Audio Industry Connects at 145th Audio Engineering Society International New York Convention

October 25 2018, 01:10

Celebrating decades of professional audio leadership in its 70th anniversary year, the Audio Engineering Society raised the bar yet again with its 145th International Convention, the place to be to celebrate and experience the past, present and future of audio engineering technologies and techniques. Contrary to typical event patterns, for the second year in a row in New York City, the Convention’s exhibition floor was still packed at closing time – the Jacob Javits Center staff had to plead for a cleared hall with attendees who did not want their experience to end.

The three days of gear and services exhibition showed the latest innovations from over 300 brands, including 37 new exhibitors – some returning after periods of absence to embrace the renewed enthusiasm of exhibition attendees. These exhibitors included leading brands such as Dell, Sound Devices, Universal Audio, Apogee, Riedel, Zoom, Meyer Sound, Wisycom, Western Electric, Roland, MAGIX and more. Near 14,000 registrants kept the AES New York 2018 exhibition floor bustling, further bolstered by attendees from the co-located NAB New York Show who visited AES to connect and learn about audio.

Alongside the exhibition, the four days of in-depth presentations and insights from the most influential names in professional audio in the October 17-20 Technical Program at AES New York 2018 offered an array of ways to listen, learn and connect with the heart of the professional audio industry, from hundreds of scientific research presentations to technology demonstrations, onstage panels and interviews offering exclusive behind-the-scenes details covering the complete spectrum of audio production.

Thomas Dolby engages the standing-room-only crowd during the AES Opening Ceremonies Keynote address “The Conscious Sound Byte,” where he explored next-generation sound technologies and adaptive/non-linear music and audio for games, VR/AR, “hearables” and other new media platforms (capped with a live rendition of his seminal tune, “She Blinded Me with Science”) on October 17, 2018, at the AES New York 2018 Convention.

“The excitement of the attendees of AES New York 2018 was evident at every turn across the four days of the Convention,” noted Convention Co-Chair Jonathan Wyner. “Time and again we heard how attendees were moved, motivated and educated by the unparalleled Technical Program content. Exhibitors were enthusiastic about the opportunities the Exhibition offered to connect with their customers. AES New York 2018 brought new diversity and innovations – I look forward to seeing more in 2019.”

The Technical Program, built by the team of audio experts assembled and led by AES New York 2018 Co-chairs Paul Gallo, Valerie Tyler and Wyner, also offered a variety of feature presentations, including opening remarks from AES President David Scheirman; the lively and entertaining Keynote address by musician, technologist and educator Thomas Dolby during the Opening Ceremonies; a candid on-stage and in-character discussion with Derek Smalls (“formerly of the band formerly known as Spinal Tap”); and the Heyser Lecture given by sound reinforcement pioneer John Meyer.

Derek Smalls, “formerly of the band formerly known as Spinal Tap,” deconstructs his record Smalls Change (Meditations Upon Ageing), in a full-volume interview with producer/mixer CJ Vanston at the AES New York Convention.

Convention Co-Chair Tyler notes, “We are extremely grateful to our Track chairs and Convention committee members who put together the program and events this year, dedicating their expertise and an enormous amount of time and effort to give life to the convention. In addition, we’d like to thank the amazing and dedicated AES HQ staff, as well as the outstanding presenters and attendees who make the convention possible every year. The 145th AES International Convention has proven once again that there’s no better experience for audio professionals of today and tomorrow than the Audio Engineering Society.”

Attendees and featured presenters at this year’s show included Stevie Wonder, guitarist/songwriter Danny Kortchmar, renowned bassist Will Lee and legendary engineers/producers Al Schmitt, Bob Ludwig, Prince Charles Alexander, Chuck Ainlay, Jeff Balding, Frank Filipetti, Leslie Ann Jones, George Massenburg, Elliot Scheiner, Chris and Tom Lord-Alge, Marcella “Ms. Lago” Araica, Michael Brauer, Andrew Scheps, Tony Maserati, Joe Chiccarelli, Jack Joseph Puig, Piper Payne, Jimmy Douglass, Greg Wells, CJ Vanston and more.

Legendary sound reinforcement pioneer John Meyer of Meyer Sound Labs delivers the AES 145th Convention’s Heyser Lecture. Meyer's lifelong passion for accurate monitoring was evident in his presentation titled “Taking the Room Out of the Loudspeaker: New Tools for Transparent Reproduction.”

The AES looks ahead to 2019, when it will host the 146th AES International Convention in Dublin, Ireland, March 20–23, and its return to New York for the 147th AES International Convention, October 16–19, 2019.
For complete details on the AES New York 2018 International Convention visit aesshow.com

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