The inaugural AES@NAMM Pro Sound Symposium: Live & Studio is a unique education
and training programme from the Audio Engineering Society targeted at working
professionals in the live sound, recording and performance-audio communities. The
four-day international symposium, which will be held concurrently with the 2018
NAMM Show from January 25-28 in Anaheim, CA, comprises a series of training
academies and related sessions on line-array technologies, live-sound mixing
consoles, wireless systems and studio environments. In addition to tutorials on
system measurement and optimisation, there will be a selection of technical papers in
related fields. These must-attend classes will be held at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel’s
NAMM Education Campus, adjacent to a brand-new pro-audio exhibit space.

“AES@NAMM will offer an exclusive opportunity for audio professionals to attend
interactive classes taught by expert presenters,’ states AES president-elect David
Scheirman, a veteran sound-reinforcement industry professional. “Our instructors and
trainers will offer a comprehensive range of sessions to match the constantly-evolving
informational needs of career veterans and aspiring audio practitioners alike.
AES@NAMM is being held at the right place – with top audio brands on display in the
Convention Center – and at a time when both the TEC Awards and the Parnelli Awards
are being staged together, thereby drawing an entire community of studio-production
and sound-reinforcement specialists to Anaheim.’

The AES@NAMM programme comprises a number of interrelated training sessions
conducted by manufacturers of line array loudspeaker systems, live sound consoles,
studio digital audio workstations and entertainment wireless technologies, in addition
to sound system measurement and optimisation and studio and recording technology.

As with all technical sessions at traditional Audio Engineering Society events,
AES@NAMM is a fee-based symposium with limited seating secured through advance
registration, open to all show attendees with a NAMM Badge. Attendees can purchase
half-day or whole-day admission, with registration opening soon. Academy trainees
will receive a certificate of attendance to confirm their participation in educational
sessions.

Mark Frink, the symposium’s director, programming and content states: “Our program
has been carefully developed to anticipate the learning expectations of working
professionals that want to bring themselves up to speed with what is happening in
these critical technology areas, and learn more about how to use high-tech systems in
their day-to-day activities. Everybody needs a refresher course from time to time;
AES@NAMM will focus on offering no-nonsense tuition on a range of key topics.’

Renowned author and recording engineer Bobby Owsinski heads up the studio and
recording technology session series, while John Murray is coordinating the
measurement and system optimisation sessions.

The line-array loudspeaker system academy will focus on the key operational features
and deployment of contemporary line-source arrays, while the live sound console
academy comprises day-long, hands-on sessions on control-surface orientation, with
an exploration of each console’s features and use. The studios: DAW academy will
focus on using the key components of a recording or production studio to achieve
professional results with on-site live musicians, including digital audio workstations,
microphones and monitor loudspeakers. The entertainment wireless technology
sessions will explore how to set up and use RF systems within a shrinking UHF
spectrum environment. The measurement and system optimisation sessions will
spotlight current techniques for testing and fully optimising system performance.