AES 123rd Convention Historical Committee Chair Harry Hirsch (pictured) has enlisted legendary pro audio doyens to lend an authoritative perspective to technical and creative developments that have impacted the industry.
“As a studio owner and builder who has logged over 40 years at the hub of New York’s recording scene, Harry Hirsch is uniquely qualified to steer this integral convention component,” says AES Executive Director Roger Furness. “The Historical Program he has developed is sure to spark keen interest among attendees, young and old alike.”
On Friday, October 5, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., journalist Dan Daley will moderate a panel for “A Celebration of History: Making New York Studios.” The panel will feature Quad Studios founder Lou Gonzales and original studio manager Laurel Gonzalez-Kerlew; studio architect John Storyk; Blue Rock founder Eddie Korvin, studio manager Estelle Lazarus and engineer Jan Rathbun Horowitz; and Manhattan Center chief engineer Joel Schenuneman and long-term client, engineer Jimmy Douglass.
On Saturday, October 6, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., AES Nashville Section co-chairs Jim Kaiser and Bil VornDick will present “Legends of Nashville Sound/History of Nashville’s Recording Studios.” This event will feature video, audio and surprise guests revisiting one of the most prolific times in America’s musical history.
Audio engineer/sound designer Robert Auld, principal at Auldworks in New York City, will present “The History of Surround, Parts 1 and 2” on Sunday, October 7. “The Beginning: 1925-1940” (9:30 to 11:30 a.m.) will cover the first 78 rpm discs to the first multichannel surround movie soundtrack recorded by Leopold Stokowski for Disney’s Fantasia. Part 2 (2:00 to 4:00 p.m.), “Quadraphonic Sound in the 1970s,” will explore a time when two different tape and five different disc formats competed in the marketplace, while producers and engineers continued to create timeless recordings.
Finally, a look at the history of live sound will take place on Sunday, October 7 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., led by John Chester, chief sound engineer for Bill Graham’s Fillmore East and an equipment designer. Front-of-house professionals such as Bill Hanley, Dinky Dawson and Roy Clair will share real-world adventures ranging from Newport Jazz to creating the sound system for the Woodstock festival in 1969, and more.
The 123rd AES Convention will be held in New York City’s Jacob Javits Convention Center, October 5-8, 2007. For registration and housing information, and for a detailed preliminary calendar of events, visit www.aes.org.
