The Department of Music recently received a new recording console that gives students an opportunity to work with high-quality equipment they will encounter in their profession.
Music professor Arthur Winer wrote to the California Lottery and the Special Projects for Improving the Classroom (SPICE) grant to secure funding for the AMS Neve Genesys G32 audio recording console and other equipment related to the console.
A total of $65,000 was funded for the Neve, $30,000 of which made up the console.
“There’s just things about it — it’s handmade, all the connections inside it are hand-soldered,” Winer said. “It has expensive components which preserve sound quality and improve sound quality; it just surpasses the old console.”
Although the Tascam console was reliable, it was outdated and started to break in ways that could not be repaired because the manufacturer no longer supported it, according to Winer.
“Neve is really la creme de la creme in the audio world,” Winer said. “I often compare it to cars; it’s like the Rolls Royce and I use that analogy because Rolls Royce comes from England and this does too.”
The music department’s audio recording studio in Building 24 consists of two recording labs, Studios A and B, one of which is arranged like a classroom for music recording coursework.
Abraham Trujillo is a fifth-year music industry studies student who worked with the Tascam console for a majority of his college experience.
“The Tascam was probably something expensive of its time as well but it was a little outdated and it wouldn’t be as effective using the Tascam and then moving on to the Neves later on and then being intimidated by them, whereas now the transition will be a lot easier,” Trujillo said. “I think it’s a big opportunity for Cal Poly students, especially for those who do their senior projects making an album or an EP, to have high studio-quality recordings.”
Jasmine Gatdula is a third-year music industry studies student who may not have much experience with the recording technology, but is grateful to have the opportunity to use the new Neve console.
“Many studios that I am interested in brag about having their own Neve consoles, so it’s noteworthy that we music recording students get to work with what is considered the music industry standard,” Gatdula said. “I anticipate having access to the AMS Neve Genesys G32 will only have positive impacts on my music career.”
The equipment is available to students and faculty and is open Monday through Friday from early morning until late evening.
For further questions contact Professor Arthur Winer at ahwiner@cpp.edu.
