Meeting Report: April 2023 – Scott Stickland on Collaborative Online Audio Mixing in the Box with DCF

2023/05/012023/05/02Paolo Menolotto

On Monday 24^th April, the Melbourne Section of the AES held our regular bi-monthly meeting.

It was a return to an in-person event at Collarts Wellington St (Collingwood) campus, that was also live-streamed on YouTube.

We welcomed about a dozen members and guests in the Collarts Critical Listening Room and another 7 who watched the live stream to the end.

Audio Engineer and Educator/Musician Scott Stickland presented on the topic of:

Collaborative Online Audio Mixing in the Box:

Presenting a case for the DAW Collaboration Framework

Chairman Graeme Huon introduced Scott with a brief description Scott’s work on the DAW Collaboration Framework (DCF).

Scoot presenting to the group — Scott Stickland – photo Rodney Staples

Scott started by acknowledging and describing the chronology of earlier online audio collaboration technology, starting with ResRocketSurfer (1996)/Rocket Network (1999), JACK/JACKTrip, Source-Connect, Steinberg’s VST Connect Pro and VST Transit/Transit Join/Transit Go, Splice Studio, and then the push for direct streaming into the DaaAW with products like Soundwhale, Sessionwire, ConnectionOpen and Listento and the growth in web-based DAW collaboration platforms, where he commented that web audio is not at the stage of development where they can be used for professional applications.

Meeting Report: February 2023 – David Hudson on Restoration of Vintage Studer A80s

2023/02/182023/02/20Paolo Menolotto

On Monday 13^th February, the Melbourne Section of the AES held our regular bi-monthly meeting.

We welcomed about 30 members and guests via Zoom.

Former Studios 301 Engineering Manager and local AES Section Committee Member David Hudson presented on the topic of:

Restoration of Vintage Studer A80s –

for a new life in a new century

Chairman Graeme Huon introduced David with a brief description of his background and history in audio recording in Canada and Australia.

David Hudson describes his career path that led to the Studer A80s (photo Rod Staples)

Following an Acknowledgement of Country (David was presenting from Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula – home of the Bunurong First Nations people), David described his early experiences with audio recording in Canada. He recounted that his first example as a pre-teen in 1961 was a Voice of Music VM-700 “Tape-o-Matic” machine his elementary principal father frequently brought home from his school. David also mentioned his early electronic experience in designing a photocell relay for a school Science Fair which saw him go all the way to the national competition, and he also mentioned his amateur radio interests at age 15. He then went on to recount his time in the 1970’s as a musical performer with the group “Hudson Carr Poole”/”Marilyn Hudson Carr & Poole”.

Meeting Report: December 2022 – John Kean on Loudness for Streaming Audio

2022/12/192022/12/20Paolo Menolotto

On Monday 12^th December, the Melbourne Section of the AES held our regular bi-monthly meeting.

We welcomed about 30 members and guests via Zoom.

Leading radio broadcast technologist and Chair of the AES Technical Group on Audio Loudness for Streaming, John Kean presented to us on the topic of

AES’ Development and Promotion of Audio Loudness Techniques

for new audio delivery platforms

Chairman Graeme Huon introduced John, who started his presentation with an explanation of the reality of inconsistent audio loudness across various streamed audio sources accessed on the same device – content such as music, podcasts, radio streams and virtual assistant responses. He explained how that issue was the catalyst for the development of the AES TD1008 Technical Document on this subject.

Meeting Report: October 2022 – Angus Davidson on Immersive Music

2022/10/092022/10/09Paolo Menolotto

On Monday 3^rd October, the Melbourne Section of the AES held our regular bi-monthly meeting.

We welcomed about 30 members and guests via Zoom.

Angus Davidson from Red Road Immersive studio presented to us on the topic

Recording Music for Immersive Platforms
– applying Dolby Atmos to music streaming

Chairman Graeme Huon introduced Angus who started his presentation with a brief run-through of his career to date.

Angus Davidson describing the Atmos recording process (Photo Rod Staples)

He then moved on to introduce the studio design decisions necessary for Dolby Atmos mixing, covering the appropriate room size for different applications (music, video, or film work) as well as the acoustic treatment, and choices of working with a physical console or mixing “in-the-box”.
He then spoke about equipment choices, emphasising the criticality of speaker choice.

Collaborative Online Audio Mixing in the Box:

Presenting a case for the DAW Collaboration Framework

Restoration of Vintage Studer A80s –

for a new life in a new century

AES’ Development and Promotion of Audio Loudness Techniques

for new audio delivery platforms

Recording Music for Immersive Platforms – applying Dolby Atmos to music streaming

Recording Music for Immersive Platforms
– applying Dolby Atmos to music streaming