TMT

Fitting for an anniversary, the Tonmeistertagung organised by the VDT this year saw a slight increase in visitors and a wide-reaching programme brimming with compelling topics. The new ticket concept, offering discounted admission to the exhibition, drew around 900 more exhibition-goers interested in audio equipment to the Congress Centrum Nord situated at the Cologne exhibition grounds.

Congress programme

With well over 5500 visitors in four days and 1300 daily tickets sold, a distinct trend toward increasingly selective and modular participation in convention activities can be observed.

As anticipated, the topics covering 3D audio reproduction and the assorted immersive recording concepts generated much interest. The small 3D audio room R1 with fine acoustics and 3D PA, the Adenauer Hall R5 optimised for 3D sound-reproduction for an audience of 400, and R4 fitted with 120 headphones for binaural audio samples, were highly frequented.

Equally popular was this year’s live mixing workshop, organised by Neumann&Müller Veranstaltungstechnik, Sennheiser, Yamaha and d&b Audiotechnik under the motto ‘Seeing is hearing’. Dedicated to the practical side of source-oriented reinforcement, it was led by such luminaries as Svenja Dunkel, Oli Voges and Nils Uhthoff.

The IRT themed day held on the morning of 14 November and this year dealing with contemporary and future forms of audio consumption and the inherent opportunities for personalisation likewise sparked a lot of interest.

The exhibition

Overall, especially the many exhibitors present this year were upbeat about the event and the increase in visitors. Peppered with product presentations, the official programme’s two-hour lunch breaks were another welcome and enlivening crowd puller. In addition, everyone had plenty of time for deep conversation and hands-on demonstrations of the latest hardware and software.

Meeting and sharing expertise

The VDT Lounge, re-established this year on occasion of the anniversary, was immensely popular and quickly became the place for many visitors to come and talk during the event. In a relaxed atmosphere, discussions concerned not only the association’s work in the past and the future but particularly also the sharing of expertise among attendees and VDT members.

Video blog

Our partnership with ARD.ZDF Medienakademie, WDR and Deutschlandradio was exceptionally smooth, even though this year is only the second time we have worked together. Supervised by their instructors, teams of up-and-coming media designers interviewed lots of people during the convention and created a plethora of interesting audio-visual contributions on all manner of Tonmeistertagung topics. The full vlog can be replayed in the TMT-TV section of the event website.

Colleagues from the magazine Sound&Recording also leveraged several high-class workshops and lectures at their booth to stream live from the TMT30 via Facebook, garnering throngs of followers and a high reach.

All in all, the VDT can look back on an outstandingly successful event which whets our appetite for the next and 31st Tonmeistertagung in 2020.