127th AES Convention Live Sound Co-Chair Henry Cohen
127th AES Convention Live Sound co-chairs Henry Cohen (pictured) and Mac Kerr have devised a broad program of critical events for live sound engineers. Presentations include a timely assessment of the “white spaces” issue to innovations for meeting the increasingly urgent need for compliance with the Green movement.
AES Education Committee Vice Chair John Krivit will present “The Greening of the Band: Green Touring Solutions for the Live Engineer.” Artists such as the Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Guster, Jack Johnson, Barenaked Ladies, Sheryl Crow and others are incorporating practices to reduce the environmental impact of touring. As these measures become obligatory, it is essential for touring pros to stay informed of new standards and innovations. A panel of experts, advocates and artists will discuss ways to reduce a tour’s carbon footprint.
“White Spaces & TVBD Update,” presented by Chris Lyons, Joe Ciaudelli and Edger Reihl, will address the impact of the DTV conversion and related FCC decisions, which remain great concerns for wireless microphone users. Exactly what is the status of the 700MHz spectrum and equipment? What types of interference will the proposed Television Band Devices create and what are the proposed methods of mitigation? Will there be an FCC crackdown on unlicensed microphone use? This panel will discuss the latest FCC decisions, both rule and pending. A comprehensive wireless applications session will follow.
James Stoffo will oversee “Practical Advice for Wireless System Users.” From houses of worship to wedding bands and community theater productions, hundreds of thousands of small to medium-sized wireless microphone systems and IEMs are in daily use around the country. Unlike the Super Bowl or Grammy Awards, these smaller systems rarely have benefit of dedicated technicians, sophisticated frequency coordination, or even basic attention to system setup. This panel will address the elements of successful component selection, designing systems and setting them up to minimize potential interference and maximize performance.
Mary McGregor will chair “Microphone Dressing.” Fitting actors with wireless microphone elements and wireless transmitters is a detail-oriented art form. Challenges range from ensuring that the actor is comfortable and the electronics are safe, to providing optimal sound with minimal muddle while maintaining the visual illusion. One of the most widely recognized artisans in this field will provide hands-on demonstrations of basic techniques and share some time tested “tricks of the trade.”
In “State of the Art Loudspeaker Design for Live Sound,” Tom Young will clarify the capabilities of modern day loudspeakers/systems and consider where they need to go.
For “Microphone Selection and Techniques for Live Sound,” Dean Giavaras and a panel of experts from mic manufacturers and sound reinforcement providers will discuss tips and tricks for getting the job done at the start of the signal path. Conventional and unconventional techniques will be discussed, and cautionary stories from the trenches will be shared.
Other live sound programs include “Sound System Design and Installation Considerations for Churches and Houses of Worship (Bill Thrasher); “Exploring the Low End: Measuring and Aligning Subwoofers” (Sam Berkow); “10 Things to Get Right with Sound Reinforcement Systems” (Peter Mapp); “Auto-Mixing for Live Sound” (Michael “Bink” Knowles); “Networking Digital Audio in Live Sound” (Jim Risgin); “AC Power, Grounding and Shielding” (Bruce Olson with Bill Whitlock; and “Innovations in Live Sound” (Ken Lopez).
“We are extremely pleased with this year’s Live Sound Events schedule,” says AES Executive Director Roger Furness. “It is comprehensive, authoritative and boasts a particularly strong line up of high-level presenters. The recommendations made by Co-Chairs Henry Cohen and Mac Kerr echo the invaluable insights they have acquired during their own years on the road. The program reflects an enormous amount of labor intensive work, for which we are most appreciative.”
The 127th AES Convention will be held in New York City at the Javits Center, October 9-12, 2009.
For more information, visit www.aes.org.
