ANU is bidding to attract "the next generation of music artists" by launching a $1 million recording studio on campus.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The custom-built facility sits in the shell of the School of Music's former studio space but boasts world-class sound equipment on par with London's Abbey Road Studios.
It includes a Neve 48 channel control panel, which is one of the world's largest, as well as custom crafted plywood flexible acoustics, two post-production rooms and a voice isolation studio.
It will allow for flexible analogue, digital and hybrid recordings.
School of Music head Ken Lampl said the facility rivalled any top-tier commercial recording studio and would enhance entrepreneurship in the school.
His vision for a 21st century music school meant music technology was of core importance and would feed into Australia's first film and video game composition program in Australia to be launched next year.
He credited music technology convenor Samantha Bennett for her tenacity and vision, without which the studio would not have been realised.
"Just as this studio is a completely new facility built in the shell of older architecture, the ANU School of Music rises as a phoenix out of the ashes of previous legacy," he said.
He described the studio as "a beacon signalling the arrival of a new school, new staff and new environment to inspire the game-chaning artists of the future".
Multi-award winning record producer Mark Optiz will join the school as a visiting fellow in second semester.
The masterful sound engineer, who has worked with INXS, KISS, The Divinyls, Cold Chisel and many more, gave the slick studio his the tick of approval.
"This recording facility rates with any international recording facility I have ever worked in," he said.
"It is not just design and this fabulous Neve console, but this university has one of the best microphone collections I have ever seen.
"This bodes well for all students choosing to study any genre of music at ANU."
And what better way to break in the brand-spanking facility than by laying some tracks?
ANU masters student Aaron Chew and two thirds of the contemporary duo Kaleid, Amy Jenkins and Jacqui Douglas performed in the studio at the unveiling before jumping onto the control and tinkering with the tracks.
Listen below:
Some of Australia's first acts to lay down their music in the world-class ANU studio @SoM_ANU pic.twitter.com/XgWdhypgF0??? Georgina Connery (@georginaconnery) May 23, 2017
