The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment at Long Island University (LIU) campus has opened a Dolby Atmos studio to expand its curriculum and provide immersive learning opportunities for students.
The move makes LIU’s the first educational programme in Brooklyn to include Dolby Atmos Music in its curriculum in partnership with the Dolby Institute.
It is also one of the largest professional Dolby Atmos music recording studios in New York.
The new studio occupies around 2,400sq-ft, and includes a large tracking room and 750sq-ft control room, along with four iso booths for live band recordings. It was designed by the Walters-Storyk Design Group (WSDG) and integrated by Pro Audio Design whose President, Dave Malekpour, also designed Manhattan’s Baseline Studios which were used by Jay-Z. Here, he worked with Director of the Music Technology, Entrepreneurship & Production programme Gimel ‘Young Guru’ Keaton on a selection of equipment to give students hands-on experience.
From a technical perspective, the studio features an SSL Origin console, 9.1.4 Augspurger monitoring, Grace Design M908 monitor controller and two Avid MTRX Studio interfaces. The set-up includes Avid Pro Tools Ultimate and plug-ins from Waves, Antares, SoundToys, Celemony and Universal Audio (UAD). Custom-designed furniture form Zaor provides an ergonomic and efficient workspace for both educational and mixing.
The monitoring also features Augspurger Duo15-Sub18s for the stereo set-up, with additional Duo8 loudspeakers for centre, surround, wide and rear channels. The studio also has a selection of outboard gear, including a Neve DPX1073, Pultec EQp1A3, Universal Audio LA2A and 1176, Empirical Lab Distressor, Avalon 737 Tube Channels, API channel strip and 5500 EQs.
‘The system we’ve developed represents the most powerful and detailed 9.1.4 Dolby Atmos set-up, which reflects the distinct sound and culture of Roc Nation, and paving the way for the next generation of audio professionals,’ says Malekpour. ‘This has been a thrilling project from start to finish, made all the more rewarding by our collaboration with [Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment Dean] Tressa Cunningham, Young Guru and the LIU team, with the support of both Malekpour Design Partners and the Pro Audio Design teams, culminating in a world-class, industry-leading system.
‘This new Dolby Atmos studio further solidifies our school’s place at the forefront of music education,’ Keaton says. ‘Every detail in the facility was methodically curated for our students and I’m excited for them to maximise their learning experience on campus and prepares them to enter the workforce with an unprecedented advantage.’
‘This project is an amazing example of what happens when you take the best of what we do in higher-ed facility design and hip-hop studio work and apply it towards something that benefits the growth of future industry leaders and artistic creatives,’ adds WSDG Founding Partner John Storyk. ‘We were honored to design this facility for Roc Nation LIU and we all benefit as a creative community to see the next generation of industry professionals thrive in a programme like this.’
Additionally, the school will host a masterclass series in the studio, where industry leaders will provide students with valuable insights and techniques into the production process. The recording studio will open the door for the music community of creatives to come to campus and partake in professional development and guest sessions.
‘Dolby is proud to partner with Long Island University and Roc Nation School of Music, Sports and Entertainment,’ says Dolby Laboratories Head of Music Industry Relations, Christine Thomas. ‘This collaboration empowers the next generation of creatives with Dolby Atmos, furthering our commitment to education and the creative community. By combining Young Guru’s expertise, Roc Nation’s industry leadership, and LIU’s innovative programmes, we’re creating a rewarding partnership that will shape the future of music production.’
‘We’re thrilled to open this next-generation studio to bolster our curriculum and better serve our ambitious students,’ says Tressa Cunningham. ‘Our new facility will enable students to gain immersive experience using the latest technology to put themselves in the strongest positions to thrive after graduation. It also creates a new opportunity for the School to engage with the larger creative community.’
