Audio Engineering Society
Encyclopedia
Established in 1948, the Audio Engineering Society (AES) draws its membership from amongst engineers, scientists, other individuals with an interest or involvement in the professional audio
industry. The membership largely comprises engineers developing devices or products for audio, and persons working in audio content production. It also includes acousticians, audiologists, academics, and those in other disciplines related to audio. The AES is the only world-wide professional society devoted exclusively to audio technology.
The Society develops, reviews and publishes engineering standards for the audio and related media industries, and produces the AES Conventions, which are held twice a year alternating between Europe and the USA. The AES and individual regional or national "Sections" also hold AES Conferences on different topics during the year.
The AES publishes a peer-reviewed journal, the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society (JAES).
What came to be the AES was formed at an organizational meeting at RCA Victor Studios in New York City on February 17, 1948. Its first membership meeting followed on March 11, drawing primarily from the area's broadcast and recording operations. The guest speaker at the first meeting was Harry F. Olson
, a prominent engineer and scientist at RCA
and author of Acoustical Engineering
.
AESSC also provides input to IEC
for development and revision of international standards in audio engineering.
AES does not charge for participation in the standards process, but does charge non-members for online copies of published standards. Printed copies are available for a charge to both members and non-members.
President-Elect: Jan Abildgaard Pedersen
Past President: Diemer de Vries
Treasurer: Garry Margolis
Secretary: Bob Lee
Vice President Eastern Region US & Canada: Robert Breen
Vice President Central Region US & Canada: Frank Wells
Vice President Western Region US & Canada: Sean Olive
Vice President Latin America Region: Joel Brito
Vice President Northern Region Europe: Ville Pulkki
Vice President Central Region Europe: Bozena Kostek
Vice President Southern Region Europe: Antonio Oliveira
Vice President International Region: Kimio Hamasaki
Governors: Jim Anderson, Peter Cook, David Josephson, Véronique Larcher, Bob Moses, David Murphy, Bruce C. Olson, Agnieszka Roginska
Executive Director: Roger K. Furness
Webmaster: Steve Johnson
Editor, Journal of the Audio Engineering Society: John Vanderkooy
Chair, 124th AES Convention (held May 2008, Amsterdam): Peter Swarte
Co-chairs, 125th AES Convention (held October 2008, San Francisco): John Strawn and Valerie Tyler
Chair, 126th AES Convention (held May 2009, Munich): Martin Wöhr
Chair, 127th AES Convention (held October 2009, New York): Agnieszka Roginska
Chair, 128th AES Convention (held May 2010, London): Dr Joshua Reiss
Co-chairs, 129th AES Convention (held November 2010, San Francisco): Valerie Tyler and Jim McTigue
Chair, 130th AES Convention (held May 2011, London): Peter Mapp
Professional audio
Professional audio, also 'pro audio', refers to both an activity and a type of audio equipment. Typically it encompasses the production or reproduction of sound for an audience, by individuals who do such work as an occupation like live event support, using sound reinforcement systems designed for...
industry. The membership largely comprises engineers developing devices or products for audio, and persons working in audio content production. It also includes acousticians, audiologists, academics, and those in other disciplines related to audio. The AES is the only world-wide professional society devoted exclusively to audio technology.
The Society develops, reviews and publishes engineering standards for the audio and related media industries, and produces the AES Conventions, which are held twice a year alternating between Europe and the USA. The AES and individual regional or national "Sections" also hold AES Conferences on different topics during the year.
The AES publishes a peer-reviewed journal, the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society (JAES).
History
The idea of a society dedicated solely to audio engineering had been discussed for some time before the first meeting, but was first proposed in print in a letter by Frank E. Sherry, of Victoria, Texas, in the December 1947 issue of the magazine Audio Engineering. A New York engineer, C.J. LeBel, then published a letter in response the following month asking for interested persons to contact him.What came to be the AES was formed at an organizational meeting at RCA Victor Studios in New York City on February 17, 1948. Its first membership meeting followed on March 11, drawing primarily from the area's broadcast and recording operations. The guest speaker at the first meeting was Harry F. Olson
Harry F. Olson
Harry Ferdinand Olson was a prominent engineer at RCA Victor.Harry F. Olson, a pioneer in the field of 20th century acoustical engineering, was born in Mount Pleasant, Iowa to Swedish immigrant parents...
, a prominent engineer and scientist at RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
and author of Acoustical Engineering
Acoustical engineering
Acoustical engineering is the branch of engineering dealing with sound and vibration. It is the application of acoustics, the science of sound and vibration, in technology. Acoustical engineers are typically concerned with the manipulation and control of sound....
.
Membership
From its New York beginnings the AES grew world-wide and as of 31 October 2010 comprised 14215 members, 4306 of whom are classified as students. Members elect a Board of Governors and officers, who jointly set policy and procedures for the Society. The AES is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation headquartered in New York.AES Technical Council
23 Technical Committees advise the AES Technical Council on emerging trends and areas of interest in the audio engineering community. The Committee meetings, held at Conventions, are open to participation by members and non-members alike, and are the venue for planning workshops, seminars and conferences in specific technical areas.AES Standards
The AES Standards Committee (AESSC), through a consensus system open to anyone materially affected by such standards, develops and publishes a number of standards on the subject of analog and digital audio recording, transmission, and/or reproduction. Notable standards include:- AES3 (also commonly known as AES/EBU) for digital audio interconnection
- AES10 (also commonly known as MADI) for multichannel digital audio interconnection
- AES11AES11The AES11 standard published by the Audio Engineering Society provides a systematic approach to the synchronization of digital audio signals. Recommendations are made concerning the accuracy of sample clocks as embodied in the interface signal and the use of this format as a convenient...
for digital audio synchronization - AES42 for digitally interfaced microphones
- AES47AES47AES47 describes a standardised method for packing AES3 professional digital audio streams over Asynchronous Transfer Mode networks. The AES47 method is published by the International Electrotechnical Commission as IEC 62365.-Introduction:...
for sending AES3 digital audio data over Asynchronous Transfer ModeAsynchronous Transfer ModeAsynchronous Transfer Mode is a standard switching technique designed to unify telecommunication and computer networks. It uses asynchronous time-division multiplexing, and it encodes data into small, fixed-sized cells. This differs from approaches such as the Internet Protocol or Ethernet that...
networks. - AES48 on interconnections; grounding and EMC practices; and shields of connectors in audio equipment containing active circuitry.
- AES53AES53AES53 is a standard first published in October 2006 by the Audio Engineering Society that specifies how the timing markers specified in AES47 may be used to associate an absolute time-stamp with individual audio samples. AES47 specifies a format for the transmission of digital audio over...
for assigning absolute times to the time markers provided by AES47.
AESSC also provides input to IEC
IEC
-Organisations:* Independent Electoral Commission * Independent Electrical Contractors, a U.S. national trade association.* Institut d'Estudis Catalans , a Catalan academic institution....
for development and revision of international standards in audio engineering.
AES does not charge for participation in the standards process, but does charge non-members for online copies of published standards. Printed copies are available for a charge to both members and non-members.
AES Gold Medal recipients
The AES Gold Medal is the Society's highest honor, and given in recognition of outstanding achievements, sustained over a period of years, in the field of Audio Engineering. The award was established in 1971; it was formerly known as the John H. Potts Memorial Award.Awardees in chronological order
- Harry F. OlsonHarry F. OlsonHarry Ferdinand Olson was a prominent engineer at RCA Victor.Harry F. Olson, a pioneer in the field of 20th century acoustical engineering, was born in Mount Pleasant, Iowa to Swedish immigrant parents...
(1949) - Howard A. ChinnHoward A. ChinnHoward Allen Chinn was an American broadcasting engineer who pioneered techniques of analog audio recording as well as radio and television broadcasting practices...
(1950) - Hermon Hosmer ScottHermon Hosmer ScottHermon Hosmer Scott was a pioneer in the Hi-Fi industry and founder of H.H. Scott, Inc., in Somerville, Massachusetts. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mr. Scott later earned his doctorate from Lowell Institute. In the...
(1951) - Frank L. Capps (1952)
- Edward W. KelloggEdward W. KelloggEdward W. Kellogg , born in Washington, a graduate of Phillips Academy, Andover , was the joint inventor of the moving coil loudspeaker in 1925 along with Chester W. Rice at General Electric, and independently by Edward Wente at Bell Labs...
(1953) - J.P. Maxfield (1954)
- Lee De ForestLee De ForestLee De Forest was an American inventor with over 180 patents to his credit. De Forest invented the Audion, a vacuum tube that takes relatively weak electrical signals and amplifies them. De Forest is one of the fathers of the "electronic age", as the Audion helped to usher in the widespread use...
(1955) - Sherman FairchildSherman FairchildSherman Mills Fairchild was an inventor and serial entrepreneur who founded over 70 companies namely Fairchild Aircraft, Fairchild Industries, Fairchild Aviation Corporation and Fairchild Camera and Instrument. Fairchild made significant contributions to the aviation industry and was inducted into...
(1955) - O.B. Hanson (1956)
- Edward C. Wente (1957)
- Samuel B. Snow (1957)
- Harvey FletcherHarvey FletcherHarvey Fletcher was an American physicist. Known as the "father of stereophonic sound" he is credited with the invention of the audiometer and hearing aid...
(1958) - Harold Stephen BlackHarold Stephen BlackHarold Stephen Black was an American electrical engineer, who revolutionized the field of applied electronics by inventing the negative feedback amplifier in 1927. To some, his invention is considered the most important breakthrough of the twentieth century in the field of electronics, since it...
(1959) - Semi Joseph Begun (1960)
- John Kenneth HilliardJohn Kenneth HilliardJohn Kenneth Hilliard was an American acoustical and electrical engineer who pioneered a number of important loudspeaker concepts and designs. He helped develop the practical use of recording sound for film, and won an Academy Award in 1935...
(1961) - Arthur C. Davis (1962)
- Benjamin B. Bauer (1963)
- Vern Oliver KnudsenVern Oliver KnudsenVern Oliver Knudsen was an American acoustical physicist.-Biography:Knudsen received his bachelors degree from Brigham Young University with an AB in 1915...
(1964) - Frederick Vinton HuntFrederick Vinton HuntFrederick Vinton Hunt was an inventor, a scientist and a professor at Harvard University who worked in the field of acoustic engineering.He made significant contributions to room acoustics, regulated...
(1965) - John E. VolkmannJohn E. VolkmannJohn E. Volkmann was a sound engineer.Mr. Volkmann graduated from the University of Illinois in 1940. He worked most of his professional life for RCA in the fields of acoustics, specifically large scale loudspeakers and stereophony. He retired from RCA in 1970...
(1966) - Arnold P.G. Peterson (1968)
- William B. SnowWilliam B. SnowWilliam B. Snow was a sound engineer.He graduated from the Stanford University in 1923 with a B. S. degree in electrical engineering....
(1968) - Marvin CamrasMarvin CamrasMarvin Camras was an electrical engineer and inventor who was widely influential in the field of magnetic recording.Camras built his first recording device, a wire recorder, in the 1930s for a cousin who was an aspiring singer...
(1969) - Rudy BozakRudy BozakRudolph Thomas Bozak was an audio electronics and acoustics designer and engineer in the field of sound reproduction. His parents were Bohemian Czech immigrants; Rudy was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Bozak studied at Milwaukee School of Engineering; in 1981, the school awarded him an honorary...
(1970) - Leo BeranekLeo BeranekLeo Leroy Beranek is an American acoustics expert, former MIT professor and a founder and former president of Bolt, Beranek and Newman ....
(1971)
- Manfred R. SchroederManfred R. SchroederManfred Robert Schröder was a German physicist, most known for his contributions to acoustics and computer graphics. He wrote three books and published over 150 articles in his field....
(1972) - Henry E. RoysHenry E. RoysHenry Edward Roys was a sound engineer.He graduated from the University of Colorado in 1925 with a B. S. degree in electrical engineering....
(1973) - Floyd K. Harvey (1974)
- Georg NeumannGeorg NeumannGeorg Neumann GmbH , founded in 1928 and based in Berlin, Germany, is a prominent manufacturer of professional recording microphones. Their best-known products are condenser microphones for broadcast, live and music production purposes...
(1976) - John G. FrayneJohn G. FrayneJohn G. Frayne was a physicist and sound engineer.-Career:Frayne received his Ph.D...
(1976) - Daniel R. von Recklinghausen (1978)
- Hugh S. KnowlesHugh S. KnowlesHugh S. Knowles was an American acoustical engineer, inventor, and manufacturer in the hearing aids field. He was the holder of more than 50 patents in acoustics and related fields....
(1978) - Arthur C. KellerArthur C. KellerArthur C. Keller was a pioneer of high-fidelity and stereophonic recording techniques.He attended Cooper Union, Yale University and Columbia University. Mr. Keller joined the Western Electric Engineering...
(1981) - Duane H. CooperDuane H. CooperDuane H. Cooper was a physicist, who made early investigations regardingthe intricate geometry of the phonograph stylus-groove interface.He earned a Bachelor of Science and Ph.D...
(1982) - Willi Studer (1982)
- Cyril M. HarrisCyril M. HarrisCyril M. Harris was Professor Emeritus of Architecture and Charles Batchelor Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering at Columbia University. He received his B.S. in mathematics and his M.S. in physics from UCLA, and his Ph.D...
(1984) - Stefan KudelskiStefan KudelskiStefan Kudelski is a Polish audio engineer, famous for creating the Nagra series of professional audio recorders....
(1984) - Claude E. Shannon (1985)
- Thomas StockhamThomas StockhamThomas Greenway Stockham was an American scientist who developed the first practical digital audio recording system, and pioneered techniques for digital audio recording and processing as well....
(1987) - Heitaro Nakajima (1989)
- Eberhard ZwickerEberhard ZwickerKarl Eberhard Zwicker was a German acoustics scientist and full professor at the Technical University Munich....
(1991) - Michael Gerzon (1991)
- Ray M. Dolby (1992)
- Bart N. LocanthiBart N. LocanthiBartholomew Nicholas Locanthi II was an audio engineer and leading expert in the US pro-audio industry in the 1970s and 1980s....
(1996) - Richard H. SmallRichard H. SmallRichard H. Small is an American scientist, who worked mainly on electroacoustics. The Thiele/Small parameters are named after him and Neville Thiele.-Career:...
(1996) - Kees A. Schouhamer ImminkKees A. Schouhamer ImminkKornelis Antonie Schouhamer Immink is a Dutch scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur, who pioneered and advanced the era of digital audio, video, and data recording including popular digital media such as Compact Disc, DVD and Blu-Ray Disc. He has been a prolific and influential engineer, who...
(1999) - Fritz SennheiserFritz SennheiserFritz Sennheiser was a German inventor and entrepreneur who founded and served as chairman of Sennheiser Electronic, a manufacturer of audio equipment.-Early life and education:...
(2002) - Gerhard SteinkeGerhard SteinkeGerhard Steinke is a sound engineer.He studied acoustics in Dresden, Germany. He began his career at Radio Dresden as asound engineer in 1947. In 1953 he joined the Berlin's Radio and Television Research Centre ,...
(2007) - Jens BlauertJens BlauertJens Blauert is a German scientist specializing in psycho-acoustics and an emeritus professor at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum, where he founded the Institute of Communication Acoustics...
(2008) - George MassenburgGeorge MassenburgGeorge Y. Massenburg is a recording engineer and inventor. Working principally in Baltimore, Los Angeles, Nashville, and Macon, Georgia, Massenburg is widely known for his 1972 paper on the parametric equalizer.-Background:...
(2008)
Officers and Key Staff
President: Jim KaiserPresident-Elect: Jan Abildgaard Pedersen
Past President: Diemer de Vries
Treasurer: Garry Margolis
Secretary: Bob Lee
Vice President Eastern Region US & Canada: Robert Breen
Vice President Central Region US & Canada: Frank Wells
Vice President Western Region US & Canada: Sean Olive
Vice President Latin America Region: Joel Brito
Vice President Northern Region Europe: Ville Pulkki
Vice President Central Region Europe: Bozena Kostek
Vice President Southern Region Europe: Antonio Oliveira
Vice President International Region: Kimio Hamasaki
Governors: Jim Anderson, Peter Cook, David Josephson, Véronique Larcher, Bob Moses, David Murphy, Bruce C. Olson, Agnieszka Roginska
Executive Director: Roger K. Furness
Webmaster: Steve Johnson
Editor, Journal of the Audio Engineering Society: John Vanderkooy
Chair, 124th AES Convention (held May 2008, Amsterdam): Peter Swarte
Co-chairs, 125th AES Convention (held October 2008, San Francisco): John Strawn and Valerie Tyler
Chair, 126th AES Convention (held May 2009, Munich): Martin Wöhr
Chair, 127th AES Convention (held October 2009, New York): Agnieszka Roginska
Chair, 128th AES Convention (held May 2010, London): Dr Joshua Reiss
Co-chairs, 129th AES Convention (held November 2010, San Francisco): Valerie Tyler and Jim McTigue
Chair, 130th AES Convention (held May 2011, London): Peter Mapp
British Section
The AES British section, which is the largest outside the US, issues a monthly newsletter and holds regular lectures, usually in London, with occasional visits to studios and other places of interest. Lectures, which are often on topics of topical interest to audio enthusiasts are usually recorded, with past lectures available to all as free MP3 downloads, sometimes with accompanying slides in PDF format.See also
- Acoustical Society of AmericaAcoustical Society of AmericaThe Acoustical Society of America is an international scientific society dedicated to increasing and diffusing the knowledge of acoustics and its practical applications.-History:...
- Institute of AcousticsInstitute of AcousticsThe Institute of Acoustics is a British professional engineering institution founded in 1974. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers. The Institute's address is 77A St Peters Street, St Albans, Herts, AL1 3BN,...
- Academic Programs in AcousticsAcademic Programs in AcousticsThis page offers a partial list of academic institutions that offer significant exposure to the science of acoustics. Because acoustics is a broad, multi-disciplinary field, many institutions offer acoustics courses through various other departments, such as physics, architecture, or a particular...
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics EngineersInstitute of Electrical and Electronics EngineersThe Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is a non-profit professional association headquartered in New York City that is dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence...
- Institute of Radio EngineersInstitute of Radio EngineersThe Institute of Radio Engineers was a professional organization which existed from 1912 until January 1, 1963, when it merged with the American Institute of Electrical Engineers to form the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers .-Founding:Following several attempts to form a...
- Royal Academy of EngineeringRoyal Academy of Engineering-Overview: is the UK’s national academy of engineering. The Academy brings together the most successful and talented engineers from across the engineering sectors for a shared purpose: to advance and promote excellence in engineering....
- Society of Broadcast EngineersSociety of Broadcast EngineersThe Society of Broadcast Engineers or SBE is a professional organization for engineers in broadcast radio and television. The SBE also offers certification in various radio frequency and audio technology areas for its members.- History :...
- Society of Motion Picture and Television EngineersSociety of Motion Picture and Television EngineersThe Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE , founded in 1916 as the Society of Motion Picture Engineers or SMPE, is an international professional association, based in...
- TEC AwardsTEC AwardsThe TEC Awards is an annual program recognizing the achievements of audio professionals. The awards are given to honor technically innovative products as well as companies and individuals who have excelled in sound for television, film, recordings and concerts...
; sponsored annually by Mix Foundation and awarded during the Fall AES convention.