Back to School at AGI Open House

Mar 2, 2015ADX Technology, Lifestyle

February 28th, 2015 – I had the pleasure to attend AudioGraph International’s Open House on a beautiful, blizzard-less day in sunny Santa Monica. The event transported me back to audio school with free crash courses, the latest books, and of course, boards (an SSL Matrix2 to be precise).

Attendees filled the studios at AGI to learn music editing, brush up on Pro Tools shortcuts, and experience the evolution of source separation technology with yours truly in two classes covering vocal isolation, stem creation, and ADX technology.

Attendees got to choose their own audio adventures, with classes ranging from source separation technology to Pro Tools 11 shortcuts.

Attendees got to choose their own audio adventures, with classes ranging from source separation technology to Pro Tools 11 shortcuts.

I’d had the opportunity to meet the AGI family and their fearless leader Jose ‘Chilitos’ Valenzuela before, at last month’s ADX @ AGI event. One thing is very clear: AGI has a strikingly high-quality network of alumni, with a diverse international landscape. The unique mini-classes were matched by engaging conversation, and I personally relished reconnecting with veteran composer, music editor, and my own former instructor, Steven Saltzman.

9780415817578-1Steven kicked off the event in Studio A with a crash course on Music Editing Techniques, where he imparted some of his expert advice, and gave students a sneak peak of the goldmine of knowledge included in his new book, “Music Editing for Film and Television; the Art and the Process”.

This beautiful book is decked out with details, industry insights, and annotated session screenshots to illustrate even the most minute aspects of the discipline. It has already been picked up required course material for Music Editing classes, and boasts a perfect five-star rating on Amazon.

As a bonus for event attendees, Steven offered a limited-time discount; 20% off his new book with discount code FOC20 at checkout here! Orders over $35 also ship for free in the US and Canada.

Steven wasn’t the only author at the event, where Chilitos showcased his latest book (his 20th!), “The Complete Guide to Connecting Audio, Video and MIDI Equipment”. In true AGI fashion, the publication is available in both English and Spanish, and focuses on a rarely documented, yet crucial aspect of engineering – connection signal flow. I got to flip through the book myself and see the impressively detailed diagrams that show how to properly connect systems ranging from a simple project studio to advanced, synchronized audio/video setup. For an engineer, being prepared for any situation is paramount to all else, and this go-to guide bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience with any kind of audio setup. If you’re looking to get your copy on Amazon you’d better be quick, they’re nearly sold out! But don’t worry, Barnes and Nobles and other popular retailers are about to stock their shelves with this gem.

Chilitos and his book

Chilitos and his latest Hal Leonard publication at the 2015 Winter NAMM Show.

As a side-note, Hal Leonard seems to have very good taste in audio authors (our very own COO Rick Silva boasts a series of Power Tools for Pro Tools and Logic books).

Three lucky attendees walked away with some sweet swag; a free month of ADX TRAX Pro and two TRAX shirts (lovingly modeled by the ADX team below). As they say, the shirt makes the man (or woman), so congratulations to the winners!

The shirt makes the man

As the day came to a close, students left Santa Monica with full minds and hearts, inspired to take the next step towards their audio aspirations. Thank you to Chilitos and AudioGraph International for including us in this wonderful event, and to everyone who came out to learn about our separation technology. For those of you who missed out, we’ll see you at the next AGI Open House!

santamonica_pic_EM