Sound Recording Studios
Our facilities
Our Sound Recording Studios enable students to use the same technology as the professionals to get the best results from complex recording sessions. Students also learn about the value of planning – known as pre-production – plus skills such as how to manage band members during a recording session. Students can design sound and compose and perform music for live-action film, as well as for animated pieces and video games.
Students prepare in the Sound Recording Studios for careers including music producer, studio engineer, studio manager and game audio developer.
Courses
Undergraduates use the studios on our BSc (Hons) Music Technology course and BA (Hons) Creative Music Technology top-up course. Relevant modules include:
- Introduction to Studio Techniques
- Recording and Production Techniques
- Professional Music Production Techniques
Students on other courses in the Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) can also use the studios when teamed with music technology students.
Equipment
The Sound Recording Studios have several recording spaces, a live performance room and recording control rooms. The studios have high-specification equipment, which you can use to record, process and mix sounds to professional standards.
Equipment includes:
- A 32-channel TL valve technology recording console
- An SSL Matrix2 16-channel recording console with 10 Neve 1074 preamplifiers
- An Allen & Heath QU-24 sound mixing desk
- A Manley Massive Passive sound equaliser and Maselec sound compressor for mastering recordings
- A surround studio with Genelec speakers and a Slate Raven multi-touch console. This allows students to mix 5.1 and 7.1-channel surround sound for live-action and animated films.
- A Buchla System 7 synthesizer (one of only two in the UK and the only one in a European university), built for us by Don Buchla
- 4 Oakley modular synthesizers
- A range of musical instruments, which includes the Fender Stratocaster and Jazz Bass guitars, Pearl Export drum kits, Roland SPD electronic drum pads, Nord Electro keyboards and the ARP Odyssey synthesizer
- A selection of instrument and voice microphones from brands such as AKG, Sennheiser, Neumann and Sontronics
All students in the CCI faculty have access to approximately 40 iMac Dual i7 computers in the faculty's Eldon Building. These are installed with sound creation and manipulation software, including Logic Pro X, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Max/MSP (including Max for Live), Native Instruments Komplete (including Reaktor) and Pure Data, plus video game creation software.
In addition, there are approximately 10 MacBooks installed with audio software in the Sound Recording Studios themselves. This facility's accreditations include Avid Pro Tools software, in which students can gain certification to enhance their employment prospects.
Where to find us
Sound Recording Studios
36-40 Middle Street
Portsmouth
PO5 4BP