pucho812
Well-known member
Well it is about that time. I have since returned from AES and have a moment were I can ramble on about AES and all the to doings i seen. For starters, each year since I have been affiliated with AES and been going, it has seemed to get smaller. However, I look at this as a great thing. Years ago it would take sometimes upwards of 2 days just to get through the exhibit floor and a whole plethora of lectures. It would seem they would be handing out seminars to who ever wanted one. Now days there are less seminars and less gear booths but I look at it as timing fat off a piece of meat. Now days it seems more focused.
My AES venture starts off with me landing in NYC Wednesday morning to the usually north eastern united states fall weather. There is not much to report on Wednesday as it was a day before the convention. However I did venture to some of the local hot spots. Places like The Soup Man made for such a delight with the weather as it was.
Thursday Started off the day with Duncan doughnuts coffee. Best Coffee from a chain I think, and made my way to the convention to register. Caught the ear training for mastering engineers tutorial as well as the opening ceremonies. The opening speech by Charles Limb was unique coming from a medical doctor who's specialty is the ear. Also downloaded the AES app for my smart phone. Left after the opening speech and met up with an old friend at the flying puck, a bar dedicated to Hockey. Amazing how people not affiliated in the industry in any way shape or form have the same grievances about artistry and the over use of things like auto tune. From there it was John's pizza. NYdave I gotta say the pizza alone would have been worth the trip.
Friday AES Started off with coffee and a walk through the exhibit floor. A chat with John Klett about his new 8 channel mic pre at his booth really had me rethinking ic chip numbers and what the possibilities one can get off using what the world deemed as crappy or well they were o.k. till something better came along. It looked good with the trident style aluminum knobs. Runs hot. Ran into larrchild at his booth and got a great discussion on tubes and their flagship sr71 compressor. It looks great in photos. It looks even better in person. Also the computer tube tester that they custom built is sexy as all hell. If only it was available to the public. I also stopped by marik's booth and looked at his new ribbon mics. The current crop of ribbons look unique and made my crappy voice sound decent. I could totally hear how on a real person they would shine. Plus the way they did the mic grill is different they any i have seen before. the outer mesh looks like a honey comb. Also Stopped by the Shiny box booth. The Mic pre's are looking real real tasty,. Moving along I bumped into the man the myth the legend NYdave. We chatted for a while but Dave had to split. Lunch at hero boy and back to see the rest of the exhibits today. My main focus was go through all of it and then go back if I saw something that really caught my attention. Sodderboy/techshop ny is making a new remote talk back system that at first glace looks exactly like my remote for my garage door. But I have to say it does perform great and the demo they had set up for it was cool. As for the non GDIY affiliated booths, AMI/tab-funkenworks has some new transformers that I wish I got a photo of. They are their take on utc10 and utc24 transformers. I believe it was those numbers. Also they now selling the ohau amp transformers by themselves if one was so inclined to need them. the UTC inspired look way small compared to the original, need to try out a few. Moving alone stopped by the VK booth and heard the New AMS-NEVE 500 series compressor. IT sounds quite good for the source material they provided. Of course at the same booth saw the Shadow hills compressor and other shadow hills gear which is just drool worthy. Moving along surprised to see some companies not have a booth this year like manley labs. oh well. Wireworks out of New Jersey has some new way of making plates and panels called lumavue. I may not need their wiring services but the lumavue looks interesting. I would be curious to see if they could do me a faceplate in lumavue for a unit or two. NKK switchs was in full force and I have never used their switches before. But talk about cool. I was particularly interested in some toggle switches that have led's built in in the toggle shaft you move. when it one position the led is green, in another position it's red. A switch like that would be perfect for pad, phantom, polarity. API introduced a new automation system for their 1608 Line of consoles. It reminded me of the the automation system on the duality SSL with some minor differences. For starters it is self contained and does not require a computer with host software. It also has a smpte and MTC reader unlike the SSL which is just MTC. But where it is the almost the same is that it's self contained, stores mixes on a memory card like the ones used in a digital camera. They both due hui protocol for daw control. It has been tested for up to 48 faders. the price of the system was fairly inexpensive at about 24,000 for a 48 channel system. It's retrofitable into an existing 1608 console and ideally if you had a 1608 main unit and 2 side units could have a very powerful set up with daw control. Well that is until avid removes hui protocol out of pro tools. Moving along spent some time at the Lindell audio booth. They just started and are making a fet compressor. 1176 anyone? they say 1176 inspired. bah. Way to many people doing rehashes on old gear. It also features a wet/dry knob. Hmmm wonder where that idea was hatched. On the nice side it was a well built unit and instead of the push button switches for ratio, it had a strat style pickup selector switch for doing different ratios. I am sure that's not what it is but that is the best description I can think of at the moment. Pulse techiques was back displaying their pultec clones and this year have a new one based on the solid state pultec's with the api 2520. Down to the last detail looks like an original solid state pultec. Spooky. Moog now has a filter they doing in the 500 format. too many people looking confused at that booth. moved on. Over all it seems that the 500 series format was more prominent then ever. Everyone is doing 500 modules and now it's getting to the point where the double wide module is really taking hold. I saw more doub le wide modules then ever before. IS that the future? Well it makes sense as the manufacture does not have to make a PSU for it or a real chassis for that matter. Retro instruments is making a double wide 500 series compressor that has 4 tubes and without getting a talk on it, I would suspect it is a 500 version of their sta-level clone. Bah. I would rather have a sta-level in a real chassis. However the unit did look tasty. Last of the day was a stop Awesome transistor amplifier company. They making a double wide 500 series module that is 3 band eq, mic pre, line amp, DI. the eq on it sounded really good. The mic pre well it was hard to tell as the only source was me. Left AES to catch an invite to a hockey game. Devils lost. oh well. at least the beer was cold.
Saturday AES Started with a seminar on disk mastering with Paul Gold. Way cool. Paul that was extremely informative. Sadly I missed the tech tour of sear sound. I would have like to seen it in a post walter sear world. R.I.P. Walter Sear. However, if it's anything like I think it is, it will continue to thrive in the modern recording world due to it's commitment to audio excellence. Other Saturday happenings include a second walk through the exhibit floor. Maybe there was something I didn't catch the first time. I did chat up a few people and was kind enough to get some crucial info on some of the recording gear I have to keep working. Good Stuff. Saturday afternoon played poker at the mercenary audio booth for a chance to win a gift certificate, going all in on a pair of 8's was not my most brilliant move but hey since there was no buy in involved, no real loss. Saturday night was the night where everyone was throwing AES parties. Rupert Neve Designs had a party, Tree Audio had a party, Gear Sluts had a party. I am sure some of you may have seen my post on electric lady. Well for starters it was over crowded. second throwing a massive party while sessions are going on and studios are set up is a bad idea. Engineers and the like wanna touch and feel a studio. Throwing a party in a room while set for a session? fail. That place was so stiff and crowded had it turned any more lively a funeral would have broken out. Had it not been for the free brooklyn pilsner I would left right away. Studio B with Michael bauers sound towers was interesting. You walk down the hall and it would start to great quieter. By the time you hit the control room, there was silence. That man has way to much gear and combined that with a ton of people made for a hot box. More over staff was freaking out over people going what are they doing, The moment anyone would really take a look at a piece of gear. Bah. The place went in an uproar when pucho and a name less individual suggested it's a party why so quiet. Over all the staff outside the running staff was too stiff. Long gone the open arm love feeling Hendrix put on the place when he was around. Sadness. Left Electric Lady for a business meeting. Saw the Tree Audio Console in a real studio environment for the first time. I will be doing an install on one the moment it is finished being built. Talk about a great sounding board and more over the fact you can build it as you go with 500 modules is great. The summing buss running at +/-24V is killer and sounds good. I can't rave enough about it..
Sunday back on the left coast of the U.S. after a day strolling NYC. What a great city. I love the fact Public transportation actually works well and people walk everywhere. If only l.a. did the same, would make it easier to get around.
My AES venture starts off with me landing in NYC Wednesday morning to the usually north eastern united states fall weather. There is not much to report on Wednesday as it was a day before the convention. However I did venture to some of the local hot spots. Places like The Soup Man made for such a delight with the weather as it was.
Thursday Started off the day with Duncan doughnuts coffee. Best Coffee from a chain I think, and made my way to the convention to register. Caught the ear training for mastering engineers tutorial as well as the opening ceremonies. The opening speech by Charles Limb was unique coming from a medical doctor who's specialty is the ear. Also downloaded the AES app for my smart phone. Left after the opening speech and met up with an old friend at the flying puck, a bar dedicated to Hockey. Amazing how people not affiliated in the industry in any way shape or form have the same grievances about artistry and the over use of things like auto tune. From there it was John's pizza. NYdave I gotta say the pizza alone would have been worth the trip.
Friday AES Started off with coffee and a walk through the exhibit floor. A chat with John Klett about his new 8 channel mic pre at his booth really had me rethinking ic chip numbers and what the possibilities one can get off using what the world deemed as crappy or well they were o.k. till something better came along. It looked good with the trident style aluminum knobs. Runs hot. Ran into larrchild at his booth and got a great discussion on tubes and their flagship sr71 compressor. It looks great in photos. It looks even better in person. Also the computer tube tester that they custom built is sexy as all hell. If only it was available to the public. I also stopped by marik's booth and looked at his new ribbon mics. The current crop of ribbons look unique and made my crappy voice sound decent. I could totally hear how on a real person they would shine. Plus the way they did the mic grill is different they any i have seen before. the outer mesh looks like a honey comb. Also Stopped by the Shiny box booth. The Mic pre's are looking real real tasty,. Moving along I bumped into the man the myth the legend NYdave. We chatted for a while but Dave had to split. Lunch at hero boy and back to see the rest of the exhibits today. My main focus was go through all of it and then go back if I saw something that really caught my attention. Sodderboy/techshop ny is making a new remote talk back system that at first glace looks exactly like my remote for my garage door. But I have to say it does perform great and the demo they had set up for it was cool. As for the non GDIY affiliated booths, AMI/tab-funkenworks has some new transformers that I wish I got a photo of. They are their take on utc10 and utc24 transformers. I believe it was those numbers. Also they now selling the ohau amp transformers by themselves if one was so inclined to need them. the UTC inspired look way small compared to the original, need to try out a few. Moving alone stopped by the VK booth and heard the New AMS-NEVE 500 series compressor. IT sounds quite good for the source material they provided. Of course at the same booth saw the Shadow hills compressor and other shadow hills gear which is just drool worthy. Moving along surprised to see some companies not have a booth this year like manley labs. oh well. Wireworks out of New Jersey has some new way of making plates and panels called lumavue. I may not need their wiring services but the lumavue looks interesting. I would be curious to see if they could do me a faceplate in lumavue for a unit or two. NKK switchs was in full force and I have never used their switches before. But talk about cool. I was particularly interested in some toggle switches that have led's built in in the toggle shaft you move. when it one position the led is green, in another position it's red. A switch like that would be perfect for pad, phantom, polarity. API introduced a new automation system for their 1608 Line of consoles. It reminded me of the the automation system on the duality SSL with some minor differences. For starters it is self contained and does not require a computer with host software. It also has a smpte and MTC reader unlike the SSL which is just MTC. But where it is the almost the same is that it's self contained, stores mixes on a memory card like the ones used in a digital camera. They both due hui protocol for daw control. It has been tested for up to 48 faders. the price of the system was fairly inexpensive at about 24,000 for a 48 channel system. It's retrofitable into an existing 1608 console and ideally if you had a 1608 main unit and 2 side units could have a very powerful set up with daw control. Well that is until avid removes hui protocol out of pro tools. Moving along spent some time at the Lindell audio booth. They just started and are making a fet compressor. 1176 anyone? they say 1176 inspired. bah. Way to many people doing rehashes on old gear. It also features a wet/dry knob. Hmmm wonder where that idea was hatched. On the nice side it was a well built unit and instead of the push button switches for ratio, it had a strat style pickup selector switch for doing different ratios. I am sure that's not what it is but that is the best description I can think of at the moment. Pulse techiques was back displaying their pultec clones and this year have a new one based on the solid state pultec's with the api 2520. Down to the last detail looks like an original solid state pultec. Spooky. Moog now has a filter they doing in the 500 format. too many people looking confused at that booth. moved on. Over all it seems that the 500 series format was more prominent then ever. Everyone is doing 500 modules and now it's getting to the point where the double wide module is really taking hold. I saw more doub le wide modules then ever before. IS that the future? Well it makes sense as the manufacture does not have to make a PSU for it or a real chassis for that matter. Retro instruments is making a double wide 500 series compressor that has 4 tubes and without getting a talk on it, I would suspect it is a 500 version of their sta-level clone. Bah. I would rather have a sta-level in a real chassis. However the unit did look tasty. Last of the day was a stop Awesome transistor amplifier company. They making a double wide 500 series module that is 3 band eq, mic pre, line amp, DI. the eq on it sounded really good. The mic pre well it was hard to tell as the only source was me. Left AES to catch an invite to a hockey game. Devils lost. oh well. at least the beer was cold.
Saturday AES Started with a seminar on disk mastering with Paul Gold. Way cool. Paul that was extremely informative. Sadly I missed the tech tour of sear sound. I would have like to seen it in a post walter sear world. R.I.P. Walter Sear. However, if it's anything like I think it is, it will continue to thrive in the modern recording world due to it's commitment to audio excellence. Other Saturday happenings include a second walk through the exhibit floor. Maybe there was something I didn't catch the first time. I did chat up a few people and was kind enough to get some crucial info on some of the recording gear I have to keep working. Good Stuff. Saturday afternoon played poker at the mercenary audio booth for a chance to win a gift certificate, going all in on a pair of 8's was not my most brilliant move but hey since there was no buy in involved, no real loss. Saturday night was the night where everyone was throwing AES parties. Rupert Neve Designs had a party, Tree Audio had a party, Gear Sluts had a party. I am sure some of you may have seen my post on electric lady. Well for starters it was over crowded. second throwing a massive party while sessions are going on and studios are set up is a bad idea. Engineers and the like wanna touch and feel a studio. Throwing a party in a room while set for a session? fail. That place was so stiff and crowded had it turned any more lively a funeral would have broken out. Had it not been for the free brooklyn pilsner I would left right away. Studio B with Michael bauers sound towers was interesting. You walk down the hall and it would start to great quieter. By the time you hit the control room, there was silence. That man has way to much gear and combined that with a ton of people made for a hot box. More over staff was freaking out over people going what are they doing, The moment anyone would really take a look at a piece of gear. Bah. The place went in an uproar when pucho and a name less individual suggested it's a party why so quiet. Over all the staff outside the running staff was too stiff. Long gone the open arm love feeling Hendrix put on the place when he was around. Sadness. Left Electric Lady for a business meeting. Saw the Tree Audio Console in a real studio environment for the first time. I will be doing an install on one the moment it is finished being built. Talk about a great sounding board and more over the fact you can build it as you go with 500 modules is great. The summing buss running at +/-24V is killer and sounds good. I can't rave enough about it..
Sunday back on the left coast of the U.S. after a day strolling NYC. What a great city. I love the fact Public transportation actually works well and people walk everywhere. If only l.a. did the same, would make it easier to get around.
