For 2011 CRAS has upgraded the amps used with the state of the art L-Acoustics Kudo speaker system used at the Gilbert location’s live sound room. The 6 new L-Acoustics LA8 amplifiers each provide 4 channels of output and contain all of the digital signal processing for filters and time alignment. The LA8′s receive their audio and control commands via a digital network and the LA Network computer software provides single point control over the entire system. Better yet, the new amps have made the already phenomenal Kudo speaker system sound even better! Check out more photos of the new amplifiers.

The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences took a select group of students to U.S. Airways Arena in downtown Phoenix to observe the setup for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ MOJO tour concert date on September 26th, 2010. CRAS was the guest of Petty’s front of house sound engineer and 6 time TEC award winner Robert Scovill. Robert has a long history with CRAS as a curriculum developer and member of the CRAS board of directors. Students also got to meet front of house technician Jim Brentlinger and monitor technician Mike Bangs who both work for Sound Image and are graduates of the Conservatory. Amazingly soundcheck was just about to begin when the call came in that Tom Petty was ill and that the show was cancelled! While Petty fans were surely dissapointed, CRAS students still saw an amazing setup for a show that no one ever saw. See pictures of the event here or read more about the audio setup of Tom Petty & the Heartbreaker’s MOJO tour at Pro Sound Web.

Paul Hugo from Marshank Sales Co. shows off the EAW NTL720 line array speaker system in the CRAS live sound room.

Wednesday March 25th, CRAS hosted Marshank Sales Co. as they provided product demonstrations of high-end sound reinforcement equipment to CRAS students and outside clients. The Conservatory’s large live sound room provided the perfect place to show off the state of the art gear from EAW, Martin Audio, Mackie and more. Check out more photos from this event here.

l to r: Matt Kornick, Chris Houston, Jonathan Skeen, Martin Valencia, Josh Mellott, Mike Bangs, John Deskin, Scot Osborne, Vince Luchetta; on top: Brandon Rinas

The CRAS grads pictured above are all employed by Sound Image in San Diego and have worked with some of the top names in music. Congrats to all who have turned their dreams and internships into audio careers.

Josh Valentine – 2003 Graduate
Aerosmith – Technician
Lenny Kravitz – PA Technician
Brian Wilson – Monitor Technician
Dropping Daylight – Monitor and FOH Engineer
Def Leppard – PA technician

Andrew Cawley – 2003 Graduate
Jimmy Buffett – Monitor Technician/PA Technician
Gwen Stefani – PA Technician
No Doubt – PA Technician/ Monitor Technician
Jacks Mannequin – Monitor Technician
Santana – PA Technician

Mike Bangs – 2004 Graduate
Aerosmith – Monitor Technician/ Crew Chief
Katy Perry – FOH and Monitor Engineer/ Production Manager
Kenna – FOH Engineer/ Production Manager
Boz Scaggs – Monitor Engineer
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Monitor Technician
Babyface – Monitor Engineer
Billy Bob Thornton – Monitor Engineer


Matt Kornick – 2004 Graduate
Jimmy Buffett – PA Technician
Jason Mraz – PA System Technician/Crew Chief
Santana – PA Technician

Chris Houston – 2009 Graduate
Sound Image Shop Technician

Martin Valencia – 2009 Graduate
Sound Image Shop Technician

Scott Taylor – 2009 Graduate
Sound Image Shop Technician

Jonathan Skeen – 2008 Graduate
Sound Image Inventory Manager

Brandon Rinas – 2005 Graduate
String Cheese – Monitor Technician
Rascal Flatts – Monitor Technician
Sound Image Contracting Division Design Engineer

Scot Osborne – 2005 Graduate
Crickett Amphitheatre – PA Delay Technician

Josh Mellott – 2007 Graduate
Bob Dylan – Monitor Technician
Crosby, Stills, and Nash – Monitor Technician

John Deskin – 2007 Graduate
Santana – Monitor Technician/PA Technician
Van Morrison – Monitor Technician
Jimmy Buffett – PA Technician
Jason Mraz – Monitor Technician
Salvador Santana – Monitor Engineer

Vince Luchetta – 2008 Graduate
Jimmy Buffett – Monitor Technician/PA Technician
Boz Scaggs – Monitor Technician
L.L. Cool J. – Monitor Technician
John Legend – Monitor Technician/ PA Technician

CRAS live sound instructor Keith Morris guided students through Roland’s compact yet extremley powerful V-Mixing system during a clinic held August 8th, 2009.  Students were given hands on time with the M-400 mixer as it drove sound through CRAS’s L-Acoustics Kudo line array PA system.  In addition students could acquaint themselves with the brand new M-48 personal monitor mixers just released by Roland. Keith demonstrated how musicians can have instant control over their stage mixes, or how the system can allow the front of house mixer to step in and remotely control an artists mix via a laptop.  To top things off, Keith even showed how the Roland system can accomodate multi-track recording with a laptop running the Sonar digital audio workstation.  All of this is made possible through the use of Roland’s digital audio snake system that uses standard Ethernet networking cable to connect the front of house mix position to the stage.  Photos of the event can be found here.

Check out this video from Presonus featuring Sammy Hagar’s FOH engineer explaining how he records the band live. The Conservatory uses Presonus gear in many of its studios and classrooms. As part of the live sound curriculum, CRAS students learn to fly a line array, set up a stage for live sound reinforcement and recording, use industry-standard tools for properly ‘shooting a room’, and assist a live sound crew in real-world audio setups.

Before the talent arrives for a concert, corporate event, Broadway show or political convention, there has to be a stage, scenery, lighting, audio, video and it all has to work just right. That’s what PRG does. CRAS grad Adam Parrish is PRG’s Production Manager and he recently came back to the CRAS to bring a bevy of gear for students to play with during their classes and afterwards. Live sound equipment from Digico, Midas, XTA, Lab Gruppen and L-Acoustics was on hand during demos and band clinics providing the students a range of experience only found at the Conservatory or on an actual live pro gig.

photo caption: Cycle 3 students learning how to hang and manage the Conservatory’s L’Acoustics KUDO line array

The Conservatory’s Live Sound program gives students an opportunity to work with some of the best gear in the business. L’Acoustics’ KUDO hangs in our 6,000 sq. ft. live sound classroom and is a new generation of line source array offering far more flexibility and possibilities than any other line array to date. KUDO provides the performance equivalent of eight different loudspeakers and is used throughout the world in concert venues, at corporate events and in houses of worship.

Joe Morris (drums), Tony Kinchion (guitar) and Felix Sainz (bass) playing at a Live Sound band clinic