Professional Sound - December 2019 | Page 10

Pro Audio to Take Centre Stage at The 2020 NAMM Show The 2020 NAMM Show, running from Jan. 16-19 at the Anaheim Convention Center, will feature the return of the Loudspeaker System Showcase in addition to extensive pro audio education programming and more than 3,000 brands exhibiting in the dedicated pro audio areas. Held during the first three days of the show in the convention centre’s arena, the Loudspeaker System Showcase will feature 14 loudspeaker manufacturers demonstrating both their flown and portable systems in a real-world setting to a mix of industry profession- als. There will be two compact system showcases and one portable system showcase per day, and attendees can also engage with the companies in their respect- ed spaces in the showcase to trial portable systems. AES Academy at NAMM (previously called AES@NAMM) program will feature hands-on training opportunities, expert presenters, career development workshops, student events, and networking opportunities. As well, the TEC Tracks program is offering 60-plus free sessions for sound, studio, and stage professionals. These big-picture sessions feature industry icons and thought leaders presenting innovative ideas for those in the recording, live sound, and music businesses. A3E (Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange) is also returning to The NAMM Show to offer a future-focused program that explores how advanced audio applications are transforming the music industry, production, and performance. Sessions will cover audio for video games, machine learning, interactive audio, and more. Free Dante certification training, hosted by Audinate, for pro audio and event technol- ogy professionals will also be offered to NAMM Show attendees. For more information, go to www.namm.org/thenammshow/2020. HHB Communications Canada Is Now YSL Pro HHB Communica- tions Canada has officially changed its name to YSL Pro. “The transition to the new name reflects our integral position within our parent company, Yorkville Sound, DAVE DYSART while at the same time acknowledging our position at the top level of the professional audio market in Canada,” explains YSL Pro’s Dave Dysart. “YSL Pro will continue to represent the premium brands that we have distributed in the Canadian marketplace and will have an increased presence in the market.” HHB Communications Canada was formed in 1997 and has rep- resented many of the pro audio industry’s top brands to Canadian recording studios, resellers, post-production facilities, and broad- casters over the past 22 years. Jeff Cowling, Yorkville Sound’s VP of sales and marketing, adds: “We have enjoyed working with the HHB team for the past two-and- a-half years. Our shared brain trust will make the company stronger, and the collective product lines truly complement each other.” The YSL Pro offices will remain at 2 Eastern Ave., Mezzanine Level, in downtown Toronto. For more information, go to www.yslpro.com. 10 PROFESSIONAL SOUND Aspiring Female Audio Engineers Offered Unique Learning Opportunity on City & Colour Tour Throughout November, while on a cross-Cana- da tour with indie-folk star City & Colour, FOH engineer Jon Halliwell and monitor engineer Meaghan McEachren teamed up with Sound- Girls to offer a unique (L-R) JON HALLIWELL, ANN-KRISTIN BLANKEN, JENNY BREUKELMAN learning opportunity & MEAGHAN MCEACHREN to female audio engineers. SoundGirls is a North American orga- nization with the mission of inspiring and empowering the next generation of women in audio. On each stop of the tour, which went from Victoria, BC to Halifax, NS, Halliwell and McEachren invited young female audio engineered to shadow them. They each took two hours to tour their production, discuss day-to-day life on the road, and answer questions from the aspiring audio pros. “All the sound crew were so generous with their time, and went over everything that makes up a big stadium concert,” says Jenny Breukelman, who shadowed Halliwell and McEachren at the Save On Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria. “Standing in the middle of the stage looking out at the empty stadium, it was amazing. Everyone was so supportive and encouraging. I was totally blown away and I’m eternally grateful to SoundGirls for making this happen. These folks are the real rock stars.” For more information, go to www.soundgirls.org. SIGNALS