Preliminary Conference Program

(Information subject to change)

THURSDAY DECEMBER 15

10:00 AM
Surround Case Study: Elton John Reissues
There's nothing quite as joyful as hearing a classic recording successfully redone in surround, and the Elton John catalog is no exception. But remixing an iconic work is fraught with pitfalls, not the least is trying to live up to the original release. In this session, SMA award winner Greg Penny takes us through his journey of finding missing Elton masters and trying to duplicate the sound with the original equipment while incorporating the latest technology for mixing.


10:45 AM
Dolby Presents: New Optical Media
As Blu-ray and HD DVD get set to enter the media landscape, audio professionals are hungry for information on the structure and capabilities of the new formats, and for practical information on producing audio for these new optical media. Experts in the field will guide the audience through the nuances of the formats, including the various audio codecs available from Dolby and DTS for the new discs.
Speakers: Jim Taylor, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Advanced Technology Group at Sonic Solutions; Mark R. Johnson, Vice President of Technology at Technicolor Creative Services (TCS); Charles G. Crawford, President of Television Production Services, Inc. (TPS) [Taylor, Johnson and Crawford are the co-authors of DVD Demystified]; Roger Dressler, Dolby


12:15 PM -- Lunch Event


1:15 PM
All-Star Surround Music Mixers Forum Surround Mixers
Music mixers are challenged everyday by new demands from their artists, producers and the demands of record companies. Fueled by consumer demand, surround audio has been implemented in many new content formats. This session features the top surround mixers, who share their techniques, challenges, and their use of innovative equipment and software to continue pushing the envelope of art and commerce
Moderator: George Massenburg. Speakers: Fred Maher, Nathaniel Kunkel, Ronald Prent, Gary Lux, Elliot Scheiner


2:15 PM
Surround Keynote: Tomlinson Holman
The father of 5.1 and SMA Trailblazer recipient, innovator, and educator Tomlinson Holman, will share his experience and insight on the current state and the future of multichannel audio through his popular History and Future of Surround Sound overview, updated specifically for the Surround 2005 Conference.


3:00 PM -- Break


3:30 PM
Surround For Film: New Approaches
Hollywood originally developed surround for the big screen where the only choice for audio recording and mixing was on a film soundstage. With the new surround for popular music revolution and digital audio technology advancements, many new techniques for film have emerged. Hear film sound professionals discuss their formulas for success from recording orchestras to the dubbing stage and the impact of evolving technologies on workflow and methods.
Moderator: Michael Frondelli. Speakers: Chris Fogel, Scott Hecker, Frank Serafine, Frankie Montano


4:30 PM
Perspectives In Surround Mixing
The aesthetics of mixing in surround have as many permutations as there are mixers. Mixers and producers must make choices, like whether to put the listener in the middle of the band or in the best seat in the house, or whether instruments or only verb and effects should be panned to the rears. Accompanied by musical examples, carrying the same selections from mono to surround in several permutations, Jeff Levison of DTS and Ronald Prent from Galaxy Studios (Belgium) will cover the creative process of placing musical elements in a surround field.


5:30 PM -- End of Surround 2005, Day One

7:00 PM
Surround Music Awards Ceremony The fourth annual SMA awards promises a star-studded night of excitement as we celebrate the year's best surround recordings.

---

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16

10:00 AM
Surround Mastering: The Video and HD Dimension
Multichannel mastering has yet again made another evolutionary step, blurring the boundary into audio post. Mastering music for HD Broadcast and DVD-V in both stereo and 5.1 is substantially different than traditional mastering chores. With a unique perspective gained by their work with genre-spanning productions, leaders from the mastering industry discuss the evolution of multichannel music.
Moderator: Bob Michaels, 5.1 Entertainment. Panelists: Darcy Proper, Galaxy Mastering; Michael Perricone, Threshold Sound & Vision; David Glasser, Airshow Mastering; Steve Hall, Future Disc


11:15 AM
The Lowdown on Upmixing
An enormous amount of catalog material still remains to be repurposed for DVD and future formats, where -- for film, television, and music projects -- a surround audio track is demanded. While mixers prefer to work with original tracks, building a surround mix from scratch, that process isn t always practical or affordable. From proprietary techniques to software solutions, this session examines the effectiveness of various upmix approaches.
Moderator: Bobby Owsinski. Panelists: Bob Heiber, Chace Productions; Ron MacLeod, Cycling 74 and sound designer; Casey Young, Lexicon; Ed Simeone, TC Electronic; John Wheeler, Penteo


12:15 PM -- Lunch Event


1:15 PM
Surround Evolution: The Label View
With music DVD market growing by leaps and bounds in what new products will consumers embrace -- DualDisc, Blu-ray, HD DVD? Hear record label representatives give their take on the current state of the business and how surround sound in various delivery formats fits in to the future of recorded music. Discover advancements in IP, file sharing, and satellite distribution. Is DualDisc the vehicle that will facilitate the aggressive embrace of surround by the music fans? What's the state of the market and wheres it headed?
Moderator: George Massenburg. Panelists: Robin Hurley, Warner Strategic Marketing; Paul Bishow, Universal Music/eLabs; Ted Cohen, EMI



2:15 PM -- Break


2:45 PM
Capturing Live Performance For Surround
As a direct affect of the success of DVD as a music format, there are more live recordings than ever being created with the surround image in mind during the initial recording. Music DVD has been the largest growth area for the music industry. What s necessary to keep picture and sound in sync throughout the production process? Do you mic a concert differently when recording for surround release? This session features industry professionals answering these questions and many more, discussing trends, techniques and tools to deliver state-of-the-art quality from the concert stage to the home theater.
Moderator: Michael Frondelli. Panelists: Guy Charbonneau, Le Mobile; Gary Ladinsky, Design FX; Ed Cherney, Engineer/Producer


3:45 PM
Surround Sound Gaming
With many games now supporting full 5.1-channel surround sound , you can connect your video game console to a home theater surround sound system and give your gaming another dimension. Play Halo 2 through your Xbox, in a 5.1 setup, and you'll hear enemies approaching from behind or from the side -- you won't get that advantage pumping out audio only through your television's stereo speakers. The video game industry has begun to attract some considerable star power from film and music, and artists are finding game soundtracks as a new way to reach their fans. Stop, look, and listen to gaming innovators who are creating audio content for this increasingly sophisticated medium.
Moderator: Keith Arem, PCB Productions. Panelists: Mark Ganus, Infinity Ward; Tom Hays, Technicolor; Fred Jones, Electronic Arts; David Murrant, Sony


5:00 PM -- End of Surround 2005 Conference