AES New York 2018
Historical Event Details
Wednesday, October 17, 2:30 pm — 4:00 pm (1E08)
H01 - Life and Death of the 30th Street Studio
Presenter:Dan Mortensen, Dansound Inc. - Seattle, WA, USA; Friends of the 30th Street Studio - Seattle, WA, USA
Expanded technical look at entire history of the legendary Columbia Records recording studio in NYC, from its construction as a Presbyterian church in 1875, through its conversion to and use as a studio starting in 1948, until its sale in 1981 and demolition in 1982.
This talk will trace the history of the building itself and the evolution and changes in microphones, recording media and devices, studio monitoring, mixing consoles, outboard gear, and recording and studio staff. We will see some of the incredible talent that went through the studio, but there will not be time to do justice to the amazing array of people who worked there in all capacities and at one time or another, although the author is separately trying.
Wednesday, October 17, 6:15 pm — 8:30 pm (Off-Site 1)
H02 - Ray Dolby and the Technical Innovations of Dolby Laboratories
Presenters:Ioan Allen, Dolby Laboratories, Inc. - San Francisco, CA, USA
Thomas Kodros, Dolby Laboratories, Inc. - New York, NY, USA
Dolby Screening Room
1350 Avenue of the Americas, Dolby 88 Screening Room
(corner 6th Ave. & W 55th St.)
This program traces over 50 years of audio developments from Ray Dolby and Dolby Laboratories and uses contemporaneous demonstration material for illustration. The content is primarily non-technical, and will conclude with a demonstration of the combination of Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision—the ultimate cinema experience of 2018.
Special thanks for Meyer Sound for Providing additional sound equipment.
This event will be at the Dolby Theater. Program will start at 6:45 pm and end at 8:30. We must be completely out of the room by 9:00 pm.
Come early (5:30 pm) for finger food hors d’oeuvres and beer/wine reception.
This will be a ticketed event (available in the Dolby Demo room)
Thursday, October 18, 1:45 pm — 2:45 pm (1E08)
H03 - Stanley Watkins, a Bell Labs Sound Pioneer
Presenter:Doug Slocum, Synthetic Sound Labs - Toms River, NJ, USA
Stanley Watkins was a British audio engineer who worked for Western Electric and Bell Labs for the duration of his career. A documentary is in progress about his work with the Warner Brothers launching talking pictures. In 1939 he dazzled audiences at the World's Fair presenting the early talking machine known as the VODER. This presentation will include a demonstration of one of the few remaining VODERs.
Thursday, October 18, 3:45 pm — 4:15 pm (1E11)
H04 - Found! Lab Notes of Shure’s Ben Bauer
Presenter:Michael Pettersen, Shure Inc. - Niles, IL, USA
Benjamin B. Bauer (1913-1979) held over 100 patents for acoustical/audio technology, with his first patent, at age 25, being arguably the most significant: invention of the Uniphase principle integral to the Shure Unidyne model 55 microphone. Introduced in 1939 and still manufactured today, the Shure Unidyne was the first unidirectional microphone using a single dynamic element. Today, the Uniphase principle is employed in the vast majority of directional microphones.
In September 2016, Bauer’s engineering lab notebooks dating from 1936 to 1944 were located; they had not been seen for over 50 years. The presentation provides a peek into these Bauer notebooks as he discovers and refines the Uniphase principle, as well as numerous other electro-acoustical concepts – some decades ahead of their time.
Thursday, October 18, 6:15 pm — 8:30 pm (Off-Site 2)
H05 - Both Sides Now: Joni Mitchell at the Isle of Wight 1970
Presenter:Eliot Kissileff
Producer Eliot Kissileff discusses the restoration ordeal of creating the movie and soundtrack, filmed by Murray Lerner and recorded by Teo Macero and Stanley Tonkel.
Featuring concert footage as well as contemporaneous interviews at the festival with attendees as well as a 2003 interview Ms. Mitchell, the film will be released for the first time at the end of September. This will be the first New York showing.
This event will be at the Dolby Theater. Doors will be at 6:15 pm, program will start at 6:45 pm and end at 8:30. We must be completely out of the room by 9:00 pm.
No food or drink other than water allowed in theater.
This will be a ticketed event (available in the Dolby Demo room)
Friday, October 19, 9:00 am — 10:30 am (1E17 (Surround Rm))
H06 - The Commercialization of Stereophony, 1955–1960
Presenter:Thomas Fine, Tom Fine Audio Services - Brewster, NY, USA
In 1955, stereo reel to reel tapes and players came to market, representing the beginning of the record business's commercialization of stereophony. By late 1958, 60 years ago, most of the major companies were releasing stereo LPs.
Continuing on his previous presentation, "The Roots of Stereophony," Fine will detail the technologies, key people and software of the early commercialization of stereophonic sound recordings. The presentation will include rare audio examples, including excerpts from the first commercially available stereo LP, plus excerpts from the author's collection of stereo demonstration records and tapes.
Also under discussion will be the marketing techniques used to convince people to ditch their one-speaker listening system and embrace 2-channel stereophony.
Friday, October 19, 6:30 pm — 8:30 pm (Off-Site 2)
H07 - "Company": A Commentary
Presenter:Dan Mortensen, Dansound Inc. - Seattle, WA, USA; Friends of the 30th Street Studio - Seattle, WA, USA
6:30 – 8:30 at the Dolby Screening Room
This will be a showing of the D. A. Pennebaker documentary of the making of the Original Cast Recording of the 1970 Stephen Sondheim musical. It was almost entirely shot in Columbia Records' 30th Street Studio and is the best visual tour of the studio that exists. The recording process of the show is shown in detail, as are the trials, tribulations, and joys of all involved as they proceed and/or stumble through every part of that process.
We will listen to a commentary by 12-time Grammy winner Thomas Z. Shepard, original producer of the recording and featured in the movie, and Dan Mortensen, 30th Street Studio researcher. Other guests TBA.
This event will be at the Dolby Theater. Doors will be at 6:15 pm, program will start at 6:45 pm and end at 8:30. We must be completely out of the room by 9:00 pm.
No food or drink other than water allowed in theater.
This will be a ticketed event (available in the Dolby Demo room)
Saturday, October 20, 9:00 am — 10:30 am (1E15 +16 SE)
H08 - Les Paul: How the Recording Wizard and Music Icon Changed the Industry
Presenters:Sue Baker, Les Paul Foundation - Syosset, NY, USA
Michael Braunstein, Les Paul Foundation - Syosset, NY, USA
Gene Paul, G&J Audio - Union City, NJ USA
Les Paul spent his life chasing sound, a sound different from anyone else’s. In his quest he developed the techniques that are used every day in the recording industry. Through video, participants will hear Les Paul explaining what motivated him to create his recording evolution.
Sue Baker, Program Director for the Les Paul Foundation, will give an overview of Les Paul’s inventions and innovations including the evolution of the electric guitar and Les’ recording techniques.
Grammy-winning engineer Gene Paul, Les’ son, will explain the technology of his father’s inventions and describe how the inventions affect today’s recording technology.
Michael Braunstein, Les Paul’s most recent manager and Executive Director of the Les Paul Foundation, will explain how Les’ foundation is carrying on his work.
Participants will hear examples of Les Paul’s recording innovations.
Les won the Honorary Member Award from the AES in 1958 for his extraordinary contributions to the art and science of our industry.