Elektroakustik is introducing stereo sets of microphones from its R-F-T series Telefunken Elektroakustik
is introducing stereo sets of microphones from its R-F-T series of large-diaphragm vintage tube microphones at AES 2012. The AR-51, AK-47mkII, and CU-29 microphone systems, now being offered in matched stereo pairs, feature a custom dual power supply capable of powering both microphones at one time, as well as a locking flight case that contains both microphones, cables, shockmounts and wooden mic boxes. All the electronic components in each system are matched sonically and electronically, including matched capsules, transformers and vacuum tubes.
Broadcast manufacturer RTW
will showcase the newest version of its TouchMonitor TM3 unit, the TM3-3G for use with 3G SDI audio streams. Like the original TM3, the TM3-3G offers loudness metering compliant with global standards including EBU R128. If equipped with the corresponding software licence option, the integrated de- embedder can output up to 16 audio channels from the 3G SDI signal on eight AES3 two- channel ports. The optional timecode licence expands the feature set of the TM3-3G to allow external or SDI timecode signals to be decoded, displayed and used for additional functions.