[Solved] Project Studio Expo and the AES Convention

I contacted the Editor of Sound on Sound magazine and he sent me the full agenda for the sessions. I think the sessions are relevant to working recording music with a couple of the sessions given by Craig A.

If you're in the LA area it's a great way to get some helpful info and it,s free!


Audio Engineering Society and Sound On Sound present

Project Studio Expo LOS ANGELES 2014



Friday 10th and Saturday 11th October 2014



Two days of non-stop seminars and information exchange



Free admission with pre-registration



Friday 10th Oct


11.00 (to 11.45) Paul White & Hugh Robjohns

‘Vocal recording in the project studio’

Sound On Sound Editor-In-Chief Paul White and Technical Editor Hugh Robjohns look at the essentials of recording a clean vocal in a project studio environment. Including:

• using improvised screens

• the importance of matching the mic to the singer

• mic choice and placement

• pop shield choice and placement

• the merits of level automation before compression

• vocal treatments, including fake double tracking

• tightening the timing of backing vocals and aligning stacked breaths


12.00 (to 12.45) Craig Anderton (1)

‘Songwriting on the fast track - with computers’

Can you really do songwriting with a computer? This seminar covers workflows that streamline computer-based music creation to minimize inspiration-killing roadblocks.


13.00 (to 13.45) Paul White

‘Preparing your multitracks for mixing’

Sound On Sound Editor-In-Chief Paul White’s seminar includes topics such as:

• Making sure what you have is suitably recorded and adequately clean. And suitably arranged both musically and sonically.

• Cleaning up unwanted sections.

• Fixing such imperfections as can be fixed without re-recording.

• Fixing obvious timing issues (especially stacked backing vocals).

• Low-cut filtering where needed.

• Setting up fader groups and or busses, and the ramifications of each approach.

• Using colours and icons as navigational aids.

• Paying attention to polarity and the alignment of the first waveform peak when layering bass sounds (Mike Senior will cover this in more detail).

• The use of automation to take care of obvious level issues before putting your head into ‘mixing mode’ and applying compression.


14.00 (to 14.45) Mike Senior (1)

‘The five most common project studio recording mistakes’

"Tearing your hair out at mixdown? Then you've probably fallen into

one of the classic project-studio traps during tracking. Learn what

they are -- and, more importantly, how to avoid them -- in this

down-to-earth workshop with Sound On Sound magazine's "Session Notes"

and "Mix Rescue" columnist Mike Senior. The seminar will be

specifically tailored to those working on a budget, and will feature

insider tips on equipment choice, mic technique, and session

psychology, with plenty of supporting audio examples so you can judge

the results with your own ears."


15.00 (to 16.00) Stephen Webber and Alex Case

‘Listen up, and learn!’

Bring your ears, your artistry, and your opinions for an hour dedicated to the art of listening. Guided by your hosts, Stephen Webber and Alex U. Case, you'll focus on an iconic record that is a proven success — artistically and commercially — and glean useful aural insights, We'll listen as producers, engineers, composers, performers and music fans, analyzing the elements that contribute to the work's success. You'll gain a deeper appreciation of this recording. More importantly, you'll be inspired to approach your own work in new ways. Most importantly, you'll get an up-close view into how experienced audio engineers break down what they hear, empowering you to keep learning whenever you listen.


16.15 (to 17.00) Larry Crane

"Where to focus your studio gear purchasing with a limited budget"

Musicians and home recordists on lower budgets are always on the prowl for recording equipment deals and looking to upgrade what they currently have. Tape Op magazine founder and editor, Larry Crane, was once a musician recording at home and for 18 years has owned a commercial studio, Jackpot! Recording in Portland, Oregon. In this presentation he will cover what recording equipment is truly important, how to never regret your purchases, and where to focus your spending.


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Saturday 11th Oct


10.45 (to 12.15) John Storyk

‘Creating a project studio’

(Part 1) How to create the best sounding, most ergonomically functional

and aesthetically pleasing project studio possible on a given a budget (with questions from the audience). (Part 2) Addressing the needs and goals for their studios of a panel of low, medium and high-budget project studio owners, exploring location, construction, acoustic, technology, neighbors, clients, and other issues they've encountered and overcome.


12.30 (to 13.15) Mike Senior (2)

‘Mixing secrets: Production tricks to use with any DAW’

"Affordable DAW software now provides all the processing tools you

need to create commercially competitive music mixes within a home,

college, or project studio. As such, the overriding concern for

budget-conscious engineers these days should be to develop effective habits with regard to studio monitoring, mix balancing, and quality

control. Important techniques in each of these three areas are often

neglected in small-scale productions, leading to mixes that don't

stack up against professional releases, or that collapse on some

mass-market listening systems. In this seminar Sound On Sound

magazine's "Mix Rescue" columnist Mike Senior will draw on his

experience of thousands of project-studio mixes to highlight the most

frequently overlooked studio tricks. In the process he'll demonstrate

how these methods can powerfully upgrade your sonics without breaking

the bank, no matter which DAW you're using."


13.30 (to 14.15) Craig Anderton (2)

‘How to make amp sims sound totally fabulous’

This seminar reveals several innovative techniques that give amp sims a warm, organic tone to bring out the best in guitars and basses instead of obscuring their character.


14.30 (to 15.45) Fab Dupont and Special Guest Mick Guzauski

‘The special sauce for mixing a hit record’

Producer Fab Dupont (Mark Ronson, Jennifer Lopez) talks with esteemed mix engineer, Mick Guzauski (Daft Punk, Pharrell) as they walk through one of today’s hottest tracks. Hear how the pros approach crafting a hit with the same tools available to you and what that ‘special sauce’ is too.


16.00 (to 16.45) Hugh Robjohns

‘The importance of a reference monitoring level’

If you're serious about recording and mixing you need to set a

consistent reference level to which you can always return. SOS

Technical Editor Hugh Robjohns explains the concept of a reference

operating level in the DAW, and how that relates to the common

metering formats, before showing how to extend that reference level

into the acoustic domain with a simple seven-step process resulting

in an appropriate calibrated loudspeaker monitoring level.


17.00 (to 17.45) Stephen Webbber and Alex Case

‘Listen up, and learn!’ Track 2

Bring your ears, your artistry, and your opinions for an hour dedicated to the art of listening. Guided by your hosts, Stephen Webber and Alex U. Case, you'll focus on another iconic record that is a proven success — artistically and commercially — and glean useful aural insights, We'll listen as producers, engineers, composers, performers and music fans, analyzing the elements that contribute to the work's success. You'll gain a deeper appreciation of this recording. More importantly, you'll be inspired to approach your own work in new ways. Most importantly, you'll get an up-close view into how experienced audio engineers break down what they hear, empowering you to keep learning whenever you listen.


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Register in advance for free admission <link>