Thursday, September 29, 10:30 am — 11:15 am (PSE Stage)
Abstract:
One of the most sought-after mixers on the planet works out of a personal studio. Frank Filipetti takes it home in a discussion with Glenn Lorbecki.
AES Members can watch a video of this session for free.
Thursday, September 29, 11:30 am — 12:15 pm (PSE Stage)
Abstract:
This session will cover the essentials of getting the best from a typical home studio along with some hints on choosing appropriate equipment and improvising acoustics when recording vocals and common instruments. The main difference between a high-end pro studio and a home studio these days comes down mainly to experience, acoustic spaces, and accurate monitoring. Experience comes with time and practice but there’s a lot you can do to combat the inevitable acoustic compromises when recording and mixing in a small space. There are also some fairly simple things you can do to help you get a more accurate picture of what you’ve recorded. Along the way I’ll pass on some easy-to-apply tips and tricks for mixing and will include, where appropriate, anecdotes from our popular Studio SOS series. The session will conclude with a question and answer session.
AES Members can watch a video of this session for free.
Thursday, September 29, 12:30 pm — 1:15 pm (PSE Stage)
AES Members can watch a video of this session for free.
Thursday, September 29, 2:15 pm — 3:15 pm (PSE Stage)
Abstract:
Tearing your hair out at mixdown? Then you've probably fallen into one of the classic project-studio traps during tracking. Learn what they are—and, more importantly, how to avoid them—in this down-to-earth workshop with Sound On Sound magazine's "Session Notes" and "Mix Rescue" columnist Mike Senior. The seminar will be specifically tailored to those working on a budget, and will feature insider tips on equipment choice, mic technique, and session psychology, with plenty of supporting audio examples so you can judge the results with your own ears.
AES Members can watch a video of this session for free.
Thursday, September 29, 3:30 pm — 4:15 pm (PSE Stage)
Abstract:
The acclaimed remixer’s musings on: Remixing, Producing, Writing, Plug-Ins, Publishing, Recording. And whatever else comes to mind.
AES Members can watch a video of this session for free.
Thursday, September 29, 4:30 pm — 5:45 pm (PSE Stage)
Abstract:
Synthesizers, laptops, iPhones, Plug-Ins, VR, AR, 3D Audio … Where will this all end up? One thing appears certain—the Project Studio continues to be in demand; continues to be re-defined; and continues to be the Studio of Choice for a large percentage of the audio creation community. The need for small, comfortable, acoustically flexible audio production environments has not diminished in the face of proliferating digital/laptop recording options. But certain basics and certain concerns are still with us and we want to be reminded of them.
This presentation will address:
1. Studio Acoustic Basics for small rooms. This quick refresher will have an eye on isolation, internal room treatments and monitor tuning. Large or small, 2 speakers or 22 speakers - these principles apply.
2. Construction guidelines – the most important concerns in planning and execution.
3. What does all of this cost?
4. Survey of Project Studio case studies, including studios of a wide variety of sizes (and budgets). And, studios that have distinct recording rooms vs. “all in one” mix/recording rooms – some large, some small - one built inside a 140 sq. ft. Airstream Trailer (circa 1958), another built inside a luxurious log cabin deep in a Minnesota forest; another 22 feet below a luxurious new suburban home; and many more.
AES Members can watch a video of this session for free.
Friday, September 30, 10:30 am — 11:15 am (PSE Stage)
Abstract:
Noise Reduction and Spectral Editing software has come a long way in performance and price in recent years, and are no longer only tools for post production and audio forensics. In this presentation, Tape Op editor Larry Crane will show you how to use this software to repair and prep sources for mixing, including vocals, acoustic guitars, piano, drums, bass, amplifiers, organs, and more. Larry has been integrating these techniques into his tracking and mixing workflow in recent years at his studio, Jackpot! Recording, in Portland, OR, and has featured these concepts in his Lynda.com courses as well.
AES Members can watch a video of this session for free.
Friday, September 30, 11:30 am — 12:15 pm (PSE Stage)
Abstract:
Focusrite’s finest mic pres yet!
Friday, September 30, 12:30 pm — 1:15 pm (PSE Stage)
Abstract:
If you like amp sims that sound harsh and cold, you can skip this workshop. But if you prefer warm, creamy amps that respond to the way you play, this workshop shows how placing certain effects before and after a sim, in addition to specific amp sim techniques, can make playing with amp sims an inspiring experience—and let you create effects that would be difficult, if not impossible, to realize with conventional hardware.
AES Members can watch a video of this session for free.
Friday, September 30, 2:15 pm — 3:00 pm (PSE Stage)
Abstract:
Affordable DAW software now provides all the processing tools you need to create commercially competitive music mixes within a home, college, or project studio. As such, the overriding concern for budget-conscious engineers these days should be to develop effective habits with regard to studio monitoring, mix balancing, and quality control. Important techniques in each of these three areas are often neglected in small-scale productions, leading to mixes that don't stack up against professional releases, or that collapse on some mass-market listening systems. In this seminar, Sound On Sound magazine's "Mix Rescue" columnist Mike Senior will draw on his experience of thousands of project-studio mixes to highlight the most frequently overlooked studio tricks. In the process he'll demonstrate how these methods can powerfully upgrade your sonics without breaking the bank, no matter which DAW you're using.
AES Members can watch a video of this session for free.
Friday, September 30, 3:15 pm — 4:00 pm (PSE Stage)
Abstract:
So you like to mix loud, but what if too loud actually makes the result softer in the end? Pre-recorded tracks for the European Song Contest in 2015 were generally extremely hot, but content providers were unaware that pushing beyond a tipping point made too much of a good thing become bad. Not only were music tracks more distorted than need be, most also ended up being quieter, considering the jury and the consumer. Hear the latest about ideal leveling for platforms such as Tidal, Spotify, iTunes, YouTube and TV. The presentation also details EBU, AES, Nordic Dynamic and mobile device standards; before discussing loudness-savvy alignment and calibration of loudspeakers in pro.
AES Members can watch a video of this session for free.
Friday, September 30, 4:15 pm — 5:00 pm (PSE Stage)
Abstract:
As more and more music is recorded outside of professional studios, and track counts grow bigger and bigger, the challenges facing the mix engineer grow and grow—and so does the range of processors on hand to solve them. Equalization and compression have always been the standard tone-shaping tools, but modern DAW software offers much more. Today's plug-in folders are bursting with transient shapers, dynamic equalizers, frequency-dependent dynamics, harmonic enhancement, spectral editors and even faders that write their own automation. The possibilities are endless.
These new types of plug-in can save time, solve difficult problems and help take your mixes to the next level—but only if you know how to deploy them. When, why and how should you go beyond conventional EQ and dynamics? Taking universal mix issues and real-world situations as examples, Sound On Sound Features Editor Sam Inglis explains how to bring these cutting-edge software processors to bear in your studio.
AES Members can watch a video of this session for free.
Saturday, October 1, 10:30 am — 11:15 am (PSE Stage)
Abstract:
DSP plug-in FX require significant computer resources or outboard processing muscle, without necessarily improving the latency or sound quality. David Hytinen from Antelope Audio discusses an FPGA approach to address those concerns.
AES Members can watch a video of this session for free.
Saturday, October 1, 11:30 am — 12:15 pm (PSE Stage)
Abstract:
Vocals are what links your soul to your listener, so you don’t want anything to get in the way—and you don’t want to crush your soul with processing, either. Find out how to make your recorded vocals sound at least twice as good through a variety of innovative techniques that polish your vocal, enhance clarity, and reduce the need for processors, with an emphasis on retaining the human qualities that make for a compelling vocal performance.
AES Members can watch a video of this session for free.
Saturday, October 1, 12:30 pm — 1:15 pm (PSE Stage)
Abstract:
With the cloud now a practical vehicle for storage, sharing and working interactively, this session looks at how cloud computing tools enable a new era of collaboration. Greg Stryke Chin explains, with Avid’s Pro Tools as a vehicle for his demonstrations.
AES Members can watch a video of this session for free.
Saturday, October 1, 2:15 pm — 3:30 pm (PSE Stage)
Abstract:
Producer Fab Dupont (Mark Ronson, Jennifer Lopez) walks through one of today’s hottest tracks with esteemed mix engineer Ryan Hewitt (Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Lumineers). Hear how the pros bring that "special sauce" to crafting a hit.
AES Members can watch a video of this session for free.
Saturday, October 1, 3:45 pm — 4:30 pm (PSE Stage)
Abstract:
Acoustical design is very much like music composition: both are inherently mathematical and artistic. Until the mid 2000’s, studios were trapezoidal amalgamations of architectural and acoustic geometries brimming with sonic standards of the day: saw-toothed/sloping walls, multi-planar speaker soffits, bass traps, suspended clouds, Helmholtz resonators, quadratic diffusors, etcetera, etcetera. Yet all too often imaging, intelligibility, and clarity fell prey to economy and aesthetics. Artists, producers, and engineers alike were reduced to sharing a one foot square sweet spot in even the most prestigious studio facilities. Fortunately, as change and technological evolution go hand in hand, advancements in quantum physics, materials sciences, and computational analysis have given rise to an infinite variety of design possibilities in acoustics.
AES Members can watch a video of this session for free.