Audio Technical Education daySaturday 2nd April 2005New Hall, Cambridge
Interested in audio? With the traditional stereo hi-fi market now covering surround-sound and more computer based devices with compressed audio, how do you decide which features have the greatest effect on what you hear?
To help you answer this question, the Audio Engineering Society has brought together a number of demonstrations and seminars by respected industry names for an Audio Technical Education day.
This rare opportunity is open to all who are interested in audio - from home hi-fi enthusiasts to those more interested in sound for home theatre. The main sessions include:
| Live versus Recorded Sound |
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The closest most people come to comparing the sound of a live musician to a recording is to buy a CD after a concert. John Watkinson will host an immediate comparison between live musicians and Celtic Audio loudspeakers. The audience will be able to hear the live and recorded sound in the same room, allowing appreciation of the subtle interactions between the sound and the room.
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| Loudspeakers - does their position really make a difference? |
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Loudspeakers are designed into studios in optimum locations, but in the home they are often positioned, and chosen, for reasons of aesthetics and space - unlikely to be acoustically ideal. Needing six or eight loudspeakers for surround-sound makes correct positioning in the home more difficult. B&W will demonstrate how important positioning is using small loudspeakers, with a sub-woofer, and then compare this sound to that from larger full-range units.
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| Compressed Audio - what to listen for |
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Many people listen to compressed audio everyday on iPods, digital radio, etc. This session will play examples of compression systems such as MP3 and Windows Media at different quality levels. Markus Erne will compare these to the original high quality audio signals to help you hear what is lost - otherwise known as 'coding artefacts' or 'faults'!
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| DTS Home Cinema |
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DTS will demonstrate the features of their 6.1 channel surround-sound system in a cinema size theatre, using PMC's studio monitor range of loudspeakers. Experience the best of digital cinema - in a room where you can move around to choose the best seat and where the person in front is not eating popcorn.
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| Acoustics For Multichannel Listening |
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DVD/SACD discs bring surround-sound music listening into the home. What changes might you need to make to your stereo listening room to make the most of multichannel audio? Bob Walker, an acoustic specialist at BBC Research Department for many years, will give some hints and tips from his experience of designing listening rooms.
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Details
The sessions will be 50 minutes long with an opportunity to ask questions. They will be presented in an informative but enjoyable style, without mathematical equations.
To make sure that you get the most from each session, the number of people in each group will be appropriate for each demonstration, with some sessions having fewer than 20 people. So that all attendees can visit every demonstration, the sessions will be run a number of times with groups allocated to particular sessions.
The lunch and refreshment breaks will give you time to chat to other people interested in the future of audio and to see informal hands-on demonstrations of new audio technology.
Who are the Audio Engineering Society?
The AES is an international body that represents the audio industry and promotes good audio engineering practice. The membership includes recording engineers, manufacturers of studio and home audio equipment, students and other people involved in audio.
The UK section organises an annual conference - this Audio Technical Education day follows on from this year's conference.
Lectures and technical visits are held every month, open to members and non-members.
How to book
This one-day audio education event will be held on Saturday, 2nd April 2005 at New Hall college in Cambridge, UK starting at 9:45am.
The cost for the day is £28.50 and includes lunch and refreshments. A discounted rate of £8.00 is available for people also attending the main conference.
Bookings must be made in advance because places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Further details will be sent with your booking confirmation.
A registration form is available here for booking by post or fax. Bookings may also be made by phone. The closing date for bookings is 23rd March.
Overnight accommodation is available at New Hall college if required - see the registration form for details.
Disclaimer: The organisers reserve the right to change the authors and topics without notice.
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