dBs Music Opens A Neve Room At Its Plymouth Teaching Facility
Students studying for music production and technology degrees can now learn on a console they are sure to encounter in the real world.
With schools in Bristol and Plymouth, dBs Music prides itself on offering students the best facilities for learning real-world music production and technology skills. To this end, the institution has recently invested in a new recording studio/studio lecture space with a 16 channel Neve Genesys console at its heart.
Entitled the AMS Neve Room, the new facility is located at dBs Music Plymouth and complements other studio facilities offering industry-standard equipment.
Stu Welsh, who is responsible for leading the BA (Hons) Music Production and Sound Engineering and MA Innovation in Sound Post Graduate courses, says: “The console was previously installed in our commercial studio but has been moved to the new classroom so that students can have full access it. We are running the console in conjunction with a Pro Tools HD rig and a Studer A800 MkIII 2″ tape machine. Although it is a steep learning curve for students, once they are familiar with the routing and the digital layer they soon appreciate the flexibility and efficiency the console delivers – not to mention the great Neve analogue sound.”
dBs Music has been teaching music technology since 1998 and prides itself on offering extremely high levels of support, encouraging in-course work opportunities and giving students access to plenty of studio time.
“These are all essential for skills development and provide our students with the opportunities they need to get out into the world and start making a living in a subject they love,” Stu Welsh adds.
In keeping with this philosophy, dBs Music runs three enhancement weeks each year so that students can learn from working professionals who come in as guest lecturers. These have included a variety of experts such as producer Phil Harding, foley artist and post-production specialist David Cherry and author Jennifer Otter Bickerdike.
“The new studio in Plymouth is being used to create audio and video content and will also be used by most, if not all, of our guest lecturers,” Welsh adds. “Everyone loves working in the Neve Room, it’s become one of the most used recording suites at our Plymouth Campus. It is especially popular for recording and for mixing with lots of analogue outboard gear.”
Welsh enjoys using the Neve console for his own audio project and says he is delighted that students are learning skills on equipment they will find in the wider industry.
“It is very valuable for students to be familiar with the workflow that accompanies great practice,” he says.
For information about the Neve Genesys console, please get in touch with the AMS Neve team at info@ams-neve.com
