NEW YORK—The Audio Engineering Society (AES) has signed a new shared resource arrangement with the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), that AES said marks an important step forward in strengthening the organization’s leadership, operational capacity and long-term growth and stability.

The new relationship between AES and IES will begin on December 16, 2025.

As part of this collaboration, Colleen Harper will serve as executive director, serving AES in a shared role with IES. Harper previously served as AES executive director from 2019-2022, and her proven leadership helped guide the Society through significant growth and development. Graham Kirk will also again work with AES in a shared role as director of business operations, reinforcing a successful track record of industry partnerships and revenue growth.

“This partnership represents IES’s commitment to supporting technical and professional societies,” said IES president Wilson Dau. “By sharing our resources and expertise, we can help AES continue its important mission while leveraging the operational efficiencies that benefit both organizations.” In this new relationship, some current IES staff will support both IES and AES initiatives, and IES will hire three additional staff members to accommodate the increased workload.

“We are very excited about this next chapter,” said Audio Engineering Society president Gary Gottlieb. “The last time we had the winning combination of Colleen, Graham and Clyne Media, AES saw measurable gains in membership and event attendance. We believe this shared arrangement brings us back to that successful formula, while also giving AES access to the depth and flexibility of a larger team.”

AES leadership emphasized that this transition provides all the benefits of working with an association management company (AMC), including the ability to pivot staff resources to where they are most needed in an open collaboration between like-minded organizations.

“This arrangement empowers AES to focus squarely on serving its members and advancing audio innovation,” stated Harper. “By partnering with IES, we’re able to add new resources, and tap into the strength of a team that already has critical experience working with a highly technical society. It allows AES’s membership and volunteer leadership to focus on what AES does best: connecting our global audio community, supporting education and research, and creating world-class events. Most importantly, it ensures that members remain at the heart of every decision we make and every initiative we pursue.”

Kirk added that “I’m thrilled to work with AES again in this new partnership with IES. I have seen firsthand its passion and creativity of this community. I know how important it is to have the right team and resources in place to support our members and partners. This arrangement gives us the flexibility to expand opportunities, strengthen industry relationships, and deliver even more value to our members, whether through conferences or conventions, events or ongoing global engagement throughout the year.”

The Audio Engineering Society remains committed to its mission of promoting the science and practice of audio by bringing together engineers, researchers, manufacturers and practitioners worldwide. The partnership with IES ensures AES is strategically positioned to expand its influence, enhance member services, and continue hosting world-class events.

The media technology industry is striving to create a more diverse, equitable, and long-lasting workforce of passionate engineers and technologists. Three organizations are leading the way in this charge, expanding diversity initiatives, and creating a more inclusive industry. These organizations include  SMPTE, AES, and VDT. Each of these influential entities have expanded diversity in their leadership, and  things are only looking up from here. 

SMPTE 

SMPTE is the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. The organization has existed for over a  century and is responsible for many of the industry’s most innovative standards from film sprocket size  and placement to the famous Color Bars and more recently ST 2110. In 2023, the organization welcomed  its first African American president, Renard T. Jenkins. Jenkins began his career in college, working as a  PA and eventually a location sound engineer on national film and television productions as well as being  an on-air radio personality. He soon moved into live sports, working freelance for ESPN and ABC covering  golf, tennis, and college sports. 

Jenkins was recruited for a job at CNN/Turner Broadcasting, rising the ranks fast and gaining valuable  knowledge along the way. “The thinking at that time that was instilled in all of us was, if this is  something cutting edge, throw all your efforts and resources into it to see if it will fly. If it does, great. If it  doesn’t, take what you’ve learned and apply it to the next project. Dream big,” said Jenkins. “I always  look at that as the turning point in the way that I thought about my career because it helped me to  understand that, really and truly, the only limitations that you have, even in a giant corporation, are the  ones that you put on yourself.” 

After more than a decade and a half at Turner Broadcasting, Jenkins moved to PBS. His most current role  was SVP of Production Integration & Creative Technology Services for Warner Bros. Since leaving that  role, Jenkins has focused on completing AI coursework at UC Berkley and MIT as well as his AR/VR  content company. He has also dived headfirst into his presidential duties at SMPTE. Jenkins hopes to  continue fostering innovation at SMPTE, expanding student chapters, especially amongst HBCUs, and  supporting international sections in their film technology endeavors. 

AES 

AES is the Audio Engineering Society, and Leslie Gaston-Bird, author of Women in Audio (Focal Press) and  Math Fundamentals for Audio (A-R Editions), is their first African American president. Gaston-Bird began  her career by studying audio technology and telecommunications at Indiana University Bloomington where she got a work-study with public radio affiliate WFIU-FM. Soon thereafter, she was hired at NPR  headquarters in Washington, D.C. "I got the job just three months after graduating from IU,” said Gaston Bird. “Looking back, when I think about the first time I saw the blue AES Journal, and if I imagine  someone telling me I would be AES President one day, I would say, ‘Yeah, I can see that!’”

Gaston-Bird’s career flourished after leaving NPR headquarters. She’s held positions at Colorado Public  Radio, Post Modern Company, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and the University of Colorado Denver.  Her current position is at City, University of London and she is a director of Immersive and Inclusive  Audio. Though her jobs keep her busy, her presidency at AES has become a major priority. 

“Our members have such great ideas and share my passion for audio. My job as president is to help bring  those ideas to fruition and hopefully grow and strengthen our society, increasing the value of  membership while expanding our umbrella worldwide,” said Gaston-Bird when asked about her goals for  the future of AES. “There are so many people who can benefit from what AES has to offer, and we need  to let them know to join, get involved, and bring their great ideas to the table.” 

VDT 

The VDT is the German Association for Audio Professionals, and Ulrike Schwarz is their first female  president in the 73-year history of the organization. Along with partner, Jim Anderson, she has over 30  Grammy nominated recordings and a slew of international awards involving her audio engineering work.  She also has perfect pitch. 

“At a very young age I was drawn to music. I could read and write music before I could read and write.  The transition into playing an instrument and studying music and the field of audio engineering and  producing was natural for me,” said Schwarz. “I had great mentors and having had the chance to work  with world class musicians very early on prompted me to match their vision and results in my field of  audio engineering. I love my job and am thankful that I get to spend most of my days listening to great  music and learning from the masters in our fields.” 

Schwarz worked with German Public Radio for more than ten years, serving as the audio engineer on some of their biggest broadcasts. Along with being president of VDT, she also recently received a grant  from the Women’s Fund of the New York Foundation of the Arts for her work on Jane Ira Bloom’s  Grammy nominated album (2023) Picturing The Invisible – Focus 1. “I plan to keep working on bigger and  better projects, helping and growing the VDT and strengthening the connections between the SMPTE,  AES and VDT.” 

Conclusion 

SMPTE, AES, and VDT play major roles in the media technology industry, especially when it comes to the  world of audio. The diverse leadership of these organizations reflects a positive change in the industry,  and that trend is sure to continue as diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are cemented in the  cultures of these companies. The future looks bright, especially with these great leaders at the helm. As  Jenkins surmises, “The three of us have committed to working together to change the world around us  for the better. There will be more collaboration between our organizations that we feel will create more  opportunities for our members and the industry starting very soon.”

Petaluma, Calif.— Point Source Audio (PSA), manufacturer of specialty sub-miniature body-worn style microphones, has launched Mic Finder, an interactive web-based tool designed to help sound teams—from TV to theatre—pinpoint specific mic elements and mic styles to suit applications from corporate presenters to rock n’ roll musicals to violin mic’ing.

Expanding beyond traditional lavalier and headset style microphones, recent advances in the company’s approach to body-worn mics include the patent-pending Confidence™Collection microphones highlighting built-in redundancy, and the EMBRACE™Collection of concealable microphones that are twice patented. The company emphasizes that these additions present a world of fresh possibilities when sound teams are challenged with unique requisites—from facial hair to drop hoop earrings—when fitting mics on actors or speakers.

The Mic Finder web tool is accessible online via desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. The tool presents a series of questions to narrow microphone choice and shares successful experiences from real-world examples that best match the users’ needs.

“What we’ve learned in working closely with our customers is that no two mic’ing situations are the same; the smallest variable can make one mic selection perfect in one situation, and a disaster in another,” said Yvonne Ho, sales and marketing VP for Point Source Audio.

Users looking for the right microphone simply select the relevant application with various considerations from Mic Finder’s menu settings. Product recommendations are then presented along with customer use cases including:

• Mics that hide
• Mics that survive heavy water/sweat
• Mics for fast-moving musical theatre
• Mics for preaching
• Mics that fight feedback
• Mics that shape and bend
• Mics that accept custom color
• Mics for bearded performers
• Mics that backup themselves

Besides finding the right microphone performance features, sound teams must also battle variables such as costuming, concealment, venue size, loudspeaker placement, vocal projection, and more. Ho explained with examples: “We get questions routinely on how to head mic an actor with no hair, or one who sweats heavily, or sometimes both at the same time.”

The novice sound person can learn about mic choice with consideration for speaking or singing, whereas those new to Point Source Audio mics can discover unconventional mic’ing possibilities including how EMBRACE microphones can be used for violinists or boom headsets for flutists doubling on several instruments in one performance.

The company expects to continue expanding the tool with new products and technology solutions alongside noteworthy applications in real-world environments. To access Mic Finder, visit www.point-sourceaudio.com/mic-finder

About Point Source Audio

Point Source Audio (@PSA_audio) manufactures and distributes worldwide their SERIES8, EMBRACE, and CONFIDENCE collection of miniature microphones—a unique line of headset, earworn and earmounted microphones known for their robust bendable boom and waterproof features. The company also holds two patents for the EMBRACE concealable microphone as well as the patent for the world’s first modular in-ear comms headset that is supporting the hearing health for audio, lighting and camera techs using headsets everywhere from sports to space. Founded in 2004, Point Source Audio is headquartered in Petaluma, Calif. For more information call (415) 226-1122 or visit www.point-sourceaudio.com. Follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PSA_audio.

Manteo, N.C.— Through wind and rain, stage fights, environmental acoustics and more, Point Source Audio mics have weathered all the challenges in The Lost Colony, the outdoor theatre production located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The audio team, confident in their PSA investment since 2013, recently added the new patent-pending CO2 Confidence Collectiondual-element headset mic to their collection of 24 active on set mics.

“We were excited to see a product that made the application of the dual elements simpler by combining those wire runs and keeping things as tidy as possible. That mic has been a great benefit to the production,” says Sound Designer/composer Michael Rasbury. “The [lead] character is most likely to have a mic issue due to the activity required by this role; stage combat; perspiration.”

Since 1937, The Lost Colony has been telling the story of the first English colonies in North America and their mysterious disappearance. Over the past few years, the audio systems have been overhauled, upgraded and redesigned, including the ever-important microphones.

Robust equipment to withstand elements including water—in the form of rain and perspiration— as well as wind and heat is invaluable for theatre, but especially for outdoor theatre. The associate producer Lance Culpepper explains: “To provide our audience the experience that they’re expecting, we really have to put a lot of our resources into ensuring that the audio equipment can sustain itself through all of these dynamic changes. That’s one of the reasons why microphones are so important to us. Prior to the Point Source mics, we saw a much shorter lifespan with the previous microphones and we had to send them out for servicing more frequently. We don’t see those problems with the Point Source mics.”

“I am beyond pleased with the addition of Point Source microphones to our production,” states A1 Joseph Reynolds. “The waterproof elements are paramount to an outdoor period drama, where the perspiration of the talent could compromise mic functionality. I especially enjoy the dual behind the ear headsets. It helps to have consistent placement and keeps the mic off the talent’s face.”

Placement is an important consideration as noted by Rasbury. “From a design perspective, the low profile of these microphones is key for getting the mic near the voice without detracting from the 16th-century costume design. Our show is also very physical in nature. We have a large company and large-scale fight choreography. Given the way these mics attach to both ears, they stay on the actor and in the correct place throughout the show.”

The other feature of the PSA mics that the team wants to highlight is that “the frequency response of these elements is excellent (20Hz to 20kHz),” says Rasbury. “Our show also includes gunshots, explosions, and loud actor responses; these do not distort at high SPL.” Reynolds adds, “The frequency response is tailored nicely to the full range of human speech and I don’t have to slice up every channel with a parametric scalpel.”

The CO2 Confidence Collection has two waterproof and frequency-matched elements, each measuring a tiny 3mm. Both elements offer built-in redundancy and integrate PSA’s first-to-market features including IP 57 waterproof rating and the “unbreakable” headset boom. Point Source Audio mics are engineered for durability and to endure challenging mic applications.

Culpepper appreciates the support from Point Source Audio. “They’ve been great to work with,” he says. “The communication has been excellent as well as customer service-wise. Knowing that we’re not just another account number with them means a lot to our organization.”

The audio team at The Lost Colony includes sound designer Michael Rasbury, A1 Joe Reynolds, and A2 Josiah Rodgers. Microphones supplied by Wake Forest, NC-based Provision Audio Video Solutions.

For more information about Point Source Audio and its products, visit www.point-sourceaudio.com.

AboutThe Lost Colony

First staged in 1937, The Lost Colony is the nation’s premier and longest-running outdoor symphonic drama. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Green and produced by the Roanoke Island Historical Association, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, The Lost Colony’s 2019 season runs May 31-Aug. 23, 2019 at Roanoke Island’s Waterside Theatre, located within the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site on the Outer Banks. For information, go to www.thelostcolony.org

About Point Source Audio

Point Source Audio (@PSA_audio) manufactures and distributes worldwide their SERIES8, EMBRACE, and CONFIDENCE collection of miniature microphones—a unique line of headset, earworn and earmounted microphones known for their robust bendable boom and waterproof features. The company also holds two patents for the EMBRACE concealable microphone as well as the patent for the world’s first modular in-ear comms headset that is supporting the hearing health for audio, lighting and camera techs using headsets everywhere from sports to space. Founded in 2004, Point Source Audio is headquartered in Petaluma, California. For more information call (415) 226-1122 or visit www.point-sourceaudio.com. Follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PSA_audio.

Petaluma, Calif. — Point Source Audio (PSA) announced that it has appointed China’s EAD and South Korea’s Capstone Pro to be distribution partners for its SERIES8 and EMBRACE™ microphones as well as its CM-i series of patented in-ear headsets. The appointments come on the back of an expansion effort in response to increased sales and product awareness outside of the USA for Point Source Audio. These partnerships further expand the company’s worldwide reach, which now includes international partners in the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan Italy, Norway, Finland and France, among others.

“We’re excited to be working with both Capstone Pro and EAD,” said James Lamb, President of Point Source Audio. “The creative community in these regions is massive and our products fit their needs. Our goal is to continuously improve our customers’ experience around the world in every aspect and we are confident that our new partners will help achieve that.”

Integral to achieving this growth trajectory in the Asia Pacific region is also the appointment of AS Audio APAC Pte. Ltd. as the manufacturer’s representative in the territory. Based in Singapore, the company, led by Alex Schloesser, will support the Asia Pacific business and develop its distribution network. AS Audio will also handle all technical and sales support for Point Source Audio throughout the APAC region.

Schloesser comments, “Developing and growing the PSA business is a rewarding and enjoyable task. Wherever we take the products, they shine and stand their ground with the competition. I very much look forward to be taking PSA into APAC.”

Point Source Audio is a manufacturer of specialty sub-miniature body-worn style microphones and patented lavalier mounting systems specifically designed for theatre applications. The company creates value-added solutions through intelligent designs, driven by market demand — examples include their IP 57 rated waterproof models and unique headsets which retain the position of the microphone capsule regardless of performer activity.

About EAD
Established in 1997, Guangzhou Donghui Digital Technology Development Co, Ltd is a professional audio and video integrator and distribution company. The company is headquartered in Hong Kong with branches in Guangzhou and Beijing. For more information, visit their website at www.ead.cn.

About Capstone Pro
CAPSTONE PRO, led by founders Kevin Kim and Jesse Park, both veterans of the professional audio industry, was established in 2018. The company distributes pro audio brands including Point Source Audio throughout Korea. For more information visit their website at www.capstonepro.co.kr.

About Point Source Audio
Point Source Audio (@PSA_audio) manufactures and distributes worldwide their SERIES8, EMBRACE, and CONFIDENCE collection of miniature microphones—a unique line of headset, earworn and earmounted microphones known for their robust bendable boom and waterproof features. The company also holds two patents for the EMBRACE concealable microphone as well as the patent for the world’s first modular in-ear comms headset that is supporting the hearing health for audio, lighting and camera techs using headsets everywhere from sports to space. Founded in 2004, Point Source Audio is headquartered in Petaluma, Calif. For more information call (415) 226-1122 or visit www.point-sourceaudio.com. Follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PSA_audio.

NEW YORK—The Audio Engineering Society announces its return to Paris for the upcoming AES 140th International Convention, taking place June 4–7, 2016. The AES140 Call for Papers and other deadlines are to be announced in the coming months as the AES prepares for its next European Convention.

The 140th AES Convention will bring together leading audio engineers, producers, educators and more from around the world to present the latest in audio research, developments and technologies. Additionally, the convention’s four days of Tech Program events and three days of Manufacturer Exhibits and Project Studio Expo presentations are set to provide a diverse range of opportunities for attendees to learn from, and network with, the top names in the industry.

In further convention news, it has been announced that the AES142 Convention will take place in Berlin, Germany, Spring 2017.
For further information on the 140th AES Convention in Paris, visit http://www.aes.org/events/140/.