Meet the 37th Annual TEC Awards Finalists: Audio Education Technology
The NAMM TEC Committee is honored to present the 37th Annual TEC Awards in June at The NAMM Show in Anaheim, California.
The TEC Awards “recognize the individuals, companies, and technical innovations behind the sound of recordings, live performances, film, television, video games, and multimedia.” With award categories spanning 21 Technical Achievement and six Creative Achievement categories, the TEC Awards is considered the highest honor dedicated to the pro audio and sound recording industry.
TEC Awards finalists are identified through a three-step process starting in March with a “Call for Entries.” After the entry period, a panel comprised of industry leaders and professionals nominated eligible products and project submissions that “represent superior accomplishment in their respective fields.” Beginning in November, pro audio, live event, and music industry professionals will vote for a finalist in each respective category, with one taking home the title of “Product of the Year.”
Audio Education Technology
Products nominated in this category consist of books, programs, software, hardware systems, and devices intended to promote knowledge of audio and musical topics.
Audio Test Kitchen – ATK 2.0: ATK 2.0 “makes it possible to find the best tools for audio creation and music-making from anywhere. Dig into the delicious debut library of 300 microphones to your favorite mic according to your taste!” The upgraded website features a 20x speed increase, 25 new sources, over 200 unboxing videos, audio switching, and real-world example recording via Spotify integration.
Avid – PT210D Pro Tools Dolby Atmos Production Course: A blended, 40-hour course of self-paced eLearning followed by 18 hours of virtual instruction. Avid partners with Dolby to present the Pro Tools Dolby Atmos Production Course. The course is designed for professionals who are “transitioning from traditional surround formats to Dolby Atmos mixing, as well as experienced Dolby mixers who are interested in deepening their skills and learning best practices.”
Hal Leonard – Music Technology 101: A book fit for music students and teachers, Music Technology 101 “breaks down the basics of music creation in the technology lab or home studio. Musician and teacher, Heath Jones, provides practical, actionable, and easy-to-understand information, resources, and advice to anyone interested in teaching a music technology course or learning how to become a do-it-yourself music producer.” The publication also includes 90 minutes of video tutorial and covers basic to advanced lab setups, editing, effects and plug-ins, looping and repetition, melody and harmony, recording, song forms, understanding and using MIDI, and use of digital audio workstations (DAWs).
Hal Leonard – Recording Method: A publication designed for “anyone interested in learning the basics of recording audio for bands, singer/songwriters, and more. Studio engineer and author, Jake Johnson, takes you through the fundamentals of audio recording, from gear and set-up through mixing and mastering, sharing invaluable tips and guideposts along the way.” Recording Method also includes audio demonstration tracks and video tutorials and covers audio sources and microphones, basic gear and setup, capturing and editing audio, digital audio basics, effects and signal processing, inputs and outputs (I/O), plug-ins, mastering, and mixing.
PreSonus - Sphere: This membership-based product includes Studio One Professional, Notation, and nearly all of PreSonus software in addition to a “library of master class videos, collaboration tools, monthly live streams, exclusive Studio One features, industry veteran-authored presets, and tons of loop and construction kit content.” Sphere is the “ultimate toolkit for the modern composer. From simple lead sheets to complete orchestrations, you’ll deliver polished scores fast with award-winning Notation® software.”
Shure – Pro Audio Training Program: The program is “a comprehensive and wide-ranging online learning program for audio professionals in the fields of live performance, production, AV rental, and film & location sound.” Shure packs in decades of its industry-leading expertise and knowledge into this training program to cover a range of topics, broken down into three levels; Fundamentals, Shure Product Training, and Advanced Application Training, designed to enhance working professionals enhance their skills.
For more information about the TEC Awards, including the entire list of finalists, please visit https://www.tecawards.org/.