Ontario-based applied arts and technology school Canadore College has installed a Solid State Logic ORIGIN analogue in-line mixing console to support its new two-year Recording Engineering – Music Production course.
The ORIGIN console was installed as part of a comprehensive studio package supplied by Studio Economik in Montreal, featuring an SSL Fusion processor, which is being used by teachers to familiarize students with analogue hardware.
“A lot of our student are used to using the computer and have never worked on a console. They’re not familiar with what a console is capable of,” said Ben Leggett, professor and coordinator on the new programme at Canadore College. Leggett is a JUNO Award-nominated producer, engineer and mixer working in music production and film post production.
“I wanted to get the ORIGIN because of the EQ on each channel, and how you can shape the sound with the four bands, just like you can in the computer,” he continued. “So we’re able to show students how to apply EQ manually with a physical piece of equipment. Another big thing is getting students to understand how the routing works, and how it’s very much the same in a DAW and a console, and having that lightbulb go off.”
The new console allows faculty members to highlight some of the key differences between analogue and digital audio processing. “Sonically, you can crank the console’s EQ knob all the way and it still sounds good, as opposed to digital, which sometimes doesn’t do the same thing,” said Leggett. “The sonic quality that the console will add when you push a signal into it is different. Depending on what you’re going for, you can push the signal louder into the SSL console and it will give you a different sound than pushing it into a computer programme.”
Canadore College was able to maintain in-person learning during the pandemic for the duration of the academic year, which ended in April. “We had to reduce our class sizes,” said Leggett, due to the pandemic. “But it worked out for the better because smaller class sizes meant more hands-on time with the console for students.”