Ely, Minn. – June 8, 2011: On one frigid afternoon this past February, a crew from Classical Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and the A cappella vocal group, Cantus, MPR’s 2010-2011 Artist-in-Residence, took a three-minute pitch black ride down to the 27th level of the Soudan Underground Mines to record a performance 2,341 feet below the surface. This audio and video venture — which highlights the most recent installment in Classical MPR’s Sonic Architecture series — relied on a pair of Sennheiser MKH 800s and Neumann KM 140 microphones to capture the performance and the natural acoustics of the cave.

The performance, which was produced into a video and radio piece using DTS Neural Sound, presented several challenges for Rob Byers, technical director at MPR. Byers had to select a range of gear that would perform in an unorthodox “one-take” environment. “There was no room for mistakes — we had to get in, record and get out,” he said. more

NY’S Javits Center Set For International Pro Audio Gathering Oct. 20 – 23, 2011

NEW YORK: “Expectations for the 131st AES Convention are particularly high this year,” reports committee chair Jim Anderson, “our team is making an extraordinary effort to create an unforgettable event.” Scheduled for Oct. 20 – 23 at NY’S Jacob Javits Center, this year’s attendees will find a wealth of stimulating, challenging, entertaining and informative Workshops, Tutorials, Papers, Master Classes, Technical Tours and Special Events designed to hone their skills and recharge their batteries.

AES executive director Roger Furness reports that the stellar Committee is comprised of seasoned pros whose enthusiasm for the Convention is matched only by their professional accomplishments and peer recognition. “Our chairman Jim Anderson is a particularly accomplished engineer, producer and educator. His organizational acumen and leadership skills make him an indispensible asset. Many of our chairs have served for years and their knowledge of their fields is legendary. Broadcast & Streaming Events chair David Bialik is back for his 23rd consecutive Convention, which we believe is a record,” Furness says. “We are honored to attract this level of talent each year, and our attendees reap huge benefits from their dedication to producing a first rate event.” more

Ear training App for better recording, mixing, and live sound

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., – Audiofile Engineering, creators of professional audio software for Mac OS X and iOS, have recently acquired Quiztones (http://quiztones.net), an ear training application for audio professionals and musicians, and released it as an App for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Quiztones founder Dan Comerchero joins Audiofile Engineering as a Product Manager.

Quiztones is designed to train the ears to instantly and intuitively recognize frequencies. This is useful for tasks like mixing, adjusting EQ settings, and identifying and eliminating feedback.

“As musicians and audio professionals, we spend a great deal of time analyzing frequencies, whether we’re adjusting them for a good mix in the studio, or trying to get rid of feedback on stage,” said Comerchero. “Ear training with Quiztones can make this a lot faster and easier by eliminating trial and error methods of frequency identification such as sweeping.”

Quiztones cleverly uses various quizzes to engage users in training exercises from simple frequency tones and pink noise to real-world sounds like frequency-altered drums, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass and vocals.

Quiztones is designed to:
• Sharpen frequency recognition skills
• Improve mixing and EQ skills
• Prevent noise buildup in mixes and recordings
• Identify and eliminate feedback on stage
• Eliminate the need for time-consuming frequency sweeping

Quiztones requires iOS 4.0 or later on an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and is available through iTunes for $2.99. To learn more about Quiztones, visit: http://audiofile-engineering.com/quiztones.