It would be inconceivable to organize an AES Convention nowadays without
comprehensive multichannel and 3D reproduction facilities and the 140th
International AES Convention in Paris on 4 to 7 June will be no exception.

For the 140th AES Convention, being held at the Palais des Congres in Paris, a large
listening room equipped for multi-format audio reproduction will be installed,
enabling first-class conditions for AES Workshops and Tutorials. Immersive Audio
Track presentations will highlight the present-day state of the art and research into
surround sound and 3D recording and reproduction practices, as well as an exciting
program of special events devoted to audio projections. Examples of many of the
now-established surround and 3D audio formats will be presented, featuring formats
such as Auro 13.1, Auro 11.1, Auro 9.1, as well as surround sound in 7.1 Blu-ray,
5.1 multichannel, and maybe even stereo. AES is grateful to Auro 3D, who is
providing the complete installation of this multichannel and 3D part of the Technical
Program.

AES is also pleased to announce the participation of a number of the major
recording companies in this field. This includes Morten Lindberg from 2L in Norway,
Hugo Romano Guimaraes from N Music Production in Barcelona, Wilfried van Baelen
from Auro 3D in Belgium, and Herve Dejardin from Radio France in Paris.
Convention Co-chair Michael Williams will also be presenting some of his recordings
and research work into various microphone array formats, including a proposition
for a new 3D sound reproduction format called “Comfort 3D.’ To ensure the
optimum listening experience, seating capacity will be limited; with a strong
demand for the cent seats, early arrival is suggested.

The 140th AES Convention in Paris also provides an excellent opportunity to
highlight the BiLi project. At the forefront of Binaural Listening technology, BiLi is a
collaborative research project in France that has inspired interest throughout the
world, in light of the increasing prevalence of headphone listening. At the heart of
the development of this technology in France is an AES Monograph author, Rozenn
Nicol from Orange Labs (formerly called France Telecom). Rozenn will be leading a
Workshop on binaural listening, in a room equipped with over one hundred pairs of
headphones to provide a binaural listening experience for everyone present.

3D cinema sound, surround sound broadcasting and binaural listening — under the
collective banner of Immersive Sound — will be a major track at the 140th AES
Convention; this will be an important contribution to the understanding of this fast
expanding field of audio technology.

For more information on the 140th International AES Convention in Paris, France,
visit aes.org/events/140/. Find
out more about the Audio Engineering Society at aes.org.