An active force in Melbourne’s audio education since 2013, the SAE University College campus has employed Audient technology to guide hundreds of students through the intricacies of professional audio production. Set up to take learners from their first fader push to high-end mastering, the school provides a smooth transition between foundational skills and advanced engineering.
The campus currently houses two ASP4816 consoles and a flagship ASP8024, ensuring students work within a familiar environment as they progress through their studies. The Audient inventory was recently expanded with a Nero desktop monitor controller in the Mastering Suite – the aim being to refine the monitoring process in a space where critical listening is the priority.
According to SAE Australia Senior Lecturer Gareth Parton, this consistency is a deliberate choice for the curriculum. ‘Our Audio and Music students learn in professional-level studios equipped with industry-standard technology,’ he explains. ‘We upgraded our core teaching spaces with Audient consoles to create a consistent, hands-on learning environment that supports students from foundational skills through to advanced production workflows.’
The two ASP4816 desks serve as the workhorses for introductory studios, while the larger ASP8024 is reserved for higher-level sessions where complex, multi-input tracking is required. Reliability and ease-of-use are paramount considerations, and Parton notes that the Audient range hits the spot for both tutors and learners.
The consoles’ clear signal flow allows students to grasp core concepts without getting lost in technical complexity and, despite heavy student use over more than a decade, they require minimal maintenance.
The feedback from the front lines is equally positive and Parton observes that it is these spaces that are often the most sought-after on campus: ‘Our Audient rooms are the most popular amongst our student cohort,’ he says. ‘They appreciate the clean, transparent sound and intuitive workflow, and truly enjoy the flexibility of working on a large-format console.
Since its installation, the Nero controller has become a valuable tool for students focusing on the final stages of production, offering both control and a fluid workflow. ‘We introduced the Audient Nero specifically to streamline monitoring and manage multiple inputs more efficiently in a critical listening environment,’ Parton says.
More: https://audient.com