AES Conventions and Conferences
 
 AES 104th Convention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 1998 May 16-19

WORKSHOP SESSIONS
Saturday, May 16th
Sessions W1 - W3

09:00 ­ 11:30 h
W 1: High Definition Recording Systems ­ The Producers' View
Chairman: Alan Parsons, EMI, London, UK

After many years battling with the compromises associated with 16-bit recording technology and limitations of Red Book CD, the professional recording industry has vigorously demanded a higher level of fidelity and purity for digital recordings. It has recently been argued that for many projects, analog technology still offers the best available option.
The following points will be discussed: Analog versus digital, does hi-res digital sound better, outside pressures to use hi-res, are old mics still good enough, economics of 48-track recording in hi-res, 5.1 surround issues, interchange and compatibility, implications for console design, delivery for DVD and Super Audio CD and other consumer media, high bit rates and 1-bit systems, catalog material transfer to hi-res, archiving.

15:30 ­ 18:30 h
W 2: From linear PCM to DSD ­ Technologies, Applications and Limitations of Different Digital Audio Conversion Systems
Chairman: Markus Erne, Scopein Research, Aarau, Switzerland

This workshop will start off with a 40 minute tutorial on audio converter technology starting at fs-based conversion systems up to Sigma-Delta-converters and DSD. Manufacturers of audio converters will evaluate their choices in terms of technology and implementation. Problems such as the importance of the analog front-end, clock-jitter, delay or the use of gain-ranging and the use of different dithering schemes will be addressed as well as the choice of appropriate sampling frequencies and resolution in terms of bits. Experienced recording and mastering engineers will evaluate the different technologies from a practical point of view, talking about their experience by focusing on potential problems and possible improvements.

16:00 ­ 18:30 h
W 3: Audio Archiving ­ New Tools and New Rules
Chairman: Greg Faris, National Library, France

Traditionally, the safeguarding or archiving of audio documents was solely the concern of heritage and copyright institutions. The success of digital media, however, has incited publishers to return to their archives, and in some cases to re-evaluate their commercial interest. The advent of new higher-capacity media promises to accelerate these trends ­ all of which inspires trepidation in the traditional archiving institutions, who must determine methods to keep up. This workshop will explore today's audio archiving theory and practices from two viewpoints: the commercial view, and the institutional view, and within each of these, special consideration of strictly technical issues. Panelists have been chosen from heritage and copyright institutions and the publishing industry, not forgetting a contribution from a more recent field: creation of re-issues from previously issued discs, where no original elements were archived.

WORKSHOP SESSIONS

Back to 104 Home Page

(C) 2000, Audio Engineering Society, Inc.