NEW YORK CITY — Under the banner Inspire, professional audio’s annual family reunion returned to New York City’s Javits Center for four October days where inspiration was abundant as leading audio innovators shared their knowledge and experience alongside gear designed to spark creativity and imagination while enhancing productivity.
“The program rocked, and the exhibits were packed with people. Everyone was very excited to be there,” shares Agnieszka Roginska, AES New York 2019 co-chair and AES president-elect. “No time in AES’s history has seen a more diverse, innovative and forward-looking program.” Convention co-chair and AES Secretary Valerie Tyler elaborates, “We expanded the comprehensive technical program to include more genres, a broader range of new technologies and a wider breadth of voices than ever before.”
“We’re so proud of the team that came together to make this convention a reality,” adds Jonathan Wyner, the third of the Convention’s co-chairs. “From the technical program to the exhibition hall, the interests of every attendee were met. Expanded topics drew new attendees and let long-time attendees expand their horizons.”
The Convention’s wealth of opportunity – more than 750 of professional audio’s leading innovators presenting in the more than 330 sessions in the All Access Technical Program and the 130 sessions on the Exhibition Hall’s Inspiration Stages and in its topical Theaters, alongside 236 exhibiting brands – was evident in the registration numbers, according to Colleen Harper, AES Executive Director. “Registration for the Audio Engineering Society’s 147th International Pro Audio Convention again topped 14,000,” she says. “That includes a 20% increase in individuals opting for an All Access badge for the full Technical Program. 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.”
“Over the last few years,” says producer/engineer and AES New York 2019 presenter Warren Huart, “AES has actively been bringing in and cultivating young engineers. This year’s show was amazing testament to this. Plus, all the exhibitors brought their ‘A’ game! Everyone’s booths showed a massive range of products, and the diversity of modern and legacy products was the best it’s ever been. It was so gratifying to see the huge amount of innovation on display!”
That blend of modern and vintage was exemplified by consolemaker API’s presence at AES New York 2019, where the company celebrated its 50th anniversary. It was “a great show for API,” says the company’s owner and president, Larry Droppa, “aided by the museum display in our booth, which provided not only a history lesson for the younger generation, but a chance for our contemporaries to reminisce over the ‘glory days’ of tape-based recording. Attendees were enthusiastic about the state of the industry. We were particularly pleased with the number of student groups and younger audio engineer/producers who value the listening process as much as the advances in technology.”
Meanwhile, the live sound track was a popular attraction. Programs ranged from the foundations of systems design to the latest in the science and technology of audio perception, and access to the latest from the industry’s top researchers and gear designers, as well as the engineers that exemplify best practices in the craft of sound reinforcement.
ON THE HORIZON…
On the AES event calendar for 2020 is the AES Academy in January in Anaheim, the AES Worship Sound Academy in Nashville in March, the AES Vienna 2020 Convention in May, the Audio Educators Conference in Murfreesboro/Nashville in July and the AVAR Conference in Redmond, Washington in August. AES New York returns to the Javits Center October 21-24, 2020.
To learn more about AES regional events, International Conferences and Conventions, visit www.aes.org/events.
Note: A detailed report of our picks for the top sound reinforcement products from AES will appear in the November 2019 issue of FRONT of HOUSE.
