Jim Anderson
Location: Shure Incorporated, 5800 W. Touhy Ave, Niles, IL 60714
Speaker(s): Jim Anderson Professor, Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music Tisch School of the Arts, New York University
Recording Engineer/Producer Jim Anderson will present an evening of his recordings of jazz and classical music in surround sound. Musical artists will include saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom, Chicago vocalist and songwriter Patricia Barber, US Army Jazz Ambassadors performing compositions by Sammy Nestico, and the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra of Norway.
Genelec has graciously provided a 5.1 monitor system for listening.
Jim Anderson is an internationally recognized recording engineer and producer of acoustic music for the recording, radio, television, and film industries. He is the recipient of numerous awards and nominations in the recording industry: his recordings have received ten Grammy and Latin Grammy awards and 27 Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations; his radio recordings have received two George Foster Peabody Awards and there have been two Emmy nominations for television programs. In 2013, Jim won the Grammy for Best Surround Album and was nominated for Best Surround Album in 2014.
A graduate of the Duquesne University School of Music in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jim has studied audio engineering at the Eastman School of Music and Sender Freies Berlin. During the 1970s, he was employed by National Public Radio. Since 1980, Jim has had a career as an independent audio engineer and producer, living in New York City. He has been a frequent lecturer and speaker for the Audio Engineering Society (AES) and master-class guest faculty member at leading international institutes. He is a professor of recorded music with the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music in the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and was the department’s Chair from 2004 – 2008.
He has served as Vice President for Eastern Sections of the AES, chaired the NYC Section and was Chair of many AES conventions. Jim is a Fellow of the Audio Engineering Society, has received five AES Board of Governors Awards, and was President of the Society in 2008-2009.
Jim and his wife, tonmeister Ulrike Schwarz, collaborate as Anderson Audio New York www.andersonaudiony.com and specialize in surround and immersive recording.
Other Business: Dinner (optional, but please RSVP) will begin at 6:30pm.Contact Giles Davis ([email protected]) by Wednesday, November 29th if you would like to join us. Sandwiches and chips from Jimmy John’s will be provided. Please let Giles know if you have a preference for vegetarian, gluten-free, etc. Price is $10 for non-members and $8 for members and students (please bring cash).
Posted: Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Location: Shure Incorporated, 5800 W. Touhy Ave, Niles, IL 60714
Speaker(s): Sean Olive, Ph.D. Past President, AES Acoustic Research Fellow, Harman International
DESCRIPTION:
A recent paper by Jeroen Breebaart* reported no correlation between the retail price of 283 models of headphones and their measured frequency response (i.e. the single best predictor of how good it sounds). Clearly, the headphone industry has decided sound quality doesn’t matter or else they haven’t a clue what it is or how to measure it.
Dr. Olive’s talk will summarize Harman’s 5-year research effort towards better understanding the perception and measurement of headphone sound quality. Hundreds of listeners participated in controlled listening tests where different models of in-ear and over-ear headphones were rated based on preferred sound quality. From these studies we’ve discovered (much like loudspeakers) most listeners prefer neutral sounding headphones, with some small variations in preferred bass and treble that are related to the quality of the recording, and age and training of the listener. Most importantly, listeners’ headphone preference ratings can be accurately predicted based on how far the headphone’s frequency response deviates from a preferred target response. In summary, the science exists to improve the consistency and sound quality of headphones, but do consumers and the industry care enough about sound quality to affect change?
*in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
Sean Olive is Acoustic Research Fellow for Harman International, where he has worked since 1993. He directs the Corporate R&D group, whose research has mainly focused on the perception and measurement of sound reproduction including loudspeakers, room acoustics, automotive audio, and currently headphones. From 1986-1993, he was a research scientist at the National Research Council of Canada where he worked with Dr. Floyd Toole.
Sean received a Bachelor degree in Music from the University of Toronto, and his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Sound Recording from McGill University in Montreal. Dr. Olive has written over 50 research papers on his research for which he was awarded the Audio Engineering Society (AES) Fellowship Award in 1996, and two Publication Awards (1990 and 1995). In 2012, Sean received the Harman Achievement Award, and in 2013 the ALMA Titanium Driver Award for scientific contributions to the loudspeaker and headphone industry. Sean is active in several AES Technical Committees, has co-chaired two AES conferences, and is Past AES President. He currently serves as an AES Governor.
DIRECTIONS:
Driving: When arriving by car, approach from the east by heading west on Touhy, then turn right into the parking lot just east of the Shure building, which is on the corner of Touhy and Lehigh. DO NOT turn left into parking lot from Touhy heading east, as this is illegal and you may get a traffic ticket.
CTA Blue Line: Get off at Jefferson Park transit center, and take bus lines 85A, 225, or 226 to Shure (be sure to check the bus schedules for return trip).
CTA Red Line: Get off at Howard and take bus line 290 to Shure (be sure to check the bus schedules for return trip).
Other Business: Dinner (optional, but please RSVP) will begin at 6:30pm. Contact Giles Davis ([email protected]) by Wednesday, October 11th if you would like to join us. Pizza and salad from Lou Malnati’s will be provided. Please let Giles know if you have a preference for vegetarian, gluten-free, etc. Price is $10 for non-members and $8 for members and students (please bring cash).
Posted: Monday, September 25, 2017
The Chicago AES Section is now on Twitter.
Posted: Thursday, September 21, 2017
A Facebook page has been created to augment our section's digital presence.
Posted: Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Kiwi Audio
Location: Kiwi Audio 39W543 Seavey Rd. Batavia, IL 60510 (doesn’t register on many GPS systems, so see directions below)
Speaker(s): Brad Showalter – Owner/Operator/Builder
DIRECTIONS:
From East:
GPS to intersection of Seavey Rd and Deerpath Rd in Batavia. Head west on Seavey (only way you can go). Once on Seavey, studio is 4th driveway on left (1.5 miles down on south side of Seavey).
From West:
GPS to intersection of Seavey Rd and Bliss Rd. Head East on Seavey. 4th driveway on right (2 miles down on south side of Seavey).
Studio is in red barn. Plenty of gravel parking.
DESCRIPTION:
Kiwi Audio is a 2400 sq ft. studio located in rural Batavia IL. Designed by Jeff Hedback of HDAcoustics, the studio has been built from the ground up almost solely by owner/operator Brad Showalter. "Jeff and I spent about 4 months designing the rooms. I gave Jeff almost complete creative control on the design." After Jeff finalized his design, Brad started construction. Now, 5 years after breaking ground, the studio is nearing completion. Construction has been ongoing as time and finances are available. The studio has been a functional recording space for 4 of the 5 years during various phases of construction. Featuring large rooms (by private studio standards), the tracking room is 570 sq ft. with 14' ceilings. The facility also includes two isolation rooms, a spacious control room, and a lounge area with kitchen and full bath. Located on 124 acres of working farmland, the onsite grain silo doubles as a reverb chamber.
Other Business: Due to scheduling, we will not be able to do a group dinner before the meeting as is typical. Instead, we encourage everyone to come to an informal social afterwards at The Turf Room (about 3 miles from the studio). No reservation is required. Everyone is responsible for their own check. The Turf Room 1033 Kilbery St. North Aurora, IL 60542 (630) 906-9300 theturfroomrestaurant.com/
Posted: Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Location: Shure Incorporated, 5800 W. Touhy Ave, Niles, IL 60714
Speaker(s): Plamen Ivanov, Motorola
DESCRIPTION:
A student analyzing a microphone array or an engineer designing a multi-microphone system is always facing the need for a sizeable and meaningful database of signals with which to test their system. The conventional approach of building a physical model of the system can be very time consuming, expensive, and in some cases of very limited usefulness.
The talk will outline the basics of a simple microphone signal modeling approach, capable of producing sufficiently accurate and useful test data. It will show how such data was used to study the response of differential and adaptive microphone arrays. A review of the basics of differential array processing is also included.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
Plamen Ivanov was born in Vratsa, Bulgaria. He studied Acoustics and Audio Signal Processing in the Wroclaw Polytechnic in Poland, and graduated with a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering in 1996, with a final-thesis work on text to speech synthesis. He was awarded a European Union “Tempus Scholar Program” grant for a year-long visit at Sheffield Hallam University (England), where he worked in the area of room acoustics and automated signal identification.
In 1996 he joined the graduate program in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State University and conducted research in various aspects of non-destructive material evaluation; including finite element modeling, defect detection and characterization, test and measurement system development. He specialized in communications and signal processing and defended a doctorate in 2002.
In 2003 he consulted as a Research Engineer in the area of HSDPA multi-antenna base-band signal processing. Since 2004 he has been with Motorola, contributing to technology development and transfer in product, for various voice and multimedia signal processing components. His current interests and work include surround sound multimedia technology, Ambisonics, array processing, and signal conditioning for robust speech recognition.
MEMBERSHIP:
Not a member of the AES? For information about joining, go to www.aes.org/membership/.
The Audio Engineering Society connects you with top professionals and cutting-edge research in all areas of audio technology.
Other Business: Dinner (optional, but please RSVP) will begin at 6:30pm. Contact Giles Davis ([email protected]) by Tuesday, May 30th if you would like to join us. Pizza and salad from Lou Malnati’s will be provided. Please let Giles know if you have a preference for vegetarian, gluten-free, etc. Price is $10 for non-members and $8 for members and students (please bring cash).
Posted: Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Location: 4544 N. Lincoln Avenue Chicago, IL 60625
Speaker(s): Scott Lundius – Education Director, Rob Fishman – Senior Sound Engineer
Scott Lundius and Rob Fishman have agreed to give our Chicago AES Section a special tour of the Old Town School of Folk Music.
WEST BUILDING: Public spaces (front desk, music store, café, Second Floor Gallery with WPA Mural, Resource Center, etc.) classroom spaces, (group classrooms, private classrooms, etc.) and Maurer Concert Hall.
EAST BUILDING: Public spaces (Lobby gathering space, Grand Staircase with large-scale depiction of R. Crumb's Heroes of Blues, Jazz and Country Music, etc.) classroom spaces, (group classrooms, private classrooms, etc.) and Szold Music and Dance Hall (convertible program/performance space).
Other Business: Due to scheduling, we will not be able to do a group dinner before the meeting as is typical. Instead, we encourage everyone to come to an informal social afterwards at Fork (1 block North at Wilson & Lincoln). No reservation is required. Everyone is responsible for their own check. Fork 4600 N Lincoln Ave. Chicago, IL 60625 (773) 751-1500 forkchicago.net
Posted: Monday, March 20, 2017
Location: Shure Incorporated, 5800 W. Touhy Ave, Niles, IL 60714
Speaker(s): John Woodruff, Knowles Electronics
Listeners with normal hearing can recognize the source of a sound, localize the point of origin, and separate the information provided by an individual source from competing sound sources. There is a longstanding interest in developing algorithms to achieve these capabilities in commercial products. Performance for some problems, such as automatic speech recognition (ASR), has improved substantially in recent years. Conventional signal processing techniques, however, are still widely deployed for the problem of sound separation in spite of well-known limitations.
Supervised learning algorithms have been central to the advances achieved in ASR, and such algorithms are poised to displace or augment long-standing signal processing methods used for sound separation. Recent literature has shown that new approaches to sound separation enabled by machine learning may lead to transformative differences in user experience. One example is improving speech intelligibility in a noisy environment for a hearing aid user. Many technical challenges remain to be overcome before we see widespread deployment of these methods.
In this discussion we will cover the basic concepts and acoustic cues involved in conventional approaches to sound separation, such as beamforming and speech enhancement. We will also introduce recent supervised learning approaches to sound separation and discuss where these can be used in combination with, or to replace conventional methods. Finally, we will talk about the challenges in deploying supervised learning methods for sound separation in real-world products.
About the Presenter:
John Woodruff leads audio processing algorithm development for Knowles’ Intelligent Audio division in Mountain View, CA. He has been with Knowles and Audience since 2012, developing algorithms for detection, localization, classification, separation and enhancement of audio signals, and helping to deploy those algorithms in smart phones, laptops and other consumer devices. Prior to joining Audience, he worked on algorithms for sound separation and localization, pitch tracking, and music remixing in the Perception and Neurodynamics Lab at Ohio State University and the Interactive Audio Lab at Northwestern University. John received a Ph.D. in computer science and engineering from Ohio State University, a M.Music in music technology from Northwestern University, and a B.Sc. in mathematics from the University of Michigan.
Other Business: Dinner (optional, but please RSVP) will begin at 6:30pm. Contact Giles Davis ([email protected]) by Wednesday, February 22nd if you would like to join us. Pizza and salad from Lou Malnati’s will be provided. Please let Giles know if you have a preference for vegetarian, gluten-free, etc. Price is $10 for non-members and $8 for members and students (please bring cash).
Posted: Monday, February 13, 2017
Location: Shure Incorporated, 5800 W. Touhy Ave, Niles, IL 60714
Moderated by: Jamie Tagg
Speaker(s): Assistant Professor of Recording Arts, Indiana University
Born out of a need to overcome the difficulty of listening exclusively on headphones while working on location, as well as the dominance of headphone listening by today's consumers, Jamie has developed a four-microphone configuration called the Stereo Mic Technique for Augmented Ambience Gradient. This technique allows the recordist to make easy adjustments to the amount of direct and reverberant sound from an ideal microphone placement, capturing an improved sense of spatial envelopment when presented over headphones, while still maintaining quality for loudspeaker listening.
Starting with the idea in application, followed by research and development through extensive experimentation and subjective listening tests, this technique has come a long way since its conception in 2010, and is now being used by engineers in several locations across the country in temporary and permanent installations for stereo and surround archiving and broadcast.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
A singer, pianist, and saxophonist, D. James Tagg (Jamie) received his bachelor's degree in music from the University of Miami in Music Engineering Technology, a master of music in Sound Recording Technology from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and has studied engineering and production with Martha de Francisco at McGill University in Montréal. He has taught audio production at SUNY Oneonta, Syracuse University, the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and McGill University. He now lives in Bloomington, IN where he is an Assistant Professor of Recording Arts at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.
In addition to the stereo mic technique which is the topic of his presentation (Stereo Technique for Augmented Ambience Gradient), Jamie has developed spatial processing tools through digital signal processing (DSP) for his own use, as well as for THAT Corporation's dBx-TV, used by many major TV manufacturers.
Having recorded three GRAMMY®-nominated albums, received multiple internationally competitive recording awards from the Audio Engineering Society, and having worked across the United States and Canada, Jamie is not only passionate about presenting spatial realism in recordings, but also bringing the heart of the performance to the listener.
Other Business: Dinner (optional, but please RSVP) will begin at 6:30pm. Contact Giles Davis ([email protected]) by Wednesday, October 19th if you would like to join us. Pizza and salad from Lou Malnati’s will be provided. Please let Giles know if you have a preference for vegetarian, gluten-free, etc. Price is $10 for non-members and $8 for members and students (please bring cash).
Posted: Thursday, October 20, 2016
Location: 1512 S. Batavia Avenue, Geneva, IL 60134
Moderated by: Eric Wolfram
Speaker(s): Laboratory Manager, RAL
DESCRIPTION:
Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories (RAL) is an internationally respected research facility located in Geneva, Illinois. Constructed in 1918, RAL became the world's first independent laboratory dedicated to the science of architectural acoustics. Riverbank owner, philanthropist Colonel George Fabyan, built the laboratory for its designer, professor Wallace Clement Sabine. The scientific efforts of this renowned Harvard physicist earned him two distinguished titles. Dr. Sabine is acknowledged today as the father of the science of architectural acoustics and the first "modern day" acoustical consultant. The (IP) unit of sound absorption is a Sabin, named in his honor. When the professor died in 1919, his distant cousin, Dr. Paul Earls Sabine became RAL's director. When he retired in 1947, Dr. Paul Sabine turned the operations over to the Armour Research Foundation (known today as Alion Science and Technology).
Today, Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories provides a wide range of acoustical testing services for hundreds of customers worldwide. RAL is accredited by the US Government's National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) as an ISO 17025 lab operation and is an approved participant in Underwriter's Laboratories Third Party Test Data Program.
The majority of RAL tests are for commercial architectural product manufacturers, but RAL also performs research for government agencies and aerospace component designers. RAL conforms to strict guidelines for instrument traceability, handling of proprietary information (including test results), quality management, and ethics.
Also of interest to our guests is RAL's museum dedicated to the Science of Architectural Acoustics. The Acoustical Society of America officially sanctioned the museum in 1989.
More information about the program can be found at: riverbank.alionscience.com
PRESENTER:
Eric Wolfram is the Laboratory Manager for RAL. He leads the lab’s technical and business operations. Prior to joining the RAL team in 2012, Eric served as Lead Acoustical Engineer for Riedel & Associates, an architectural acoustics consulting firm based Milwaukee, WI. As a consulting engineer, Eric provided guidance for hundreds of architectural acoustics projects across the US. Eric Wolfram has a Bachelor’s degree in Acoustics from Columbia College Chicago. RSVP: This event is limited in space, so please RSVP to [email protected] .
Other Business: We will not be able to do a group dinner before the meeting as is typical. Instead, we encourage everyone to come to an informal social afterwards at Geneva Ale House (about a mile north in downtown Geneva, look for the large marquee). No reservation is required. Everyone is responsible for their own check. Geneva Ale House 319 West State Street Geneva, IL 60134 630-262-3877 www.genevaalehouse.com
Posted: Wednesday, September 21, 2016
