Discourse from the Editor: Discussing the Coming Age (or Era)

Getting ready for the June edition of Mix always brings a mix of excitement and anticipation, especially when we dive into studio designs and showcase the latest studios popping up. Usual chatter would be about architecture, physics, and that thrill of stepping into a brand new facility. But this month, things are different – my brain's on overdrive, buzzing about learning, especially immersive audio. And after weeks of planning for the third annual Mix Nashville event, that buzz has amped up drastically.

In a couple of days, I'll welcome over 250 attendees, moderate the opening Keynote Conversation, and it hit me – why not switch things up and let fresh faces take the stage? No veterans, no legendary pros – just young up-and-coming engineers eager to share their experiences with immersive music production.

Trent Woodman, Hayden Tumlin, and Maddie Harmon – three promising Nashville engineers ready to make waves – were quickly on board. And so, I re-titled the panel, "Emerging Engineers...And What They Can Teach Us About Immersive Music Production." The shift in focus feels right – it's time to hear from the next generation.

But, as a journalist with limited studio experience, I felt lost. I needed a veteran voice, a seasoned pro that could provide valuable insights and help tighten up the panel. Enter George Massenburg. Award-winning producer, engineer, inventor, and educator – the perfect fit!

The reasons for this shift in focus are plenty. Immersive audio isn't just a matter of improving stereo or quad, it's a whole new world with pitch, roll, yaw, and objects and beds instead of traditional channels. There's no long-established history or generational wisdom to draw upon – we're all in this together. And digital natives aged 35 and under can offer unique insights due to their familiarity with modern technology and hands-on experiences in various media like gaming, virtual reality, and digital audio.

The shift from stereo to immersive audio had its challenges too, but a new generation of rock 'n' roll engineers created a revolution, forever changing recorded music. Perhaps the next wave of innovation is waiting for us in a pair of headphones, guided by young engineers eager to experiment and push boundaries. It's time to listen, learn, and be open to change.

-Tom Kenny, Co-Editor

Enrichment Data:The pro audio community's understanding of immersive audio is constantly evolving thanks to academic programs, hands-on workshops, and industry events. Many educational institutions are updating facilities with state-of-the-art immersive audio suites and integrating them into curricula. This enables students and professionals to explore advanced technologies like Dolby Atmos and ambisonic audio[1][4][5]. Collaborations between educators, industry professionals, and technology providers also foster knowledge sharing, peer-to-peer learning, and innovative spatial audio practices[1][5].

Meanwhile, young engineers are empowering the community by championing digital tools and techniques, often trying out the latest software and hardware for spatial audio and interactive sound design [2][5]. They're shaping the future of immersive audio by breaking the old rules, pushing boundaries, and showing that immersive audio can be accessible with affordable tools [2][5]. Additionally, they emphasize accessibility and versatility in immersive audio solutions, illustrating how these technologies can enrich experiences beyond traditional media, like gaming, virtual reality, music education, and live events [2][5].

Tom Kenny's brain is buzzing about learning immersive audio and its potential applications in music production, lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, travel, cars, education-and-self-development, personal-growth, mindfulness, productivity, career-development, job-search, and goal-setting.
Trent Woodman, Hayden Tumlin, and Maddie Harmon, three emerging engineers from Nashville, are eager to share their experiences and insights about immersive music production.
George Massenburg, an award-winning producer, engineer, inventor, and lecturer, has agreed to offer valuable insights and help shape a panel discussion focusing on the next generation of engineers and their approach to immersive audio.
Immersive audio doesn't merely aim to improve stereo or quad sound; it's a new world involving pitch, roll, yaw, objects, and beds instead of traditional channels.
Since there's no long-established history or generational wisdom to draw upon in immersive audio, digital natives aged 35 and under can offer unique insights due to their familiarity with modern technology and hands-on experiences in various media like gaming, virtual reality, and digital audio.
The shift from stereo to immersive audio had its challenges but it created a revolution, forever changing recorded music, much like the next wave of innovation might come from a pair of headphones.
The pro audio community's understanding of immersive audio is constantly evolving thanks to academic programs, workshops, and industry events, with many educational institutions updating facilities with state-of-the-art immersive audio suites.
Collaborations between educators, industry professionals, and technology providers foster knowledge sharing, peer-to-peer learning, and innovative spatial audio practices, contributing to the advancement of immersive audio technology.
Young engineers are empowering the community by championing digital tools and techniques, experimenting with the latest software and hardware for spatial audio and interactive sound design.
Immersive audio solutions prioritize accessibility and versatility, demonstrating their potential to enrich experiences beyond traditional media, like gaming, virtual reality, music education, and live events.