Audient iD4s have been chosen for 36 individual workstations at WaterBear The College of Music in Brighton. A total of 343 on-site BA (Hons) students will get their hands on the 2-input/2-output compact audio interfaces during this academic year, with Resident Sound Engineer Lewis Dolan happy to report that that they have proved themselves both reliable and robust. ‘They are being used day in and day out, and have never let us down – they can clearly take quite a beating.
‘Being able to have a good sounding DI/Hi-Z signal to track live bass or guitar is fundamental to our lessons and the iD4s provide just that,’ he continues. Each iD4 is equipped with an Audient console mic preamp, class leading converters and a JFET instrument input, ensuring professional audio performance.
‘As the on-site technician at WaterBear, the thing I enjoy about them is that I’ve only had two in three years that have needed a small fix. That makes my life a lot easier and puts worries of disaster aside for years to come. For the students, having an interface that is clear and concise in its construction means they don’t have to worry about the tech and can focus on being creative.’
WaterBear offers degree courses tailored towards the musicians, artists and industry professionals of today. ‘We’re about smaller class sizes, flexible course delivery, one-to-one mentoring and exclusive work experience and career development opportunities for our students, as well as inspiring creative freedom and building communities of exceptional industry connections,’ Dolan says.
The newest WaterBear campus opens in Sheffield in 2023, offering the same courses as those in Brighton. ‘These are two amazing UK cities with incredible musical roots and heritage,’ Dolan says.
Offering his own thoughts as to the future of WaterBear, as well as its audio production department, he adds: ‘I would scale up the experience from home studio to professional studio level. This would provide multiple spaces for our students to rehearse, record and mix to their hearts’ content.’
More: https://waterbear.org.uk
