Today Peachpit Press ships Logic Pro 9 Advanced Music Production by David Dvorin with Robert Brock. This book serves as Apple’s official text for the Logic Pro 9 Level Two certification. The Conservatory played a big role in this book with CRAS instructor Robert Brock working as a contributing writer and CRAS graduate Brandon Jaehne offering-up an original song for one of the books tutorials.

Brock found Jaehne’s song Gibsonia posted on CRAS Connect, the Conservatory’s online system for enrolled students which features a discussion forum where students can post projects they’re working on for other students to listen to and review. Jaehne and fellow CRAS student Matthew Craft had recorded the song in their apartment during their first weeks at school using the MacBook laptop, Logic Pro, Fastrack Pro audio interface and the microphone they had each received when they started school. Brock felt Gibsonia was perfect for an exercise he was writing for the book which involved how to move projects between Logic and Pro Tools. Drums were later added to the song which were performed by CRAS music director Joe Morris and recorded by CRAS students as part of a session/class in the Conservatory’s Studio D at the Gilbert location.

The Conservatory currently offers Logic Level One certification as part of an optional incentive based program where students that meet certain academic criteria can receive the level one book and take the certification test at no cost. A program to offer Logic Level Two certification based upon this new book will be available later this year.

Mike Jones with the Fender G-DEC 3 at the NAMM show

CRAS director of education Mike Jones can finally talk about what he’s been doing in his spare time while at his home studio for the last several months. It turns out he’s been mixing away for Fender in order to provide recording and mixing services for audio loops that are part of their new G-DEC 3 guitar amplifier which was just announced at the NAMM show. Mike mixed tracks from artists such as Eric Johnson, Hatebreed and Sepultura. CRAS instructor Chris Gough also provided his own musical content for the amp which was recorded in Conservatory studios with the help of CRAS students. In addition CRAS students Jacob Dalton and Eric Molinari also happened to be interning at Fender headquarters and put many hours into testing the amp while providing feedback to Fender. Check out the Fender G-DEC 3 amp and hear what Mike and the rest of the CRAS gang have been up to.

CRAS interns Stephen Hernandez and Danielle Walker work at the SPARS booth at the NAMM show.

In January the Conservatory descended on the 2010 NAMM show. CRAS directors, internship coordinators, teachers, techs, students and graduates mingled in and out of the massive trade show. CRAS sponsored a class in cooperation with SPARS (Society of Professional Audio Recording Services) in NAMM’s new Hot Zone, and provided multiple current students as interns for the event. Oustide of the show, CRAS internship coordinators toured LA area studios and met with studio managers to further foster the great relationship CRAS has with the audio community. See photos and videos from the fun here.

The Conservatory rings in the new year by issuing Apple MacBook Pro laptops for the first time since starting the laptop program two years prior. Shown here are students in the 1/8/2010 start date receiving their new MacBook Pros at the computer orientation class. Prior to 2010 CRAS issued MacBook computers which have been an amazing performer for students and faculty. The change to the MacBook Pro was in part necessary because Apple discontinued the use of the Firewire interface on the latest iteration of the MacBook model. Firewire is a protocol commonly used in professional audio for connecting computers with a wide range of audio interfaces. Firewire also allows the computer to be used in target disk mode, which lets the computer act as a battery powered hard drive for troubleshooting and file transfers. Like the MacBook before it, the MacBook Pro will serve CRAS students well both at school and into their career. Check out more photos of the first class using the MacBook Pros here.

Once Conservatory students reach the halfway point of their studies, students with a B or better grade average in the Digital Recording 101 course are offered the opportunity to gain Apple’s Logic 9 level 1 end user certification. The Conservatory picks up the cost of the book and the certification test which is over a $200 value. The new Apple Pro Training Series Logic 9 level 1 certification book just started shipping this month and CRAS has just issued its first set of books to qualifying students. Students work through the book on their issued MacBook computers which have Logic 9 pre-installed.  By the time participants start working with the book they’ve already had extensive exposure to Logic and their path to certification is further supported through CRAS Connect, the Conservatory’s online system that is available to enrolled students. The Logic 9 course on CRAS connect offers quick connectivity to any of the Conservatory’s three Apple Logic certified instructors including one that was the technical editor on the certification book and leads the Logic Train-the-Trainer classes that all Logic certified instructors must attend. Having an Apple certification in Logic  helps Conservatory graduates stand out in the competitive field of audio production.

Fox Sports Senior Mixer Fred Aldous recently invited some CRAS students and staff out to their production facility during a NASCAR race at Phoenix International Raceway.

SSL users were among the majority of nominees and winners at the recent 36th annual “American Music Awards” (AMAs). The star studded event was broadcast live on ABC from the NOKIA Theatre in Los Angeles and featured 43 artists and projects competing in 23 categories, with 60% of the nominees and 74% of the winners using SSL consoles to create their hits. SSL users who were nominated include: Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Carrie Underwood, Chris Brown, Coldplay, Daughtry, Enrique Iglesias, J. Holiday, Jonas Brothers, Jordin Sparks, Kanye West, Kenny Chesney, Lil Wayne, Mamma Mia, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, MercyMe, Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, Rhianna, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, The Dream, Usher and Wu-Tang Clan.

“The Conservatory’s SSL studios and classes focus on real world applications and its great to see that the AMAs reflect how strong SSL’s products are in the industry,” says Director of Education Mike Jones. “SSL is one of the few, if not the only company that has maintained a consistent look and feel throughout their product line. If you start on an SSL 4000 Series console, you can easily understand and operate an AWS 900+ or Matrix from their current line.”

photo caption: Students setting up for a session on the SSL 4000+ in Studio A at the Conservatory’s Gilbert location

photo caption: Nickelback is just one of the touring bands employing CRAS grads

Our MRPII grads have done very well for themselves. The list of CRAS attendees below have gone on to their internships and then been hired to work on major tours or with live sound companies.

On Tour
Jeremy White, PA Tech - Aerosmith, Snoop Dogg, Nickelback
Wayne Newton, FOH engineer - Aerosmith, Snoop Dogg, Nickelback
Alex Rotelle, PA Tech - Aerosmith, Snoop Dogg, Nickelback
Nathan Lettus, Crew Chief/V-DOSC engineer - Chicago
Matt Strasser, PA Tech - Chicago
Armando Montalvo, PA Tech - Nickelback

Working at PRG Las Vegas
Adam Parrish - Operations Mgr.
Cory Harrington - Shop Mgr.
Mitch Sorenson - Assistant Shop Mgr.
Marian Mast - Inbound/Outbound Asset Coordinator
Bruce Kilmer - Speaker Quality Control

Congrats to all of you, keep up the good work

Check out this great video chronicling a very special session where the Beatles’ engineer Geoff Emerick records And Your Bird Can Sing with the Fab Faux.