Two New Jersey Colleges Significantly Upgrade Their Entertainment Technology
Ramapo: Ramapo College of New Jersey (Mahwah) cut the ribbon on its new Les Paul Studio for Music Recording and Sound Design on February 27.
This studio, the first of its kind at the college, was designed to enable Ramapo students to function and operate any studio in the world, the college said in a statement.
The fundamentals of acoustics, recording technologies and electronics have all been incorporated into the curriculum, while keeping both analog and digital as part of the formats.
Les Paul himself found the warmth of analog sound important, yet experimented with new technologies in search of the “sound no one had ever heard before,” the statement continued.
The studio features a separate control room and a live room with an isolated vocal booth. Funded with a substantial grant from the Les Paul Foundation (New York City), this studio combines analog and digital technologies in order to teach students a wide range of tools and to expand their creative palettes.
The control room features an Audient ASP4816 recording console, Pro Tools HD system and an Apogee Symphony audio interface. All levels of recording arts courses are taught at the studio, as well as audio courses in communication arts.
“Les would be honored to see how his life will now influence so many students of tomorrow,” said Michael Braunstein, executive director of the foundation. “He was always inventing, creating and looking to the future in everything he did. The Les Paul Studio for Music Recording and Sound Design is just another example of how Les Paul will continue to influence our future generation while giving them the tools they need to pursue a career in the music industry.”
Montclair State University: Montclair State University has entered into a strategic alliance with Sony Electronics (Ridgefield Park) for a long-term plan to enable communications and media students to gain real-world experience and get a high-tech preview of their future careers, according to a statement from the university.
Montclair State’s new School of Communication and Media building, currently under construction, will provide a facility where Sony will offer industry professional training similar to what is offered at its Digital Motion Picture Center (DMPC) on the lot of Sony Pictures Studios, in Culver City, California.
The new building at Montclair State will include “cutting-edge” 4K facilities that will be available to students and production professionals in every aspect of the creative process.
Sony will also use the space to host business development events, conduct training and promote new technologies, establishing Montclair State as a preferred environment for Sony’s introduction of new products, technologies and services relating to television, film, media and higher education, the statement continued.
“The alliance with Montclair State is a perfect match for Sony’s long-standing commitment to the education community, providing media and communications students with training and hands-on access to professional technologies,” said Alec Shapiro, president of Sony Electronics Professional Solutions Americas.
“The growing demand for 4K content and for future professionals trained in 4K workflows — combined with Montclair State’s forward-thinking approach to education — created the perfect opportunity to build this unique facility and industry resource.”
