A new performing arts centre at Emmanuel College in Victoria, Australia – The Stage (Student Theatre for Arts and Growth at Emmanuel) – has chosen an Audient ASP4816 small-format analogue console as the heart of its recording set-up.
‘I wanted to bring the best of both analogue and digital to our wonderful new space,’ explains tutor and studio technician, Peter Sassmanshausen, who specified the desk after six months’ in-depth research. ‘It has always been my goal to get an analogue console in front of the students and somehow bridge the gap between the practicality of analogue and the sheer capabilities of the digital realm.
‘The ASP4816 is a beautiful console with a small footprint and a massive sound,’ he continues. ‘It was by far the stand-out console – even among more expensive models, nothing seemed close to providing the heart and soul this desk has. The preamps were raved about – these I can vouch for 100 per cent. They contain a warmth, and yet are transparent. The complexity of routing, the in-line architecture and the EQs are laid out so well and in such a user-friendly manner, I knew the students would immediately adapt to its intuitive and creative nature.’
Although still early days, the students’ response to the new desk is unequivocal: ‘They were amazed to find this wonderful addition to what is already a great facility,’ Sassmanshausen reports. ‘It’s still all very new for them, but I do feel they are grasping the concepts of routing, gain staging and EQ much quicker on the inline console rather than in-the-box.’
Sassmanshausen integrated the Audient desk with the Slate Raven MTI2 control surface, which he describes as ‘a nice, modern twist’, it all fits neatly into modified Argosy 90 series studio furniture. As well as being integral to the music production course – all the students will use the desk for assessments over the course of the year – the studio has already been used to record voiceovers for film and video publications for the college. Sassmanshausen describes this as ‘an exciting process for both the students involved in performing the voiceovers and for those helping to record them’.
The new performing arts centre, The Stage opened in November 2018 and comprises a 250-seat theatre with tiered seating, band rehearsal areas, studios for individual tuition, a dance studio, a large multi-purpose classroom as well as the professional standard recording studio.
‘Since the opening of The Stage we have had increased enrolments to study VCE VET Cert III in both Performance and Production,’ says Sassmanshausen. ‘I’m very privileged to be able to use and teach with such an iconic and outstanding console and even more excited to continue discovering everything the ASP4816 has to offer.’
More: www.audient.com
