SAN FRANCISCO – The times and dates have not been finalized, but Jessica Livingston and Jeff McKnight, co-chairs of the Technical Tours for the 129th AES Convention (Moscone Center, Nov. 5-7) have announced the planned tour sites, along with new tech tour package deals – three "2-for-1" tours this year.
The preliminary Tech Tour Schedule includes:
Freight & Salvage thefreight.org A 42-year-old coffee house which recently opened California's largest venue for traditional music. Freight & Salvage has hosted artists such as Country Joe and The Fish, Lightin' Hopkins and Ricky Skaggs.
The Berkeley Repertory Theater berkeleyrep.org helped develop many theatrical productions over the past 40 years, including Green Day's American Idiot. The Berkeley Rep features two separate theaters that run different shows simultaneously. Situated across the street from each other, Freight & Salvage and The Berkeley Rep are offered as a single tour.
Tiny Telephone tinytelephone.com was opened by John Vanderslice in 1997 to provide affordable recording to San Francisco's independent music community.
Women's Audio Mission womensaudiomission.org is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of women in music production and the recording arts. Tiny Telephone and WAM encompass another "double header" tour.
Crescendo crescendostudios.com one of SF's premier audio post facilities, is located in the historic Barbary Coast, waterfront district.
Another Barbary Coast resident, Polarity Post polaritypost.com, a five studio full service audio post house, is focused on VO & ADR Recording, Sound Design, Stereo and Surround Sound Mixing for TV, Radio, Video Games, Film, Corporate Programming and Special Projects. Polarity and Crescendo comprise the third 2-for-1 Tech Tour Package.
Dolby dolby.com Founded by Ray Dolby in 1965, and a benchmark of SF pro audio innovation since 1976, Dolby is synonymous with the highest quality feature film noise reduction systems. This tour will encompass R&D labs, manufacturing and testing facilities.
Outpost Studios outpostfilm.com San Francisco's largest lock-to-picture Dolby 5.1 control room/mix stage features custom-built Foley pits and recording areas. Editor Dave Nelson pioneered the art of recording Foley directly into ProTools. Outpost boasts a warehouse full of Foley props, including the Saul Zaentz Film Center collection and a huge library of sound effects. Credits include Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation.
Davies Symphony Hall www.sfwmpac.org/symphonyhall/sh_index.html opened in 1980, and is the home of the San Francisco Symphony and musical director Michael Tilson Thomas. The hall features a "cloud" of movable reflecting panels to adjust the acoustics to the size of the orchestra and audience. Fabric banners can alter reverb time from approximately one to two-and-one-half seconds. The venue has hosted such acclaimed artists as Leonard Bernstein, Lorin Maazel, Jascha Heifetz and Andre Watts.
Other AES Technical Tours include:
CCRMA ccrma.stanford.edu Stanford University's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics is a unique center dedicated to research and contemporary musical creation within Stanford University and a link between industry and the arts.
Grace Cathedral gracecathedral.org a renowned landmark, serves as a magnet, where diverse people gather to worship, celebrate, seek solace and learn. Recognized for its acoustics, the Cathedral regularly presents a diverse program ranging from its Choir of Men and Boys to jazz legends like Pharoah Sanders, and hit makers like Carlos Santana and Bonnie Raitt.
Studio D studiodrecording.com Studio principal Joel Jaffe will demonstrate surround sound miking and mixing techniques at this Marin County studio
Studio 880's new Mix Manor studio880.com is situated in a restored Victorian mansion on the island of Alameda in San Francisco Bay. The studio features a Gothic tracking room, Deco edit room and a grand Egyptian Deco Mix theater. Studio owner/producer/engineer John Lucasey, who's credits include: Green Day, Norah Jones, Chris Brown and Beyonce, will discuss the aesthetics of studio design during the tour.
"The energy, thought and personal time that Jessica Livingston and Jeff McKnight devoted to this year's convention typifies the commitment of all our Chair people," said committee co-chair Jim McTigue. "They have been indomitable in tracking down some of this city's most unique production, post-production and performance venues. We are confident that attendees will be talking about the 129th Convention for years to come."
For more information, please visit www.aes.org.
