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

WORKSHOP SESSIONS
Sunday, May 17th
Sessions W4 - W8

09:00 ­ 11:30 h;
W 4: The Analog Channel
Chairman: Sean Davies, S.W. Davies Ltd., London, UK

A number of respected producers and engineers still prefer to use an analog format at certain stages of record production. This workshop will examine the reasoning and philosophy for such decisions, also the viability of analog equipment and consumables in the future. The panel will include representatives from manufacturers and users.

14:00 ­ 17:00 h
W 5: Growing up to Multichannel Music
Chairman: Wieslaw Woszczyk, McGill University, Montreal,Canada

Making a transition from the stereo to a multichannel world of music is exciting but not as easy or straightforward as it might seem at first. New means of expression, and sound techniques, are only just beginning to be discovered. This workshop aims to provide a look at practical matters of importance in recording and mixing music for multichannel consumer release, such as DVD. A select group of award winning recording engineers from the classical and pop-music fields will share their pioneering experiences of creating multichannel music mixes for the consumer market, and discuss their approach to the aesthetic and technical goals of music presentation. Please note that we will not discuss or compare consumer delivery formats offered by various manufacturers, but rather focus on the practical aspects of work in a studio: recording, mixing, monitoring music for multichannel reproduction, regardless of the consumer release format.

09:00 ­ 12:00 h
W 6: Perceptual Models
Chairman: Thomas Sporer, Fraunhofer Institut für Integrierte Schaltungen

Perceptual audio coding is used in many applications today and the need to use perceptual audio measurement will be the logical consequence. Both techniques use knowledge about the human auditory system as a key feature. The ITU-R TG10/4 is preparing a recommendation for objective perceptual measurements, which is expected to be in the
voting phase just at the time of this convention. The panelists of the workshop are all involved in this work either by developing the measurement scheme or by evaluating the scheme via listening tests which must be the final authority for the quality of audio signals.

The workshop starts with a short overview of the general structure of perceptual coding and perceptual measurement schemes.

The psychoacoustical effects which are most important for coding and measurement will be explained and demonstrated by audio experts. The perceptual models used in the upcoming ITU recommendation will be explained.

One goal of measurement is to predict and possibly replace listening tests according to ITU-RBS.1116. This makes it necessary to consider also any cognitive effects involved in such listening tests.

The workshop will end with an overview of the applications defined in the recommendation. First experiences with the evaluation of audio codecs will be presented.

12:30 ­ 15:00 h
W 7: Copy Management in the Digital Era
Chairman: Jean-Paul M.G. Linnartz, Philips Research, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

The migration from analog to digital platforms for audio and multimedia applications not only provides enhanced quality but also greatly facilitates the development of new services and features. Meanwhile, the casual user may get the possibility to make unlimited, perfect quality digital copies, which can be a serious threat to the content industry.

The development of robust and fair mechanisms to control copying is a technological and regulatory challenge. It may involve the innovative use of (embedded) signaling of copyright states, physical markers for storage media as well as cryptography. Moreover a regulatory framework is needed to enforce compliance of user devices and to deter piracy. On the other hand, if copy protection mechanisms hinder the legal use and functionality of consumer electronics devices or PC's, new digital products may not be accepted in the market.

This workshop addresses technical and legal tools for copy control, as well as the challenge to find a satisfactory system solution.

15:30 ­ 18:00 h
W 8: Formal and De-Facto Standards in Reduced Rate Audio Coding
Chairman: Jürgen Herre, FhG-IIS A, Audio/Multi Media Department, Erlangen, Germany

Today there are a large number of different coding algorithms available on the market for the representation of reduced rate audio. While most of these formats rely on similar perceptual coding algorithms, the formats provide substantially different capabilities in terms of bit rates, channel configurations, and features, and cover different application areas.

The workshop will provide a summary of the most commonly used data reduction systems and will highlight: commonalities and differences, system parameters (bit rates, audio formats), application areas (theatre sound, internet audio), history, evolution of algorithms, relationship between systems, relevant and emerging standards.

WORKSHOP SESSIONS

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