photo caption: Signal layout for the 7th Cycle Post Production class

In this case, IO is not Saturn’s moon nor the 7 Dwarves’ work song. What I’m talking about are all the ins and outs that make a pro audio signal path do its assigned job. There’s no better illustration of this than the Conservatory’s 7th Cycle post classes where students learn how to set up an intricate web of video and audio and get it to work in sync, all locked to a single Word Clock source. Each time the students use the gear, it’s set up, then broken down and carefully packed away for the next class. Practice makes perfect is the mantra for this operation where signal path is king and a single missed connection can make the difference between success and failure.

photo caption: Katy Foreman and Emily Krieghauser at the Neve VR during Post Production Class

Getting your hands on something is the quickest way to learn, and that’s exactly what students do in their session classes at the CRAS. From the 3rd Cycle drum and guitar clinics all the way into the 10th cycle, students experience audio from a number of perspectives. It may be a session or project in the B Room using the Neotek Elite, or a post production class on the Neve VR in Studio C, or even a Sink or Swim session in our A or D rooms. The common denominator is that students are made proficient and then expected to demonstrate their ability in a real-world environment.

photo caption: Student prepares for his Live Sound Proficiency

Assessing knowledge and proficiency in education is the best way to train someone in any field. At the Conservatory, students become proficient in the operation of software and hardware throughout the program. For starters, students are eligible for 12 certifications from Apple, Digidesign, TC Electronic and the school’s own programs for Auto Tune, Reason and more. There are also hands-on tests in Live Sound and in the operation of consoles from Neotek, SSL, Neve and Focusrite’s Control 24. When your hands are on the gear and you’re the only one in the room besides the instructor, the heat is on and you must prove that you know your stuff. This kind of attention to detail and testing makes Conservatory students eminently employable throughout the industry. What’s the bottom line? A Conservatory education plus dedication equals a career path in audio.

photo caption: 10th Cycle student Kyle Caldwell preparing for a voice over

The creative side of audio is something that Conservatory students get a hefty dose of during their commercial production classes. Students write, perform and produce spots for Oreo Cookies, Ameritrade and Toy Story 2 among others, taking them from concept to mixdown over a three week period. The Conservatory’s 12 Pro Tools floater rigs play a role in these classes with students rolling the rigs into various rooms around the campus to capture, edit and mix their audio. Each team of two students has their own rig and produces their commercials under the watchful eyes of our experienced staff.

photo caption: 9th Cycle students learning SIA SmaartLive in the CRAS 6,000 sq. ft. Live Sound Classroom

The Conservatory’s live sound program offers students a complete education in sound reinforcement. Arguably, the most important job in live sound is tuning your system to the room, and that’s where SIA’s Acoustic Tools sound system measurement and analysis software comes in. SmaartLive offers the user a way to measure impulse response, log spectrum data and control external devices, all from a laptop. Computer control and measurement of audio along with a solid signal path is the cutting edge in live sound, and that’s why the Conservatory uses the best gear available from companies like Lake Contour, SIA, Yamaha, JBL and more.

photo caption: 9th Cycle students learning game audio on new Mac Book Pro computers running Audiokinetic’s Wwise software

The Conservatory stresses the importance of training on the best gear possible, and this is no more evident than in the new Audio for Games classes. For the new curriculum, the CRAS purchased 26 Mac Book Pro Laptops featuring Intel Core 2 Duo processors, one for each student’s use in the classroom. The dual-boot computers will run either Apple’s OS X or Windows operating systems making the Mac Book Pro a very powerful teaching tool. For the Audio For Games classes, the Conservatory is the first audio education institution to integrate Audiokinetic’s Wwise software into their program. Classes start first with a solid foundation in game audio theory, then, moves on to creating audio for a game and running it in the Conservatory’s 5.1 enabled D Room. Game production is one of the fastest growing sectors in audio and entertainment, and the Conservatory is right at the forefront, training students on the up-and-coming Wwise platform. Watch for news of the upcoming Game Developer’s Conference in 2007 and how the Conservatory will play a big part in the show.

photo caption: Cycle 4 students learning their way around a Neve VR large format console

Once you reach Cycle 4 at the Conservatory, a scant 20% into the program, you are ready to dive into large format console operation on one of the school’s two Neve VR consoles . The basics concepts of soloing, talkback, stereo aux sends and headphone mixing translate not only to other consoles like SSL, Trident and Neotek, but to DAW platforms such as Logic and Pro Tools. The point is that a Conservatory education prepares you to work on a variety of gear by breaking it down into core concepts that translate to any format. Once you master the basics, in later cycles you can concentrate on advanced functions and the creative end of audio production.

photo caption: 4th Cycle students learning the basics of synchronization with instructor/engineer Jeff Harris

Synchronization is one of those things that doesn’t get a lot of notice, until it goes wrong. Conservatory students start early in the 4th Cycle learning the basics of how to make digital and analog platforms run together without a hitch. Later in the program, students set up and operate a complete post production system synchronizing Pro Tools, a Doremi Labs V1 video playback unit and TASCAM dubber. The post classes give students experience in how to record sound effects, dialog, music and then finally mix their production.