Nashville producer/engineer Chris Estes has created a product that allows users to turn their 2″ analog machines into a plug-in for a Digital Audio Workstation. Watch the interview from AES above for more info on this new audio innovation.

photo caption: Evanescence bassist Tim McCord was recorded by CRAS grad Eddie Mapp at the Hyde St. studio event at AES

Conservatory staff, grads and students recently enjoyed the gear, parties, panels, studio tours and buzz surrounding the 2008 AES Convention at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. “It was impossible to walk the floor for 5 minutes without seeing a CRAS student or grad,” said Director of Education Mike Jones. DPA microphones, Blue microphones, Presonus, Antelope Audio, Blackbird Studio and TC Electronic were just a few examples of companies exhibiting at the show who were employing CRAS grads.

On Friday and Saturday nights, Hyde Street Studios hosted one of the many parties around town which offered a combination of networking opportunities and technology demos. Pictured above is CRAS grad Eddie Mapp recording Evanescence bassist Tim McCord for a group of onlookers enjoying the evening at the studio. Visit our photo gallery for more shots from the show.

photo caption: l to r: Greg Stefus, Tonya Visconti, Margaret Decker and Jayson Khademi

Greg Stefus, and Jayson Khademi from the CRAS internship dept. along with Director of Admissions Tonya Visconti recently stopped by Avatar studios on 53rd St. between 9th and 10th, one of the busiest studios in town. CRAS grad Margaret Decker was hired at the studio straight out of her internship and is loving NY and her job. The studio was being readied for a 30th anniversary party taking place after the Audio Engineering Society convention starting in the city on October 5th.

MASTERFUL MASTER CLASSES DISTINGUISH AES 123RD CONVENTION

The Art & Science of Making & Playing Great Recordings + Hard Earned Secrets

NEW YORK: Originally introduced in 2005 the AES Master Class Program was mandated to recognize a select group of Masters in their fields and to provide full-program attendees with in-depth, focused Master Classes in each of the invited disciplines. In his second turn as Master Class Committee Chair, Alan Silverman has developed a series of compelling events for the 123rd AES Convention.

Highlights of this year’s series include:

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF MAKING AND PLAYING GREAT RECORDINGS
– The High Resolution Experience: Keith O. Johnson, Reference Recordings,
Pacifica, CA, will explore the listener’s emotional involvement with a recording and
consider how intangible factors such as imaging, transparency, articulation and
delineation impact on its reproduction. Working from a multi-channel perspective,
Johnson will reveal how instruments, halls, and visual cues create a live concert
experience and how microphone choices, placements and mixing strategies can
constrict or expand a soundscape.

HARD EARNED DESIGN SECRETS - Reconciling The Objectivist and Subjectivist
Points Of View: Bruno Putzeys, of Hypex Electronics, Rotselaar, Switzerland, will
disclose a wealth of tantalizing secrets including: Revealed Preference: Aligning
philosophical preference with actual behavior, how listening habits impact on your work
whether you’re after transparent reproduction or emotionally engaging sound and,
whether you like it or not; Op Amp Theory Rrefresher: A genuine understanding how
they work, not just what they’re made of;. Minimalist design – or not?: When adding
more parts really helps; Intelligent Design in Audio: Recipes for success and disaster in
co-developing and subcontracting audio electronics; That Digital Sound: Deviating
from theory is the problem, not the solution., an invaluable exposé of digital filtering and
its relation to “the digital sound.”

FROM ROUGH MIX TO “YOGI”- An accomplished and eclectic mixer Michael Brauer’s credits include Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Aimee Mann, Coldplay, Ben Folds, and John Mayer’s critically acclaimed CD “Continuum.” This Master Class will cover mixing factors that cannot be achieved with hardware or software alone. How do you mix a song that you are hearing for the first time? How do you create a mix that brings out its spirit and message? Brower will also discuss technical aspects including his unique multi-stage/multi-bus mix technique.

VINTAGE MICROPHONE MYSTIQUE – How Sex Appeal Trumps Specs: Klaus
Heyne, German Masterworks, Portland, OR and Oliver Archut, TAB-Funkenwerk,
Gaylord KS. The current phenomenon of using fifty-year old microphones in critical
recording applications from pop vocals to classical symphony orchestras, is
unprecedented, and seemingly illogical in a world of rapidly evolving recording
technologies. Oliver and Klaus will examine why vintage microphones occupy this
uniquely antiquarian role, and why many of today’s manufacturers yield to industry
demands for microphones and new products that emulate the past.

AUDIO INTERCONNECTIONS – Dispelling The Myths: Henry Ott, Henry Ott Consultants, Livingston, NJ: High signal-to-noise ratio is an important goal for most audio systems. AC power connections, however, unavoidably create ground voltage differences, magnetic fields, and electric fields. The class will cover cabling, grounding , balancing, and shielding issues in audio interconnections for electromagnetic compatibility and maximum signal integrity. Design ideas will be offered to insure the ability of a device, product, or system to operate properly without degradation and without being a source of interference.

ADVANCED IDEAS & TECHNIQUES IN HIGH-DEFINITION SURROUND MUSIC POST-PRODUCTION FOR FILM & TV: Ken Hahn, co-owner of Sync Sound®, Inc, a leading NYC audio post -production facility, will cover such critical topics as: How to achieve 5.1/stereo/mono compatible mixes; The reasons for working at a fixed monitoring level; How to achieve a mix that satisfy both client and engineer; Audio Post “Tools of the trade,” Dealing with delivery specs and how they dictate workflow; and, Is louder really better?
Commenting on the program, AES Committee Chair Jim Anderson remarked, “Previous AES Master Class presenters such as Bob Clearmountain, Terry Manning, Roger Nichols, Doug Sax, Floyd Toole, and Bill Whitlock delivered outstanding presentations which immediately popularized this addition to the Convention Program. Alan Silverman’s roster for the 123rd Convention clearly matches the standards established by those earlier events.”

Alan Silverman is principal and mastering engineer at Arf! Mastering, a NYC facility specializing in high-resolution audio. His discography lists numerous Grammy Award CDs including the world music phenomenon “Lagrimas Negras,” nominated for Record of The Year, Album of The Year, and Best Engineered Record in the 2004 Latin Grammies and voted the top CD of 2003 by Ben Ratliff of the New York Times. He recently completed re-mastering The Kinks catalog for hybrid SA-CD.

The AES 123rd Convention will be held at NY’s Jacob Javits Center October 5-8 2007. For additional information please visit www.aes.org