18 l December 2012


www.psneurope.com


showreport UNITED STATES Project management


AES 2012 Convention broadens its target demographic with the Project Studio Expo, writes Mel Lambert


IT IS widely acknowledged by members and pundits alike that the Audio Engineering Society has reached a major watershed. In recent years its commercial exhibitions have proved less attractive to both attendees and exhibitors, as the retail model tips towards pro-audio superdealers and/or internet sales, and away from expensive show-and-tell exhibits at remote convention centres. But, it must be acknowledged, AES mandarins tried something interesting at the recent convention in San Francisco, in the weekend prior to the devastating effects on the East Coast of Hurricane Sandy. Recognising that the


conventional recording community is dwindling, executive director Bob Moses decided to broaden the show’s appeal to musicians and lower- level users of recording hardware, by organising the society’s first- ever Project Studio Expo, which ran concurrently with the San Francisco Convention and, to ensure enhanced booth traffic, was located inside the Moscone’s exhibition area. Held in association with Sound On Sound magazine and co-sponsored by Sennheiser, Presonus, Avid, Akai Professional, M-Audio and Lynda.com, the two-day, no- charge lecture programme comprised a series of hour-long presentations from such experts as Craig Anderton, Hugh Robjohns and Paul White. Topics ranged from acoustics in small spaces to microphone placement, mixing and mastering, plus a special presentation by hip-hop producer/engineer Young Guru. As Anderton told PSNEurope


in an exclusive interview: “I have done a number of these seminars and watched how they develop over the years. Normally, the first year is shaky, the second year is a little better; by the third year you


This year’s Convention included the Project Studio Expo


break even, and by the fourth year you make some money. But this AES event seems to have avoided the first two years completely [in that cycle] and has just started on year three. Every session was packed; everybody stayed around and asked good questions.” Instead of a conventional PA system, the AES had asked Sennheiser to supply wireless headphones for the expected audience of 200-plus. “The headphones were brilliant,” Anderton stresses. “None of the nearby booths had any noise complaints – in fact, they liked the additional traffic that these sessions attracted. The logistics were fine; everything worked. And attendees were able to enjoy the presentations with high-quality sound.” The Day 1 sessions attracted audiences so large that for several sessions the organisers ran out of wireless headphones. “My biggest fear was that only 12 people would show up and I might be looking for a new job,” reveals Moses. “Then I saw crowds… and I knew it was a success. Next time we are going to need 400 sets!” In the main, attendees at the


Project Studio Expo were ‘newbies’ – “they knew enough to press record and could cut- and-paste but wanted to move to the next level”, Anderton concedes. “These were people who really want to learn. They


STAND-OUT UNVEILINGS In terms of new developments unveiled at the San Francisco AES Convention, Fairlight, Slate Pro Audio and iZ Technology showed a trio of innovative product offerings. Freshly reinvigorated with


capital following its recent takeover by KFT Investments, Fairlight showcased two new control surfaces for its powerful CC-1 Audio Processing Engine. According to new CEO Jean Claude Kathriner, who recently joined the company from Bosch, where he held a series of sales and marketing positions: “A key focus of my new role will be to ensure that we provide customers with real-edge digital audio technology [plus] reliable service and support.” The new XStream Compact Desktop Controller incorporates Fairlight’s iCan – Integrate & Control Application over Network – technology with a drag-and-drop layout editor that features picture keys, single- and bi-colour LED keys, touch-sensitive rotary encoders and a transport jog wheel. The Quantum Control Surface provides a fast, tactile mixing environment using HD picture and up to 192 audio tracks, with either 12- or 24-fader configurations. Slate Pro Audio introduced


Slate introduced the Raven MTX console


do not get to go into studios and watch people mix a hit record. While seminars won’t substitute for the real thing, it’s a great start and gets attendees talking.” Anderton hopes the Expo will


continue. “We can always find enough people to give hands-on talks like these. But if you stop for a year, everybody will think it wasn’t successful. We should charge ahead and build on this major success.” “Our core mission,” stresses Moses, “is to raise the intelligence of the audio industry, which helps grow our business.”


Both Moses and Anderton consider that additional opportunities exist to capitalise on such specialist AES events. “We should video all of the sessions and put them onto the AES website,” Anderton states. Apparently, the cost of shooting video within the confines of the union-controlled Moscone Centre was prohibitive. “But there is no reason why we cannot organise a


crowd-sourced video and then monetise it with a ‘Greatest Hits’ segment on the website.” “For the AES it was something


of a stretch to have presenters and a stage layout like this,” Moses admits. “And having sponsors is a different business model for us. AES is often seen as a high-end organisation, so to see mainstream companies like M-Audio sponsor the Expo is a radical change for us.” The wireless-headphone


format also offered other advantages, Anderton reveals. “People could hear audio subtleties, like the widening of a stereo image, or the notching of an EQ filter. In fact, I went back to my hotel room one night and added two or three more examples, and changed the seminar around because people could hear more while wearing headphones. For example, rather than broad brush strokes, I got to include really detailed material during my mastering seminar.”


the remarkable Raven MTX Multitouch Production Console, which provides full control of a connected DAW for recording, sound design and post- production. A touchscreen display presents the virtual mixing surface, while a user-customisable multifunction toolbar maps various levels, pan, assignment, EQ and dynamics controls. A flexible analogue monitoring section is also provided, with multiple speaker outputs and input sources, plus smartphone connectivity, multiple headphone sends and cue options. “We built the touch display from the ground up,” says company president Steven Slate, “using brand-new touchscreen technologies that were literally being introduced to the market as we were working. Our custom-made Nano Glide surface is slick and smooth, and allows you to work effortlessly.” iZ Technology launched the


Radar 6 Multitrack hard-disc recorder with a Direct-SATA storage architecture that is said to make recording and moving files faster and easier. Up to 24 tracks can be recorded at 192kHz


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