The full schedule for the four days is now available online, with a renewed interface to make it easy for anyone to pick and choose which sessions and events to attend. In fact, this is probably the most convenient AES Technical Program ever, with no problems in room capacity, no need to run between sessions, and every seat is the best seat in the room. And asking questions is actually much easier as well.
Of course, a host of Audio Engineering Month content will be available on-demand, letting all registrants view sessions at their own convenience. Scheduled sessions will join the on-demand menus following initial streaming.
What no one wants to miss attending live is the opening ceremony and Heyser Lecture by John Chowning in the first day, as well as the special events, staring with "An Intimate and Compelling Journey to the Amazing World of Imogen Heap,” where the composer, engineer and producer will discuss her career. Known for applying the latest audio technologies and interfaces for ultimate creative expression and control in the production and performance of her musical compositions, Imogen Heap’s work has garnered awards and honors, including multiple GRAMMY Awards and three honorary doctorates. This event will take place on Wednesday 28, at 11:00 am.
The AES Show will also host six-time GRAMMY Award-winner FINNEAS as he delivers a featured virtual keynote address, providing the worldwide gathering of attendees insights into his creative process and workflow. Followed by an exclusive live Q&A, the event will take place on Thursday, October 29, at 4:00pm EDT. FINNEAS has had an award-winning year of hit productions, including GRAMMY Awards for “Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical,” “Record of the Year,” “Album of the Year,” and “Song of the Year” for his collaborations with Billie Eilish, along with the honor of being the youngest person to win the GRAMMY Award for “Producer of the Year, Non Classical.” Since his musical debut in 2016, he has penned and produced hits for many high-profile artists including Selena Gomez, Halsey, Camila Cabello, Tove Lo, Ben Platt, Julia Michaels, and more, and has emerged as a chart-topping producer/engineer as well as a solo artist.
Technical Tracks
Of course, the AES Show Technical Program is full of great sessions on a wide variety of topics. Checking the full daily schedule in advance - available here - is highly recommended.
With the recent, vast increase in online and broadcast delivery of a near limitless array of information, entertainment, and social information, the AES Show Fall 2020 Convention’s Broadcast and Online Delivery Track will examine key technologies and applications while taking a look back at broadcast history and a look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.
Of utmost importance in professional broadcast applications is the embrace of current and emerging productivity-enhancing standards and developing a working knowledge of their inner workings for the best possible performance and interoperability within the global broadcast realm. The session “Practical Tips for Using Digital Audio in a 2110 Facility” will offer in-depth expertise on IP Architecture and the SMPTE ST 2110 media networking protocol, of which the Audio Engineering Society’s AES3 and AES67 standards are key components, as well as related technologies and workflows. In this featured Broadcast and Online Delivery Track event, moderator Andy Butler (PBS) will host Wesley D. Simpson (Telecom Product Consulting), Robert Welch (Technical Solutions Lead, Arista Networks) and Peter Wharton (Principal Consultant, Happy Robotz, Inc.) to share their tips for media networking success and respond to your toughest questions in the follow-up Q&A.
Track sessions of historical importance include “Pass the Mic,” which will celebrate this year’s 100th anniversary of radio broadcasting and its innovations with host John Holt, and “A Century of Radio: What You May Not Know About the History of Broadcasting,” in which presenters Donna Halper (Associate Professor of Communication & Media Studies at Lesley University, Cambridge MA) and Barry Mishkind (Editor/Publisher of the Broadcasters’ Desktop Resource) will share surprising facts about broadcast history and dispel some of the myths perpetuated throughout the industry.
Microphone hygiene and podcast production are timely topics to be closely examined in the presentations: “Stay Safe: Disinfecting Microphones in the time of Covid-19” with presenter David Prentice and “Podcasts: Telling Stories with Sound” with Rob Byers of American Public Media. Byers will host panelists from Revel: sound designer/composers Jim Briggs and Fernando Arruda, as well as podcast series reporter/producers Laura Starecheski and Ike Sriskandarajah. In addition, two compelling virtual tours will be conducted in the sessions “A Virtual Tour and Discussion: BBC Broadcasting House Studio” led by Jamie Laundon and “A Virtual Tour and Discussion: BBC Wales - Cardiff Central Square IP-based Broadcast Facility” with Adrian Wisbey.
Migrating to digital file-based audio has brought on a host of challenges in the organization and management of the burgeoning elements used to produce modern musical magic. “Once upon a time, engineers and their assistants just had to keep track of various reels of multi-track analog tapes, containing up to about 48 tracks per song, that were stored in easily labeled boxes,” begins the P&E Wing’s description of its AES Show Fall 2020 Audio Engineering Convention Special Event – open to all interested – “Organizing Chaos: Top Engineers Discuss File Management,” to be held online Thursday, October 22, at 3pm EDT. “Those boxes also included track sheets (!) which used a common language to explain what was on each track,” the description continues. “Of course, that’s ancient history. Now, the number of tracks is pretty much unlimited, many sessions have no assistants, and engineers use their own proprietary ways of file labeling and management. Often, chaos ensues.” The value of organized assets is being further illuminated as artists and labels increasingly look to repurpose legacy assets for new formats like Dolby Atmos® and to capitalize on unreleased materials. The panel will address the issues and recommend solutions.
Catching the ears of an often-distracted audience is the superpower of a successful producer, which is the focus of this year’s AES Show Fall 2020 Platinum Producers Panel, set for October 29 at 6:00 pm EDT. Award-winning producers Fab Dupont, Julian Raymond and Ebonie Smith will take the virtual stage, moderated by music industry journalist and musician Michael Molenda, to discuss “Mysteries of the Formidable Hook – A Producers View on Creating Impact Through Songwriting, Technology and Sonic Textures.” These renowned participants will reveal how they deploy songwriting chops, audio-production strategies, fashion and style savvy, hook smarts, and other devices to make songs as compelling, commercial, and seductive as possible.
The world of live events has been hammered this year by dramatic changes and challenges. Even with that backdrop, the ongoing importance of sound reinforcement in communications and entertainment is nowhere more evidenced than in the AES Show Fall 2020 Convention Sound Reinforcement Track sessions. The AES Show Technical Program will highlight the latest advancements in sound reinforcement tech and practice, as well as pandemic-driven issues including optimizing health and safety standards for live sound technicians and their audiences. The Technical Program On Demand content will be available beginning October 26, with parallel scheduled streams featuring live Q&A sessions taking place October 27 – 30. AES Show All Access registrants can attend all Sound Reinforcement Track sessions along with the rest of the comprehensive Technical Program Special Events, including everything else the AES Show has to offer.
Visit AESShow.com to find out more about all the Technical Program sessions. For everything the AES Show 2020 has to offer, including the comprehensive Technical Program, All Access Registration starts at just $149 for AES Members and $99 for AES Student Members.
Jump to AES Show Event page: https://www.eventscribe.com/2020/AESNY/
