We were honored to participate in the very first AES@NAMM in Anaheim, January 2018. The Audio Engineering Society is the world’s leading community of audio engineers. NAMM is the world’s leading community of music industry professionals. This year was bigger than ever with new convention halls dedicated to pro-audio. We hosted 4 hybrid demo/presentations given over two days to attendees, who were mostly educators from around the world. They contributed to session sharing their experiences in the field educating students resonating the need for software tools like the Virtual Studio.     The previous year at the 2017 show, we exhibited on the main showroom floor. It was a successful venture and we came away with a much deeper understanding of the various music markets in play. Virtual Reality was still brand-new at the time and we were one of the only companies displaying a full Room-Scale VR Experience. Attendees crowded around the booth patiently waiting their turn to try the product and ask questions afterwards. Even at this year’s show, there were requests made to schedule a demos ahead of time to avoid the waiting ques!     This year we decided we wanted to host our sessions and demos in an environment that would very targeted towards educators and students who wanted more information than just a limited demo. During all sessions, studio environments and respected signal flow arrangements were introduced. All functions and routing possibilities were demonstrated. Finally, we shared our new modular lesson-plans created by Education Officer, Anthony Schultz, designed to assist educators looking to integrate our training tools into a course at a pace that works for them. Making it’s first appearance at a public event, the iOS edition of Virtual Studio was previewed on mobile and tablets! Stay tuned for more developments and news!      

  We’re proud to announce our first partnership of 2018! The Melrose Center isn’t just part of any ordinary public library. Based in the heart of downtown Orlando, this center is a hub for creative technology and innovation. Melrose offers courses on-site and their schedule is jam-packed with classes ranging from film, VR, music and other forms of media. Their facilities are equipped with essential technologies including Virtual Reality and a world-class recording studio. All of which are accessible to anyone with a library card!   For more information about the studio at Melrose Center: click here   Prior to operating the recording studio, members must undergo a series of classes and assessments. This process takes time as it currently works under scheduling and physical supervision. Still, it is one of the quickest ways to get hands-on in the studio through an educational setting. Restricted by similar limitations that any educational program has, only a certain number of students can be assessed at a time  When we were first approached by the Melrose Center at the OrlandoIX Conference, they expressed interests in our simulations with the possibility of offering more benefits to their members. Finally in 2018, we are entering the first steps in our collaboration.     The event is open to the audio community, with the aim to educate attendees about the offerings available to Melrose members and how they could use tools made by AudioFusion to advance their skills for the assessment process. We look forward to working with the qualified instructors from their Audio Program, whom have developed a compelling set of courses comparable to institutions around the world.   Their unique position in education and music technology makes Melrose Center Audio Department a very desirable partner in our mission to make high-level audio education accessible. We are thrilled to be collaborating with their team.     For details about the studio facilities at Melrose Center: click here Check out the schedule to see all the classes listed for the month.   Register for the event: click here Thursday March 22, 2018 at 6pm Melrose Center, Orlando Public Library, 3rd Floor 101 E Central Blvd, Orlando, FL 32801   *The Audio Engineering Society Orlando Section will be holding a meeting at this event. There will be a meet & greet with a tour of the facility before getting started*        

  The largest gathering of music industry professionals is here. Last year, AudioFusion held a successful exhibit on the main floor. This time around we’re hosting multiple presentations and demos in the AES Studio Academy during the NAMM show on Friday & Saturday.   NAMM has always been an impressive event. This will be our THIRD year back! We’re excited take part in the Audio Engineering Society’s event in-partnership with NAMM. You can catch us by our sessions in the Studio Academy, on the main floor or the many events taking place throughout the weekend.   Sessions will be focused on demonstrations to educators and students about how to gain the most immediate value from using our training solutions. From basic analog mixing through signal routing & patchbays, these sessions will offer extensive insight into studio workflow that could instantly be practiced following the event when using our tools. Presentation Schedule: Friday 12pm – Experiential Studio Learning Using Reflexes in 3D+Virtual Reality 4pm – Virtual Analog Studio – The Essential Training Tool for Audio Education   Saturday 11am – Virtual Analog Studio – The Essential Training Tool for Audio Education 3pm – Experiential Studio Learning Using Reflexes in 3D+Virtual Reality Made by the Student for the Student. The Virtual Studio simulations are an essential set of tools for the classroom and independent growth. Our mission remains steadfast to empower pro-audio education with advanced training tools.  Virtual Analog Studio is empowering the educators and students with the accessibility they need to practice studio workflow.   Learn more about Virtual Analog Studio:  Click Here Visit our Educational Resources: Click Here  

Keeping computer software up to date could present challenges for users and businesses. The whole idea of offering updates is to constantly better the core value and functionality of a software then, deliver it to users as intuitively as possible. Strangely, it tends to feel like I’m forcing my way through more steps to get through the update process. We want users to get the most from using our training simulations. That means we need to deliver new versions of our software to them as soon as possible.. Not only do we want to notify our users of an update but, we made a process refreshes files during run-time. The application never quits. The idea is that it be just like loading a browser page.   In this latest update 0.4.3 we introduce, “Refresh Updates” which notifies users of an existing newer version of VAS before starting a session and allows them to download it to be used during run-time. If the internet connection is slow, users may continue using the app until the process completes.     What this means for Schools or Businesses? This was an interesting problem to solve for businesses where computer labs generally have “Freeze States” on their computers. The computer restores to a backup every time it is started or restarted. That means any downloaded updates would be lost if a computer restores to a freeze state. Worse of all, someone would have to put in the hours to manually setup all the machines. There can be shortcuts but, the manual process typically includes: Unlocking Computer from freeze mode. Downloading Installing Activate Restarting Computer to Verify Lock Computer to new frozen state Most of our partner schools have computers that refresh to a prior state every time they log-in. This creates an obstacle for them to keep up with the most recent versions of Virtual Analog Studio. With the new “Refresh Update”, IT personnel wont have to spend hours updating campus computers. The changes would appear without a new activation process. Even if the computer cleans to a previous backup, there is option to run the latest version of VAS without saving it offline. Many learning centers around the world offer computer labs with cutting edge technology. Updating the software is a common obstacle for each entity. We want to offer the benefits of higher processing with standalone software utilizing the benefits of the web where needed. We’re committed to empowering audio education and are pleased to be conquering this obstacle. Download VAS2d – Click Here!  

With the current technology available for audio production, it is possible for anyone to possess an affordable and portable recording studio within a laptop computer. However, it is important to remember that these personal studios have limitations that prohibit multitudes of aspiring young producers & engineers from learning essential skills or hands-on experience on a whole range of audio gear that is still being used in the industry at the professional level.     The Problem    As a studio owner and audio educator for more than 20 years, I have seen a widening gap in the level of education available to students looking to pursue a solid career in the audio industry. Many audio programs have popped up in the last decade that focus on educating using only laptop technology. They are not offering students the “hands-on” experience of working with large format consoles or patchbays, etc! (analog tape machines)   +Before Digital Audio Workstations were available, there was only hardware that had to be connected to work. You had to learn about the signal path by routing signal through a console and making physical connections to signal processors using patch cables. DAW’s have streamlined studio workflow to the point where you can conveniently drag or click to connect sound sources and signal process. +Without a clear understanding of how signal travels from a source to a destination, students hit roadblocks when it comes to using advanced signal processing on DAW’s. They are completely intimidated when they see a console. Although they have many plug-in options available to them within the DAW, they become confused and unaware of the possible routing options available to them because they do not possess an understanding of basic signal flow. +Even if an audio program has a studio with a console, the time allocated for each student is minimal and not enough to gain a complete understanding of all of the possible combination of routing available on a large console.   I have seen many instances of graduates of audio programs facing an amazing career opportunity but, not qualifying for the position because, they have had no experience working with actual mixing consoles or particular consoles! Many of the good paying jobs in audio tend to work with gear they did not learn on in school.     It is important to remember that you are always a student and need to keep up with new technologies as best as you can. Even if you don’t think that a certain technology is relevant to what you do, you never know when a situation comes up where it will come in handy. You can’t possibly know everything but, being able to tap into a network of contacts who collectively could help you in almost any situation is priceless.   Possible Solutions    There are a wide variety of resources available on the internet that covers almost anything you would want to know about. From basic “how to” information on YouTube to more structured courses like Lynda.com. Learning from others at local events or conferences held by the Audio Engineering Society and other industry organizations will accelerate your level of understanding.   When teaching in the class, I find it difficult to explain "signal path and routing" without actually having a console in the room. Fortunately, there are new tools now available that will address these issues and help bridge the gap for teachers and students. One of those tools is “Virtual Audio Studio” by Audio Fusion, which uses the 'hands-on' approach of working on a console simulation.     As an Audio Educator, using Virtual Analog Studio in the classroom for my Audio Technology courses would have made explaining signal flow and applying signal processors much easier to teach and much easier to understand from the students perspective. More importantly, it allows the students more opportunity to practice hands-on techniques of a real mixing environment conveniently on their computer. As time goes on, it will be interesting to see how these new tools further “bridge the widening gap” between fundamental concepts of mixing from the past into the future.   To download Virtual Analog Studio, go to: https://audiofusion.com/vas2d

Transitioning the use of Virtual Analog Studio software into classrooms can be a challenge. It may seem simple but, we’ve seen common points of confusion for educators when adopting new technologies. We set out to overcome these obstacles and we’re brining on a new Education Officer, Anthony Schultz, to create relatable content for students & educators in our community.    Anthony is a music producer, educator and studio owner for over 20 years. He given courses at the New England Institute of The Arts and Berklee College of Music. He is a dedicated member of the Audio Engineering Society serving as the VP of the Eastern Region of the US/Canada and Chair of Regions & Sections, overseeing all AES Sections Worldwide. During his time, AES sections have grown worldwide.  We jumped on the opportunity to work with Anthony on our educational offerings.   Now available upon request are a set of modular lesson-plans that could be used to create classes, courses & workshops featuring advanced concepts that could could only be accessed in real world class studio setups . Each lesson covers a portion of topics, reading materials, milestone markers and content that could be demonstrated and practiced at home, in the class or lab. There is NO REQUIREMENT to have a studio in order to understand the software.   “I am proud to work with Audio Fusion as a new Education Officer. I hope my contributions of blogs and video tutorials will bring an understanding and greater appreciation for the art and science of audio recording.”   Read about Anthony’s take on the state of audio education today. Click here.

A few months ago, we hosted a successful 'Workshop Week' at the Institute of Audio Research in New York City. Wanting to follow up with a more impacting event, we paired up with Multi-Platinum award winning engineer, IRKO, to offer insight to students working in analog equipped studios around the world. IRKO has worked with industry icons such as Jay-Z, SnoopDogg, Kanye West, David Guetta and more!   The event took occured after the first day of the AES NY show. Taking place in the main event hall at the Institute of Audio Research, admission was open to the public. The event was streamed on IRKO's social media. Questions from the audience members in attendance and those online were answered.  The agenda started with a presentation of Virtual Analog Studio 2D edition. Students had previously been exposed to this advanced training simulation in labs during workshop week weeks before. During this interactive session the student audience was able to demonstrate the knowledge they had learned all in unison. Voices shouting out the names of inputs and output destinations from studio signal flow. The presentation was off to the races!   When we introduced our featured guest, the energy spiked in the room. The students were thrilled with the guest. IRKO shared his story and experience working in the industry over the last 15 years. He gave student attendees a glimpse into work he's done with Pitbull and the process of working in various setups both analog & digital. Today, he is still busy in the studio but, still makes time for students with his 'SpeakEasy Workshops' when visiting audio programs across the globe. IRKO is active on social media allowing his followers to keep up with his activities. Follow IRKO on social media!   The event concluded with a presentation of Virtual Analog Studio in it's VR edition. IRKO took a pass giving the technology a touch of his style. "It's amazing. You could be on a plane and be in the studio." Several students had the opportunity to try out the demo as well. Virtual Analog Studio is available in 2D & 3D. Visit the appropriate product pages here at audiofusion to get started!! Here are some pictures from the event:  

  For the better half of the last year we’ve been collaborating with the Institute of Audio Research to bring Virtual Analog Studio into their classrooms. VAS is the most advanced training simulation that gives students access to recording studio technology.   Starting with several one day presentations in the classroom, in the labs, and their event hall. We even spent a few days taking students into the Virtual Reality edition! Finally, in september, all was set for a fully intensive workshop week using Virtual Analog Studio with multiple classes ranging from Recording Arts, Music Production and even Live Sound! The workshop was a success beyond expectation. Students were engaging in high level studio concepts that many require years of exposure and practice to understand. Here we are in a common computer lab getting the same exposure and covering the same techniques and topics in under a week!   The only setbacks that occurred were instances of the software that could better enhance the information being shared. This is a good problem! We’re investing our efforts to better enhance the pedagogical standards of pro audio education. If a student is patching inserts  wrong for 2 hours… better that be on their time at a computer than in the actual studio time. That’s really what makes VAS so valuable. The ability to offer studios a total comprehension of the world around them. Troubleshooting becomes a challenge that is embraced if you have time to solve it and really think it through.   Student response is overwhelmingly positive. The only troubles mentioned were confusions over topics they’d otherwise face in the real studio. The best comment was from a student who shouted  “I learned more with this tool in 2 days than I did in two semesters.” That’s the measure of success were striving to achieve. Do you know what it means to have 2 more months to maximize one’s investment in education?   Several weeks later, we partnered up again to bring Multi-Platinum Engineer, IRKO, to the event hall to share his experience working in analog-equipped studios around the world. To read more about this event, click here.      

All my life I knew I wanted to be involved in music. Being enrolled in an education program can keep one busy and I didn't always get the time to explore different aspects of pro audio. My first steps towards career-defining independent growth was that day in 2013 when I searched the internet for “audio and music technology conventions” in my area. Fortunately, the Audio Engineering Society was hosting a convention in NYC. Without thinking twice I took off from school to attend this event. Being immersed in the industry revealed many doorways not previously known to me. AES was "pro-audio wonderland."   Like a little boy wandering candy shop, I strolled around the exhibit halls...  attended my first DSP lectures.... attended my first student party at Avatar Studios. The people that surrounded me weren't just passionated about audio, they we're some of the most elite professionals making an impact in the industry.     The biggest takeaways from my first convention was the inspiration to become involved in the scientific advancement of audio technology. There was this realization that the individuals who influenced the industry were human beings! I just needed to be aware of the tools and dedicated time. At one of the lectures I met Will Pirkle, educator and writer from University of Miami,  who told me about his DSP tool & book, that I would soon read after the show. It empowered me to understand core concepts of audio programming and enable my dream of developing applications to start Audio Fusion. That first AES show ignited a fire of curiosity that will last a lifetime.    “A New Beginning”   Immediately after the show, I was searching for ways to sink my hands with coding my own plugins and applications. By the time I graduated university, I had a functioning prototype of Virtual Analog Studio and was already getting the attention of a big console manufacturer.  All I wanted was to continue growing through this new project. The AES Student Design Competition was the goal I set for myself. It was a way for me to solidify my achievement in the early years of my career. At the next AES convention in Los Angeles 2014 the Virtual Analog Studio project made it’s debut and took the SILVER award.   “Never Stop Learning”   It was clear that Virtual Analog Studio solved a serious problem in the education space. The pain point of not having access to studio technology came from a very real place. With the intention of making a deeper and fully immersive recording studio experience, I hired a friend to create a detailed 3D environment of a studio environment, the same model is the main studio we offer in in the 3D edition. The original programmer programmer backed out of the project, so I resumed duties with nearly no experience. It was because of a book I read on DSP that I was able to build a workable first prototype of Virtual Analog Studio in the 3D edition with a new audio engine.     Before ever finishing the 3D project, this new concept of "Virtual Reality" started to emerge. Over several months, I attended local events in New York City to experiment with this new technology. By early 2016, I purchased my own high end VR rig. FINALLY, I was able to literally touch the hard work I’ve done over the last several years. It’s one of the few moments I felt truly rewarded by the universe… I was back in the studio! The world needed to see this.     Exhibiting at AES Los Angeles   For years I dreamt of displaying Virtual Analog Studio on the main floor of AES. Beyond expectations it would be within Virtual Reality as a fully immersive experience by the time of it's debut at AES 2017 in Los Angeles. The project resonated with students, educators and professionals from all over the world. Im proud that so many took interest in the project. Those experiences have since motivated me to continue to deliver a higher caliber software for education. We received several reviews and an award from seasoned-veteran Craig Anderton! Read about it: click here.     The Future   Unfortunately, it was decided that we would not be on the exhibit floor of the AES NY show in 2017. Instead, we were on the floor networking and hosting an event with Multi-Platinum award winning engineer, IRKO (Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, David Guetta) at the Institute of Audio Research. We hope to participate in future shows and connect with enthusiasts on the ground. We encourage everyone to be at events such as these. You might not see us on the show floor but, we are somewhere nearby making an impact.