For Release: March 30, 2008
60 Years of AES History
New York, 2008: Born in 1948, the AES is now celebrating its 60th Anniversary! The first formal meeting of the Audio Engineering Society took place on March 11 at the RCA Victor Studios in New York. One year later, the first Convention and Audio Exhibition was held in October 27-29 1949 at a New York Hotel.
Later on, in the sixties, a young audio technology teacher from Brussels (Belgium) named Herman Wilms was searching for audio literature to improve the quality of his courses. He discovered some informative articles on magnetic tape in the Journal of the Society and became an AES member. As many of you may know, Herman Wilms later became one of the driving forces of the European AES.
First Conventions
During the spring of 1970, Herman Wilms became the AES contact person for Benelux and France while Johan L. Ooms of Polygram initiated first AES activities in Europe. These efforts resulted in the 1st Convention in Cologne, Germany, in March 1971, chaired by Peter K. Burkowitz. This event with 210 participants and 12 exhibitors marked the beginning of annual Conventions on both sides of the Atlantic.
Since then, the AES membership of leading engineers, scientists and other authorities has increased dramatically throughout the world, greatly boosting the society's stature and that of its members in a truly symbiotic relationship.
The AES Journal
In the years up to 1952, the activities of the AES were reported in the magazine Audio Engineering (AE). Eventually this resulted in the creation of an AES Journal section in AE which we call Volume 0 of what today is known as the AES Journal. The Society began publishing its own Journal in 1953, replacing the reporting in AE.
AES Today
During the decades, the AES has become both an important platform for education and an international forum for all pro audio experts. The Convention programmes have evolved into complex and wide ranging events, covering the whole gamut of pro audio topics. The AES is the only society offering this
breadth of scope and focus on pro audio issues and the concerns of audio professionals.
Besides the Conventions and Conferences, the AES is active in standardisation processes. The Technical Council responds to the interests of the membership by providing technical information at an appropriate level. AES Sections serve members in 47 concentrated geographic areas throughout the world. The Education Comittee and the Historical Committee drive many other activities. The AES publishes a variety of Anthologies, Conference Proceedings, Standards, Drafts, Convention Preprints, and other information documents. And last but not least, the official publication of the AES - the AES Journal - is the only peer-reviewed journal devoted exclusively to audio technology.
More details and articles about the foundation of the Audio Engineering Society can be found on the AES Website.
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More press information about the AES and about the
Pro Audio Expo & Convention in Amsterdam
are available on the AES press web site :
http://www.aes-press.org
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Press Contact:
European AES Press Relations
Stefani Renner
Phone: +49 221 940 43 72
