Students at the Dun Laoghaire Further Education Institute (DFEi) in Dublin, Ireland, have begun the new academic year with a new Audient ASP8024 Heritage Edition mixing console in their studio following an extensive upgrade.

‘We offer students the chance to undertake supervised studio time outside of class hours to work on their own projects,’ says Music and Sound Engineering programme course coordinator Patrick Wall explains. ‘There has been really great uptake this year, and I am sure that the new console and studio improvements have played a part.’

The studio set-up comprises a control room, main live room, drum room and smaller booth. The control room houses the Audient console, Genelec monitoring, a Mac Mini M1 running Pro Tools, and an outboard rack with various processors and effects. ‘As well as the new Audient console, we installed bespoke studio furniture and a new patchbay to integrate our rack gear,’ Wall says.

Recommended by local pro audio services company, Big Bear Sound, it was the price point and the fact that it’s an analogue desk that originally attracted the DFEi to the Audient. ‘It’s working really well,’ reports William Demange, DFEi’s Sound Engineering & Music Technology teacher. ‘All I/Os are routed to our new patchbay which simplifies the work flow.

‘Overall, the desk offers a lot of flexibility,’ he continues, ‘The layout of the console and the fact it’s a large-format desk makes it easier for students to learn on. We also appreciate the DAW control features and punchy preamps.’

According to Wall, it is not just current students who are enjoying the upgraded studio space at DFEi: ‘Interestingly, we have had a number of visits from former students now working in the industry who were particularly impressed by the new console and studio upgrade,’ he confirms.

With currently three class groups using the console: SE5A – Sound Engineering and Music Production with DJ Skills, SE5B – Sound Engineering and Music Production with Live Music Skills and SE6A – Advanced Sound Engineering and Music Production (second year students), around 36 students will be working directly with the desk over the course of this year. And Wall expects that number to increase over time: ‘We expect to continue to grow, as our investment in new technology should draw more students to our courses.’

More: https://audient.com