Archiving, Game Audio, Data Loss, The ‘Retro Format’ Trend & ‘Big Mistakes’

SAN FRANCISCO: “Our mandate for the 125th AES Convention Workshops Program was to identify the most compelling issues facing the pro audio industry, and to select panels capable of clarifying them,” reports Workshops Co-Chair Dave Harris. “In addition to a number of strong individual presentations, we have also grouped a pair of presentation tracks to address Archiving and Game Audio as comprehensively as possible.”

Co-chair Joe Carter illustrates these ‘Program Tracks’ with three Workshops focusing on Video Game Audio. “Games are now a dominant audio sector of production/post production growth, and clearly warrant in-depth study,” Carter says. “We have also coordinated a trio of Workshops on developments in Archiving, a critical issue with far-ranging implications.”

“We are extremely pleased with this year’s Workshops Program,” remarked 125th AES Convention Committee Co-Chair John Strawn. “Our co-chairs are immensely qualified for this assignment. Dave Harris is a former VP of engineering for NPR in Washington, DC, and Sr. Systems Designer for Lucasfilm THX. Joe Carter served as Sr. Software Engineer at Walt Disney Imagineering and was a member of the Motion Pictures Experts Group (MPEG). They have done a yeoman’s job on this year’s Program. The 125th AES Convention will be held in San Francisco’s Moscone Center, Oct. 2-5, 2008,” Strawn says. “We believe it’s one for the record books”

ARCHIVING WORKSHOPS PROGRAM TRACK:

HOW TO AVOID CRITICAL DATA LOSS AFTER CATASTROPHIC SYSTEM FAILURE: Moderator -Chris Bross. Natural disaster, drive failure, human error and cyber-related crime or corruption can threaten business continuity and survival if their data storage devices are compromised. Back up systems and disaster recovery plans can help after a system crash, but precautionary measures should be taken. A senior data recovery engineer will review the most common causes of drive failure, demonstrate the consequences of improper diagnosis, and suggest action for each type of data loss.

ANALYZING, RECOMMENDING AND SEARCHING AUDIO CONTENT – COMMERCIAL APPLLICATIONS OF MUSIC INFORMATION RETRIEVAL: Moderator, Jay LeBoeuf. A focus on the cutting-edge applications of Music Information Retrieval (MIR), a key technology behind music startups recently featured in Wired and Popular Science. Online music consumption is dramatically enhanced by automatic music recommendation, customized playlisting, rich metadata, etc. This workshop will address what’s out there and where it’s all going. Panelists will include industry thought-leaders.

ARCHIVING AND PRESERVATION FOR AUDIO ENGINEERS: Moderator - Konrad Strauss. The art of audio recording is 130 years old. Recordings from the late 1890s have been preserved thanks to the longevity of analog media, but what of today’s digital recordings? Digital storage technology is transient in nature, making lifespan and obsolescence a significant concern. Topics include: Best practices for storage and preservation of digital audio recordings, and current thinking and archiving strategies, from home studio to large production facility.

VIDEO GAME AUDIO WORKSHOP TRACK:

NAVIGATING THE TECHNOLOGY MINE FIELD IN GAME AUDIO: Moderator Marc Schaefgen - The complexity and diversity of today’s games has driven developers to look out-of-house for their game audio production needs. Issues will include: tools in the audio production chain and outsourcing of musicians and sound designers as part of the production process.

INTERACTIVE MIDI-BASED TECHNOLOGIES FOR GAME AUDIO: Moderator, Chris Grigg - The MIDI Manufacturers Assoc. (MMA) has developed three new standards for MIDI based technologies with applications in game audio. This panel will explore 3D MIDI Controllers, Interactive XMF Specifications and HD Protocol for MIDI Devices, a new, and drastically simplified, 32-bit version of the MIDI message protocol for use on modern transports and software APIs.

FILE FORMATS FOR INTERACTIVE APPLICATIONS AND GAMES: Moderator, Bernhard Grill - There are a number of different standards covering file formats which may be applicable to interactive or game applications. Some of these older formats have not been widely adopted, and newer ones are not well established. The expert panel members have been involved in the standardization or development of MPEG-4 object coding, MPEG-4 Structured Audio Orchestral Language, MPEG-4 Audio BIFS and the upcoming iXMF standard.

ADDITIONAL WORKSHOPS INCLUDE:

REVOLT OF THE MASTERING ENGINEERS: Moderator -Paul Stubblebine

Mastering engineers Bernie Grundman and Greg Calbi have each started independent labels, recording music with traditional techniques and releasing it on vinyl. Mastering engineers, Paul Stubblebine and Michael Romanowski have started a label to reissue music they love on 15 IPS half-track reel-to-reel. What’s behind this trend? Why are mastering engineers giving up their non-existent free time to start labels based on obsolete technologies? What does this say about the current state of recorded music?

MISTAKES WE HAVE MADE, MOSTLY IN AUDIO ENGINERING: Six leading audio product developers: Robert Bristow-Johnson, Audio Imagination; Peter Eastty, Oxford Digital Limited (UK); James D. (JJ) Johnson, Neural Audio Corp.; Mel Lambert, Media & Marketing; George Massenburg, Massenburg Design Works and Jim McTigue, Euphonix, Inc. will share the enlightening, thought provoking and (in retrospect) amusing lessons they have learned from actual mistakes they have made in the product development trenches.

Mastering Chaos in Sound Production – From Mixer to Mouse & Back Again.

New Frontiers In Audio Forensics

From Text to Graphics to Audio to Video

Audio Networking for the Pros

New Multichannel Formats for Internet Audio

Upcoming MPEG Standard For Efficient Parametric Coding and Rendering of Audio Objects

Wanna feel my LFE? and other burning surround questions

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Photos: 125th AES Convention Workshop Co-Chairs Dave Harris and Joe Carter.

Please credit photos by Alex Storm courtesy of Dolby Labs. For High res images visit: http://www.aes.org/events/125/press/

Santa Monica, CA, July 29, 2008 – Emmy Award winning producer/composer Yoav Goren has announced the launch of a new music label entitled Imperativa Records, which he will serve as CEO. Concurrently, Goren also announced the U.S. release of Imperativa Records’ first two original CDs, “Trailerhead” from artist Immediate, and “Epicon” from artist Globus.

NOTE: As of July 29, there will be two ways to purchase “Trailerhead”—through digital download from online stores such as iTunes, and physical copies which can be purchased directly from Imperativa Records via www.imperativarecords.com. From August 26 and thereafter, the “Trailerhead” CD will also be distributed through a broader retail outreach through such outlets as Amazon.com, and several brick and mortar stores.

Goren said, “Imperativa Records is a high quality label dedicated to providing music lovers of all kinds the best of contemporary, orchestral and choral music for the 21st Century. We felt the time was right to release this exciting, emotionally powerful music to a wider audience, and we expect to be delivering several upcoming new releases during the course of the next few years.”

ABOUT “TRAILERHEAD” & IMMEDIATE:

“Trailerhead” contains 15 extraordinary, never-before-available tracks, each of which presents a huge, epic, hybrid orchestral style. The tracks mix orchestra with electronics and various grooves, along with sweeping choral melodies. Immediate is credited as pioneers in bringing this production style to the genre popularly known as “Trailer Music,” which is broadly used within Hollywood’s global motion picture advertising industry. Goren said, “’Trailerhead’ features some of the most high profile, exciting, and talked about trailer music heard in movie theaters all over the world, during the past three or four years.”

The cuts on “Trailerhead” are comprised of music that was featured in numerous dynamic, thrilling and powerful motion picture film trailers. One of the tracks won an Emmy Award for its use in NBC’s broadcast of the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Among these tracks and their associated film/TV projects are:

“Prometheus Rising” from the trailer for “Beowulf”

“An Epic Age” from the trailer for “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”

“Lacrimosa Dominae” from the trailer for “Spiderman 2”

“Seranata Immortale” from the trailer for “I, ROBOT”

“Prelude to Paradise” from the trailer for “Kingdom of Heaven”

“Spiritus Omnia” from the trailer for “The Fantastic Four”

“Fides en Lucius Dei” from the trailer for “The Da Vinci Code”

and

“Onward to Freedom” – this tune led composers Yoav Goren and Jeffrey Fayman to Emmy Award wins in 2007 for “Outstanding Music Composition for a Television Sports Program,” as featured in NBC’s “XX Olympics: The Torino Games”

Due to popular demand, the artist Immediate was “born” of Immediate Music. For 15 years, Immediate Music has been widely acknowledged as Hollywood’s preeminent supplier of original music for high profile, major studio motion picture trailers. In the competitive market of motion picture advertising, the quality of Immediate Music’s compositions, as well as its high production levels, have consistently measured up against the finest motion picture scores in the global entertainment industry.

Immediate Music’s prestigious clients include every major motion picture studio, including Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers, DreamWorks, Universal Pictures, The Weinstein Company, and Lions Gate, and every TV network, including CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, HBO, and TNT.

ABOUT “EPICON” & GLOBUS:

“Epicon” is powerful Epic Rock, recorded by the band Globus (of which Mr. Goren is a member,) and featuring rock, pop, classical and world music songs—originally showcased on movie screens worldwide, but now with added lyrics– fused with orchestra and choir. During its limited test launch, which took place only in the UK, “Epicon” sold over 10,000 CD units. Globus’ filmed live concert, held at the Wembley Center in London, has been seen across UK television, and the band’s three MTV-style music videos have enjoyed widespread UK TV popularity.

Regarding “Epicon,” UK-based music critic Jim Bloomington, said, “The ‘Epicon’ album is very well done. Clearly alot of work went into filling out these tracks into music that stands on its own, and it shows. I can’t stress this point enough–this album must have been a labor of love. The approach the producers took allowed them to market their music to a broader audience than just hard core movie trailer fanatics. Some of the tracks, like ‘Preliator’ (a track derived from the “Spider-Man 2” movie trailer,) are truly enhanced by the added content — I could simply listen to it over and over until the CD wears out. These tracks are so good that Globus will surely develop a core of fanatics who are eagerly awaiting their next project.”

ABOUT IMPERATIVA RECORDS & YOAV GOREN:

Imperativa Records is a new music label based in Santa Monica, CA, specializing in the production and release of original CD and online music, covering a broad spectrum of genres, including soundtrack, rock, fusion, and contemporary classical, among others. Imperativa sync licenses the label’s masters into films, television shows, movie trailers and TV commercials. The label offers music which blends a massive orchestral and choral sound with contemporary styles, accessible to today’s wide ranging, music-loving audiences, and which is also highly sought after for product marketing.

Imperativa Records is led by Emmy Award winning composer and producer Yoav Goren, who is also a co-founder of Immediate Music. During the course of the past 15 years, Goren, and his Immediate Music co-founder Jeffrey Fayman, have composed and produced over 1,200 tracks of original music for more than 5,000 major movie studio and network television projects. For more information, please see www.imperativarecords.com

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 2008: With a performance of their hit single “Apologize” on American Idol, an extensive tour of North America and Europe to feed a growing worldwide mob of voracious fans, and the support of the music industry’s biggest players, Los Angeles five-piece OneRepublic are on fire. Apart from an obvious knack for writing catchy and emotionally-relevant songs, OneRepublic owe much of their success to an awe-inspiring live show that guarantees, not only that fans will return when the band comes through town for a second show but, that all of their friends and their friends’ friends will be in attendance too!

After 25 years on the road and a deep understanding of the pros and cons of all the various brands of live sound equipment in common use, veteran FOH engineer Martin Frey is glad to be working with a full complement of Sennheiser wired and wireless microphones, along with Sennheiser wireless personal monitors for every member of OneRepublic. Indeed, Frey owns a modest collection of vintage Sennheiser microphones including a silver 441 with clear plastic clips and a Led Zeppelin-era gray MD 421.

OneRepublic founder and lead vocalist Ryan Tedder is currently using the evolution wireless 945 microphone coupled with the EM 550 G2 receiver. On “American Idol” Ryan used the Neumann KK 105 capsule with the Sennheiser SKM 5200 transmitter, a combination that Frey has had tremendous success with before. “It’s one of most outstanding vocal package I’ve ever worked with. The Neumann capsule is obviously built in the spirit of their famous studio mics and reveals stunning detail. The superior German engineering of the Sennheiser transmitter ensures that all of that detail survives to the speakers.”

All of the backing vocals use Sennheiser evolution e 935 wired dynamic cardioids to cut through OneRepublic’s thick mix. The band’s tremendous collection of guitar amps all receive accurate and musical pickup from their equally-tremendous collection of Sennheiser e 906 flat-body, super-cardioid microphones. A Sennheiser e 914 small diaphragm condenser captures the band’s glockenspiel.

Eddie Fisher’s drum kit benefits from Sennheiser evolution 900 series wired microphones. Frey uses an e 901 boundary-layer condenser and an e 902 low-end dynamic on bass drum. A fast-transient e 905 is used on the snare, and a collection of rim-clipable e 904s deliver robust toms. An e 914 on hi-hat and some other overheads round out the kit.

Although Fisher gets part of his monitor sound from a low-frequency speaker enclosure, and guitarist Zach Filkins has a wedge near by, the entire band monitors primarily with Sennheiser wireless ew 300 IEM G2 personal monitoring systems. In fact, the band tours with eight units, three of which are used by technicians. “We’ve been tremendously happy with the Sennheiser wireless monitors,” said Frey. “They’re rock solid and completely reliable. When we can’t take our package with us, as was the case at a few recent dates in Europe, it’s nice both that they’re prevalent enough that no one ever has trouble meeting the requirements of our rider, and that we can count on any unit that lands in our hands.

“After 25 years in the business, I can see that wireless conditions are getting more and more constrained,” continued Frey. “In the major cities of Europe, as well as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, it’s increasingly difficult to find a hole in the background RF to make multiple channels work. These over-crowded RF conditions have the potential to become a serious issue on a daily basis, however with Sennheiser we always succeed no matter how nasty things get.”

As OneRepublic continues to capitalize on their success with an ambitious touring schedule, Frey has already placed orders for additional Sennheiser gear. Most recently, Tedder’s acoustic guitar has been freed from its wiry shackles by a Sennheiser wireless instrument transmitter.

SENNHEISER Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in sixty countries around the world through long-term distribution partners and subsidiaries in France, UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Russia, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Japan, China, Canada, Mexico and the USA. Sennheiser’s technology is produced in manufacturing plants in Germany, Ireland and the United States of America. Their pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The Sennheiser Group is proud to be affiliated with Georg Neumann (Technical Grammy(r) award-winning studio microphones), Klein and Hummel (studio monitors) and the joint venture Sennheiser Communications that brings their award-winning technology to headsets for PCs, offices and call centers.

For more information, please visit www.sennheiserusa.com

(PHOTO CAPTIONS) Ryan_Tedder.JPG: OneRepublic’s lead vocalist Ryan Tedder is touring with the Sennheiser evolution e 945 wireless mic, the 550 G2 dual receiver and the ever-popular ew 300 series IEMs. Martin_Frey.JPG: Martin Frey, front-of-house engineer for OneRepublic.

ASHLAND, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 28, 2008: Soundwave Research Laboratories, Inc., producers of Crowley and Tripp Ribbon Microphones, today announced that it expects rapid market growth in the ribbon microphone category, primarily due to its invention and introduction of the new nanomaterial “Roswellite(tm)” that overcomes the long standing durability problems inherent in all previous ribbon microphones.

“The invention of Roswellite is a breakthrough that was made possible through a concentrated materials development program alongside a focused product and market development mission,” said Robert J. Crowley, president of the company. “What was once a niche segment, is poised to grow and compete head-to-head with condenser and dynamic microphones for virtually any sound pickup application - and now is growing at a very rapid rate of over twenty-percent annually.”

Crowley also thinks that the status quo will soon be eclipsed. “Ribbon technology is finally durable, repeatable and manufacturable in modern production environments to maintain the highest quality standards,” he said. “The larger manufacturers have avoided the service problems that are associated with the “foils.” Roswellite is so much stronger, and yet produces a sound as good or better than traditional, but fragile, materials.”

Chris Regan, product manager of Crowley and Tripp Ribbon microphones, sees a quadrupling of the ribbon market in a relatively short time. “Most current ribbon microphones are sold through smaller sales channels and serve minor markets, but all that has changed with the introduction of Roswellite. Ribbons have gone from a “nice to have” to a “must have,” he said. Regan asserts that the market potential is quite large, claiming every musician with a computer who wants to make a high-quality recording represents a possible customer, and observed that ribbon microphones are increasingly becoming the preferred tool of choice for many vocalists, guitarists, percussionists, as well as traditional string and brass musicians. “We are experiencing a very rapid change where skilled artists select all of their instruments, including the specific recording gear,” he added.

Hugh Tripp, co-founder of Soundwave, made additional observations based on his experience making precision medical devices. “The Roswellite material obsoletes the old materials, and we are seeing that our customers are readily accepting it,” he remarked. “It was time for an improvement, and this is the first fundamental improvement to any of the major microphones types in several decades. We are in a happy place today.”

Crowley and Tripp Microphones are made in Ashland Massachusetts by people who know the art and science of acoustics. Roswellite-equipped ribbon microphones include Naked Eye Roswellite ($1,295) and el Diablo ($2,750) premium ribbon microphones.

http://www.soundwaveresearch.com/index_proaudio.html

(PHOTO CAPTION) Soundwave’s Robert Crowley reports that sales of new Roswellite-equipped ribbon microphones, such as Naked Eye Roswellite, shown here, quickly shot past sales of all of the old “foil” type ribbons.

Severn, Maryland, July 28, 2008 – 3G Wireless LLC, an industry leader implementing wireless HD technology, and Bexel Broadcast Services, the world’s leader in broadcast production, are utilizing their strategic partnership to bring HD coverage of this year’s Beijing Olympics to the world. 3G, using six of Nucomm’s CamPac 2 wireless camera transmitters and six of its Newscaster DR diversity receivers, will be stationed at the Hong Kong-based Sha Tin competition venue and Beijing-based Workers’ Stadium, to provide superior HDRF coverage for the host world feed. more

Greensboro, NC – July 2008… WorxAudio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of loudspeaker systems for the pro touring and install markets, proudly introduces the M80X2-P Line Array. A new addition to WorxAudio Technologies’ TrueLine™ Series, the new M80X2-P is a two-way, high efficiency, ultra compact, line array loudspeaker system designed for the most natural sounding reproduction of speech and music program material. This exceptional new loudspeaker system excels at a wide variety of sound reinforcement applications, including small to medium sized performance venues and clubs, houses of worship, theaters, cabarets, as well as meeting and presentation facilities. more