AES, The Membership You Can't Live Without!

There are many associations and sites for the music industry that professionals can utilize and refer to, however the best one for engineers is without a doubt the Audio EngineeringSociety (AES). This is vital to any audio engineer, studio, live sound, video game/Foley, you name it, and this society, unlike any other, is devoted entirely to audio technology. For the engineer that needs to be in the know, this is the site for you. Founded in the US in 1948, the now international society “unites audio engineers, creative artists, scientists, and students worldwide by promoting advances in audio and disseminating new knowledge and research.” It is in essence another vital tool in building ones professional network.

With 95 student centers along with multiple branches of the society in place, they hold activities in each area, guest speakers, technical tours and demonstrations, and social functions. Utilizing these various levels of education mixed with social interaction, allows it’s members to mix in different settings and environments, a chance to make connections with different areas of the business that one person on their own may not have otherwise come in contact with. This is in addition to the annual conventions, periodic conferences, and regional summits that include scientific presentations, student activities, workshops, and exhibitions.  

The AES website is a huge plethora of information, and if you are a member, it’s usefulness is un-measureable, and very much worth the membership dues. There are research papers previously presented at conventions, tutorials, technical reviews and documents, and much more contained just in the E-Library. AES also uses the monthly publication, Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, to educate and inform the industry on the latest tech papers and reports, feature articles on the newest and best of audio technology. This publication, it’s findings and reviews have been essential to my learning both as a student and a professional in the industry and it’s highly recommended for anyone in the industry because of it’s constant finger on the pulse of both the people of the industry and the technology that makes us all sound better.   

The other extremely important role that this society plays in the music industry is one so vital yet not always widely known. Given the scientific nature of the society, they are charged with the creation and maintenance of the international standards in the areas of digital and analog audio engineering, communications technology, acoustics, media preservation and creative practice. They have and continue to stay current with all established and emerging audio technologies and techniques. As we move into this new century and new ways of doing things on smaller scales to get the same big effects, this society and it’s constant updates of its findings will benefit all in the industry. The ability to really know ahead of time before buying how a product or design will perform, the best way to go about it and the best way to implement it as vital to the producers as it is the engineers.