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SUMMARY:Perspectives On Audio: Information vs Data\; Fidelity vs Resolutio
 n  - J. Robert (Bob) Stuart
DTSTART:20210817T180000Z
DTEND:20210817T190000Z
UID:TALK161362@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:David Blake
DESCRIPTION:Audio bridges science and engineering with the complexity of t
 he human listener. If we are to close that gap\, we need to ask the right 
 questions. This talk begins with a tutorial overview of topics in modern a
 uditory science that are pertinent to fidelity and resolution. It also ske
 tches information flow in the listener giving some surprising estimates. N
 ext\, a quick tour through sound reproduction\, starting with analogue\, s
 hows how a 'narrow' approach to digital audio inadvertently embedded key e
 rrors in recordings and playback systems. This is briefly illustrated with
  seven theories of 'High-Resolution' and consideration of the paradoxes of
  losslessness and data vs information flow. If we consider the whole chain
  from microphone to loudspeaker\, and more precisely define objectives for
  transparency using principles of communication theory\, modern sampling t
 heory and current auditory science\, we show that a better engineering sol
 ution is indeed possible.\n\nOur speaker will be J. Robert (Bob) Stuart wh
 o studied electronic engineering and acoustics at the University of Birmin
 gham and took an M.Sc. in operations research at Imperial College\, London
 . While at Birmingham he studied psychoacoustics under Professor Jack Alli
 son\, which began a lifelong fascination with the subject. In 1977\nBob co
 -founded Meridian Audio and served as CTO until early 2015. In 2014 he fou
 nded MQA Ltd where he is currently full time as Chairman and CTO. At the r
 equest of Hiro Negishi and Raymond Cooke\, Bob chaired the advocacy group 
 Acoustic Renaissance for Audio between 1994 and 2002. In the 1990s he work
 ed with Michael Gerzon and Peter Craven on lossless compression and was in
 strumental in its adoption for optical discs.\n \nBob has contributed to t
 he DVD-Audio and Blu-ray standards and has served on the technical committ
 ees of the National Sound Archive\, JAS and the ADA (Japan). In 2020 the R
 oyal Academy of Engineering awarded him the Prince Philip Medal for his ex
 ceptional contribution to audio engineering. Bob’s professional interest
 s are the furthering of analogue and digital audio and developing understa
 nding of human auditory perception mechanisms relevant to live and recorde
 d music. His specialities include the auditory sciences and the design of 
 analogue and digital electronics\, loudspeakers\, audio coding and signal 
 processing.\n\nBob joined the Audio Engineering Society (AES) in 1971\, ha
 s been a Fellow since 1992\, and is a member of ASA\, IEEE and the Hearing
  Group at Cambridge.  Bob has a deep interest in music and spends a good d
 eal of time listening to live and recorded material.\n\nThis online lectur
 e is jointly organised by the AES UK Section Cambridge Group and IET Cambr
 idge Local Network.  It is open to all\, but registration is required via 
 the Zoom link https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Z9hZtKFLRHG-U7Ng
 2aKerg    A link to the Zoom session will be sent to registered participan
 ts prior to the talk.\n
LOCATION:Webinar  (via Zoom online)- link at https://communities.theiet.or
 g/communities/events/item/229/15/27400
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