hey !

Instead of using a journal for my own modest abode, which admittedly has not seen much use lately, I thought I'd post a journal of a community studio project I am involved in.

Some of you may know that I'm a director in a vocational training college. I live in a mid-large town on the south coast of western australia. Recently I had a request from the local music shop to be involved in a project to set up a recording studio in a youth centre run by the Police and Citizens Youth Club (PCYC).

The PCYC have established a fabulous facility here in town for the local youth, who may be wandering slightly left-of-centre. It contains a wicked gym, hangout area, basketball court, computer rooms and a purpose built recording studio.

It also is attached to a facility for the arts "Southern Edge Arts" who are involved in theatre, dance etc which also includes very acrobatic styles of theatre.

The local council's community project officer wishes to establish a recording studio, broadcast radio station and small production (video etc) suite in the facility. After talking to the local music shop who are supplying the gear for the studio, and are worried that simply dumping a heap of stuff in there is not going to lead to productive outcomes, asked me if I'd like to be involved.

It's very timely for me. I also wish to gain some qualifications to enhance my career prospects, and the pre-requisite qualification is a vocational teaching qual...something impossible for me to achieve currently as a director. Running a small recording course in the studio as it gets established is the perfect way for me to get my assessments completed and provide the PCYC with a service as well. Win-Win

This journal will track my progress and the studio's progress as we establish the facility. Part of the process of em teaching these kids will be "validating" my teaching program. And for that I will welcome members' contributions here.

I will post the parts of the program as I write them and put them into place into the studio. Unfortunately there is not a lot of time available to me, and I also have to balance my work and family commitments however, my main focus is to simply get the ball rolling and ensure there is a core group of kids/people who are going to look after the PCYC's investment and who I can also stimulate into becoming the GAS afflicted pale skin audio-heads that we all are

I had a tour of the facilites yesterday, and the room is a little small but at least they have got a separate tracking room and control room. I shall get pics and measurements soon. It needs treatment! (both rooms) so that is where I'll start.

I shall also get a list of the gear, but it's based mainly around a Korg X3200 and a PC running Pro Tools with M-Box2.

I'm excited to be part of this project, and I look forward to some contribution from members here as the journey unfolds. To my knowledge, I believe I shall be the first person to use such a forum as this to "validate" some of my assessments and learning programs in my college (if some of you are willing to contribute )

OK - that sets the scene. I'm spending some time writing up a broad learning program this weekend, so I'll post that and see how we go from here.

Thanks

Tubedriver.

By the way - the youth group that will take control of the facility is called CRANK - Citizens Representing Albany's New Kommunity. I think that will also be the studio name.

oh - Dot, if you think that this journal is outside the boundaries you've set for this forum, I'm happy to have it elsewhere or deleted

T

Very cool, tube! I'll follow this one with interest!


What sort of work do you expect to be recorded there?

cheers DRM
at this stage, I believe the focus will be on the "up and coming". However, I have talked to a couple of local independent artists here who are very much into coming down and trying out the room.
One of them is also organising a songwriting course to run in conjunction, so it should be a fruitful little time!
There are a number of acoustic based artists around too, which will be good for testing things out.
T

Man tubedriber, that sounds really cool!! I wish it was closer so I could pitch in. Actually Tiger Woods has just opened a vocational center for kids not too far from me, and me and my manager/girlfreind and trying to figure out if there is some way we can donate some time to help out with that.

I think you will have a great time. Teaching teaches you a lot, and helping out kids that need it, is very very cool.

Thanks Ronan
I have nearly finished my overview of the program. I've been getting the town's Community Officer fired up to make up panel absorbers, and organising some spot treatment.

Get those kids on the mitre saw!!

I'm also organising thru a friend, to have a multicore made up to connect the tracking room to the control room.

T

Alrighty
I've been busily working my way through the innards of the main recording system - the Korg D3200.

What a beast.

I wouldnt say the word "intuitive" but it's not un-learnable. I can certainly do a lot, but man I realise how much I have moved into using a computer vs. these workstation things.

I also spent the weekend setting up the studio computer - it's a Dell 9150 running Pro Tools LE 6.8.1 on an M-Box 2.

After getting everthing loaded and working, my first task was to try a file swap from the Korg D3200 (which has a USB drive) to the Dell. After a bit of trial and error I managed to transfer the demo song on the Korg to the PC and load it up into Pro Tools.

Funnily enough, and a bit unfortunate, that the Korg demo song lead vocal is clipping in places. Ugly stuff, and not what I'd want to be showing off on my brand new investment.

Here's some pics of the setup in my lounge room at home.

.

last one

Right on, Tube! How has the Korg been working?

hey Dirty, sorry didnt see your post!

The Korg is OK. It's pretty reasonable for what it is. I cut some tracks a couple weeks ago, just doing a cover with acoustic, bass, shaker and vox.

Once you get used to the machine, you can get around it pretty quickly, and things like swapping to virtual tracks for additional takes etc. is pretty fast.

Editing......I think I'll be recommending that happens in the computer!!

**********************************

Project update

Things seem to have stalled a little. The community development officer I'm working with may be moving on, so I may have to take aon a little more of this project.

The room needs some work. It also needs a snake installed between the control room and the tracking room. Plans for some home-made broadband panel absorbers have been passed on but not much has happened there.

I'm thinking I might just start the course and see what happens.....maybe we can generate enough interest to treat the room as we go.

I have a draft outline of what I propose to cover.

Coments are welcome

Tube

Program_Overview.PDF (26 Kb, 208 downloads)

Thanks for the update, Tube! The overview looks like a good practical introduction to recording. Best of luck on the project. You may be right that getting the ball rolling will generate some interest in finishing things up. Keep us posted as you wish

Righto
finally I've got some gear in there.

Lotsa work to be done to make this even an operable demo studio. The doors all need to be sealed. There is a gym right next to the control room, and the noise is frightening. They want to do radio broadcasts as well....that aint gonna happen!

Setting up the cue system at the moment. Need some cables so I'll have to swap some of the ones purchased by the organisation.

Steady as she goes. Tried my hand at making some acoustic panels last week, using some of the "foam" the community services officer bought. It's just mattress foam - pretty much useless. Might use if for some early reflection spot treatment.....perhaps.

Anyway here's some pics.

T

.

the space is reasonable

sorry about the pic quality...done in a hurry

Nice pics, tube! Glad to see the project is coming along. The writing on the wall has piqued my curiosity...

yeah - I havent looked at that graffiti at all....the room has been there for ages, used as storage etc etc

not any more!

but jeez, the external noise is horrendous! and to top it all off, they pipe the radio thru the building and there's a ceiling speaker in the control room! WTF were they thinking? I'll have to disconnect that one... heh

just got to round up some students now and kick it off

Sounds great, and cool pics! I find that working with poetry helps to get kids excited as far as writing lyrics, rhythm and overall opening up and expressing themselves.

what age group are you going to be working with?

evt

not quite sure about the age group EVT

in this case my guess would be late teens

T