Follow When Steel Talks
WST google search WST Forum WST facebook page WST on Twitter WST RSS feed WST Steelpan music videos on You Tube WST Newsletter Global Steelband listings

  Bookmark and Share

AES 135th International Convention - Jimmy Jam Delivers Keynote Address
 - Tools and Knowledge for Capturing a Steel Orchestra, and more

A When Steel Talks Exclusive

In Pictures

AES 2013 NYC logo

New York, USA  -  The Audio Engineering Society (AES) is holding its annual convention at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. The four day-convention (October 17 to 20, 2013) provides access to seminars, workshops, conferences and exhibitions by the leading manufacturers and professionals in regard to all aspects of developing audio and recording technologies.

Entrance to the 135th AES Convention in New York
 
“Jimmy Jam” delivering keynote address at the 135th AES Convention in New York
“Jimmy Jam” delivers keynote address at the AES 135th International Convention in New York city
The opening keynote was delivered this morning by five-time Grammy Award-winning producer, songwriter and musician Jimmy Jam (James Harris, III) one-half of the legendary world-renowned partnership duo of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. His speech focused on his first-hand experiences on the impact of technology on the creative process. Click to watch video of keynote speech.

Jam touched on several aspects of the music business, all the while highlighting the nexus between the traditional or ‘ole school’ precedents and the fast clip of today’s technology. He was particularly intrigued by both the clash and connectivity, of “creativity and technology.”  Of critical importance to the artist is the ability to revisit the masters (original recordings) of yesteryear, and being able to re-issue or remix them sometime in the future. He touched on some of the music masters of the legendary James Brown now remixed for ‘surround sound’ and how phenomenal the material sounded.

The key point was that those music masters had been kept safely and were available generations later. This is an aspect of performance and recording that strikes particular chords within the steelband community. Though several of the New York steel orchestras have always been given masters by Basement Recordings, of their individual pan yard recordings since the 1980s, incredibly, some no longer can be sure of, or account for, the whereabouts of these masters.

At the 135th AES Convention in New York
At the 135th AES Convention in New York
 

Basement Recordings returns to the AES convention each time it is in New York City, to ensure basically that they are always aware of, (if any, that is) earth-shattering technological developments that might have considerable impact on what they do with regard to capturing the steel orchestras annually in all their power and glory.

At the 135th AES Convention in New York
At the 135th AES Convention in New York
 

From recording consoles, to various microphones, to equipment for multi-track recording, and capturing and mastering software in general, along with hardware, it’s all here - tools of the trade for the capturing of steel orchestras in all their power and majesty. Not to mention, the hundreds of music professionals in town for the entire convention duration, some to deliver onsite demonstrations, others - addresses (like Jimmy Jam), and still more holding seminars, open panel discussions, technical workshops and the like.

Anyone who is seriously into any aspect of audio and recording technology should attend. There is a wealth of valuable technical and business information. This is the largest gathering of audio professionals in the world.

AES events for Saturday 19 and Sunday 20, 2013
AES events for Saturday 19 and Sunday 20, 2013

Click for detailed AES calendar of events

You may still registration onsite at the Jacob Javits convention center - aes.org/events/135/registration

Leave a comment in the WST forum

AES 135th International Convention in New York - in Pictures


Mouse over (above) and click the ‘i’ for info on images
Find more photos like this on When Steel Talks

 

Join When Steel Talks