Audio History Library Celebrates Emile Berliner at AES 131st Convention 

Whether Caruso, Elvis or Gaga, we can trace our collective audio DNA back to the inventor of the gramophone and much more

Come and meet Oliver Berliner, grandson of Emile Berliner, inventor of the spiral groove disc phonograph record and the first practical, functional microphone. Oliver will be on hand at the AES Convention in the Audio History Library Booth #927, October 21, 22 and 23.

Oliver Berliner is our direct connection to both the past and future of the recording industry. Recordings were referred to in 1888 by Emile Berliner at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia as allowing "future generations ... to hold communion with immortality!"  Every time we fire up a jukebox with Elvis that fact shines through from generation to generation as long as time endures.

Oliver Berliner will share his grandfather's stories about Nipper and His Master's Voice, as well as his knowledge and relationship to the legends of U.S. Gramophone, Berliner Gram-o-phone, the Victor Company of Delaware and New Jersey, Red Seal Records, The Carnegie Hall Studio, the telephone, RCA and the helicopter.

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Keeping Berliner company in the booth is Louis Manno, director of the library. A 30-year plus member of the Audio Engineering Society, Lou is well-suited to fill the role, as his broad range of credits includes classical music mixing, foley and live sound.

Manno is also continuing his chairmanship of the AES Convention's Technical Tours at the Society's Convention in New York City. He continues to work on the establishment of the Audio History Library, which is dedicated to the history of the sound industry. "The Audio Industry's Archive," the Audio History Library's collection is comprised of facts, figures, photographs and files on over 1200 audio manufacturers from over 34 countries spanning the last 130 years.

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Manno's goal is to build an Internet-accessible digital library and center bringing under one roof all aspects of sound recording, storage, broadcasting and reproduction. Manno is also in the process of expanding the library's collection of vintage gear, manufacturer's literature, and other historic artifacts of all description, a task he hopes the library's presence at AES will help facilitate.

Ready for his place on the show floor, Berliner commented, "In honor of this memorable event I'm going to reveal some surprises...facts that escaped the history books, including little known gems about Bell, Edison, RCA's Sarnoff and even the lasting effect Titanic's sinking had on the record business. I think folks will be astounded."

Stop by this important touchstone booth #927 and meet and share your thoughts with this remarkable legacy in person.  Oliver Berliner will be handing out copies of "His Master's Voice" trademark.

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