Seen on the Scene: AES Show 2024, Part 2
Whether eyeing new gear or taking in pro-packed panels, everyone at AES came away with new info and insights into an ever-changing industry.
New York, NY (October 10, 2024)—This year’s AES Show in New York City has brought with it crowds of pros, ranging from seasoned veterans to students some well-regarded gear in-person for the first time. Whether at the convention to check out the latest gear and software, reacquaint themselves with industry pals, or take in some of the wide-ranging educational offerings, everyone inside the Jacob Javits Convention Center came away with new info and insights into an ever-changing industry.
In Genelec’s well-appointed demo room, legendary producer/engineer/professor Susan Rogers (Prince, BNL, David Byrne) held a fascinating Enveloping Masterclass to a packed house. Just outside, the company was presenting its growing UNIO Audio Monitoring Ecosystem, which uses the 9320A SAM Reference Controller to bridge the gap between in-room and personal headphone monitoring.
At the ADAM Audio booth, Mark Cummins, Head of Product Marketing, walks an attendee through the company’s new D3V studio monitors, intended for use in desktop and audiophile settings.
Ross Gilbert of Solid State Logic launched the latest iteration of the company’s USB audio interfaces, the SSL 2 MKII and SSL 2+ MKII.
The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus returned to AES once again to grace the show floor; the vehicle travels the country 10 months of the year to work with students, musicians and more to write and record new music daily.
First introduced at PLASA in September, DiGiCo’s new Quantum326 console made its North American trade show debut at AES. The dual-screen, 26-fader model retains all the power and processing of the Quantum338.
Telefunken’s familiar vintage VW bus was parked on the show floor, with its contents unpacked for all to see. That included these colorful examples of Telefunken’s Dynamic Series microphones and the multiple colors that can be applied to them in the company’s custom shop.
Stagetec’s Nexus low-profile multifunction audio interface was on display with a twist on a familiar logo.
Not all the action was on the show floor—or even at the show. Merging and Neumann took up residence nearby at Lounge Studios, where they could present their latest in more nuanced settings. Merging, seen here, offered first-look, deep-dives on its Pyramix 15 DAW, due out in mid-December, while next door, Neumann monitors were used for private immersive demos featuring the company’s AMBEO spatial audio technology.
Clive Young is the co-editor of Mix Magazine and editor of MixOnline.com. He was the editor in chief of Pro Sound News (Future's U.S. Magazine of the Year - 2019) and is a three-time nominee for "Best Range Of Work By A Single Author" in the annual Neal Awards. He is the author of two books, "Crank It Up: Live Sound Secrets of the Top Tour Engineers," and "Homemade Hollywood: Fans Behind The Camera." Additionally, he has spoken at more than 450 libraries, universities, museums, academic symposiums and conventions. Young earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Hofstra University and is an adjunct professor at St. Joseph’s University New York.