The Fall 2019 AES in New York was titled “Inspire,” and if you couldn’t find any inspiration there, you need to have your pulse checked. The keynote speaker was successful recording artist and hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash. In his address, he provided insights to his groundbreaking method of vinyl manipulation and manual beat looping.
“Registration for the society’s 147th International Pro Audio Convention again topped 14,000,” according to AES executive director Colleen Harper. “The AES and our events are more relevant than ever to an industry where technology and its application are in a constant state of change.”
As you’d expect, there were plenty of seminars and discussions aimed at live sound pros, ranging from Solution-Based Approaches for Networked Audio in Live Production (Dan Ferrisi), A Low-Latency Digital Audio Bus Standard (Joseph Beauchemin) and Miniature Microphones — Why Are They So Attractive? (Eddy Bøgh Brixen) to Your Noise Isn’t My Noise: Improving Sound Exposure and Noise Pollution Management at Outdoor Events (Adam J. Hill). Not to be missed was an “RF Supersession” featuring wireless gurus Jason Glass, James Stoffo, Mark Brunner, Joe Ciaudelli, Jim Dugan, Cameron Stuckey, Gary Trenda and Karl Winkler, which provided insights into the current RF environment.
Traffic on the show floor was moderate to heavy on the days I attended (Wednesday and Thursday). I think that starting the show on a Wednesday provided opportunity for an increased number of live sound pros to attend, as many of us work weekends and wouldn’t otherwise make it to the show.
There were no earth-shattering technical announcements, but there were visible continuing trends: network ports abound with a distinct leaning in the direction of Dante; digital mixing systems are becoming more affordable while offering higher channel counts, higher sample rates and increased operability; and loudspeakers get louder and lighter while providing increased audio fidelity and better control over coverage.
For the full report, go to https://fohonline.com/articles/new-gear-current-issue/product-hits-of-aes-new-york-2019/
