Audio Engineering Society (AES) 141 AES Convention
Los Angeles, CA      September 29th through October 2, 2008
Report By Ray Chowkwanyun And Bob Duchan

AES 141 Conclusion

   What the Hell Happened? as a bemused Bob Margouleff was heard to say at AES 129. Digital, Bob. Digital happened. When the mixing engineer is replaced by a robot we will have arrived at the completely digital product.

LA is still the center of the recording universe. A diminished center perhaps, compared to its heyday and the trajectory is downwards, but still the center. We have the soundstages. Once visited Warners (the movie studio as opposed to the music company). They had a movie dubbing studio with ten, count 'em, ten Voice of the Theatres in a row. Now that's impressive. I felt like I was about to be invaded.

Here's the thing: the sound budget on a movie is a rounding error, but a rounding error on a really big number. So the sound studios at a movie company are lavish beyond the wildest dreams of the biggest record company. They had recording machines out the wazoo. They were using one as a doorstop fer Chrissakes.

Second, we have the stone cold pros on both sides of the mic. Went to see the filming of Shelby Lynne's The Magnificent Room as an extra. (Usually extras get paid, but we had to pay them. It was so wrong.) Top live sound guy running the board. Forget his name, but the producer told us he was a top live sound guy. And Don Was on bass. Sure you could put together this same group elsewhere, but it's just so much easier in this town when everyone's here already. I mean the backup singers were stone cold pros, man. They could just belt out a tune on cue. Of course, it's tougher now with Spotify but the ranks have been replenished by an influx of refugees from the Bay Area's insane rents.

They played Morning Sun and Strange Things. You can hear it on Shelby Lynne's website with her signature hauntingly plaintive quality. It's a mystery why she isn't a country superstar. Displays all the things country purports to prize. Deeply personal stories sung with conviction. Sung with that signature plaintive Shelby Lynne sound. 

She came out for a meet and greet. Very beautiful lady up close and in person. In her photos and from the back of McCabe's, she's one of those women who come off as kinda pretty, but up close she's stunning. Penetrating blue eyes. Very friendly, but intense. Those penetrating blue eyes. She's got that stone cold laser stare. JJ Cale had it. Clint Eastwood definitely has it.

We thank our Fearless Leader Steven R. Rochlin for giving us this chance to cover AES 141 in Los Angeles for Enjoy the Music.com. He has graciously granted permission for this report to re-appear in our blogtaculous blog Bob and Ray Throw a Stereo Blogtacular.

As always, file your libel suits directly with our Big Law legal beagles at Dewey, Cheatham and Howe LLC. Saves everyone time and trouble if you go direct and cut out the middleman (that would be us).

© Raymond Chowkwanyun 2016. All Rights Reserved

P.S. Hope I die before I grow old

Lose the granny glasses, already!

6:30pm 'cause Pete's gotta be in bed by ten

---> Back to main AES 141 show report homepage.