Sennheiser’s Recording Sound Academy
Sennheiser launched a new online Recording Sound Academy to help aspiring producers and engineers achieve their dreams and create a great-sounding mix. Through a partnership with audio software and hardware manufacturer Steinberg, Sennheiser is providing recording enthusiasts with the opportunity to have their mixes reviewed and evaluated by engineers, including Grammy winners David Thoener (Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie), Karl Richardson (Eric Clapton, The Bee Gees, Barbra Streisand) and Al Schmitt (Steely Dan, Ray Charles), as well as Tom Young (Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra), Tim Palmer (Pearl Jam, U2) and Kool & Dre (Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes, Queen Latifah).
The online Recording Sound Academy is an interactive program that provides aspiring engineers and producers with raw, individual pre-recorded tracks for three unreleased songs by a well-known recording artist, each recorded with Sennheiser and Neumann microphones. To participate, users download these from the Recording Sound Academy Web site (www.sennheiserusa.com/rsa), mix them on their computers or in their home studios, and then upload a finished track to the site. After each mix is completed and uploaded, it is then individually critiqued by an award-winning engineer.
The online RSA borrows instructional elements from the RSA, such as tips and instruction on microphone selection and placement, as well as recording techniques. All participants in the program are invited to participate in a series of live video webinars that feature the participating engineers, who will explain how they created their version of the final mix for the songs. The webinars present an opportunity for program participants to learn about techniques and methods of mixdown, as well as how the microphones are used to capture the tracks.
Participants are encouraged to use whatever DAW software they are comfortable with. The program provides a complimentary copy of Steinberg’s Cubase LE 5 to all users. Once the program is completed, one participant with the best mix will be chosen to win a Neumann U87 Ai.