The AES Show 2025 – Long Beach is just days away, as organizers and attendees look ahead to the Audio Engineering Society’s first West Coast convention in almost 10 years.
The event takes place October 23–25 at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, with additional skill-building workshops on October 22 and area Technical Tours on October 22 and 25.
One group holding particular interest in the AES’s return to Southern California is the local Los Angeles Section, which has helped curate many featured events for this year’s AES Show, spanning a wealth of topics of interest to the global audio community.
Daniel Liston Keller, writer, musician, multimedia producer, and current Chair of the AES Los Angeles Section, will serve as interviewer and moderator at several sessions, as well as a panelist on one.
“We in the AES Los Angeles Section are thrilled to be hosting the AES Convention in Southern California this year,” states Keller. “In addition to a full roster of panels and workshops, we’re honored to be hosting two days of excursions to the epicenters of production in Burbank and the West Side of L.A., including legendary studios, post-production facilities, manufacturers, and more. We’re looking forward to welcoming our AES colleagues from around the world.”
On Thursday, October 23, one notable session, “Sound Design – Capturing and Manipulating,” will feature an interview and demonstration with acclaimed sound designer Rick Allen on unique methods of capturing found sounds — such as planes, wildlife, and explosions — and manipulating them to create otherworldly sound effects for film, TV, and games.
Later that day, “Interview with Live Sound Engineer David Morgan” will delve into Morgan’s 50-year career, which has included decades as FOH engineer for artists including James Taylor, Paul Simon, Cher, Bette Midler, and many more, as well as his work writing for Mix and FOH magazines and consulting for companies such as Shure, Waves, and Earthworks.
Friday brings another slate of L.A. Section-curated events, starting with an “Interview with Robert Margouleff,” whose credits include Stevie Wonder, Devo, and Oingo Boingo. The session will explore Margouleff’s early work in synthesis and immersive mixing, as well as his upcoming memoir, set for release in January 2026.
Next, a special panel titled “Feel the Fear and Say Yes Anyway,” featuring Ross Hogarth, Daniel Liston Keller, Leslie Ann Jones, Suzy Shinn, and Kathleen Wirt, will explore anxiety and other personal challenges that impact creative careers. These industry leaders will share personal stories of how they overcame such obstacles to achieve success.
The afternoon continues with “In the Mix with Mick Guzauski,” an interview with the renowned mix engineer whose credits include Daft Punk, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Prince, and Talking Heads.
Later, “Buzz Me In – The Legend of the Record Plant” will feature Keller interviewing authors Martin Porter and David Goggin (aka Mr. Bonzai) in a discussion about their new book Buzz Me In: Inside the Record Plant Studios, chronicling the untold story of one of music’s most innovative and influential recording institutions.
Saturday features two more sessions. “Beyond the Rec Button: Telling the Story of Sound” will bring together producer, engineer, and educator Julio Monroy to discuss how audio professionals are becoming storytellers, both through their mixes and by sharing behind-the-scenes perspectives that reshape the public’s view of audio careers.
The final session, “Trident – Legendary Studios and Consoles,” will explore London’s Trident Studios — home to sessions with the Beatles, Pink Floyd, and other legendary artists — and examine the company’s revered A-Range consoles, still celebrated more than half a century later.
AES Show 2025 also takes advantage of its West Coast setting with the popular Tech Tours series, held Wednesday, October 22, and Saturday, October 25. Wednesday’s itinerary includes One on One Studios in North Hollywood, the Royer Microphones headquarters in Burbank, Iron Mountain Media and Archive Services in Hollywood, and the LA Audio Lunch Bunch — a weekly industry meetup founded by convention co-chair Peter Doell.
Saturday’s tour explores the West Side’s audio legacy, including The Village, 4th Street Recording, The Bakery Mastering, the Sony Scoring stage, and Apogee Electronics’ state-of-the-art studio and headquarters.