Platinum Producers, Platinum Engineers & All the Key Panels at the 2013 AES Convention in NYC
The audio event I look forward to most each year is easily the AES convention, especially when it’s right here in NYC.
In boom years, the convention can take over a full wing at the Jacob Javits Center on West 34th street in Manhattan. But even a relatively poor showing, like we’ve had over these past few down years is still a pretty big deal by any reasonable standards.
In 2011 – one of the slower years by the convention’s normal measure – AES still saw nearly 16,000 visitors flocking to check out the booths set up by over 300 pro audio exhibitors.
Register for your free “Exhibits Plus” badge here.
But the top floor, with all its new toys and flashing lights, is only the tip of the iceberg. What really gives the event merit are the panels and workshops held downstairs in the belly of the convention center.
This is where the real strides are made. For the next generation of producers and engineers, who are going to take pro audio, and the music market, out of their slumps, it would be a wise place to spend some time.
If there’s one person who knows a thing or two about staying strong through lean times and making the most of a resurging market, it’s probably genial billionaire Warren Buffet, who’s known to say things like:
“Investing in yourself is the best thing you can do. Anything that improves your own talents – Nobody can take it away from you. [I]f you’ve got talents yourself, and you’ve maximized your talent, you’ve got a terrific asset.”
SonicScoop’s Panels
Two of my favorite events each year are the Platinum Engineers and Platinum Producers Panels – And not just because SonicScoop editors David Weiss, Janice Brown and I get to moderate them sometimes.
These panels are an opportunity to pick the brains of the the producers and engineers who’ve worked on some of the biggest, and most interesting, releases of the past few years.
In many cases, these are people who have been able to take many of the same resources that are available to all of us, and twist them into something truly amazing.
The 2013 Platinum Engineers Lineup
The last time AES was in New York City, Janice Brown and I got to invite some of our favorite engineers making records today to join us on the Platinum Engineers Panel. (Friday, October 18, 2:30 pm — 4:30 pm)
As luck would have it, in 2011 all of our first choices – Dave Fridmann [The Flaming Lips, MGMT, Neon Indian], Peter Katis [The National, Jónsi, Interpol], Chris Shaw [Bob Dylan, Public Enemy, Weezer] and Damian Taylor [Björk, The Prodigy, Arcade Fire] – said yes.
This time, we got lucky again.
The first name on our list this year in alphabetical order is Chris Coady. He’s recorded and mixed for a seemingly endless stream of artists that manage to straddle the boundary of indie cool and popular success.
Chris Coady. Photo by Dan Backhaus.
A largely self-taught engineer, Coady got started in his own DIY analog studio back in Baltimore. He soon came to New York City, where he landed a gig at the famed Quad Studios, assisting on sessions and aligning tape machines for legendary mixer Michael Brauer.
He then moved on to engineer sessions for indie rock producer Dave Sitek, working on breakthrough albums for bands like The Yeah Yeahs Yeahs and TV on the Radio.
Today, Coady’s discography includes influential artists like Grizzly Bear, Blonde Redhead, Beach House, Delorean, Gang Gang Dance, Zola Jesus, Santigold, Architecture in Helsinki, as well as Austin’s …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of the Dead.
Our second panelist, Patrick Dillett has a discography that’s all over the map. Most recently, Dillett has worked on Love This Giant, the critically acclaimed collaboration between David Byrne and St. Vincent, as well new records for Julia Stone and They Might Be Giants.
His longstanding freelance career has led him to work with a truly eclectic sampling of pop artists including Fatboy Slim, Bebel Gilberto, Plácido Domingo, The B-52s, Danny Elfman, Santana, Nile Rodgers, Mike Doughty, and Donald Fagen of Steely Dan. Dillett has also worked with some true legends of modern hip hop and R&B including KRS-One, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and Notorious B.I.G.
Our final two panelists, Tom Elmhirst and Manny Marroquin, are among the biggest and most in-demand music mixers working today. They have mixed on what are – inarguably – some of the hugest hits of the past few years.
Tom Elmhirst, a native of the UK, mixed Adele‘s 21, which almost single-handedly turned the growth of the music industry back into the black for 2012. He also mixed huge breakaway hit albums for Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen.
Elmhirst’s list of mix clientele includes The Black Keys, Dido, Mark Ronson, Cee Lo Green, Lana Del Ray, The Civil Wars, Jónsi, Michael Bublé, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Quincy Jones.
Finally, Manny Marroquin, a self-described “chameleon” of a mix engineer has a face that might look familiar from the box of his own new line of Waves plugins. But most of the time, he’s mixing on an SSL, churning out surprisingly hip-sounding mega-hits for artists like Bruno Mars and Kanye West.
Maroquin has mixed for a long list of the biggest names in contemporary pop: Artists like John Mayer, Shakira, Maroon 5, Rihanna, Pink, Miley Cyrus, Alicia Keys, Justin Bieber, The Rolling Stones and John Legend. Not bad for a kid from Guatemala, who immigrated to the States at age 9 to escape their long civil war.
The Platinum Producers Panel
This year Sonic Scoop’s David Weiss hosts the Platinum Producers Panel once again. (Saturday, October 19, 11:30 am — 1:30 pm) They’ll go deep into the aesthetics, as well as the past, present and future of music production. The panel’s collective experience spans decades and has produced hit singles and albums in rock, R&B, hip-hop, pop, jazz, and beyond.
Daniel Omelio aka Robopop
Panelists include “Jedi Master” Jeff Jones, a GRAMMY winning producer who’s “day job” is making records for Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has worked with Eric Clapton, Norah Jones, Wynton Marsalis and Willie Nelson.
Joining him on stage is ROBOPOP, aka Daniel Omelio, a producer and songwriter who has crafted hit recordings for Gym Class Heroes, Lana Del Ray, Kesha, and Maroon 5.
Dave Tozer rounds out the panel, bringing hip hop and R&B credentials and drawing on his extensive work with artists like John Legend, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z.
Other Events to Watch Out For
If you reserve a spot early, you might just have a chance to get in on one of the AES Technical Tours, where you can visit amazing spaces where great work is being done on a daily basis.
For a nominal fee, you can take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Jimmy Fallon show, WNYC’s Soundcheck, Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, or the South Park creators’ blockbuster musical comedy, Book of Mormon.
Engineers who can make the short trip to Queens can get a tour of the enormous studios and soundstages at Kauffman Astoria and then visit The Museum of the Moving Image.
SonicScoop isn’t the only magazine putting on killer events within the convention hall. Sound On Sound will be hosting the 2013 Project Studio Expo, where small studio engineers can brush up on essential skills from beginner level through professional levels. (And just like SonicScoop’s Platinum Panels, and handful of key events, this one’s free.)
For engineers looking to make their mark on stage, the AES Live Sound Seminars should not be missed, where high-level presentations are the name of the game. Tackle AC power and grounding issues, noise pollution, sound system optimization, sound design for theater, wireless systems and audio networking.
There will be master-classes as well as workshops on skills ranging from surround mixing and mic’ing techniques to DSP design and acoustic enhancement.
Of special interest to engineers of all levels is a learning session with legendary engineer for Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson, Bruce Swedien. He promises to reveal all in his interactive seminar “I Have No Secrets.”
Why You Should Care
Too often, when we think of AES, the focus is on what’s happening up on the showroom floor. When that floor is packed and thriving, it can be dazzling. (And when it’s not, it can be depressing.)
This is not hard to understand. Upstairs is where they keep all the candy: The bells, the whistles, the free swag, the new gear, and the smiling faces just waiting to tell you about what new gizmo is going to solve all of your imagined problems.
The showroom floor can be great. And I recommend checking it out and not missing a single booth.
But for me, downstairs is where the real action is. That’s where the true diehards go, in lean times as well as the boom years. It’s where you’ll find the audio pros to look out for: Always learning, always sharing. It’s where you’ll discover truly new ideas,new techniques,new technologies – and with any luck, a few new people worth knowing a lot more closely.
Please note: When you buy products through links on this page, we may earn an affiliate commission.