The inaugural AES International Conference on Audio for Virtual and Augmented Reality will be held on September 30 and October 1, 2016, co-located with the 141st AES Convention at the Los Angeles Convention Center’s West Hall. This conference will be held within a recently remodeled 300-seat theater and companion seminar room at the Center.
It will feature content developers, researchers and manufacturers currently working in audio for VR/AR such as Magic Leap, BBC, Dolby, Sennheiser, Qualcomm, NASA, Fraunhofer, DTS, and more.
The two-day program of technical papers, workshops and tutorials—along with a manufacturer’s technology showcase—will highlight challenges as well as creative and technical solutions to providing spatial audio for virtual reality and augmented reality media.
Virtual and augmented reality are demonstrably the fastest-growing section of the entertainment-audio markets.
“This industry is moving so fast that it’s been really exhilarating to watch it evolve,” says Linda Gedemer, conference co-chair and CTO of Source Sound VR. “Audio takes on a new role when it comes to VR/AR content as sound is now part of the experience, not just an aid in conveying story. We can hear in 360 degrees, unlike our visual field, which is obviously limited to what is seen directly in front of us. Because of this, audio now takes a leading role for content creators by aiding them to direct their audience on where to look next; it is central to guiding the audience through the story.”
The conference program has been carefully developed to provide a comprehensive overview of AR/VR creative processes, applications, workflows and product developments. Presentations will cover a variety of technical and practical aspects of audio for VR/AR, including papers on the latest developments in research to workshops and tutorials demonstrating cutting edge production tools.
The opening keynote speech will be given by Philip Lelyveld, who runs the Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Initiative at the University of Southern California’s Entertainment Technology Center within USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.
The closing keynote will be given by George Sanger, “Grand Vizier of Noise” for Magic Leap. In his role as audio director, Sanger guides the Sonic Arts team at Magic Leap, a startup that is reimagining reality and inventing the future using digital light fields.
Conference registrants can also attend the 141st AES Convention’s companion exhibition along with select educational sessions and special events free of charge with an Exhibits-Plus badge included in the cost of their conference fees.
Costs to attend range from $125 for AES students members, $195 for a 1-day pass for AES members ($295 for a member s-day pass), to $280/$435 for non-members.
For more information, go to www.aes.org/conferences/2016/avar.
For more about the 141st Audio Engineering Society International Convention in Los Angeles, visit www.aes.org/events/141.
