photo caption: Poster announcing DIY cable tester building clinic

One of the most common problems in the studio affecting workflow is a failed cable. Yet because of the uncomplicated nature of an interconnect–no moving parts and simple construction–it often gets overlooked in day to day studio operations. That’s where having a cable tester handy can save the day, quickly pinpointing a problem so it can be fixed in short order. As part of on-campus extra curricular activities, students construct their own testers, polarity flippers and other handy studio tools to add to their bag of tricks.

photo caption: Francisco Carranza and Christine Green upgrading their new mics

Students at the Conservatory not only get a lot of class and studio time while they’re in the program, but they can also sign up for a number of extra-curricular DIY projects and activities. One recent event was a microphone modification clinic where a group of students upgraded stock, large diaphragm tube mics imported from China.

The mic mod clinic was held Conservatory’s 6,000 sq. ft. live sound room where they upgraded their new mics with a 6072A Groove Tube, Peluso C-12 replica capsule, better capacitors and transformer. Students who signed up for and paid for the mic, ended up leaving with a much improved product, upgraded by themselves.

photo caption: Neve fader modules on the bench awating a refurb

Regular upgrades and maintenance are essential when you’ve got 8 studios to keep running. It’s even more important when your studios run 24/7. Conservatory students have campus access around the clock, allowing them to experience audio recording and production as much as they’d like. During the day, classes occupy both campus locations, but at night, they are loaded with students and bands recording, mixing and exploring. It’s this exploration that makes your on campus experience at the Conservatory unique, you are welcome to have your fill.

photo caption: Guitarist Thomas Laufenburg (Pistoleros, Ghetto Cowgirl, Loretta) being miked up in the Cycle 4 guitar clinic

Conservatory students learn a variety of mic techniques in the course of the program. Drum clinics, band clinics, guitar clinics and other sessions and classes give students plenty of hands-on time putting mics in front of instruments, then hearing the results. Building chops in the classroom environment prepares our future engineers for their 5th and 10th cycle projects where students record live musicians in one of the school’s 8 studios. In addition, after leaving the program, students can rely on the skills they’ve learned to provide a solid base for sessions and other production projects.

photo caption: Troubleshooting and Maintenance instructor Jim Bender teaching soldering basics

When it comes to audio, the Conservatory not only teaches how to operate the gear, but how to repair it as well. Students are given an under-the-hood look at studio and live sound operations in their Troubleshooting and Maintenance classes that give them the skills they need to do basic gear repairs. In addition, students can take part in cable building clinics and weekend seminars where they can make their own speakers and microphones. What better way to make yourself useful in your new career by not only getting great sounds, but being able to troubleshoot and fix problem gear as well.

photo caption: Students record a live band in the Conservatory’s 6,000 sq. ft. live sound classroom

Today, 3rd Cycle students got a taste of surround recording in their Live Sound class. During the band clinic, Instructor Keith Morris set up the Trinnov SRP array that has been making its way around campus to give students experience in recording live for multi-speaker playback. The eight mic array was mentioned in our post from last Friday where 8th and 9th cycle students used it to record percussion and sax in their clinics. In today’s class, the 8-mic array was sent through an RME OctaMic preamp directly into an Alesis HD24 hard disc recorder. The whole mix will be played back in the Conservatory’s D Room which is optimized for surround playback and recording.