Audio is not a single discipline but rather a family of related disciplines, which have expanded as new, related technical frontiers have been opened. This half-century audio retrospective chronologically covers technical advances, which began with the long-playing record and magnetic recording, continues with the advent of multichannel recording and reproduction, and ends with the last one-and-one-half decades that document the explosive development of digital technology. Each era has spawned ancillary areas of audio endeavor: electronic music, measurement techniques, component design, transducer design, processing algorithms�the list goes on. Each of these technical disciplines can be considered audio building blocks, available to the audio system designer from which to assemble larger, integrated combinations. Without many of these building blocks, complex systems such as recording consoles or extensive sound reinforcement systems might not have been readily possible. It is this dynamic nature of our Society with its diverse technical disciplines that has served the audio community's varied requirements.

In the following pages two lists are of particular interest: one is the Charter Members; the other, a complete historical list of the Society's officers. Take the time to read through them. There you will find the names of many who have made contributions to audio. Some of these names became household words in their fields of endeavor. They are also those who made the Society's continuous growth possible. The characteristic common to all of them was their personal contribution to the Society. It is important to realize that the Society began with no financial base; it had only the dedication of these early enthusiasts. Not only did they invest their time, but frequently also their financial resources. Our first president, C. J. LeBel, devoted office space and secretarial services to the daily operations of the Society, and upon his death in 1969 left a financial legacy that was the first large, single financial influx to our treasury. It was the beginning of our current financial health. Our retired executive director, Donald Plunkett, stands out as one who was at the formation meeting of our Society and has devoted his career to the furtherance of the AES. There are many others who have given their time and shared their talent to further the growth of the Society. To them we are grateful.

With the previous comments in mind, it is clear that a simple retrospective is not an easy task. In the following pages we will try to bring you the highlights of the Journal and the Society's activities. There will be some oversights; they are not intentional, just human failings considering the large volume of contributions made by the Society's members to the dynamic world of audio.

We are grateful to the many authors, who have contributed their time so generously to aid in making this a meaningful issue of the Journal. Special thanks are extended to our editorial staff for their help, comments, and patience in bringing you this issue, and for making our Journal a well-organized, visually attractive publication over many years.

My personal wish is that we continue to present scientific audio knowledge to our members who, in turn, will continue to enhance the listening enjoyment of society in general.

John J. Bubbers
Guest Editor