AES New York 2005
Historical Event Details
Friday, October 7, 5:00 pm — 6:00 pm
AUDIO DRAMA
Presenter:
Himan Brown
Abstract:
Broadcast legend, Himan Brown, producer of such classic radio programs as "Inner Sanctum," "Dick Tracey," and "The CBS Mystery Theater," presents Rockets Red Glare, a recording session of a rare live audio drama. Scripted by Jerome Coopersmith, this special AES Historical and Broadcast Event features esteemed film and stage actors Marion Seldes (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mona Lisa Smile), Paul Hecht (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Miami Vice), Bob Balaban (Seinfeld), and Russell Horton (Law and Order, Miami Vice).
Based on the classic film Twelve Angry Men, Rockets Red Glare, is an hour-long drama focusing on the real life of George Voskovec, an actor and writer who escaped from the Nazis to a new life in America.
Saturday, October 8, 9:00 am — 12:00 pm
Recording Studios Past, Present, Future
Moderator:
Harry Hirsch, Sound Directions, LLC
Panelists:
Michael Barbiero, Producer/Engineer
David Malekpour, Pro Audio Design—Equipment Selection and Installation
Robbie Norris, Quad Sound, NYC
John Storyk, Walters, Storyk Design Group—Studio Design and Acoustic
Abstract:
The last 20 years have witnessed significant changes in the audio industry. The analog to digital evolution coupled with the rise of the digital work station and the decline of the large format recording console has dramatically effected the chain of audio recording. Smaller rooms equipped with sophisticated sound processing software packages such as plug-ins, loops, editing, and special effects have changed the way music is created, recorded, and mixed.
The recording studio is in a rapid state of transition. Renown facilities responsible for the recording of countless gold and platinum albums have disappeared from the scene, replaced by small project studios and DAWS.
Our esteemed panel of audio practitioners who have witnessed this change will comment and focus on their particular role in addressing the past, present, and next generation.
Saturday, October 8, 5:00 pm — 7:00 pm
Tom Dowd & the Language of Music
Presenter:
Phil Ramone
Abstract:
This 90-minute documentary profiles the life and work of legendary producer/recording engineer Tom Dowd. A former Atlantic Records engineer, Dowd was responsible for some of the most important R&B, rock, and jazz records ever made. Interviews with recording industry icons tell the story of this humble genius, while historical footage, photographs, and classic music tracks capture the magic of the recording studio. It’s here that Dowd, the unaffected master, recounts the recording sessions and technical achievements that altered the course of contemporary music. The film includes powerful interviews, photos and film clips—both historical and contemporary—of Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton, Otis Redding, the Allman Brothers, Les Paul, Phil Ramone, Joe Bonamassa, Ahmet Ertegun, and many more musical giants.
Sunday, October 9, 1:30 pm — 4:30 pm
History of the Grand Recording Studios of New York City
Moderator:
Elliot Mazer, Columbia Studios, A&R, Bell Sound
Panelists:
Brooks Arthur, Mira Sound, A&R
Bob "Red" Eberenz, Fine Recording
Harry Hirsch, Mediasound
Frank Laico, Columbia 30th Street
Jeffrey Lesser, Mediasound
Phil Ramone, A&R
Don Puluse, Columbia Studios
Jim Reeves, Columbia Studios, Record Plant
Walter Sear, Fine Recording, Sear Sound
Ed Stasium, Mediasound, Power Station
Abstract:
What makes a great record? Good songs and performances, obviously, but beyond that the mysterious alchemy of the recording process. In New York during the late 1940s, ‘50s, ‘60s, and beyond, that process took place from within a tightly knit consortium of studios fashioned out of old hotels, abandoned offices, and electric plants covering an area barely 10 blocks wide, using equipment and effects that were sometimes good, sometimes bad but almost always built from scratch.
Author Dave Simons’ recent book Studio Stories, How the Great New York Records Were Made (Backbeat) compiled 30 years worth of this fascinating history, featuring fabled old facilities like Columbia’s 30th Street Studio, A&R, Bell Sound, Fine Sound, Mira, Dick Charles, Allegro and Associated and centered around a basic theme: the spark of ingenuity that marked the early and middle years of modern recording.
“History of the Grand Recording Studios of New York City” will commemorate this remarkable era with a panel featuring many of the book’s most prominent players, whose astonishing expertise and brilliant improvisation helped give each of these studios their “fingerprint” sound (that you can still hear on the radio today). A multimedia presentation of recordings and photos from the featured studios and sessions will serve as backdrop.
A book signing with the author and panelists will immediately follow the event.
Sunday, October 9, 5:00 pm — 7:00 pm
Bad Boy Made Good—A Film About the Notorious Ballet Mecanique
Abstract:
George Antheil, the self-proclaimed “Bad Boy of Music,” was a brash, colorful, young “ultramodern” American pianist and composer in Europe during the roaring '20s. His works caused fistfights in concert halls and riots in the streets from London to Budapest. His magnum opus, the “Ballet mécanique” for percussion, sound effects, and multiple player pianos, turned Paris on its ear in 1924. But, the piece called for technology that did not exist at the time—multiple player pianos could not be synchronized. So the version he heard in his head was never performed in his lifetime. Seventy-five years later, thanks to a forward-thinking music publisher (G. Schirmer), a music technologist (Paul Lehrman), a modern player-piano manufacturer (Yamaha), and the latest in computer music technology, the piece was performed the way the composer wanted it.
Bad Boy Made Good is a 71-minute documentary film written by our presenter, Paul Lehrman, and directed by award-winning LA filmmaker Ron Frank. It tells the story of Antheil’s meteoric rise and catastrophic fall, and the historical development of a piece that has been called “the most important work of the first half of the 20th century.” Visit website http://www.antheil.org/ for background on this project.
Sunday, October 9, 5:30 pm — 7:30 pm
70th Anniversary of FM Broadcasting: A look at Major Armstrong’s Contribution to Broadcasting
Moderator:
Scott Fybush, Radio World/Northeast Radio Watch
Panelists:
Robert Carter Brecht, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Henry G. Dietz, The Henry G. Dietz Co., Inc. - Long Island City, NY, USA
Steve Hemphill, Solid Electronics Laboratories - Newtown Square, PA, USA
Gilbert R. Houck, Houck & Bowen Engineering - New Cumberland, PA, USA
Mike Katzdorn, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
Renville H. McMann, Jr., CBS Laboratories - Stamford, CT, USA
Jerry Minter, Components Corporation - Denville, NJ, USA
Charles E. Sackermann, Jr., CSC Management, LLC - Montvale, NJ, USA
Abstract:
Major Edwin Howard Armstrong was one of radio's legendary figures. Inventor of superheterodyne and FM, the Major fought for years to enforce the patents on his creations, a struggle which lasted until his death in 1954.
The ongoing commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Major Armstrong's first public demonstration of FM broadcasting has included a recreation of his low-band FM broadcasts from his original transmitter site in Alpine, N.J. The panel discussion at that event in June has now been expanded into a more comprehensive look at Armstrong's legacy, including insights from several who worked with him and others who have worked tirelessly to keep his achievements in the public eye. This presentation will also include a visual tour of Armstrong's historic laboratory and tower site and a display of some of the Major's artifacts, such as the original Empire State modulator breadboard, some original 42 to 50 MHz FM receivers, and the original Alpine logbooks from the world's first FM radio station, W2XMN.
This event is organized by Scott Fybush, Steve Hemphill, Paul McLane, and David Bialik.
Monday, October 10, 2:30 pm — 4:00 pm
AES remembers BOB MOOG
Presenter:
Walter Sear
Abstract:
Filmed Interview of Bob Moog
In 1964, Bob Moog showed his first electronic music modules to the AES Convention in New York. Forty years later after changing the world of audio forever, Bob spoke to the 117th AES Convention in San Francisco for an informal, interactive discussion with the audience. From building the synthesis equipment for the best-selling classical album of all time, to his efforts in pushing the musical state of the art in expressive synthesis, Bob Moog was an entertaining, engaging personality who played a vital role in the audio community.
