[ISEA2017] Keynote: Martha de Francisco — The Art of Imaging Music: Music Recording in Acoustic Spaces and in Virtual Acoustics

Abstract 

Recording engineers and music producers face particular challenges when picturing the ambient sound of large ensembles and concert performances of classical music. Throughout the development of recording technologies over the last 130 years different solutions have been proposed and applied. In the 21st century high-definition audio techniques allow innovative immersive sound recording and virtual acoustics to be explored in order to create the ultimate listening experience.

  • Martha de Francisco is Associate Professor of Sound Recording at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. A native of Colombia, she has established a prominent international career for over thirty years as a record producer/engineer for classical music, frequently invited to produce recordings with the most distinguished soloists and symphony orchestras, for the most prominent music institutions and venues and for the major record labels. Her extensive discography consists of over 500 music releases, and her recordings have received numerous major awards. As an interdisciplinary researcher she has led innovative research projects in music performance in virtual acoustics, and in multichannel recording. Her expertise is in critical listening and auditory analysis, large-ensemble recording, and the aesthetics of recorded music. She has been a frequent lecturer at international professional conferences, a regular judge at international student recording competitions and a sought-after guest lecturer at leading schools for higher education in Audio in various countries.