A week with no Pro AV acquisitions? Egads! Last week, while there were no acquisitions to report, there were a lot of newsmakers in Pro AV, including some new digs for MAXHUB. Mark J. Pescatore and Wayne Cavadi were in Las Vegas for NAB Show 2026, where several newsworthy announcements were revealed.

[5 Lessons Learned at NAB Show 2026]

Check out all that and more below.

People News

AtlasIED Announces Two Appointments to Support Its Expanding International Operations

AtlasIED announced a pair of appointments to its international team. Bartosz Pętlak has been appointed as applications engineer for the EMEA region, while Roger Lim has taken on the role of applications engineer for the APAC region.

Pętlak joins the AtlasIED team with 17 years of AV and digital signage experience, supporting regional growth through technical expertise, tailored solution design, and close collaboration with customers and partners to deliver successful deployments.

“The AtlasIED team and the company’s extensive product catalog are responsible for an impressive amount of applications in the EMEA region, and I’m honored to join the efforts,” said Pętlak. “I look forward to leveraging my experience in the industry to deliver solutions that address a wide range of complex customer requirements and drive successful project outcomes.”

Lim will support customers and partners by providing solution design, implementation, and technical expertise to ensure successful deployments across the region. With over 30 years of experience as a seasoned AV and pro audio specialist, Lim is well-equipped to excel in this role at AtlasIED. His extensive background in acoustics, sound reinforcement, and signal flow aligns perfectly with the strengths of AtlasIED's technology offerings. "I am excited to build and nurture strong relationships with customers in the APAC region. Being able to assist them in person is empowering, and I take pride in the strong presence that AtlasIED has established and will continue to expand in this area," said Lim. "I am passionate about ensuring that our solutions perform well in real-world environments and provide long-term value. I look forward to directly supporting our customers in my region."

CEDIA Appoints Andrea Harvey as Director of Design & Build Outreach

CEDIA appointed designer Andrea Harvey as director of design and build outreach. Harvey will create a new department within CEDIA to enable its members to grow their businesses by forging strong partnerships with interior designers, architects, and builders.

Harvey brings more than 20 years of experience at the intersection of interior design, construction, manufacturer partnerships, and professional education. She is the founder of Ash Interiors & Design, where she has cultivated strong relationships across the design-build ecosystem while advancing collaboration among trade professionals. Her background also includes representing luxury manufacturers, delivering professional education programs, and presenting at national industry forums.

In her new role, Harvey positions smart-home technology as an essential component of the modern home construction process by engaging with designers, architects, homebuilders, and their trade organizations. Through targeted events, strategic partnerships, and program development, Harvey will support CEDIA members’ business growth by increasing adoption of integrated technology in both new-build and retrofit residential projects.

Diversified Welcomes Tyler Affolter as Chief Revenue Officer

Diversified has appointed Tyler Affolter as chief revenue officer (CRO), a strategic leadership move that reflects the company’s continued focus on growth at the intersection of media, workplace, and digital experience.

As CRO, Affolter leads Diversified’s global commercial organization, helping accelerate growth across the company’s established media, collaboration and digital signage businesses while extending those core strengths into broadcast and experiential AV. He further aligns go-to-market strategy with Diversified’s engineering, delivery and services capabilities, supporting the company’s next phase of growth as it expands its leadership in mission-critical media-rich environments, strengthens its ability to serve global client ecosystems and grows lifecycle support capabilities that extend well beyond deployment.

Company News

AES Goes “Immersive Audio in All Flavors”

The Audio Engineering Society (AES) will present the Immersive Audio Academy 12th Edition, “Immersive Audio in All Flavors,” on April 30, 2026, at noon ET, as part of its ongoing series examining current developments in immersive and spatial audio.

This online event will bring together a panel of internationally recognized experts to explore a range of approaches to immersive audio production, distribution and implementation across multiple application areas, including music, broadcast and emerging media. The session is intended to provide insights into the technologies, workflows, and creative practices shaping the field.

Topics will include current hardware and software solutions supporting immersive audio workflows, the accessibility of immersive production tools, and the evolving role of spatial audio in contemporary content creation. The session will also consider future directions for immersive audio and the challenges associated with broader adoption across the industry.

Broadsign Partners with JB Hi-Fi to Accelerate Retail Media Network

Australian consumer electronics retailer JB Hi-Fi is deploying the Broadsign Platform to build and scale its in-store retail media network (RMN), which spans over 200 stores across Australia. The technology will streamline operations, enabling JB Hi-Fi to seamlessly plan, execute, optimize, and measure in-store media and ad campaigns across locations from one central hub.

With the Broadsign Platform providing real-time availability, intuitive ad serving, and robust campaign reporting out-of-the-box, JB Hi-Fi will be able to unlock impactful in-store opportunities and deliver measurable results across its network. An open API also allows JB Hi-Fi to integrate with its preferred retail systems, platforms, and processes, while still maintaining complete ownership and control over its network.

MAXHUB Announces New US Corporate Headquarters

MAXHUB officially opened its new North American headquarters and Experience Center in Irvine, CA. The new facility signals a long-term investment in MAXHUB’s commitment to the North American market. Additionally, it further demonstrates the company’s investment in local support and inventory, which is intended to elevate brand awareness and visibility while strengthening business partner confidence and trust. The new corporate Experience Center represents MAXHUB’s dedication to empowering the AI connected workplace with innovative technology that enables people to communicate more effectively.

The grand opening event took place on Thursday, April 16. During the event, attendees had the opportunity to experience MAXHUB products and solutions, with an emphasis on AI. The audience saw how MAXHUB collaborates with Microsoft as part of its AI Collaboration Workspace solution. This includes seeing how MAXHUB enhances the meeting room with its AI Video and Audio Fence through the Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTR) XBar series, Teams Collaboration Boards, and MAXHUB Collaboration Board Solutions. Attendees also saw how MAXHUB products integrate with other third-party solutions, including NDI, AV over IP, and more. They had the opportunity to discover the latest MAXHUB DvLED solutions including all-in-ones and custom solutions.

Guests also learned about the Microsoft/MAXHUB partnership, which started from an entry level MTR System 3 years ago and has now grown into a total solution for everything from huddle spaces to large rooms for both MTR Windows and MTR Android environments. Microsoft's AI strategy and MAXHUB's unique MTR Windows solution (the W70 Kit, V7 Teams Xboard) help unify the AI workplace. Similarly, for small room environments, MAXHUB's Express Solution: the V555T+Touch Console, Commercial Display + Xbar + Display Stand, make a compelling choice.

Renkus-Heinz Opens New Experience Center in Bangkok

Renkus-Heinz inaugurated a new Experience Center in Bangkok, serving as a strategic regional hub to foster innovation, demonstration and collaboration. The modern facility offers partners, consultants, and end users an immersive, hands-on environment to experience its audio solutions.

The Experience Center showcases Renkus-Heinz’s loudspeakers, subwoofers, and technology via dedicated demo rooms, allowing visitors to discover these innovative solutions and explore how they can be used to enhance audio across a range of environments, from theaters and transportation hubs to houses of worship. 

To celebrate the site’s opening, Renkus-Heinz welcomed RH Partners from APAC to a special launch event featuring live beam-steering presentations, along with system configuration, commissioning, and control demonstrations using the Omnibeam algorithm and the latest RHAON III software. The event also included an immersive spatial audio demonstration by Amadeus Acoustics, showcasing advanced spatial audio technologies and highlighting the power of intelligent acoustic control.

If promotions, new hires, and partnerships are any indication of a healthy industry (spoiler: they are), Pro AV is thriving. With ISE 2026 in action to kick off February, you may have missed the flurry of moves that happened across our industry the past couple weeks.

[SCN Stellar Service Awards 2026 Nominations Now Open]

Don't worry. That's exactly what we are here for. Get caught up with the latest people movers and partnerships in Pro AV.

People on the Move

Advanced Systems Group Appoints Industry Veteran Derek Pezzotti to Lead Sports and Venue Market Growth

Advanced Systems Group (ASG) has appointed Derek Pezzotti as senior account executive. Pezzotti joins ASG’s Production and Innovation team to help expand the company’s presence in the sports and venue segment. In this role, Pezzotti works closely with ASG’s consulting, design, engineering, and integration teams.

Pezzotti arrives at ASG after an almost 20-year career spanning sports team and event operations, broadcast news, broadcast equipment manufacturer, and, most recently, a consulting firm specializing in broadcast technology for stadiums. This varied background has given him a 360-degree perspective of how venues are planned, procured, built, and run in real-world conditions. That background translates into faster project development and solutions that meet both technical and business goals.

Ampetronic | Listen Technologies Promotes Mikey Shaffer to Vice President of North American Sales

Listen Technologies and Ampetronic have promoted Mikey Shaffer to VP of North American sales. In this role, Shaffer is responsible for accelerating revenue growth, expanding market presence, and optimizing channel performance across North America. She leads the North American sales teams and channel partners in selling Listen Technologies and Ampetronic assistive listening systems.

Shaffer joined Listen Technologies in 2016 and has held marketing, vertical markets, and regional sales roles at the organization. Prior to her promotion, Shaffer served as senior director of sales in North America. Under her leadership, the team delivered a period of exceptional growth and operational maturity.

D-Tools Names G Paul Hess as CEO

D-Tools has appointed G Paul Hess to chief executive officer as part of a long-planned leadership succession. After more than a decade as CEO marked by strong, consistent growth, Randy Stearns has chosen to “downshift” from the role while remaining actively involved.

Hess brings decades of experience in the electronic systems industry, beginning his career as an integrator and later holding senior and executive leadership roles across product, sales, and marketing at organizations including Snap One and ADI. Having worked closely with integrators, manufacturers, and channel partners throughout his career, Hess has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the electronic systems community and how D-Tools’ platform can unlock greater efficiencies, profitability, and growth.

Visionary Appoints Ryan Nowak as VP of IPTV and Signage Solutions

Visionary appointed Ryan Nowak as VP of IPTV and signage solutions. In this role, Nowak leads system architecture, deployment strategy, and technical alignment for Visionary’s IPTV platform to support customers and partners worldwide.

Nowak brings more than 20 years of experience spanning IPTV systems engineering, global solution deployments and product strategy leadership. He works closely with Visionary’s product management, engineering and support teams to ensure scalable and reliable IPTV and signage deployments across enterprise, education, healthcare, sports and broadcast environments.

Prior to joining Visionary, Nowak held multiple senior leadership roles at VITEC, where he most recently served as strategic growth unit product director for Engage and Connect solutions. Earlier roles included head of product management for platforms and director of deployments, where he led global IPTV and signage deployments across diverse network environments. Earlier in his career, Nowak spent more than a decade with the Green Bay Packers as a technology systems engineer, supporting and maintaining technology systems across Lambeau Field and other managed facilities, including live-event operations and fan-facing technology environments.

Vizrt Welcomes Expanded Enterprise Team

Vizrt expanded its team to ignite a new era of professional-grade production, communication, and connection for enterprises. Under the leadership of Vizrt’s CRO, Ryan Poggi, the expanded enterprise team brings decades of expertise in enterprise technology to deliver broadcast-level engagement, once only available to Sports, Media and Entertainment corporations, to organizations of all sizes.

As the new VP of Enterprise, Andy Baillie brings a wealth of experience across content automation, AI and analytics, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) technologies. Baillie has held growth leadership positions at IBM, DocuSign, and Seismic. With a history of pioneering disruptive technologies that scale, he is uniquely positioned to deliver transformative outcomes for Vizrt customers.

Coming from leadership positions at Microsoft, SoftwareOne, and Pax8, Nikki Meyer leads the global Channel Sales team. She manages a high-performing team to deliver solutions via Vizrt’s international community of trusted partners, expanding the reach of communities that can create content that captivates viewers.

Company News

AES Opens Submissions for 6th International Conference on Audio for Virtual and Augmented Reality and Immersive Games

The Audio Engineering Society (AES) has announced details for its 6th International Conference on Audio for Virtual and Augmented Reality and Immersive Games (AVARIG2026), taking place in Europe and including immersive game audio for the first time, June 30 – July 3, 2026, at Sorbonne University/d'Alembert and IRCAM/STMS in Paris, France.

Submissions for peer-reviewed papers, extended summaries, workshops and tutorials are now being accepted through March 24, 2026. Accepted contributions will be included in the AES E-Library and considered for a special Journal of the Audio Engineering Society issue following the conference. Sponsorship opportunities are currently available, with conference registration opening soon. For details on submissions, programming, and how to participate, visit AES.org.

​Audacy and Sonos Forge Exclusive Partnership

Audacy and Sonos have announced a strategic partnership that includes Audacy serving as the exclusive U.S. sales and distribution representative for Sonos Radio’s streaming inventory. Through the partnership, Audacy will leverage its sales capabilities, technology and audio expertise to expand Sonos Radio’s advertising business and strengthen monetization across the platform. The partnership reflects Audacy and Sonos’s shared vision of maximizing the power of audio wherever and however people are listening, for both audiences and marketers.

Sonos Radio’s more than 100 stations will also be distributed on the Audacy platform, expanding access to Sonos Radio’s curated music, artist channels, and mood-driven listening experiences. Listeners will be able to discover Sonos Radio stations across the Audacy app and web, with Sonos Radio featured alongside Audacy’s popular owned-and-operated brands. In addition to distribution on the Audacy app and website, Audacy will also distribute Sonos Radio stations across various platforms, including Google Home, Alexa, and Apple Music. Audacy’s complete portfolio of broadcast stations has been available on Sonos devices since 2020.

AVI-SPL Achieves SOC 2 Type II Attestation

Among a bevy of announcements at ISE 2026, AVI-SPL announced that it has achieved SOC 2 Type II attestation. This attestation applies to the entire AVI-SPL organization and includes a separate SOC 2 Type II report for Symphony, AVI-SPL’s experience management platform. By earning SOC 2 Type II attestation directly, rather than relying on third-party platforms, AVI-SPL reinforces its commitment to security and its role as a trusted, enterprise-grade partner for organizations worldwide.

SOC 2 Type II attestation confirms not only that AVI-SPL has established strong security and confidentiality controls, but that those controls operate effectively over time. For customers, this provides assurance that their data and environments are protected throughout the full lifecycle of engagement, from design and deployment through ongoing managed services and support.

Brompton Technology Welcomes New Partner to Panel Manufacturer Partner Program

Brompton welcomed Fabulux LED as the first Silver Partner in its Panel Manufacturer Partner program. Brompton is introducing the Silver Partner tier to its Panel Manufacturer Partner program, alongside the existing Diamond and Gold Partner levels. While Brompton works with a huge range of LED panel manufacturers, the Partner Program recognises the particularly strong relationships the company has developed with panel manufacturers including ROE Visual (Diamond Partner), Absen, AOTO, and INFiLED (Gold Partners).

Grass Valley and NETGEAR Partner on Enterprise Broadcast AV Workflows

Grass Valley and NETGEAR announced a strategic partnership to serve the rapidly growing Broadcast AV segment. The collaboration combines NETGEAR AV’s live media optimized switching and secure IP networking with Grass Valley’s software-defined production tools and hardware platforms to make it simpler for enterprises to produce, manage, and distribute high-quality content.

Enterprise organizations, including corporations, universities, houses of worship, esports, and venues, increasingly require broadcast-quality production capabilities but have historically faced prohibitive costs and complexity. This partnership directly addresses that gap. Both companies share a common vision of interoperability, built on major standards including NDI, SMPTE ST 2110, Dante, and SRT, alongside a customer-first approach that simplifies user experiences and delivers powerful tools.

Ross Video, BeckTV Expand Ravens’ LED Display System for Stadium-Wide Control

BeckTV and Ross Video have partnered to deliver a major upgrade at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens. Building on a collaboration that began in 2017 and continued with a comprehensive content management system (CMS) overhaul in 2023, BeckTV led the design and integration of a fully unified LED display system that is now fully installed and operational for the current NFL season.

The upgrade introduces new LED boards in Premium Club and concourse areas, extending the Ravens’ CMS beyond the bowl displays. At the heart of the solution is the Ross XPression Tessera M9 engine, enabling real-time graphics rendering and data integration for LED displays and IPTV. The system also incorporates the Ross Ultrix FR5 routing platform, custom Rocket Surgery graphics design, and DashBoard control interfaces for seamless venue-wide management.

To support large-scale visual experiences, the system leverages Carbonite Mosaic for compositing live video and graphics and Ultrix Carbonite switchers for routing and processing. These technologies, combined under BeckTV’s design, ensure pixel-accurate rendering across massive LED surfaces, including end-zone boards approaching 13,000 pixels wide. The expanded CMS now drives content to 52 unique displays throughout the stadium, including concourse TVs, club screens, vomitory displays, and upper and lower ribbons. Full redundancy is built into the system to guarantee reliability during high-profile events.

Pleneo, Sennheiser Announce Intelligent Room Kits

Pleneo and Sennheiser unveiled the availability of two intelligent meeting room kits designed to remove installation complexity, reduce deployment cost, and enable consistent, AI-ready collaboration experiences in medium and large meeting spaces at scale.

The Pleneo Medium Room Kit and Pleneo Large Room Kit are designed to change that. Engineered for medium and large rooms, the kits extend AI-enabled collaboration into larger environments that are typically difficult to standardize and scale. By integrating Sennheiser ceiling microphones as part of a fully orchestrated Pleneo system, the kits deliver high-performance audio pickup that supports intelligent meeting experiences in the spaces where collaboration matters most.

Each kit is built around Pleneo RoomHub, which connects all room endpoints into Pleneo Room OS, the system layer that powers the room as a single, unified environment. Room OS enables zero-touch deployment and automated setup, allowing complete rooms to be brought online without specialist configuration or individual tuning of audio or video settings. Rooms deploy over standard IT infrastructure, using enterprise-grade security and governance frameworks by design.

Visix Named Premier Partner in BrightSign Bright Alliance Program

Visix has been recognized as a Premier partner in the BrightSign Bright Alliance program. This designation acknowledges Visix's commitment to leveraging BrightSign's media players and operating system, BrightSignOS, to power enterprise-level visual communications.

As a Premier partner, Visix will collaborate more closely with BrightSign to strengthen integrations, streamline support, and deliver greater value to customers. This ensures faster alignment on technology updates, deeper knowledge sharing, and coordinated assistance for complex deployments. Visix's priority access to BrightSign firmware and engineering resources accelerates development, supports advanced technical troubleshooting, and fosters continuous innovation informed by client feedback. All of this supports seamless performance and exceptional service, ultimately enabling more powerful, engaging digital signage experiences.

January in the Pro AV industry is alive and well. Before ISE 2026 kicks off, there were a flurry of big moves from Disguise, Daktronics, Chyron, Custom Channels, and many more.

[SCN's ISE Insiders 2026]

It was a hectic week of new hires, promotions, and partnerships. Get caught up below in your weekly Pro AV Newsmakers rundown.

People News

Analog Way Appoints Jeff Singer as Chief Marketing Officer

Analog Way appointed Jeff Singer as chief marketing officer (CMO). In this worldwide role, Singer leads Analog Way’s global marketing strategy with a strong focus on go-to-market execution, sales enablement, and ownership of the company’s product roadmap and product definition. Drawing on his extensive experience in technical product marketing and a customer-centric approach, he will also contribute to elevating the user experience across all customer touchpoints, ensuring consistent value throughout the customer journey.

With over 30 years of experience in global marketing and product launches, Singer has led go-to-market and demand generation strategies for technology-driven organizations worldwide. He previously served as executive director of global product marketing at Crestron Electronics, where he developed and led the positioning of strategic platforms across global markets.

Chyron Strengthens Support in Sports Venues

Chyron promoted Owen Seaton to VP, venue solutions. Seaton brings a wealth of expertise to the role, including both customer perspective and deep knowledge of venue display control technology. Based on input from end users and buyers as well as his own experience, Seaton contributes vital guidance to roadmaps for Chyron products.

Seaton is backed by a strong and growing team of technical, support and creative services professionals. Over the past two fiscal years, these teams of experts have consistently grown at 90% year-over-year on average.

Custom Channels Names René Arnold Senior Director of Partnerships

Custom Channels has appointed René Arnold to the position of senior director of partnerships. Arnold drives the company’s channel sales growth and deepen its integration into the commercial AV ecosystem by reaching more enterprise customers through trusted AV and IT partners.

Arnold comes to Custom Channels from audio and visual business solutions provider Rockbot, where she served as senior manager of the partner program. Prior to Rockbot, she was an account manager at AVI Systems (now Fortè). Prior to Forté, Arnold got her start in the commercial AV industry at PTG (Promotion Technology Group), where she developed a strong appreciation for the benefits of joining together music and digital signage. Arnold also credits her time there for providing her with a solid understanding of how to best support partners and their needs.

Daktronics Hires Thomas Welling to AV Channel Partner Team

Daktronics has hired Thomas Welling as an account executive in the company’s AV channel partner sales team with a focus on expanding AV market growth in the Southeastern United States. Welling began this full-time position in 2025 to proactively meet with clients to understand their project requirements and propose effective AV solutions to meet those needs.

Welling brings previous Daktronics sales internship experience and a degree in Sport and Entertainment Management to this role. This includes experience representing Daktronics at industry conferences and customer demonstrations.

OpenDrives Appoints Trevor Morgan as CEO

On the heels of investment news, OpenDrives promoted long-time chief operating officer, Trevor Morgan, to chief executive officer. Morgan has led a multi-year operational and strategic transformation of the business and brings deep experience in data management and SaaS across both early-stage companies and Fortune 500 enterprises, including Cisco and Capital One.

OpenDrives ended last week with the announcement of an add-on investment to its previous funding rounds led by IAG Capital Partners. The new capital will support OpenDrives’ continued strategic market growth as it expands its software platform across media, sports, and enterprise video production teams worldwide.

Panoptec Technologies Holding Strengthens Group Leadership

Guntermann & Drunck GmbH (G&D) made key leadership appointments at Panoptec Technologies Holding, the group uniting G&D, VuWall, and Tritec under a shared strategic and technological framework. Mark Schmidt has been appointed chief technology officer (CTO) of Panoptec Technologies Holding, and Alena Lombartová has joined the organization as chief financial officer (CFO).

Schmidt has been with VuWall since its early European expansion in 2014 and most recently served as the company’s CTO, where he played a central role in shaping its technology roadmap, security initiatives, and platform strategy. In his new role, he focuses on aligning R&D efforts across the group, leveraging synergies between engineering teams, and accelerating the execution of Panoptec’s shared innovation roadmap.

Lombartová joins Panoptec as Group CFO, bringing international experience in financial leadership, strategic planning, and operational governance within technology-driven organizations. Previously serving as CFO at Leyard Europe, she brings extensive experience and deep expertise in the AV industry to her new role.

StreamGuys Names VP of Digital Sales and Strategy and New EVP of Technology

StreamGuys appointed Dara Kalvort as VP of digital sales and strategy and promoted Eduardo Martinez to EVP of technology. Kalvort leads the company’s sales efforts for the StreamGuys Ad Network, growing digital audio revenue through relationships with agencies and brands. The move creates new revenue opportunities for publishers while giving brands access to highly targeted, premium digital audio audiences. Martinez, who spent nearly two decades at StreamGuys, previously served as VP of technology, leading R&D and helping bring many of the company’s core products to market. In his new role as EVP of Technology, he mentors and guides technical operational teams across the company.

Partnership and Events

Audinate Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Dante

2026 will mark the 20th anniversary of Dante, celebrating two decades of innovation and AV excellence that have transformed professional audio and video distribution worldwide. Originally developed to simplify the complexity of digital audio networking, Dante has grown from a bold idea into the de facto standard for AV over IP. Today, Dante is trusted by manufacturers, integrators, and end users across multiple environments, including live sound, commercial installations, education, and broadcast.

“Twenty years ago, Dante didn’t just solve a technical challenge. It redefined what was possible for AV,” said Aidan Williams, chief executive officer at Audinate. “What began as a better way to move high-quality audio reliably and easily over IP has become a platform that underpins today’s AV systems. This milestone validates our vision, the sustained collaboration of our partners, and the depth and commitment of the global Dante community.”

Dante has continuously evolved to meet the needs of a rapidly changing AV landscape. From enabling plug-and-play audio networking to expanding into video, control, and cloud-based management, Dante has ushered in an era in which AV systems are more flexible, software-driven, and network-centric than ever before.

Updates for AES Show Nashville 2026

AES Show Nashville 2026 will deliver a tightly curated three-day technical program, Friday, Oct. 30- Sunday, Nov, 1, paired with a two-day exhibition taking place Saturday and Sunday, designed to bring together audio professionals, technologists, creators, and educators for in-depth learning, discovery, and connection.

The exhibit floor will serve as a central hub for activity throughout the weekend and will feature the AES Main Stage, home to the opening ceremony, the show’s main keynote, and a dynamic schedule of interviews, insights, and appearances from industry leaders and “famous friends” across music, media, and technology.

Advanced Systems Group and Nu·Studio Announce Exclusive Partnership

Advanced Systems Group (ASG) announced an exclusive partnership with Nu·Studio, the company behind the first modular, portable studio designed for immersive audiovisual production. Under the agreement, ASG will serve as the exclusive reseller of Nu·Studio, bringing the platform to market through its global sales, installation, and service infrastructure.

Nu·Studio is a studio infrastructure designed to be adaptable as technology, standards, and workflows evolve. Built as a modular, reconfigurable acoustic control room, it allows for integrated audiovisual workflows with a portable, non-permanent framework that installs in days and can be relocated or reconfigured as needs change.

The partnership brings together Nu·Studio’s modular studio environment with ASG’s 28 years of experience in end-to-end sales, installation, training, and long-term service for media production environments worldwide.

Bergamot Asset Management Acquires 50% Stake in Augspurger and Professional Audio Design

Bergamot Asset Management has acquired a 50% stake in Augspurger and Professional Audio Design and Malekpour Design Partners. The three companies will operate under the newly created Augspurger Holdco, a new parent company created in partnership with Bergamot and Dave Malekpour, founder and president of the group.

The partnership, which was completed prior to Thanksgiving after several months of due diligence, combines Bergamot’s capital investment and operational leadership with Malekpour’s entrepreneurial vision, positioning Augspurger for new growth and operational efficiencies while maintaining its reputation for "craftsmanship, performance, and design excellence."

Disguise, ASB GlassFloor Partner

Disguise and ASB GlassFloor announced a strategic partnership that turns the arena floor into a fully customizable interactive digital surface. This will enable coaches to visualize ball tracking data as well as players’ live positions, movement speed and performance metrics right on the playing surface, allowing teams to win more matches. The technology will also enable more venues to become multi-purpose entertainment spaces by offering augmented reality (AR) floor experiences, such as interactive games, to fans and advertisers at halftime.

ASB GlassFloor’s operational system for the digital court, GLASSCOURT OS, feeds directly into Disguise’s servers. Adopting the Disguise environment means that, on top of the GLASSCOURT OS solutions, ASB GlassFloor now enables all venues to use the most state-of-the-art media servers in the industry to directly feed interactive content to the floor.

As part of the partnership, the Disguise platform will be used exclusively on all ASB Arena and Event Services floors, as well as ASB GlassFloor sports courts and activations, including the NBA All Star Weekend, FIBA Basketball Champions League Final 4 and the EuroLeague, and the company’s facility in Orlando, the ASB Athletes Lab. Developed in collaboration with the NBA, the Athletes Lab will be used to showcase the technology and allow teams and clients to see the immersive sports solution in action, as well as acting as a testing ground for future innovation. Disguise and ASB GlassFloor will also provide three full-sized, portable event rental basketball courts that will see usage at marquee sports events across the United States and Europe this year.

Playback Distribution Announces New Distribution Partnership with Vicoustic for U.S. and Canada

Playback Distribution was appointed U.S. and Canadian distributor of Vicoustic. The partnership is poised to strengthen Vicoustic’s presence in North America by targeting key growth opportunities in the Hi-Fi, residential custom integration, and pro audio markets, and uplevel the customer experience by streamlining the process from project design to fulfillment.

Founded in 2007 in Portugal, where every product is designed and manufactured to this day, Vicoustic is known for high-performance acoustic treatment that blend technical rigor with sustainable and stunning design. The company has maintained a strong presence in North America for over a decade, delivering acoustic solutions that span professional audio, hi-fi and home cinema, residential CI, and more.

“The SoundTube Showdown” Training Experience Scheduled in Kansas City

SoundTube Entertainment is hosting The SoundTube Showdown, a two-day immersive training event taking place Feb. 18–20, 2026, in the Kansas City area. Designed to move beyond the traditional classroom seminar, the SoundTube Showdown blends in-depth technical training, certification credits, and high-value networking into a dynamic, game-inspired experience where every participant walks away a winner.

The event builds on SoundTube’s Tubey Training program, named for the brand’s squeeze-ball mascot, Tubey, and transforms it into a competitive, high-energy learning environment focused on real-world AV solutions and system design.

Pro AV Around the World

LEA Professional’s commercial audio technology catalog is set to reach more Australian customers in 2026 through a new distribution partnership with Jands, one of Australia’s leading AV distributors. The Jands team has been providing technology solutions to its customers since 1970. Thanks to Generation AV, LEA Professional’s APAC manufacturer’s representative and authorized sales partner, Jands, and LEA Professional, the partnership came together.

AES has published the latest update to the AES70 suite of standards for control and monitoring of devices in professional media networks. Making up the core standards, AES70-1, AES70-2, and AES70-3 form the foundation of the AES70 standard. AES70-2023 represents a significant advancement, bringing in a wave of new features and improvements. Fully backward compatible with all existing AES70 devices, a major focus has been on improving the understandability of the specification with revised, expanded documentation, more precise language and ten informative annexes to assist developers

[OCA Alliance Member FBT Expands AES70 Portfolio]

The update also extends its connection management architecture with better support for redundant network connections and a clearer organization of functions. There’s flexible support for connection negotiation and media transport sessions and this update sets the stage for the upcoming adaptations for media networks including AES67, ST 2110-30, and MILAN.

AES70-2023 also defines various types of datasets such as media files, logs, parameter files, and executables, allowing manufacturers to define custom dataset types as needed. This extends to command sets and stored parameters. Devices can store predefined executables and operating parameter values for immediate or later use.

[Pro AV 2024: Now Trending] 

AES70-2023 is a thoughtful update that both enhances the standard’s usability and flexibility while expanding its capabilities to meet the dynamic needs of professional applications. This encompasses networks of all sizes including mission-critical applications, high-security applications, IP and non-IP networks, and local and wide-area applications. AES70 can control real or virtual devices located on premises or hosted by cloud services, consuming little computing power or network bandwidth.

The Audio Engineering Society has announced the incoming officers and governors following the 2022 Board of Directors and Board of Governors elections. The Society’s membership has elected Leslie Gaston-Bird, as president-elect.

“On behalf of the entire Society,” said AES president Josh Reiss, “I offer a hearty congratulations to all the newly elected Governors and officers—we look forward to your contributions to AES governance. We also offer a heart-felt ‘Thank you’ to all who showed their willingness to serve by accepting a nomination. And those who are leaving the Boards at the end of the year go with our deep gratitude for their service and commitment to the Society.”

[AES Announces New Standard for Loudspeaker Measurement]

The 2023 Audio Engineering Society Board of Directors will be:

• Bruce Olson: President 
• Joshua Reiss: Past-president 
• Leslie Gaston-Bird: President-elect 
• Valerie Tyler: Secretary 
• Marina Bosi: Treasurer 
• Cesar Lamschtein: Director 
• One additional Director will be named by the Board of Governors per the AES Bylaws in 2022 Q4.

In addition to the Directors listed above, the 2023 Board of Governors will be:

• Bill Schulenburg: Vice President, Central Region, U.S./Canada 
• Ewa Lukasik: Vice President, Central Region, Europe 
• Angela Piva: Vice President, Eastern Region, U.S./Canada 
• David v.R. Bowles: Vice President, Western Region, U.S./Canada 
• Jorge M. Azama: Vice President, Latin American Region 
• Jamie Angus-Whiteoak: Vice President, Northern Region, Europe 
• Alberto Pinto: Vice President, Southern Europe/Middle East/Africa Region 
• Kazuhiko Kawahara: Vice President, Asia-Pacific Region 
• Prince Charles Alexander: Governor   
• Areti Andreopoulou: Governor   
• Toru Kamekawa: Governor 
• Hyunkook Lee: Governor 
• Lesley Fogle: Governor 
• Agnieszka Roginska: Governor 
• Jonathan Wyner: Governor  
• Marcela Zorro: Governor

Save for the president-elect, each newly elected individual will serve a two-year term and Bosi and Tyler with have their current terms extended by two years. Gaston-Bird will serve a year on the AES Board of Directors as president-elect, in 2024 as president, in 2025 as past-president, followed by two years as a governor. All those newly elected will begin their terms on January 1, 2023.  

[AV Network's top stories, product news, and expert insights] 

Also on January 1, 2023, current past-president Jonathan Wyner will transition to governor for the first year of a two-year term. Beginning one-year terms will be president Josh Reiss, who will transition to past-president, and president-elect Bruce Olson, who will become president. 

Outgoing from the Board of Governors in 2023 as regional vice presidents are Gabriel Herman (Eastern Region, U.S./Canada), Alex Kosiorek (Western Region, U.S./Canada), and Elena Prokofieva (Northern Region, Europe). Governors with terms ending this year are Brad McCoy, Paul Womack, Jun Yamazaki and governor and past-president (twice removed) Nadja Wallaszkovits who completes her five-year commitment to the BoG. Board of Governors-elected director Brecht De Man’s two-year term will also end; his replacement on the Board will be named by the Board of Governors in 2022 Q4.  

The election was monitored, and the results presented, by Gary Louie, Chair of the AES’s Tellers Committee.

The Audio Product Education Institute (APEI), an initiative of the Audio Engineering Society (AES), presents a new webinar in its Voice and DSP education pillar, “Demystifying Beamformers,” addressing microphone beamforming in theory and practice and the latest optimizations for voice recognition platforms. The unique knowledge-sharing online session, featuring three top industry experts with vast experience in the development of the latest cutting-edge voice-based products, will be held Wednesday, July 13, at 12:00 p.m. ET. 

Beamforming is a signal processing technique extensively explored in radio frequency and acoustics applications. Thanks to advancements in DSP, beamforming is now widely implemented in loudspeaker directivity control and for the processing of signals from multiple omnidirectional microphones to optimize the performance of speakerphones and voice recognition systems. By giving a voice recognition AI system the cleanest possible voice signal to work with, engineers can assure the most accurate voice recognition and the greatest reliability for voice interface applications. 

[AES Announces New Standard for Loudspeaker Measurement]

The performance of a beamformer in voice capture depends on how well the beam pattern of the microphone array can be optimized, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the array. In this webinar, attendees will learn about beamformer functionality, including how the number of microphones and geometry impacts performance, the importance of microphone matching and SNR, and how to create steerable arrays. The presentation will also address the technical challenges with beamforming and how new MEMs microphones can help give consistent directionality across the audible range and good SNR.

[SCN Hybrid World: Look Up, Listen Up with These 9 Ceiling Mics] 

Following an introduction on beamformers by Paul Beckmann (the co-founder and CTO of DSP Concepts), Sahil Gupta (co-founder and Product Lead at Soundskrit) will discuss the frequency dependency of broadside beamformers and the SNR challenge with differential endfire beamformers when trying to create dipoles. In the third presentation, Arash Radmoghadam (director of engineering and applied machine learning at Fluent.ai) will discuss improving voice activation and recognition with beamforming. 

The webinar will be hosted by Dave Lindberg (DB Enterprises, Hong Kong), APEI's Supply Chain and Sourcing pillar co-chair. Attendees will be able to submit questions to the presenters, which will be addressed in the last 30 minutes of this session.

The Audio Product Education Institute’s Voice and DSP education pillar is sponsored by DSP Concepts and underscores the AES’s commitment to providing its membership and the industry at large with information on real-world solutions for audio product development. You can register for the webinar here. 

The Audio Engineering Society has announced the adoption and publication of AES75-2022, “AES standard for acoustics: Measuring loudspeaker maximum linear sound levels using noise.” The new standard addresses the need for a practical and cohesive procedure for the prediction of loudspeaker performance. AES75 is the result of extensive work by the AES Standards Committee’s SC-04-03-A Task Group, co-chaired by Merlijn van Veen (senior technical support and education specialist at Meyer Sound) and Roger Schwenke, Ph.D. (Meyer Sound senior scientist and innovation steward).

“The work of the drafting group was deliberate and thoughtful as they carefully refined the standard,” said AES standards chair Bruce Olson. “AES75 will no doubt join the most impactful standards that the Society has published in its long history of providing the audio industry with critical tools for analyzing the performance of audio equipment and ensuring interoperability.”

[Eventide's Factor and Agnello Receive AES Gold Medals]

Predictive evaluation of loudspeaker performance based on published specifications has traditionally been challenging due to inconsistencies in both measurement procedures and in how measured parameters are reported. “Until now,” explained Schwenke, “reading an SPL number on a datasheet often inspired more questions than answers regarding test signals used and procedures for measurement. Most important to the end user is how the loudspeaker will perform with typical audio signals and whether the numbers can be compared apples-to-apples with numbers from one datasheet to another.

“AES75 addresses these issues,” Schwenke continued, “by providing a detailed procedure as well as a specific test signal, M-Noise, whose RMS and peak levels as functions of frequency have been shown to better represent typical program material. Furthermore, AES75 is designed to be independently verifiable, using analyzers and microphones typically used by audio professionals. By being independently verifiable, AES75 provides system specifiers and users a much more enforceable metric to use in quotes and architectural specs.”

The M-Noise test signal is based on Meyer Sound’s analysis of hundreds of music selections spanning all genres. The procedures documented in AES75 provide measurement of maximum linear sound levels by incrementally increasing playback levels until the magnitude or coherence of a loudspeaker’s acoustic reproduction of the M-Noise test signal reaches an unacceptable state. The AES75 test procedures cover performance measurements of both self-powered and externally powered loudspeakers. 

[SCN Top 50 Systems Integrators 2021]

Credit for the development of AES75 is owed to the large task group, AES’s standards management and to Meyer Sound’s original work, shared van Veen. “The chairs would like to acknowledge the nearly 80 task group members who represent all market verticals such as, but not limited to, automotive, consumer electronics, pro audio, post-production, and cinema,” he said. “For more than two years—during a pandemic—we met more than 50 times, every other week, which is extraordinary given the circumstances. Special recognition goes to the AES, Bruce Olson, Richard Cabot [AES standards manager], and Steve Hutt [recent co-chair AES Technical Council], as well as the SC-04-03 parent committee we report to for their continued support and guidance. Finally, the chairs would like to express gratitude to John and Helen Meyer and Meyer Sound where M-Noise and its former companion procedure originated.”

Meyer Sound applauds adoption of new AES75 standard 

Meyer Sound welcomes the adoption and publication of AES75-2022, “AES Standard for Acoustics: Measuring loudspeaker maximum linear sound levels using noise.” The company recognizes that the new standard, which includes the M-Noise test signal and an independently verifiable test procedure, marks a long-awaited breakthrough in the analysis and objective comparison of loudspeaker output levels.

[Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center is Transformed by Meyer Sound Constellation Install]

“Having a common and clearly defined test procedure coupled with a test signal that reflects real-world applications is of enormous benefit to audio professionals,” said John Meyer, president and CEO of Meyer Sound. “It not only allows users to verify the performance limits of their current systems, but also lets them make meaningful, apples-to-apples comparisons of published data for different loudspeakers.”

The AES has announced the program of events and presenters for the upcoming AES Mastering Academy 2, taking place online, March 21. This second-in-series AES Training and Development event dives deeper into the art of mastering with presentations from a wide-range of industry professionals who will provide experience, knowledge, advice and guidance to attendees.

[Eventide's Factor and Agnello Receive AES Gold Medals]

The AES Mastering Academy 2 will begin with a masterclass hosted by Bob Katz titled “When to Reach for Analog,” followed by an Immersive Mastering masterclass with Justin Gray, Darcy Proper and Michael Romanowski. The afternoon concludes with the session “Masters Deconstructed,” in which presenters Michelle Mancini (Demifugue Mastering at Larrabee Studios; artist roster includes Jon Batiste, Oliver Tree, Demi Lovato, Álvaro Soler, and Royal & the Serpent) and Luca Pretolesi (Studio DMI; artist roster includes Steve Aoki, Diplo, David Guetta, J Balvin, and Snoop Lion) walk attendees through a mastering project, from assessment through delivery. The Academy concludes with an attendee networking session utilizing the Gather platform for real-time interaction via text and audio.

Registration for the AES Mastering Academy 2 is open, starting at just $49 for AES Members ($25 for AES Student Members), which includes access to presentation playback through May 21. 

If not yourself, how many people in the AV industry do you know that are musicians? Some were roadies, others were, and some are still in a band, and most of us have immersed ourselves in the earth-shaking sounds at concerts. When I was in college, we would measure the success of a concert experience by the fact that our ears were still ringing the next day.

During the past couple of decades, the effects of noise-induced hearing loss have been studied, leading to greater awareness on how to protect one's ears when in environments of any kind with unsafe noise levels. Only in more recent years have audio technology companies been addressing the need for assistive listening devices for a full range of conditions and applications that go beyond the hearing aids of our parent's or grandparent's time.

A Far-Reaching Concern

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve dedicated a lot of time covering the importance of speech intelligibility for videoconferencing and other forms of remote participation. But we have fallen short in discussing the need for assistive listening in pretty much every environment.

The facts are astounding. According an article published by the Cleveland Clinic, noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is more common than one might think. Research studies found that NIHL affects approximately:

>> 5.2 million children and teens between ages 6 to 19

>> 26 million adults between the ages of 20 and 69

People of all ages can develop noise-induced hearing loss. Individuals who attend loud concerts or listen to music through headphones at high volumes are more susceptible to NIHL. In addition, those who have jobs in noisy environments are also particularly vulnerable.

The Cleveland Clinic has shared the following information with us, and for a more in-depth read, check out the full article here.

What part of the ear is damaged in noise-induced hearing loss? Loud noises primarily affect the cochlea, an organ within the inner ear. When you’re exposed to loud noises, cells and membranes in the cochlea can become damaged.

How do you know if you have noise-induced hearing loss? There are a few things that could mean you're losing your hearing. Depending on the cause of your NIHL, symptoms may be immediate, or you may develop them over time. Some of the most common noise-inducing hearing loss symptoms include:

Inability to hear high-pitched sounds, like birds singing.

Muffled or distorted speech.

Tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ear).

A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear.

Noise-induced hearing loss symptoms may last minutes, hours or days after noise exposure ends. But even if your hearing returns to normal, cells in the inner ear may still be destroyed. If enough healthy cells are left, your hearing will eventually come back. But as more cells are destroyed over time, hearing loss can become permanent.

What causes noise-induced hearing loss? NIHL occurs when the hair cells in your inner ear die. Once these hair cells are destroyed, they cannot grow back.

Noise-induced hearing loss may be caused by a single event, such as a loud explosion or gunshot. This type of NIHL can be immediate and permanent. In other instances, NIHL may be caused by exposure to loud noises over time. When this happens, you may go for weeks, months or even years before noticing symptoms, as they often occur gradually over time.

How long does it take noise-induced hearing loss to occur? It depends. In some cases, a single exposure to loud noise can cause immediate hearing loss. In other cases, symptoms may accumulate over several years. Research suggests that significant noise-induced hearing loss usually develops after 10 or more years of exposure.

[ DMB's Rashawn Ross Solves the Auditory 'Puzzle' with Sensaphonics IEMs ]

Halvard T. Eriksen, Age 52, Married, Bad Knees, and Worsening Hearing Loss

In a series of blog posts by Listen Technologies, channel partner Halvard Eriksen, a long-time AV integrator and sound engineer shares his own experience with hearing loss, hearing aids, and assistive listening systems. In this first post, he talks about the cumulative effect of noise on his hearing.

"I am a bassist and vocalist in various bands. If you’ve ever played in a band or been to a gig or rehearsal when everything gets too loud and you do not hear anything, you know it can be easy to get carried away by the atmosphere and groove," said Eriksen. "The volume goes up, and the mind goes out!"

Read the three-part series here. 

AV Industry Responds

Sennheiser offers touchless audio with MobileConnect—an assistive listening solution over Wi-Fi. Focusing on the education sector. MobileConnect offers a fully customizable hearing experience for students, who listen via their own smartphones. “The system has many advantages for students, but also for operators and universities,” said Kai Tossing, head of product management, Business Communication, Sennheiser. “To name just a couple: Operators can simply use the existing Wi-Fi for audio transmission and do not have to invest in separate technology such as induction loops; and students don’t have to sit in dedicated areas or use hardware which identifies them as being hard-of-hearing, for example.”

[ Sennheiser Launches New Software and Standalone Mode for MobileConnect ]

beyerdynamic UNITE is a wireless communication system conceived for a range of applications. From tour guides, through voice transmission for speeches, to interpreter applications, assistive listening, silent PA, blind audio description coverage, and wireless intercom uses, UNITE offers a complete wireless solution.

Broadcasting in the DECT frequencies, which eliminates licensing fees, UNITE offers 24 simultaneous channels, a talk-back option for up to three speakers per channel, AES 256 encryption, and an optional Access Point to coordinate your system with Dante, creating a seamless communications solution. UNITE can be adapted to individual requirements with a range of available components. For example, the Unite AP4 expansion component via access point creates a robust solution for fixed installation applications.

This digital platform opens new possibilities for improved dialog between people, regardless of when, where, and how they wish to communicate. UNITE connects people—even over large distances (up to a 980-foot radius), language barriers, or with sensory disabilities.

Listen Technologies’ ListenTALK lets users communicate in any environment, while following safe social distancing standards. The system features a small transceiver (combination transmitter/receiver) that users wear on a lanyard around their neck, accompanied by a venue-provided headset with microphone or users’ own headphones or earbuds with a built-in mic. Users press and hold a button on the transceiver to speak to just the leader or the group.

“With ListenTALK, listeners who do not understand the language of the presenter are not excluded from understanding what is said and sharing in the experience,” said Sam Nord, vice president of global sales at Listen Technologies. “Whether interpreters provide whispered, consecutive, liaison, simultaneous, or relay interpretation, we’ve made it easy to use ListenTALK and facilitate communication between groups that do not speak the same language.” 

Williams AV’s WaveCAST Dante assistive listening system delivers wireless audio to personal devices via a free app. A spokesperson for the company, said that one of the things that makes this solution unique is that it incorporates a professional audio DSP. “It’s got real professional audio inputs and outputs; it’s got the ability to be optimized for speech intelligibility, music, or for assistive listening. You can tweak it to match the facility and the environment,” he said. Up to four WaveCAST systems can be configured on the same Wi-Fi network, delivering audio to up to 45 listeners via unicast or 200 in multicast mode. WaveCAST Dante is based on Audinate’s Dante Ultimo UXT chipset that supports AES67 and SMPTE 2110. It can be controlled by Audinate’s Dante Controller for setup and management.

Biamp Crowd Mics transforms every smartphone into a personal microphone and interactive response system via a free iOS or Android app. By downloading the free app, audience members can share their thoughts and questions with the room without having to pass a mic or awkwardly line up to speak. They can also share these same thoughts and questions via text, allowing those with an aversion to public speaking to still take part in the conversation.

It’s just as important for students and meeting attendees to be heard as it is the presenter to be heard. With Crowd Mics Online, geographically diverse audience members can use their smartphones to connect with the event presenter as if they were in the same room. 

Audio Engineering Society (AES) Takes Note

In 2005, the Audio Engineering Society (AES) formed the AES Technical Committee on Hearing Loss and Prevention. Its mission statement:

1. Raising AES member awareness of the normal and abnormal functions of the hearing process.

2. Raising AES member awareness of the risk and consequences of hearing loss resulting from excessive sound exposure.

3. Coordinating and providing technical guidance for the AES supported hearing testing and consultation programs at US and European Conventions.

4. Facilitating the maintenance and refinement of a database of audiometric test results and exposure information on AES members.

5. Forging a cooperative union between AES members, audio equipment manufacturers and the hearing the hearing conservation communities for purposes of developing strategies, technologies, and tools to reduce and prevent hearing loss.

The committee is organizing its 4th International AES Conference on Hearing and Hearing Loss Prevention to take place sometime in 2022.

Jonathan Wyner has started his term as president of the Audio Engineering Society beginning January 1, 2021. Wyner’s experience includes 30-plus years as both an active AES member and as an audio technologist. His professional industry involvement currently includes his roles as chief engineer at M Works Mastering, education director for iZotope in Cambridge, MA, and professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston. 

“Jonathan has proven his leadership and vision during his year on the AES board of directors as president-elect,” said outgoing AES president Agnieszka Roginska. “The AES is in excellent hands for the coming year.”

Wyner’s longstanding commitment to the AES has been demonstrated by his multiple roles in the society, including serving on the board of directors, the board of governors, and as a member of multiple committees including Broadcast and Online Delivery and the Recording Technology and Practices Technical Committee and the Diversity and Inclusion committees. He chaired a symposium focused on machine learning application in audio during the fall of 2020. Wyner was presented with AES Board of Governors Awards in recognition of co-chairing the 145th and 147th AES Conventions in New York in 2018 and 2019 and the online 149th AES Convention in 2020.

Related: NAB and AES to Co-locate 2021 Conventions in Las Vegas

“The AES is the most varied international assemblage of experts, thought leaders, researchers, manufacturers, and practitioners of audio in the world,” Wyner said. “During our recent fall event we had attendees from 82 countries. Each of us has our individual interests and goals for our work, but a passion for audio ties us together. There are so many interesting and exciting developments taking place in the world of audio. The pillars I am energized to stand up can be summed up in three words: Equity, Sustainability and Innovation.”

Wyner, in addition to being an accomplished musician and performer, has mastered and produced thousands of recordings. Credits include James Taylor, David Bowie, Aerosmith, the London Symphony, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk, Pink Floyd, and Nirvana. Additional accolades include production of the Grammy-nominated soundtrack for PBS special Invention and Alchemy (Deborah Henson-Conant, 2005), the mastering of the first recording of a full-length opera (Madame Butterfly 1912, BBC), and the first interactive CD game (Play it By Ear, Rykodisc). In 2012 he authored Audio Mastering: Essential Practices, published by Hal Leonard/Berklee Press, and has also authored undergraduate and graduate course materials for Berklee Music Online. Wyner is the recipient of a TEC award, presented for iZotope’s Pro Audio Essentials game-based platform developed to help music producers practice and improve their audio skills.

The 2021 Audio Engineering Society (AES) fall convention will co-locate with NAB Show, October 11–13, 2021 in Las Vegas, NV. The co-location brings together the premiere convention for pro audio professionals with the world's largest convention encompassing media, entertainment and technology. 

The AES Show will take place at the Westgate Hotel, adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center where NAB Show will be held October 9–13, 2021.

The AES fall convention was previously co-located with NAB Show New York at the Javits Convention Center annually in October from 2017–2019. The two events were held virtually in 2020.

“Our October co-location with NAB Show New York for the past few years has proven mutually beneficial for attendees and exhibitors alike,” said Colleen Harper, executive director, AES. “We all miss the engagement and excitement of the in-person AES Show and look forward to once again interacting at the convention with professional audio manufacturers and our colleagues.”

“We are excited to be building the most significant, in-person media and entertainment event of 2021 and are ready to bring the industry together once again at NAB Show in October,” said NAB executive vice president of conventions and business operations Chris Brown. “Together with AES, we will provide unparalleled access to critical information, inspiration and solutions for audio engineers and content creators.”

As previously announced, the 2021 NAB Show will also co-locate with the Radio Show as well as NAB’s Sales and Management Television Exchange.

The AES announced the winners of the AES Show Fall 2020 Convention’s Best Technical Paper and Best Student Paper Awards during the Convention’s Opening Ceremonies on Thursday, October 27. The awards highlight outstanding research Paper contributions from both professional and student authors and are illustrative of the depth of the AES Convention Papers presentations, which share and showcase top worldwide research and advancements in audio engineering. Additionally, winners of the AES Show 2020 Student Competitions were announced during the Ceremony, including submissions across a variety of recording engineering and design categories. The complete AES Show Opening Ceremonies, along with the rest of this year’s online convention, are available On Demand at AESShow.com through November 30.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Audio in the New Era of UC

The AES Show Fall 2020 Convention Best Technical Paper Award, presented by AES Show Papers Co-chair Areti Andreopoulou, was awarded to Juhani Paasonen and co-author Ville Pulkki for their peer-reviewed paper “Short-range renderings of virtual sources for multichannel loudspeaker setups.” The paper’s abstract reads:

“A method for rendering virtual sources is proposed, where the sources are perceived to be closer than the loudspeaker array radius. The development is based on an informal finding about closer perception of the range of virtual sources rendered coherently over multiple loudspeakers. To avoid sound quality issues inherent with coherent rendering, the input is split to two streams, one with more transients and the other with smoother temporal envelope. The transient stream is rendered over coherent reproduction, and the continuous stream is processed with time-frequency-domain spreading technique. The results from localization tests with moving sources show that the proposed method produces the perception of closer distances on both sweet-spot and off-sweet-spot listening.”

The paper can be downloaded from the AES E-Library here. 

The AES Show 2020 Best Student Paper Award was presented by AES Show Papers co-chair Braxton Boren and was presented to Michele Ebri and co-authors Nicolò Strozzi, Filippo Maria Fazi, Angelo Farina, and Luca Cattani for their paper “Individual Listening Zone with Frequency-Dependent Trim of Measured Impulse Responses.” The paper’s abstract reads:

“Acoustic Contrast Control (ACC) has been widely used to achieve individual audio delivery in shared environments. The effectiveness of this method is reduced when the control is performed in reverberant environments. Even if control filters are computed using measured transfer functions, the robustness of the system is affected by the presence of reverberation in the plant matrix. In this paper a new optimization method is presented to improve the ACC algorithm by applying a frequency-dependent windowing of the measured impulse response used for the filter computation, thus removing late reflections. The effects of this impulse response optimization are presented by means of sound zoning results obtained from experimental measurements performed in a car cabin.”

The paper can be downloaded from the AES E-Library here. 

AES Show Student Competition winners were also announced for the Student Recording Competitions (Traditional Acoustic, Traditional Studio, Modern Studio, Sound for Visual Media, Remix, and Immersive Audio categories), the Saul Walker Student Design Competition, and the MATLAB Plugin Competition. The complete lists of Student Competition winners and judges, and sponsor information are available here.

Visit AESShow.com to watch the AES Show Fall 2020 Convention Opening Ceremonies and awards presentations, Technical Program sessions, Partner Showcase exhibitions, and much more available On Demand through November. 

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.

Related: AES Helps “Socially Distancing” Members Worldwide Listen, Learn, and Connect

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.

“Even though we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of broadcasting, everything is new,” said AES Show Broadcast and Online Delivery Track chair David Bialik, now in his 36th year of capably curating the Convention’s perennially popular Broadcast Track and events. “The pandemic has added new parameters to getting broadcasts out. With all information out there on the ST-2110 media networking standard being adopted by broadcasters, I find it amazing that there’s so much for so many to learn. The AES Show 2020 Broadcast and Online Delivery Track will explore today’s critical issues, visit showcase facilities and recall the history of how we got to where we are through a deep and diverse list of sessions that promise to educate and fascinate.”

Free AES Show 2020 Showcase registration is open to all who register before October 1. Showcase registration will remain free for AES Members, while non-members can register for $25, or for free with a VIP promo code from one of the AES Show Partners. For everything AES Show 2020 has to offer, including the comprehensive Technical Program, All Access Registration starts at $149.

The Audio Engineering Society has released preliminary details on the upcoming International Conference on Audio for Virtual and Augmented Reality (AVAR), set to take place in its own online virtual venue, August 17–19. The event will serve as a hub of innovation for the latest research in the fields of spatial audio and technology for virtual, augmented, and mixed reality, with a focus on technical solutions and recommended practices in the field. 

Registration for this event, sponsored by Facebook Reality Labs and Valve, and hosted by DigiPen Institute of Technology, starts at just $25 for AES members ($150 for non-members) and will be using AltSpaceVR as the platform to share keynotes, panel discussions, workshops, and more. The use of AltSpaceVR offers the option of attending in standard 2D mode or as an immersive experience, utilizing AR/VR devices such as the HTC Vive, Oculus Quest, Oculus Go, Oculus Rift, Samsung GearVR, or Windows Mixed Reality.   

“The necessity to take AVAR 2020 fully online is ideally suited to the conference content,” said Matt Klassen, chair. “Our attendees can plug in entirely, create an avatar, and participate and interact inside a virtual environment. One of the primary advantages of holding the conference in VR is the very compelling nature of the 3D audio for small group conversations—a big step up from flat-screen teleconferencing!” 

“Not only will AVAR 2020 explore practical and effective production workflow for audio production for immersive experiences, it will itself be such an experience and demonstrate an application of the technology that couldn’t be more timely,” said co-chair and treasurer Lawrence Schwedler.    

The 2020 AES Conference on Audio for Virtual and Augmented Reality builds upon the AES’s two previous AVAR conferences and will offer a fresh look at audio production for these rapidly growing market segments. This year’s topics will include spatial audio capture, rendering, synthesis over headphones and loudspeakers, binaural applications, Ambisonics, 3D audio mixing and content production, sound design for VR/AR, and more, plus a featured panel discussion with Emily Ridgway of the Valve audio team on August 18 titled “When Worlds Collide: Audio Development of the Valve Index and Half:Life Alyx.” Additionally, two keynote addresses will take place during the conference: “New Audio Realities at Scale” with Varun Nair of Facebook on August 17 and “Empathetic Technology and Embodied User Experience” with Poppy Crum of Dolby on August 19. 

The AES AVAR 2020 Conference is organized by committee members from a variety of disciplines and experiences in the industry, including Matt Klassen, chair; Lawrence Schwedler, co-chair, treasurer; Pablo F. Hoffmann, papers chair; Sally Kellaway, workshops chair; Greg Dixon, audiovisual coordinator; Randi Ganulin, graphic designer/photographer; Phillip Klassen, social media coordinator; Anna Lantz, webmaster; and Dustin Williams, volunteer coordinator.  

For further information and registration links, click here. 

As much of the world follows safe-at-home and social distancing guidelines and mandates, the Audio Engineering Society is bringing the AES Europe Convention directly to attendees. Originally scheduled to take place in Vienna, Austria, the AES Virtual Vienna Convention in now set for June 2–5, 2020 with an online format. The AES Virtual Vienna Convention is a front-row-seat to the AES event experience, utilizing live streaming, on-demand audio/video/multimedia presentations, interactive Q&A and forum dialogs to realize the personal connection and emotional feedback that is at the heart of AES live events. All Access registration for this first-of-its-kind AES live event is available for $50 for AES members ($175 for non-members), with additional discounts available for currently enrolled audio students.

The AES Virtual Vienna Convention will explore a gamut of audio engineering science, application, and technology with presentations from some of the leading minds in the industry on studio recording, live sound, networked audio, broadcast and streaming, music production, post-production, game audio, spatial sound, audio for AR/VR/XR, product development, and more. The AES Virtual Vienna Convention is led by AES Convention co-chairs Piotr Majdak and Nadja Wallaszkovits; facilities co-chairs Thomas Gmeiner and Michael Mihocic; papers co-chairs Thomas Sporer and Areti Andreopoulou; workshops and tutorials co-chairs Matthias Frank, Ana Monte and Daniel Deboy; technical tours co-chairs Michael Iber and Andreas Büchele; student volunteers coordinator Katharina Pollack; and education chair Magdalena Piotrowska.  

Related: Audio Brands to Present New Products at Virtual Sound Summit 2020

Further details on the AES Virtual Vienna Convention, which will include a multi-faceted schedule of presentations of papers, workshops, tutorials, posters, engineering briefs, virtual tech tours and other technical program content, along with live- and forum-based dialog with presenters, will be announced in the coming weeks. Registration is currently open here. 

Agnieszka Roginska has begun her term as president of the Audio Engineering Society as of January 1, 2020. Currently celebrating her 20th year as an AES member, Roginska has served in numerous leadership roles within the society. Professionally, she currently holds the positions of professor of Music Technology and the vice-chair of the Music and Performing Arts Professions Department at New York University. 

[AES Educational Foundation Names 2019 Scholarship Winner]

Roginska’s commitment to the AES and the advancement of audio science and technology has been exemplified through many years of involvement, serving on the AES Executive Committee and Board of Directors, as well as the committees for Awards, Conference Policy, Education, Laws and Resolutions, Diversity and Inclusion, and the AES Educational Foundation. She has received AES Board of Governors Awards in recognition of chairing the 127th and co-chairing the 143rd AES International Conventions, and an AES Fellowship Award in recognition of excellence in audio research and service to the Audio Engineering Society. 

In her role at New York University as professor of Music Technology, Roginska’s work involves conducting research in the simulation and applications of immersive and 3D audio including the capture, analysis and synthesis of auditory environments, auditory displays, and applications in augmented acoustic sensing. She is the author of numerous publications about the acoustics and psychoacoustics of immersive audio and auditory displays, and co-editor of the recently published book titled Immersive Sound: The Art and Science of Binaural and Multi-Channel Audio. Her education background includes Music Technology degrees from Northwestern University (Ph.D.) and New York University (M. Mus.) and Computer Applications in Music (Honors) and Piano Performance (Major) B.Mus. from McGill University. 

“It is an honor and a privilege to begin my term as president of the Audio Engineering Society—the world’s leading society of audio professionals, creative artists, scientists, educators, and students,” Roginska said in her inaugural AES president’s message. “One of my goals in 2020 is to build membership and continue to recognize that we are a diverse community of members—whether you are a student just exploring the world of audio, a young professional entering the workforce and growing in experience, in mid-career maintaining your skills while learning new ones in our rapidly changing industry, or a seasoned professional who wants to give back to the community as a mentor. I look forward to a year of partnership with you, our fellow members and dedicated volunteers, working together with our AES Board of Directors, Board of Governors, Technical Committees, HQ staff, and Executive Director Colleen Harper. We will continue the momentum and build on the successes started by those who have come before us shaping the future of our Audio Engineering Society.”  

Read Roginska's full message on www.aes.org

The upcoming AES Academy 2020 at the NAMM Show, taking place January 16–19, in Anaheim, CA, offers the chance to join the AES for four days of expert presentations and hands-on training from a diverse group of top names in the industry. 

Whether you’re a seasoned AES Convention attendee or new to the industry, AES Academy offers an affordable way to experience some of the many resources that the Audio Engineering Society has to offer. Advance Registration pricing begins at a slashed rate of $25 for AES members, and the non-member rate of $150 ($75 for students) includes a full year of AES membership and benefits.

AES Academy 2020 is set to feature some of the most talented audio engineering practitioners covering a range of educational topics of importance to audio engineers, musicians, and students alike. For one price, attendees are offered over 100 topical session and events, such as taking part in an Audio Careers mentoring session with Leslie Ann Jones of Skywalker Sound and mastering engineer Jett Galindo of The Bakery, getting studio production training insights from Produce Like A Pro’s Warren Huart in the Audio Education Academy, or learning studio design from the renowned John Storyk in a Control Room Academy session. Other presenters include famed engineer and producer Sylvia Massy, noted engineer and author Bobby Owsinski, musician and mix engineer Brad Divens who leads mix instruction at fixintogetmixin, audio engineer for music and film Lenise Bent, AES Academy program director and touring monitor engineer Mark Frink, AES’s next President-Elect and mastering engineer, Jonathan Wyner, and dozens more.

Another unique aspect of AES Academy is the hands-on training, with sessions set to include Allen & Heath dLive training, as well as Yamaha training on the Rivage PM10/PM7 and CL/QL Series consoles. These events are open to a limited number of participants and require separate registration priced at $25 per session. 

Visit aesacademy2020.com for complete program and presenter information. 

Networked audio continues to play an ever-expanding role in a wide variety of pro audio applications, from recording and production, to live sound, installs, and more, with a near ubiquity of network capabilities on new gear and the bridging of proprietary standards by the AES67 and AES70 protocols. The Audio Networking Track events, taking place during the AES New York Convention, October 16–19 at the Javits Center, are set to connect the latest technologies and techniques with attendees looking to take their audio networking skills to the next level. 

“Networking technology in audio systems are increasingly becoming the norm and not the exception,” said AES New York Networked Audio Track chair Bob Lee. “We in the audio industry have been fortunate to be able to leverage the off-the-shelf technology developed by the IT industry to meet our needs reliably and economically. I’ve assembled this program to provide many varied opportunities for convention participants to learn from and interact with the experts in a range of topics. If you’re in audio and want to come away with less uncertainty and more confidence in using networked audio in your work, this is the track for you.” 

Networked Audio events kick off on the convention opening day with a premier panel “Solution-Based Approaches for Networked Audio in Live Production” moderated by Dan Ferrisi (Sound & Communications) with panelists Tim Boot (Global Brand Strategist, Meyer Sound), Genio Kronaue,( L-Acoustics), Morten Lave (Adamson Systems Engineering), Patrice Lavoie, (Solotech), and Jamie Pollock (Kore Audio Design). The panel will cover topics including scalability, IT expertise and planning, along with insights from the panelists’ years of industry experience. 

The AES70 networked control standard will be examined in “An Introductory Tutorial to AES70” later that day. Presenters Jeff Berryman and Ethan Wetzell from Bosch Communications, and representing the OCA Alliance, will team up with Simon Jones from Focusrite to introduce participants to AES70, the AES standard on Open Control Architecture (OCA). This session is partnered with the Product Development session “How to Add AES70 Control to Your Products” on Saturday, October 19. 

Also on Saturday, Patrick Killianey (Audinate) will present “What Audio Engineers Need to Know about Media Networks,” a reprise of a popular session in the Networked Audio track. Killianey is an engaging and entertaining educator specializing on the growing integration of network and AV technologies. Audio engineers increasingly need to become familiar and conversant with how to use IT resources in their work, and this session is designed to illuminate the concepts behind structurally designing a medium sized network for an installation, recording studio, or live production. 

Additional featured sessions taking place include: “Introducing A2B—A Low-Latency Digital Audio Bus Standard” with Joseph Beauchemin (Analog Devices) and Denis Labrecque (DeLab Consulting); “Network Audio Strategies: Charting Software, Hardware, Internet Requirements” presented by Sarah Weaver (NowNet Arts); and Saturday’s “Network Media Open Specifications (NMOS)—How They Relate to Audio Networking” with Andreas Hildebrand (ALC NetworX). 

For more information on the entire program for the Networked Audio Track, please visit http://www.aes.org/events/147/networkedaudio. The Networked Audio Track is open to attendees with an All Access badge, available through 11 pm EDT, Monday, October 14, at Advance Registration discount pricing with AES Members and Students receiving significant savings. Find out more about the AES New York and register now at aesshow.com.

In the tradition of bringing the best in audio industry pioneers and luminaries to an international forum of AES Convention attendees, the Audio Engineering Society has announced that music icon and innovator Grandmaster Flash will give the opening-day keynote address, “Evolution of the Beat,” at the AES New York Convention on Oct. 16 at 12:00 p.m.

Grandmaster Flash is inarguably one of hip-hop’s original innovators. Emerging in the 1970s from the South Bronx in the earliest days of the genre, he manipulated music by placing his fingers on the vinyl, perfecting beat looping, and discovering many of the seminal beats still commonly sampled today. His influence on how music is created has been profound, and it’s no surprise that the New York Times calls him hip-hop’s first virtuoso.

[Audio Builders Workshop Returns to AES New York Offering Hands-On DIY Product Design]

“Hip-hop is unique – an art form that seized upon existing technology and warped its use into a new art form,” says multiple-Grammy-winning producer, engineer, artist and educator Prince Charles Alexander, who will introduce Grandmaster Flash to the AES opening ceremony crowd. “This new genre drove technological innovation, enabling further musical creativity and driving more innovation in a cycle that continues today. AES is delighted that Grandmaster Flash, a pioneer and pacesetter in the hip-hop community, is bringing his unique perspectives to the AES New York opening ceremonies.”

As part of the convention’s Special Events series, this presentation is open to all AES New York attendees, including those with complimentary Exhibits-Plus passes, free when using code “AES19NOW” at online registration checkout. For everything the convention has to offer, All Access AES New York Advance Registration prices and options are still available, with AES members and students receiving significant savings.

For a growing number of audio engineers, musicians, and enthusiasts, having an intimate knowledge of their gear and of possible tweaks and modifications has become a major asset to creating and obtaining extraordinary sounds. The Audio Builders Workshop Track at the 147th AES International Professional Audio Convention, October 16–19 at New York City’s Javits Center, is set to offer attendees an expanded array of opportunities to learn about hardware construction and modification, and even to try their hand at DIY projects sure to inspire and lead them to their next build. 

Session topics will include reviving esoteric gear, powering up custom builds, scaling DIY ideas into a business, and teaching DIY skills in the classroom. Additional hands-on demonstrations with kit makers and expert builders will take place all day during the Convention’s exhibition (October 16–18). DIY activities will conclude with a hands-on build clinic on Saturday, October 19 in the Javits South Concourse, open to all registered attendees.

“For this year’s Audio Builders Workshop sessions we will be hands-on with soldering and other crucial skills, and once again, Mouser Electronics has made a generous donation that lets us bring tools and parts to teach attendees more about electronics and DIY pro audio,” said Audio Builders Workshop track co-chair Owen Curtin.

“I’m thrilled about this groundswell of support and interest in DIY that came into its own last year with the launch of the Audio Builders Workshop Track at AES,” said track co-chair Chris Kincaid. “As an educator, I’m particularly excited to share our panel on DIY projects that teachers can use in the classroom.”

Technical program sessions, open to those with All Access registration, span all four days of the convention, beginning with “Classroom DIY Projects” and “Custom Consoles / Power and Grounding” on Wednesday. The presentations “Project to Product” and “Reviving Classic and Esoteric Tech” will follow on Thursday and Friday, respectively. Saturday will bring together attendees together for the “DIY Build Clinic: Starting Your Next Build Today with Audio Builders Workshop,” a three-hour session open to attendees of all experience levels, from which participants will leave with a working audio tool (pre-registration and a purchase of the kit required).

Noted presenters at previous DIY events are signed on for AES New York. “You’ll want to stop by because I’ll be giving soldering lessons,” said AES fellow and president of Digital Domain Mastering, Bob Katz. Founder of DIY.RE, Peterson Goodwin, who will be part of the Saturday DIY Build Clinic, promises that the workshops will “show people first-hand that, ‘Yes, you can build and repair your own audio gear.’"  

Microphone-Parts.com founder Matthew McGlynn noted that he is looking forward to meeting the builders during AES New York 2019 to “help them launch their DIY audio efforts.” Freelance instrument designer Mike Buffington, who said he’s been fortunate to work on “some incredible projects” for Wally Debecker of Gotye, restoring and replicating rare electronic instruments, is eager to “share some of what I have learned with the AES community” through his participation in the Audio Builders Workshop Track. 

Advance Registration prices and options are still available for the AES New York 2019 Pro Audio Convention, with AES Members and students saving significantly on All Access badges. Free Exhibits-Plus registration is also available when using code “AES19NOW” at checkout.

Each year the Product Development Track presents four days of themed Workshops during the AES Convention. Building on last year’s theme “Make Audio Matter,” the 2019 Product Development Track is built on the theme “The New Era of Product Development.” The Track’s sessions will dive into next-generation methodologies, practices and technologies involved in developing and bringing products to market. The Product Design sessions are open to AES New York Convention All Access badge-holders and will take place at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, Oct. 16 – Oct. 19.

“In the past we have focused on what makes great products, and it has been highly energized by our audiences,” said Scott Leslie, AES New York Product Development Track chair. “This year we are looking at where product development is headed and how it applies to the audio products business.”

One highlight of this year’s Product Development Track will be the Virtual Development Day on “Super Friday.” Presentations diving into virtual development practices and technologies begin with “Product Management Modeling,” a session hosted by Leslie, which will examine what product managers can do to pre-engineer products to speed time to market, increase market success and lower development risk. Additional Virtual Development Day sessions include “Simulation Drives a New Era" with Alfred Svobodnik and the workshop “HW Development in Sprints,” where presenter Remi Vaucher will show how to apply the practices of software development to hardware development.

“As we expand our audience, we have also grown the Product Development Track sessions to cover a wider area of product categories. This year we have more sessions on automotive audio than we’ve ever done before, including workshops such as ‘Correcting Vehicle Audio’ and ‘Automotive Audio: A Systems Approach.’ Many of the other sessions also address the needs of the automotive audio product developer,” Leslie said.

The 2019 Product Development Track is launching a new initiative to augment attendee experiences by following up select Product Development track workshops with complementary exhibitor-led sessions in a demo room or at a manufacturer’s Exhibit Floor booth. “For the first time we will expand the learning experience by directly connecting workshops with relevant product development sessions presented by key exhibitors,” said Leslie. “This is part of a continuous evolution of enrichment of our attendees’ experience, making AES New York the number-one destination for product developers to learn and congregate.” Exhibitors Analog Devices, Audio Precision and Menlo Scientific are currently slated to participate. 

Additional AES New York 2019 Product Development Track events will also include the sessions “Can DSP fix a bad loudspeaker?,” “The Predictable Horn,” “Directivity Optimization of a Passive Speaker,” and a legal session on topics such as IP, licensing, and patents.

The Product Development Track events are only available with All Access registration to AES New York 2019 – All Access registration is the ticket to everything the Convention has to offer. Advance online registration is available at aesshow.com, saving time at onsite registration and money. AES Members, including student members, enjoy substantial discounts on All Access registration. Registration at any level for AES New York 2019 includes access to the NAB Show New York exhibition.

AES New York 2019 Exhibits-Plus registration is complimentary for AES Members and, for a limited time, those using the VIP code “AES19NOW” at checkout. Come to AES New York’s Product Development Track and engage in “The New Era of Product Development.”

The What: RTW will showcase its 19-inch 4U rack-mount (MA4U) version of its TM9 TouchMonitor at AES 2018 (Booth 504G – Avid Pavilion).

The What Else: The TM9 panel-mount version is 235 x 135 x 45 mm (appx 9.25 x 5.35 x 1.8 inches) without the power supply and is ideal for mounting into front panels. The unit comes standard with a USB extension for the front panel and the mounting kit is compatible with DIN 41494/IEC 60297 19-inch 4U racks (483 x 177 x 91 mm).

The product has a graphical user interface that can be scaled, randomly positioned ,and combined in almost every way for optimized use of available screen space. Even multiple instruments of the same type, assigned to different input channels and configurations, can be displayed simultaneously. Plus, a context-sensitive, on-screen help feature supports the user, allowing for setup changes with ease.

The latest firmware version of the TM9, which is also used with the TM7, expands the basic software to a four-channel display; 4x Mono or 2x Stereo/2x Mono. Additionally, 1x Stereo can be measured without the need of an activated multichannel license. Output routing can be individually adjusted for each preset and all presets can be exported or imported at the same time.

The Bottom Line: The reconfigured unit brings all the audio monitoring features of the standalone RTW TM9 in a new design that is more easily accessible to users in studio settings.

Equipped with RTW’s nine-inch touch screens and an easy-to-use GUI, the TM9 TouchMonitor is the latest in the company’s rack-mount solutions, which includes the TM3, TM7 and RTW legacy products.

The AES New York 2018 Technical Program—the highlight of the AES’s 70 Anniversary year—spans all audio specialties and topics, digging as deep as it is wide. The AES has posted online its detailed, interactive AES New York 2018 calendar of events for attendees to explore when planning their AES convention experience. The more than 330 presentations and workshops—offering an inside look at nearly every facet of the audio engineering industry—is available only with All Access registration. The AES New York 145 International Convention will be held October 17–20 at the Jacob Javits Center. Visit aesshow.com for the complete schedule of events.

The comprehensive Technical Program content, brought together by the organizing team led by co-chairs Paul Gallo, Valerie Tyler, and Jonathan Wyner, includes leading-edge topics like audio for virtual, augmented, and extended reality; networked audio; spatial and immersive audio; and game audio, along with core topics including broadcast and online delivery; sound reinforcement; recording and production; audio for cinema; and archiving and restoration. A dedicated track covers product development on the professional level within the product development track, while DIYers can learn and even construct hardware and write code in the new Audio Builders Workshop mini-track. Attendees learn about tomorrow’s technology today in the in-depth Papers and Posters sessions, where the latest in research into all areas of audio is presented.

All Access registration is attendees’ ticket to four full days featuring hundreds of research presentations, workshops, and tutorials from the leading audio engineering innovators and practitioners of the audio production arts. All Access badges include admittance to all onsite convention presentations, the exhibition floor, and the Special Events schedule—the complete convention experience, taking attendees’ audio engineering knowledge and understanding to the next level.

AES members receive substantial discounts when registering with online advance registration, and student members receive even deeper discounts. Additional AES student and career activities featured at AES New York will include recording and design competitions, an education and career fair, a new MATLAB plugin design competition, and numerous opportunities to network with peers and professionals from around the world. Compare registration options at aes.org/events/145/registration/.

Register now at aesshow.com for advance registration pricing and discounts on AES New York partner hotels. Registration at any level for AES New York 2018 includes access to the co-located NAB Show New York exhibition. AES Member and Student Member discounts apply.

Sound reinforcement pioneer and innovator John Meyer will deliver the AES New York 2018 Convention’s Heyser Memorial Lecture on Friday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m. Speaking on the topic “Taking the Room Out of the Loudspeaker: New Tools for Transparent Reproduction,” Meyer will share his expertise on loudspeaker design and applications from his 50-plus years as one of the most lauded names in the industry. The 145 AES International Convention is being held October 17–20 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Advance Registration pricing is available through September 20 at aesshow.com.

Established in 1999 by the AES technical council and the board of governors, in conjunction with the Richard Heyser Scholarship fund, the Heyser Lecture series, featured at each AES Convention, brings eminent individuals in audio engineering and related fields to speak on a relevant topic of choice. Meyer—also an AES fellow and recipient of the AES Silver Medal award—offers the following abstract of his presentation:

“With few exceptions, loudspeakers are not used in a free field environment but rather in an enclosed acoustical space. This is inherently problematic, as an acoustical space behaves in a manner similar to that of loudspeakers, making it difficult to separate the problematic characteristics of each using common measurement tools or subjective listening tests. This lecture will review the history of loudspeaker measurement tools as used both in the free field and in acoustical space, including Richard Heyser’s pioneering TDM methods and Meyer Sound’s own SIM (Source Independent Measurement) systems. A key focus will be on a new multi-component studio monitor that exhibits absolutely flat amplitude and phase response from 27 Hz to 20 kHz. Because this system effectively ‘takes the room out of the loudspeaker,’ it opens up possibilities for correlating new objective testing techniques with subjective listening observations. The lecture also will discuss a new test signal known as M-Noise, which effectively mimics the dynamics of music and avoids inherent weaknesses in the use of pink noise with third-octave analyzers when testing loudspeaker systems used for music. The retrospective will touch on other benchmarks in the quest for linear sound amplification, including the early Glyph large-horn systems, the Grateful Dead’s ‘Wall of Sound’ and the HD-1 high resolution studio monitor, a trusted near-field reference that remains in Meyer Sound’s product line 29 years after its introduction.”

John Meyer’s career as an audio innovator was launched in the late 1960s when he started out as designer of custom amplification systems for guitarist Steve Miller. Meyer was then the creator of the legendary Glyph very large horn loudspeakers and he was the in-house loudspeaker designer at San Francisco’s McCune Sound Service. In the 1970s his audio research at the Institute for Advanced Musical Studies in Switzerland led to his first patent, awarded for a low-distortion horn design. In 1979 he co-founded (with his wife, Helen) Meyer Sound Laboratories, a company synonymous with innovations in loudspeaker design and acoustical measurement. Meyer led development of the SIM System for audio measurement, which was awarded the prestigious R&D 100 Award in 1992. Meyer Sound also pioneered development of self-powered sound reinforcement loudspeakers with introduction of the MSL-4 in 1994, launching a trend that has since revolutionized the industry. Throughout his career, Meyer has focused on development of linear loudspeaker systems, with his R&D team most recently achieving phase linearity from 20 kHz down to 27 Hz with the Bluehorn System studio monitor.

For further information on the AES New York Heyser Lecture, as well as the complete All Access Technical Program of events and experiences that comprehensively covers all things audio, visit aesshow.com.

The Audio Engineering Society will hold the second International Conference on Audio for Virtual and Augmented Reality on August 20–22, 2018, at the DigiPen Institute of Technology, Redmond, WA. The conference and exhibition will bring together a community of influential research scientists, engineers, VR and AR developers, and content creators.

The conference’s esteemed keynote presenters—Jean-Marc Jot, distinguished fellow, Magic Leap; Ivan Tashev, partner architect, Microsoft Research Labs Redmond; and Ravish Mehra, lead research scientist, Facebook Reality Labs—are at the forefront of innovation for VR and AR.

“Audio and video are integral components of AR/VR devices,” Tashev said. “Spatial audio is an area still under development; we need better capture, representation, and rendering technologies. To make it mainstream, we have to catch up with authoring and editing tools as well.”

The three-day conference and expo will focus on the dissemination of top-level research in the field of spatial audio for virtual and augmented reality, with demonstrations and discussions focused on technical solutions and recommended practices. Leading researchers, practitioners, and industry luminaries will offer panel discussions, tutorials, and workshops on new and forthcoming technologies.

The conference promises to be as interactive and cross-disciplinary as the field of VR and AR itself, and will include an exhibition of relevant software and product demos. The conference will bring together talented researchers and developers who are creating the next generation of audio tools for immersive content, with presentation topics including:

• The state of AR/VR audio content development tools and workflows, including personalized versus generic HRTFs
• Realistic sound propagation for immersing the user in virtual environments
• Auditory distance discrimination in cinematic virtual reality
• Spatial audio capture, rendering, and synthesis over headphones and speakers
• Binaural, ambisonics, and wave field synthesis techniques
• 3D sound field navigation
• HRTF modeling and derivation from optical and/or acoustic measurements
• Reverb and room acoustics synthesis
• 3D audio mixing and content production
• Music and sound design for VR/AR
• Higher education and immersive media
• Sound for 360 VR
• XR [extended reality] audio in diverse industries
• Dialogue for VR/AR and MPEG-H