AES Milan celebrates The Power of Sound
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AES executive director Bob Moses welcomed attendees and praised volunteers and staff during the opening ceremonies. He introduced AES president David Scheirman, who highlighted the attraction of the Milan region as a historically significant centre of technological innovation, led by visionaries including Leonardo Da Vinci and Marconi - such innovation continuing today with a concentration of professional audio manufacturers.
Scheirman said AES Conventions fulfil the AES’ mission of promoting advancements in the science and practice of professional audio, “bringing leading people and ideas together."
As 2018 marks the 70th Anniversary of the Society, Scheirman reminded that in 1948, five individuals gathered to form the AES, which now counts over 12,500 members worldwide. In the past year, the AES has seen the creation of new professional sections in Nigeria and Taiwan, along with a new student section in Quito, Ecuador - the first AES sections in these countries.
The AES has seen eight-percent membership growth in the first quarter of 2018 compared to 2017. While highlighting the benefits of membership, including the largest repository of audio knowledge on the planet - the over 17,000 papers in the AES online E-Library and over 200 videos in the AES Live: Videos series - Scheirman encouraged all audio professionals to become members and for all members to “get involved”.
Scheirman in turn introduced the co-chairs of the 144th AES International Convention, Nadja Wallaszkovits and Alberto Pinto, who thanked their convention committee members, sponsors and supporters for bringing AES Milan to life.
Capping the opening ceremonies was the keynote address by Dr. Marina Bosi, who provided an insider’s view of the history of the science of perceptual audio coding, from its beginnings in the 1980s to the current state of the art and also giving a peek ahead to the future. “We see, more and more, compression as a technology enabler,” says Dr Bosi. Data compression efficiencies along with improved audio quality at lower data rates have accommodated the moves to surround sound – first 5.1 and now extending to even 22.2 immersive surround.
(Jim Evans)
