To be held concurrently with The 2018 NAMM Show from January 25-28 in Anaheim, CA, the inaugural AES@NAMM Pro Sound Symposium: Live & Studio is an education and training program being presented by the Audio Engineering Society. The four-day symposium comprises a high-end education and training program targeted at professionals working in live sound, recording, and audio for the performing arts. AES@NAMM will be held in the NAMM Education Campus located inside the Anaheim Hilton Hotel, and adjacent to a brand-new exhibit space showcasing pro audio’s leading brands.
“AES@NAMM is an international attraction for those involved in the fields of live sound, recording technologies, and the application of pro audio in support of performing arts,” said AES president Alex Case. “Registration opens next month for our wide range of education sessions and academy trainings targeted at audio engineers, sound reinforcement technicians, system operators, recording professionals, audio equipment specialists, and other associated practitioners. We have organized a rich and varied program that will match the informational needs of a broad cross section of active professionals.”
As with all technical sessions at AES conferences and conventions, AES@NAMM is fee-based, with limited seating secured through advance registration. Attendees can purchase single-session tickets, or half-day or whole-day badges. Academy trainees will receive a certificate of attendance to confirm their participation in training and educational sessions. Each AES@NAMM registrant also will receive a NAMM show badge with full access to all exhibits and other activities.
The AES@NAMM program will feature daylong training conducted by manufacturers of contemporary live sound consoles and studio digital audio workstations, in addition to half-day line array loudspeaker system training. “There will also be entertainment wireless and system optimization educational themes, including classroom training of hardware- and software-based products from these fields,” said Mark Frink, director, programming and content. Renowned author and engineer Bobby Owsinski will host a special Studio & Recording Technology Session Series, while John Murray will oversee Science & Technology Sessions, including Measurement And System Optimization.”
AES@NAMM’s Education Campus comprises 20 rooms on the fourth floor of the Hilton facing the Grand Plaza. Symposium sessions will run 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Thursday, January 25, through Sunday, January 28, with the last day ending at 4:00 p.m. Daylong DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) Academy and Live Sound Console Academy courses of manufacturer-based training take place in eight rooms. Half-day morning and afternoon Line Array Loudspeaker System Academy themes will be held in a bank of six classrooms and a spacious system setup area.
The special Studio Session Series targeted at the studio and post-production communities includes Mastering for The Streaming Age, which will discuss multiple masters, dynamic range, and hot levels; The State Of The Art of Do-It-Yourself, which will provide an overview of today’s DIY marketplace; and Sound Design for Tentpole Films, which will focus on techniques used in blockbuster motion pictures.
“The Live Sound Console Academy comprises daylong sessions for 24 students with instruction on control-surface orientation, followed by an exploration of each console’s features and use,” Frink said. “It concludes with a sound check of a live band, and culminates in the mixing of several songs.”
AES Papers and Workshops, as well as special Spanish and Mandarin daily sessions, will be accommodated in a separate room. The program also includes classrooms for professional audio software and hardware manufacturers training.
