2008 Woodie Awards
Audio students bring Midwest together
Audio Engineering Society holds first annual regional summit on Webster's campus, brings notable guest speakers
By: Angela Ludwinski
Issue date: 3/8/07 Section: LifeStyle
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"Nobody knows if we do a good job," said Gary Gottlieb, an assistant professor of audio production. "Everyone knows if we've done a bad one."
Gottlieb said audio production is not a high-profile job and comes with some humility. However, on March 2 through 4, audio students had their chance to be in the limelight in the first annual Audio Engineering Society Regional Student Summit.
Audio students from across the Midwest mingled with peers. They met well-known names in the field who have worked with bands like The Who, ZZ Top and Bèla and the Flecktones as well as one Grammy nominee at the summit.
Approximately 200 students from eight Midwestern states attended the weekend-long event. Each year, the national Audio Engineering Society holds conventions for audio engineering students around the country. Typically, these conventions take place on either the West or East Coast. It is a problem for Webster students and others in the Midwest to attend because of distance and cost. To solve this, the Webster chapter of AES decided to host their own regional summit.
"We wanted the conference to be more accessible for students," said Elena Pahl, a senior audio production major and treasurer of Webster's AES chapter. "This is the first time that an entire region has held a conference. No one else is doing stuff like this."
The event featured panels concerning internships, aesthetics, sound reinforcement, women in audio and the future of analog, which discussed the classic audio debate between digital and analog sound. Digital sound uses electrical voltages to input sound, while analog sound is input on another physical signal like on a vinyl record.
There also were tutorials on the art of buying and restoring vintage gear and remote recording and mic loading, which demonstrated how to eliminate resistance and static in the microphone.
Craig Roush, the sound man for Bèla Fleck and the Flecktones, gave a live sound demo March 3. He set up audio for the band playing later that night, Gentleman Auction House, composed of several Webster alumni. He walked the students through the process of setting up the audio and adjusting sound levels for a live band.
Gottlieb said audio production is not a high-profile job and comes with some humility. However, on March 2 through 4, audio students had their chance to be in the limelight in the first annual Audio Engineering Society Regional Student Summit.
Audio students from across the Midwest mingled with peers. They met well-known names in the field who have worked with bands like The Who, ZZ Top and Bèla and the Flecktones as well as one Grammy nominee at the summit.
Approximately 200 students from eight Midwestern states attended the weekend-long event. Each year, the national Audio Engineering Society holds conventions for audio engineering students around the country. Typically, these conventions take place on either the West or East Coast. It is a problem for Webster students and others in the Midwest to attend because of distance and cost. To solve this, the Webster chapter of AES decided to host their own regional summit.
"We wanted the conference to be more accessible for students," said Elena Pahl, a senior audio production major and treasurer of Webster's AES chapter. "This is the first time that an entire region has held a conference. No one else is doing stuff like this."
The event featured panels concerning internships, aesthetics, sound reinforcement, women in audio and the future of analog, which discussed the classic audio debate between digital and analog sound. Digital sound uses electrical voltages to input sound, while analog sound is input on another physical signal like on a vinyl record.
There also were tutorials on the art of buying and restoring vintage gear and remote recording and mic loading, which demonstrated how to eliminate resistance and static in the microphone.
Craig Roush, the sound man for Bèla Fleck and the Flecktones, gave a live sound demo March 3. He set up audio for the band playing later that night, Gentleman Auction House, composed of several Webster alumni. He walked the students through the process of setting up the audio and adjusting sound levels for a live band.
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