A second SSL mixing console has been added to the University of Hull’s School of Drama, Music & Screen as part of an ongoing upgrade being carried out by The Studio People. Joining the University’s SSL AWS at the Salmon Grove Studio, a Duality allow Creative Music Technology students to learn hybrid workflow that combines DAW control and analogue signal flow within a single control surface.

‘This is not a sound engineer training course per sé, though some of our students do go into that type of career,’ says Dr Andrew King, Senior Lecturer of Music & Technology. ‘It’s also for people hoping to be in creative industries, media, and teaching. Based on discussions with our industry contacts, we felt it was critical to expose students who choose to follow that path to large-format consoles.’

Many Hull students enter the school with computer-based recording skills, usually having used a laptop with Logic or Cubase. ‘Though they have knowledge of the field, our students generally have not had prior access to what we consider a professional studio,’ King says. ‘We try to complement mixing in-the-box with an analogue workflow in order to prepare them for high-end studio engineering, and Duality is the perfect tool to teach this. It has the best DAW control over Pro Tools software, which has become such a mainstay in studios. Referencing the analogue workflow of the Duality while using Pro Tools enables students to comprehend why we might insert a compressor before the EQ or vice-versa. Once they have that sort of tactile understanding on a console, it’s easier for them to apply the concepts to software.’

The University’s Creative Music Technology Programme was originally held on a separate campus: ‘We had music on the Hull Campus and music technology on the Scarborough Campus,’ continues King. ‘Two years ago, the University decided to amalgamate both programmes to one area. Since it was impossible to move the studio facilities, we had to rebuild. In order to design a studio around the Duality and a teaching environment, we started from scratch and added quite a large control room and studio floor, bigger than many similar institutions, so that we can record either an ensemble or use the facility for multitracking.’

Students have access to the music studios 24 hours a day, seven days a week: ‘The students are with us for 30 weeks out of the year,’ adds King. ‘During that time, they have sole access to the studios outside of regular class hours. Some institutions hire out their studios for professional projects, but I think we have to prioritise our students and allow them to record a variety of projects. The students record everything from rock and pop groups to larger orchestral ensembles, or even just voice-overs. Students are assigned projects, but the essence of the program is for them to get into the studios and work on their own ideas.’

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