Soft Buttons – Controlling the world of audio
AES Session: The Art of Control – Expanding Your Skillset
Stop just pushing buttons. Start designing your workflow.
We are operating in an era of unprecedented software capabilities—but as automation takes over the baseline work, the demand for pure “button pushers” is dropping fast. To stay relevant and become indispensable, audio engineers need to evolve into workflow architects.
Join us for Soft Buttons – Controlling the world of audio, a deep-dive session into the tactile revival of audio engineering. We are moving past the “touchscreen only” era and bringing back the physical connection of hardware, supercharged with the limitless flexibility of modern software.
What We Will Talk About:
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The Language of Control: Demystify the protocols that allow your gear to communicate, including MIDI (the universal standard), OSC (high-resolution network control), and APIs (scripting custom software controls).
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Maximizing Leverage: Learn how to turn everyday interfaces into highly customized mission-control centers.
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Macro Stacking & Cross-Software Control: Trigger complex, multi-step chains of events across Pro Tools, Dante Controller, and your monitor matrix—all from a single physical button press.
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Bitfocus Companion: Discover how this open-source “great unifier” turns devices like the Stream Deck into a universal controller, speaking to hundreds of different APIs and network protocols at once.
The Future is Custom. You are no longer just operating the software; you are designing the control layer that dictates exactly how that software behaves. Level up your skillset, build bespoke workflows, and maximize your production power.
Tuesday March 24, 2026
Time:
6:00pm – Pizza
7:00pm – Presentation
7:25pm – Panel discussion
9:15pm – Wrap up
Where:
Room 216
University of Toronto
Edward Johnson Building
80 Queens Park,
Toronto, ON M5S 2C5, Canada
PRESENTERS:
T.J. Heideman
Technical Director - CBC
T.J. Heideman is a Canadian Screen Award-nominated director and technical director with CBC/Radio-Canada, currently serving as a Senior Production Switcher within CBC Studios. Over the past decade, T.J. has had the great privilege of working with teams to produce content that reflects Canadian culture across every province and territory. His career highlights include the past seven Olympic Games, four federal elections, a papal conclave, and a royal coronation. Beyond his production duties, he has helped shape the next generation of industry professionals as a part-time faculty member at Fanshawe College. During his tenure, he instructed students in both the Visual Effects and Advanced Live Digital Media Production post-graduate programs, bridging the gap between emerging industry standards and real-world broadcast execution.
Jason “DJ Shine” Spanu
Ableton Certified Trainer
With over 30 years experience in the electronic music community, Ableton Certified Trainer, Jason “DJ Shine” Spanu has left his mark all over the world. Whether performing live with his own show or working as a sought-after Ableton playback programmer for countless A-level artists/performers, Shine pushes technical and creative boundaries, often incorporating the latest emerging tech. Names such as Nelly Furtado, Drake, The Weeknd, Lights, Metric, Broken Bells, Passion Pit, Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino, and Marianas Trench have trusted Shine with their tours. Jason performs his own brand of Techno and House music as an alter ego “Fame Diet”, a tongue in cheek play on his being underground yet still working for ultra pop music makers.
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