Location: Shure Incorporated, 5800 W. Touhy Ave, Niles, IL 60714
Speaker(s): Jason Corey Associate Professor, University of Michigan Vice President, Central Region, Audio Engineering Society
DESCRIPTION:
Critical listening skills are necessary for audio engineers to identify qualities such as tonal balance, dynamics, spatial characteristics, instrument/voice balances, noise, and distortion by ear. Through systematic training, listeners can learn to link perceptions of timbre and sound quality with objective qualities of sound, they can develop memories for timbral characteristics, and they can develop a greater ability to discriminate small changes in sound quality. This presentation will cover some methods for technical ear training.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
Jason Corey is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Performing Arts Technology at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, where he teaches courses in sound recording, technical ear training, and musical acoustics. He is also active as a recording, mixing, and mastering engineer. The second edition of his book Audio Production and Critical Listening: Technical Ear Training will be published by Routledge in 2016. He currently serves the Audio Engineering Society as Vice President, Central Region (USA/Canada).
Other Business: Dinner (optional, but please RSVP) will begin at 6:30pm. Contact Giles Davis ([email protected]) by Tuesday, May 24th 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: Saturday, May 14, 2016
Location: Etymotic Research, Inc., 61 Martin Lane, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007. Meeting will be held in the ER Classroom, across the parking lot.
Speaker(s): Mead Killion, Ph.D (Providing Meeting Introduction), Jonathan Siegel, PhD, Northwestern University Dan Mapes-Riordan, PhD, Etymotic Research, Inc. Robert Cochran, Etymotic Research, Inc.
DESCRIPTION:
Otoacoustic Emissions (OAEs) are sounds generated in the inner ear spontaneously or in response to acoustic stimuli which can be used to detect hearing loss. Clinically, this phenomenon has several uses, especially to identify hearing defects in newborns, where conventional audiometric tests cannot be used. In addition, it is believed that OAEs may be helpful to identify hearing damage that is not measurable with a conventional audiogram.
Etymotic Research makes a variety of Otoacoustic Emission measurement systems for both clinical and research use. A new research system, the ER-10X, is available which extends the bandwidth well beyond 20 kHz.
Come to Etymotic to learn more about OAEs and current research efforts. As part of the meeting, attendees will have the opportunity to have a scan of their hearing for OAEs.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:
Mead Killion, Ph.D. founded Etymotic Research, Inc. in 1983. Prior to starting Etymotic, he worked for over 20 years for a major electronic component manufacturer where he designed hearing aid transducers, including microphones that were so accurate they were also used in recording and broadcast studios. Dr. Killion earned degrees in mathematics from Wabash College and the Illinois Institute of Technology, and completed his doctorate in audiology at Northwestern University. He was awarded an honorary doctor of science (Sc.D.) degree from Wabash College. Dr. Killion teaches an advanced course in hearing aid electroacoustics at Northwestern University, where he is an adjunct professor. He has also taught audiology graduate students at Rush University and has directed graduate research at City University of New York Graduate School. Dr. Killion has lectured on hearing protection and hearing aids in 19 countries. He is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America and the Audio Engineering Society and has received numerous awards for his contributions to the field of hearing. He is an accomplished choir director, violinist and jazz pianist. He holds over?60 patents.
Jonathan Siegel, PhD., is a neurobiologist with a long-standing interest in auditory physiology. He is an associate professor in the Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, as well as an associate professor of neurobiology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. Siegel’s primary research interests are otoacoustic emissions and hair cell physiology. He is the principal investigator in the Otoacoustic Emissions Laboratory, and he is also a collaborator in the School of Communication’s Auditory Research Lab. Siegel has written and lectured widely on cochlear physiology and ultrastructure. He is a reviewer for a number of scientific journals, including Audiology and Neurotology, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, and the Journal of Neuroscience. The courses he teaches include Advanced Neurobiology and Physiology, Neurobiology of Communication, and Otoacoustic Emissions: Theory and Practice.
Dan Mapes-Riordan, PhD., has over 25 years’ experience as an R&D engineer in the audio industry. His educational background is in digital electronics, signal processing, acoustics, and auditory perception. He has worked in a variety of areas including digital audio testing, transducer design, echo cancellation and feedback reduction, dynamics processing, hearing test instrumentation, speech processing, surround sound, and binaural recording and playback. He has taught both statistics and acoustics at the college level. Dan has been awarded eight patents and has one patent pending. He currently is a staff engineer/scientist at Etymotic Research, Inc. He is also an associate technical editor of the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society.
Robert Cochran, MSEE, has over 30 years’ experience in audio and telecommunications, including development of sound reinforcement loudspeakers, echo cancellation, public safety radio accessories, and hearing test instrumentation. He is currently a consultant at Etymotic Research, Inc.
Other Business: Dinner (optional, but please RSVP) will begin at 6:30pm. Contact vice chair Kerry J Haps ([email protected]) by Tuesday, April 26th if you would like to join us. Pizza, pasta and salad from Lou Malnati’s will be provided. Please let Kerry 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, April 11, 2016
Location: Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders, Inc, 2151 Madison Street, Bellwood, IL 60104
Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders Inc. has grown to become a leader in the design and construction of fine liturgical and performance oriented pipe organs. The company continues to explore the art, form and role of the pipe organ in today's environment and maintains its commitment to building instruments that define the state of the Art of Organ building. Please join us for a behind-the-scenes view of the building and restoration of these magnificent instruments.
Our tour will include presentations on:
Pipe organ design - Berghaus designer, Michal Leutsch, will show how he uses AutoCAD to design everything from the decorative casework to the steel support structure to the chestwork layout (where the pipes are located.) Tonal Director Jonathan Oblander will discuss how the "sound design" of each instrument is conceived.
"Behind the Façade" - an opportunity to view and explore a pipe organ erected in the shop. Support structures, enclosures, chests, and winding systems all are visible. (Pipe organs take up entire rooms!)
Mechanics - there are many different ways that a pipe organ plays, called "chest actions". Some of these will be on display.
Electronics - learn about how the console (where the musician plays the keyboards) communicates with the chests and pipes.
Voicing - learn how Berghaus artisans work with each pipe (there can be thousands in a single organ) to achieve the desired tone and timbre according to the unique location, size and style of the instrument.
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 FatDuck Tavern & Grill (about 3 miles east on Madison St. at Elgin Ave). No reservation is required. Everyone is responsible for their own check. FatDuck Tavern & Grill 7218 Madison St Forest Park, IL 60130 (708) 488-1493 fatduckgrill.com
Posted: Thursday, January 28, 2016
Location: Shure Incorporated, 5800 W. Touhy Ave, Niles, IL 60714
Speaker(s): Bob Schulein
ABOUT THE PRESENTATION:
With the introduction of the CD in the early 1980’s and the evolution of digital audio technology, there has been an ongoing quest to improve what some called the “ultimate music storage format.” This quest for such systems is not new and has been occurring since the invention of the Edison cylindrical disc. In general it has been felt that more bandwidth, more dynamic range, and less distortion is always better, with no apparent limit. Have we, however, reached a point of diminishing returns for even the most discriminating listener? People keep asking “can you hear a difference?”
This presentation will describe a different approach to answering the question by presenting three tests that are easy for individuals to implement (assuming they have capable equipment). The question will be transformed into: “How sensitive is the combination of my listening acuity, and my various listening environments regarding two of the major aspects of High Resolution Audio - Dynamic Range and Bandwidth?”
By answering these questions, individuals can better decide for themselves as to the value and importance of acquiring high-resolution audio systems and recordings. In addition to these three tests, other tests will be discussed regarding the hearable aspects of the various low pass filters used in digital audio systems. These tests were presented as a part of Workshop W20 at the recent 139th AES Convention in New York, which included a break-out room that allowed a number of individuals to take the tests. Following the formal presentation, several demo/test stations will be available for those wishing to take the tests.
ABOUT THIS MONTH’S SPEAKER:
Bob Schulein has been involved with the design, development, manufacturing, and marketing of electro-acoustical products for over 40 years. He is currently the owner of RBS Consultants, an international consulting firm which provides consulting services in areas of acoustics, product research, product design and development, project management, and audio/video recording engineering and producing. His areas of specialization include professional and consumer audio products and applications, telecommunications and the hearing-health industry. Bob has been granted 25 patents in the fields of acoustics and electro-acoustics and has 2 patents pending.
Bob has been active in a number of professional organizations within the audio and hearing industries. He is a Fellow and Past President of the Audio Engineering Society, where he received the Publications Award in 1977, the Board of Governors Award in 1990, and the Bronze Medal in 2013. He currently serves as a vice-chair of the AES Technical Council, and is chair of the AES Technical Committee on Hearing and Hearing Loss Prevention.
Other Business: Dinner (optional, but please RSVP) will begin at 6:30pm. Reservation required - contact Treasurer Giles Davis at [email protected] by Monday, Nov. 23rd.
Posted: Saturday, November 14, 2015
Location: Columbia College, 33 E. Congress Pkwy, Chicago, IL 60605
Speaker(s): John Storyk, Walters-Storyk Design Group
RSVP: Please RSVP by October 9th. Use the form on this page (scroll down).
Directions: Click goo.gl/maps/2Z93YVcAckp for a map
Dinner: Dinner will not be offered but there are several establishments in the area. Click here for options.
About The Presentation
ASA Chicago, AES Chicago, and Columbia College Audio Arts & Acoustics department jointly present John Storyk, Co-Founder and Principal of Walters-Storyk Design Group and designer of over 3000 media facilities. John's lecture will examine technical guidelines for creating an acoustically optimal recording studio environment. The science that guides the recording studio design process will be discussed, highlighting design examples from successful spaces.
The recording studio has changed dramatically in the past 10 years. Both business models and studio design/equipment configurations are markedly different, with new ideas emerging virtually every week. The shift from large “all at once” sessions to file-based “in the box” production has ushered in a new era of small, yet extremely powerful and highly flexible audio content creation environments. These ‘next generation’ rooms continue to depend on pristine acoustics, and the aesthetic and comfort factors remain high priorities. The success of these rooms depends on the architect/acoustician’s ability to create or ‘tune’ the environment to maximize their acoustic potential. This talk will examine technical guidelines for creating an acoustically optimal recording studio environment. The science that guides the recording studio design process will be discussed, highlighting design examples from successful spaces.
About This Month's Speaker
John Storyk, Co Founder and Principal of Walters-Storyk Design Group has been responsible for designing over 3000 media and content creation facilities worldwide. Credits include Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios (1969); NYC’s Jazz At Lincoln Center and Le Poisson Rouge; broadcast facilities for The Food Network, ESPN, and WNET; major education complexes for NYU and Berklee College of Music, Boston (2015 TEC winner) and Valencia, Spain; and media rooms for such corporate clients as Hoffman La Roche. Recent projects include NYC’s Jungle City Studios and private studios for Green Day, Jay-Z, Timbaland’s Tim Mosley, film composers Carter Burwell and A.R. Rahman, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Owl City, Harry Connick Jr., and Grammy winning producer Paul Epworth. WSDG has collaborated with such noted architects as Frank Gehry, Rafael Vinoly, Norman Foster, Oscar Niemeyer, Phillipe Stark and Nicholas Grimshaw. WSDG is a nine-time winner of the prestigious NAMM TEC Award for outstanding achievement in Acoustics/Facility Design. The firm maintains offices and representation in NY, SF, LA, Miami, Buenos Aires, Belo Horizonte, Basel, Beijing, Barcelona, Mexico City, St. Petersburg and Mumbai.
Posted: Friday, September 25, 2015
