AES NYC Convention 2018 Historical Track Program

Hi Everyone,

The Audio Engineering Society Convention will be at the Javits Center October 17-20, Wednesday through Saturday, as well as at scattered locations in the region for Tech Tours or whatever they're calling them this time.

The organizing committee has been working for months to put the program together, and I'm part of it for the first time as the Chair of the Historical Track this year.

There are a bunch of other Tracks with a lot of great events, but you'll have to go to the aes.org website when it's up and see more details. Clicking that link now (August 8) just gives some teasers, but it should be live soon.

However, since I know the details of the Historical Track, here is a listing of (still changeable but probably close to final) times, dates, locations, presenters, and subject matter:

WEDNESDAY:
2:30-4PM Life and Death of 30th St Studio 1.5 hours TRACKS 5 ROOM
Dan Mortensen

Expanded technical look at entire history of the legendary Columbia Records recording studio in NYC, from its construction as a Presbyterian church in 1875, through its conversion to and use as a studio starting in 1948, until its sale in 1981 and demolition in 1982.

This talk will trace the history of the building itself and the evolution and changes in microphones, recording media and devices, studio monitoring, mixing consoles, outboard gear, and recording and studio staff. We will see some of the incredible talent that went through the studio, but there will not be time to do justice to the amazing array of people who worked there in all capacities and at one time or another, although the author is separately trying.

(Since you are seeing this in the Hoffman forums, you can learn more for yourself in the actual thread here .)

6:00-9:00PM A Short History: Ray Dolby and some Highlights of Dolby Technology, doors 6:15, start 6:45, end 8:45 DOLBY THEATER
Ioan Allen, Thomas Kodros

This program traces over 50 years of audio developments from Ray Dolby and Dolby Laboratories, and uses contemporaneous demonstration material for illustration. The content is primarily non-technical, and will conclude with a demonstration of the combination of Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision – the ultimate cinema experience of 2018.

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THURSDAY:
11:30-NOON Found: Notebooks of Benjamin Bauer 1/2 hour TRACKS 5 ROOM
Michael Pettersen, Shure

Benjamin B. Bauer (1913-1979) held over 100 patents for acoustical/audio technology, with his first patent, at age 25, being arguably the most significant: invention of the Uniphase principle integral to the Shure Unidyne model 55 microphone. Introduced in 1939 and still manufactured today, the Shure Unidyne was the first unidirectional microphone using a single dynamic element. Today, the Uniphase principle is employed in the vast majority of directional microphones.

In September 2016, Bauer’s engineering lab notebooks dating from 1936 to 1944 were located; they had not been seen for over 50 years. The presentation provides a peek into these Bauer notebooks as he discovers and refines the Uniphase principle, as well as numerous other electro-acoustical concepts – some decades ahead of their time.

NOON-12:30 Stanley Watkins, a Bell Labs Sound Pioneer 1/2 hour TRACKS 5 ROOM
Blair Rinn

Stanley Watkins was a British audio engineer who worked for Western Electric and Bell Labs for the duration of his career. A documentary is in progress about his work with the Warner Brothers launching talking pictures. In 1939 he dazzled audiences at the World's Fair presenting the early talking machine known as the Voder. This presentation will include a demonstration of one of the few remaining Voders.

6:00-9:00PM Both Sides Now: Joni Mitchell Live at the Isle of Wight 1970, doors 6:15, start 6:45, end 8:45 DOLBY THEATER
Eliot Kissileff

Joni Mitchell’s performance at the Isle of Wight in 1970 is perhaps one of her greatest ever, showing her triumph over a massively unruly and disruptive audience. The quiet sensitivity of her music seemed at odds with the chaotic energy of the largest event of the era, with 600,000 watching her perform solo acoustic music. When the conflicts threaten Joni’s performance in mid-flight, she breaks down and pleads with them to show some respect. They comply and she proceeds to mesmerize them with her beautiful music.

The film, captured by Academy Award-winning documentarian Murray Lerner (1927-2017), includes a blow-by-blow account of events from Joni herself.

A Q&A will follow the screening discussing the numerous audio and visual restoration challenges in bringing the material to the screen, involving tape, mag and even bootleg vinyl.

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FRIDAY:
9:00AM-10:30AM The Commercialization of Stereophony 1955-1960 1.5 hours SURROUND ROOM
Tom Fine

In 1955, stereo reel to reel tapes and players came to market, representing the beginning of the record business's commercialization of stereophony. By late 1958, 60 years ago, most of the major companies were releasing stereo LPs.

Continuing on his previous presentation, "The Roots of Stereophony," Fine will detail the technologies, key people and software of the early commercialization of stereophonic sound recordings. The presentation will include rare audio examples, including excerpts from the first commercially available stereo LP, plus excerpts from the author's collection of stereo demonstration records and tapes.

Also under discussion will be the marketing techniques used to convince people to ditch their one-speaker listening system and embrace 2-channel stereophony.

6:00-9:00PM “Company” Live Commentary, doors 6:15, start 6:45, end 8:45 DOLBY THEATER
Thomas Z. Shepard, Dan Mortensen

This will be a showing of the D. A. Pennebaker documentary of the making of the Original Cast Recording of the 1970 Stephen Sondheim musical. It was almost entirely shot in Columbia Records' 30th Street Studio and is the best visual tour of the studio that exists. The recording process of the show is shown in detail, as are the trials, tribulations, and joys of all involved as they proceed and/or stumble through every part of that process.

We will listen to a live commentary by Thomas Z. Shepard, original producer of the recording and featured in the movie, and Dan Mortensen, 30th Street Studio researcher. Other guests TBA.

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SATURDAY:
9:00AM-10:30AM Les Paul: How the Recording Wizard and Music Icon Changed the Industry 1.5 hours SPECIAL EVENTS ROOM
Michael Braunstein, Sue Baker, Gene Paul - Les Paul Foundation

Les Paul spent his life chasing sound, a sound different from anyone else’s. In his quest, he developed the techniques that are used every day in the recording industry. Through video, participants will hear Les Paul explaining what motivated him to create his recording evolution.

Sue Baker, Program Director for the Les Paul Foundation, will give an overview of Les Paul’s inventions and innovations including the evolution of the electric guitar and Les’ recording techniques.

Grammy-winning engineer Gene Paul, Les’ son, will explain the technology of his father’s inventions and describe how the inventions affect today’s recording technology.

Michael Braunstein, Les Paul’s most recent manager and Executive Director of the Les Paul Foundation, will explain how Les’ foundation is carrying on his work.

Participants will hear examples of Les Paul’s recording innovations.

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The titles and descriptions are from the presenters, FYI.

There is a fee for attendance at the Convention, and it is not minor, but there's lots to see and hear and do, and is lots of fun if you are into audio. There will also be a co-located National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention, and one fee gets you into both conventions. The NAB has lots of really cool video and video support gear in their part of the convention, and I actually spent just as much time in there last year as in the AES part.

 

If like past AES conventions, the "free passes" given out are not accepted for the technical presentations, only the exhibits display floor and its events.

Also, I see there is an additional fee for attending these Dolby Theater events, the details of which have yet to be worked out.