THE AUDIO ENGINEERING SOCIETY is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and its 46th convention was held September 10 through 13 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. Some 14 technical sessions were held, and the New York Section's presentation, "Look What They've Done to My Song, Ma!" was easily the most popular, with more than 750 people attending each of the two presentations. Producers Irving Joel, Al Grundy, and John Woram gave those in attendance a "listen-to and a look at distant past, recent past, and current attempts by the recording industry to capture and create the elusive impact of music." More than 40 selections were played, from a 1904 Victor recording of Sousa's Band, with Herbert Clarke conducting, to current releases by artists such as the Beatles and the Boston Symphony.
Exhibitors took one entire ballroom on the third floor, adjacent to the technical sessions rooms, and most of the fifth floor. One of the most interesting exhibits was the museum of early sound recording equipment, which was gathered by John T. Mullin.
Presented for the first time at the 45th Convention, in Los Angeles, the museum contained examples of various stages in the development of recording equipment over the last 80 years.
At the Awards Banquet, C. G. McProud, Audio's former editor and publisher, was the featured speaker. In addition to publishing the letters from Frank Sherry and C. J. LeBel which led to the formation of the Society, McProud also published papers presented at the early New York meetings. The A.E.S. Journal, of course, began publication in January 1953, and through the years Audio has been pleased to be able to reprint many of these important papers. In 1952, McProud became President of the Society.
Award recipients in this Silver Anniversary year included Erik R. Madsen, who was presented the Silver Medal, formerly known as the Emile Berliner Award; James White, who received the first Publication Award for his paper, "Mechanical Playback Losses and the Design of Wideband Phonograph Pickups," JAES, Vol. 20, No. 4, and Donald W. Powers, who received the Medal Award, which is given annually to a person who has significantly helped advance the Society.
Honorary Memberships were presented to William S. Bachman, Murray G. Crosby, and Cyril W. Harris. A Fellow Award was presented to Edward Tatnall Canby, Associate Editor of this publication, "for his writing over the years reminding us that music is what the audio industry is all about." Also receiving Fellow Awards were Roy F. Allison, Richard S. Burwen, C. Robert Fine, Irving L. Joel, Arnold Schwartz, and Takeo Shiga.
---------- Erik Madsen, C. G. McProud
Expanded Speaker Tests
This month a new name will be found at the end of our speaker system tests, that of Richard C. Heyser. Mr. Heyser is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, in which several of his papers have appeared. He has been actively involved with test procedures for speakers for many years and his name will be familiar, I'm certain, to most speaker designers. An article by Mr. Heyser, explaining our new test methods.
-E.P.
(Source: Audio magazine, Nov. 1973)
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