About

Mark Waldrep, the head of the Audio Recording area of the Division of the Digital Media Arts Department at CSU Dominguez Hills, founded and manages AIX Media Group, AIX Records and iTrax.com, the world’s first high definition, surround music download site. He has over thirty years of business and production experience in the world of digital multimedia and has been a visionary in the application of technology to the entertainment, recording and corporate industries. Holder of multiple advanced degrees in music (Ph.D. 1986 UCLA, MFA 1984 Cal Arts), art (BA 1990 CSUN) and computer science (MS 1992 CSUN) as well as having years of practical experience as a designer, musician, recording engineer and entrepreneur, he has contributed to the convergence of information technology and entertainment during his very active career.

Mark Waldrep at the T.H.E. Show in Long Beach 2019

Founder and President of the Pacific Coast Sound Works in 1989, he developed software tools and techniques that established PCSW as the preeminent digital media service bureau for the most prominent software developers and publishers in the CD-ROM multimedia industry. PCSW clients include Warner New Media, Spectrum Holobyte, Broderbund, Rocket Science, Virgin Interactive, Disney Interactive, and The Learning Company.

As a recording and mastering engineer with over 30 years experience, Dr. Waldrep has repeatedly demonstrated his unique ability to embrace both the technical and creative aspects of the recording industry. In 1994, he was experimenting with technologies and interactive designs that could integrate the record business with the emerging multimedia industry. His innovative idea to place music videos, interviews, liner notes, and web connectivity on a standard audio CD resulted in the birth of the “i-trax® enhanced CD” format. His trademark “i-trax” appeared on dozens of ECDs released during the early 1990s, including the first ECD from a major label (Rhythm of the Pride Lands/Walt Disney Records), the largest-selling (The Rolling Stones “Stripped/Virgin Records), and the first to have an Internet connection (David Bowie ” Bing Crosby “Little Drummer Boy”/Oglio Records). AIX Records, the first interactive record company, was founded in 1994 and released and/or produced over 60 i-trax® ECD records. In 2000, AIX Records embraced the DVD-Audio format and adopted high-definition technology as the recording standard for their releases on DVD and Blu-ray. In 2010, AIX released the first of their productions with both HD-Audio and HD-Video on Blu-ray and in August of that year released the world’s first 3D Music Album™, which was shot using prototype Panasonic 3D cameras.

In 1997 with the emergence of DVD technology, once again Dr. Waldrep led the way with innovative and compelling productions. AIX released the first DVD-Video titles outside of Japan in March of 1997, produced the first DVD-Video/DVD-ROM hybrid title, the first title DVD-Video with motion graphics menus, the first with multiple camera angles, and the first with web connection software. AIX has won numerous domestic and international awards for their DVD productions including, 3 Discus Awards, 3 Surround Music Awards (including Best of Show), and Best Web DVD at the 2002 DVD Summit held in Dublin, Ireland.

Mark Waldrep giving a master class in Ireland – Fall 2018

More recently, AIX Records has embarked on an aggressive production schedule to shoot, record and release a series of high-resolution video and high-definition music programs for release on Blu-ray discs and through their iTrax.com website. These feature rich discs have multiple audio mixes, extensive video sections, interviews, lessons, photos and web connections. Already, AIX Records has garnered multiple awards among audiophiles for it’s high-resolution, 5.1 surround DVD-Audio/Video projects. AIX has developed one of the largest catalogs of high-resolution music and continues to expand their catalog. AIX has over 65 productions in its catalog.

As an expert on music and the digital future, Dr. Waldrep is a frequent keynote speaker presenter and conference panelist, a regular contributing columnist for eMedia magazine, Surround Professional, Videography and consultant to many large entertainment and corporate clients. He has given keynote addresses at the 2010 Latin America AES Conference in Bogota, Columbia, the 2009 InterBEE Show in Tokyo, Japan and the 2010 CEA/AXPONA Show in New York City.