(picture) CRAS students outside the CRAS Mobile Broadcast Unit (CMBU) during setup for the Solid State Logic event at the CRAS Tempe, Ariz. campus.
Tempe, Ariz., March 8, 2017 – Solid State Logic recently brought its touring Demonstration Vehicle to the Tempe, Ariz. campus of The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS; www.cras.edu), the premier institution for audio engineering education. CRAS faculty and students, along with Solid State Logic personnel, ran live multi-track recordings from one of the campus’ studios through the CRAS Mobile Broadcast Unit (CMBU), and then on to the Demonstration Vehicle, which is equipped with a Solid State Logic AWS 948 console. The session is posted on Youtube.
“We utilized the CMBU and about 10 students throughout the setup and actual broadcast to facilitate the live stream,” explained Robert Brock, director, Live Broadcast/Game Audio department for CRAS. “Instead of having students merely come into the Solid State Logic Demonstration Vehicle and demo a console that they'll all ultimately already be exposed to at CRAS since we already utilize two Solid State Logic AWS 948 consoles on campus, the idea was to make things a bit more interesting. We had Solid State Logic tie their truck into one of our class/recording sessions and broadcast the event on Facebook Live.”
CRAS ran four cameras across Studio F, the live band tracking room, and the Solid State Logic Demonstration Vehicle. Analog audio splits of the session in Studio F were brought into the CMBU and then sent on to the Solid State Logic Demonstration Vehicle in the form of a Dante (Audio over IP) feed so that they could simultaneously record the band to their Pro Tools system. CRAS also deployed communication keypanels and beltpacks to the involved rooms and camera operators so everyone involved could easily coordinate. They then put wireless lavaliere mics on CRAS instructor Tony Nunes (in Studio F) and Solid State Logic Sales & Marketing Manager; Retail Products Marc DeGeorge (in the Solid State Logic Demonstration Vehicle) so that CRAS students could hear their commentary as the band played. CRAS Director of Education Mike Jones began the show with a tour of the setup in Studio F, the live tracking room, and the Solid State Logic Demonstration Vehicle.
“We are always excited for an opportunity to work with CRAS,” said DeGeorge. “They are always expanding and redefining what it means to do an event with them. It is extremely important to ensure that the next generation understands all of the foundations of professional audio. It’s not enough just to teach someone how to operate a piece of software. The what and why of signal flow and interoperability allows a well-trained audio professional to solve problems quickly and easily. That is a skill that is an absolute necessity in the real world.”
Added Dan Griffin, Solid State Logic Sales Support Engineer and Solid State Logic Demonstration Vehicle operator, “The event at CRAS was great! The CRAS instructors are always a pleasure to work with and the students are also helpful and knowledgeable. The live stream went off without a hitch and it was a lot of fun to showcase what we do in a new in creative way.”
The Solid State Logic Demonstration Vehicle is described as a “trade show on wheels”. It exists to bring Solid State Logic’s products to audio engineers all over the United States, showcasing its latest technology in a comfortable, control room setting. It's been on the road for five years and 92,000 miles and has helped provide product and educational demos to thousands of individuals in that time.
“We are currently showcasing some of our music production gear,” Griffin continued. “The centerpiece of the vehicle is the Solid State Logic AWS948 Delta hybrid audio console, which is both an analogue Solid State Logic console and a multi-layer DAW controller all in one. We also have a Nucleus 2, our complete solution for in the box engineers, offering multi layer DAW control, Solid State Logic Super Analogue Microphone preamps, a stereo monitoring environment, talkback and Dante interfacing. In addition to these, we have an Solid State Logic Sigma Delta analogue summing mixer, X-Rack modular outboard analogue processing, and several examples of Solid State Logic’s Dante interfacing devices.”
CRAS administrator Kirt Hamm said gaining real-world knowledge working alongside the professionals who design and sell the products that CRAS students train on and ultimately will use in professional studios during their internships and careers is invaluable. “We use Solid State Logic gear in our facilities, but to have Solid State Logic personnel on campus and help us train our students during a live session can’t be taught in the classroom,” Hamm said. “It provides our students with an opportunity to discuss the session from beginning to end with those that know the gear better than anyone else in the world. We are very thankful to Solid State Logic and look forward to more trainings with them in the future.”
According to Griffin, CRAS students are always some of the best in the business. “Their curriculum covers not only the standards like mic technique, DAWs, and signal flow, but also covers often forgotten elements like broadcast audio, live sound and video. The students also get much needed hands on experience, through events such as our sessions with them, with great local musicians, and real world broadcasts such NASCAR at Phoenix International Raceway. I've personally met many CRAS alumni out in the real world in the business, which speaks for itself. We're happy to come back whenever we can as these guys always present us with fun, new challenges!”
The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences is composed of two nearby campuses in Gilbert and Tempe, Ariz. A CRAS education includes broadcast audio, live sound, film and TV audio, music, and video game audio, all taught by award-winning instructors who have all excelled in their individual fields, including sound reinforcement, audio recording and production, digital recording, troubleshooting/maintenance, and music business. CRAS structured programs and highly qualified teaching staff provide a professional and supportive atmosphere, which is complemented by its small class sizes allowing for individual instruction and assistance for students in engineering audio recordings. CRAS has been providing quality vocational training in audio recording for more than three decades. The curriculum and equipment are constantly being updated to keep pace with the rapid advancements in the music and sound recording industries. CRAS’ course offerings and subject matter have always centered around the skills and knowledge necessary for students’ success in the audio recording industries.
The 11-month program is designed to allow every student access to learn and train in all of the Conservatory’s studios which are comprised with state-of-the-art audio recording and mixing gear, the same equipment used in today’s finest studios and remote broadcast facilities, including Pro Tools 12, API Legacy consoles, SSL AWS consoles, Studer Vista consoles, and much more. All students must complete a 280-hour industry internship to graduate from the Master Recording Program II that may ultimately lead to industry employment. A CRAS graduate was nominated for a 2017 Grammy Award. In addition, 32 CRAS graduates worked on 35 2017 Grammy-nominated albums and songs across 35 categories, of which 11 graduates received multiple credits on nominations.
For more information on the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences, please visit www.cras.edu, contact Kirt Hamm, administrator, at 1-866-757-3059, or email to info@cras.edu.
About Solid State Logic
From groundbreaking audio consoles to innovative video production systems, Solid State Logic has evolved to become the world’s leading manufacturer of analogue and digital audio consoles and provider of creative tools for film, audio, video and broadcast professionals.
With more than 3000 SSL-equipped studios and facilities operational today, the excellence of SSL consoles is universally recognized for unrivalled sonic quality, superb ergonomics, outstanding automation and an international support infrastructure second to none.
About The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences
Based in the heart of The Valley of the Sun with two campuses in Gilbert and Tempe, Ariz., The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS) is one of the country’s premier institutions for audio education. The Conservatory has developed a unique and highly effective way to help the future audio professional launch their careers in the recording industry and other related professional audio categories.
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