24 l February 2013
www.psneurope.com studioreport Fromrawto BELGIUM
PHL Music, Belgium’s first pop and rock high school, has opened two fully-featured recording studios in its former meat factory facility, reports Marc Maes
1,600sqm
in-line analogue desk in the education programme. Both control rooms are equipped with a standard range of processors including a Thermionic Culture Vulture, TubeTech CL1B, Empirical Labs Distressor and dbx 160A compressors. Microphones include Neumann’s U87, Josephson e22s, DPA 4006s (matched pair), models from beyerdynamic, Royer, AKG and Shure, and Sennheiser’s e-range. Yamaha HS 80M speakers are used as standard configuration for workshops and lessons. The two control rooms are
The new music campus
features SSL Duality and Neve VRP 48 consoles
located on either side of the live room, equipped with standard guitar and bass amplification, and a Yamaha 9000 drum kit.
Size of the new campus
well done
IN LATE autumn of last year, the Provinciale Hogeschool Limburg (PHL) opened a brand new music campus, strengthening the sound engineer education programme it runs with the addition of a live room and two recording studios, allowing students to work with SSL Duality or Neve VRP 48 consoles. Until last summer, the PHL Music sound engineer education programme was located in a modest project studio, equipped with a Toft ATB 24 console. Practical classes and sessions were organised at commercial recording studios, with PHL Music paying the studio rates as part of a partnership agreement. The new music campus, with
a floorspace of 1,600sqm, features spacious classrooms, soundproof meeting rooms, fully equipped rehearsal rooms and a twin studio configuration. It is located under the Muziekodroom concert venue, demanding careful acoustic measures. “The building, a former meat
factory, was completely stripped and wrapped with acoustic damping materials. The studios are surrounded by 50cm-thick walls and we’ve never heard a
sound from the concert venue above us,” explains Jorg Sacré, co-ordinator of the studio engineer education programme at PHL Music. It was Bart Willems of Amptec who drew up the acoustic design for the recording studios – the two control rooms were over-sized in order to accommodate classes of students.. The effect-rack furniture was designed to serve as a working desk offering space for laptops and paperwork. “The oversize displays flying over the mixing consoles serve the same purpose – it’s a classroom after all,” explains Sacré. The configuration of the two
control rooms was carefully put together after thorough research with sound engineers, studio owners and manufacturers. The result is a great leap forward, from a small project studio to a double studio set-up. And, although the SSL Duality, at press time, is used in a 24-channel format, both control rooms have been fully cabled with 48 in/out. “We opted for the analogue Duality console in combination with the latest Pro Tools control system, allowing students to work ‘in the box’ on the console. It’s the
to record the live sound in the studio.”
Alongside the regular classes, PHL Music also invites specialist lecturers like producers John Morand, Jo Francken or Wouter Van Belle for masterclasses. “Staff for professional
recording, mixing and programming is in high demand,” says Filip Heurckmans, “and PHL Music is providing the music industry with skilled engineers. Studios also support PHL – until six months ago, the whole education sector was depending on studios like Galaxy, Motor Music, ArtSound or La Chapelle. Today we’re happy to return there for specific issues such as recording in a huge live room, or working with SSL 4000 or Euphonix consoles.” Heurckmans adds that in terms
of recording techniques, use of microphones or working with the mixing consoles, each of the six lecturers is quite individual, maintaining the field of tension. “And that’s the strength of the education, we actually don’t have real professors in the classical sense – the lecturers switch their own studios with the classrooms, giving first-hand practical advice,” adds Sacré.
PHL’s Filip Heurckmans with the SSL Duality
first SSL Duality in Belgium,” explains Sacré. Raf Lenssens, managing
director of Joystick Audio, Benelux distributor of SSL, points out why the Duality is a good choice for PHL. “Students get the opportunity to work with the newest techniques in analogue consoles, combining automation and total recall with smart DAW integration, resulting in SSL ‘Super Analogue’ quality, offering numerous possibilities for digital integration and digital routing.” A Neve VRP 48 console is
at the heart of the second control room – Sacré opted for the Neve because the idea was to include a standard
“Sessions from student
musicians or young bands are being recorded ensuring a steady flow of mixing content for our engineer classes,” explains Filip Heurckmans, mixing and mastering engineer and lecturer at PHL. “The raw material is recorded on HD for future exercises in editing, mixing and arranging. In addition we have a partnership deal with the Muziekodroom venue to record band projects of PHL music students, either with or without a live audience. By operating the SSL on a MADI protocol instead of on a conventional system, the installation of external MADI converters in the hall allows us
The PHL Music studio engineer bachelor education programme enjoys quite some popularity – only a selection of 13 to 15 students out of 200 entries are allowed in the first year of the three-year course, costing some €500 per annum, excluding manuals and equipment. “A studio technician is the key to a good recording, and musicians should feel good in order to achieve the best possible performance,” says Sacré. “That’s why, throughout the three years, we emphasise the correct attitudes: discipline and motivation.” “We have created recording studios of a professional standard, but not for commercial purposes,” concludes Sacré. “Once the students have completed the course, they’ll have to find their way in the recording industry, working with the common studio deals as they are today.” n
www.amptec.be www.phl.be
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