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

Back in March we blogged about an upcoming Easter show that 50 CRAS students and Live Sound Instructor Keith Morris were putting together for the Radiance Church. Well it was a smashing success and here is a movie showing the setup and all the gear involved. Some of the people in the pictures are CRAS grads now working with PRG in Las Vegas. We call them the Magnificent 11. The rest are students and staff from the Conservatory putting up two semi’s full of audio and lighting gear into Cardinal’s Stadium.

photo caption: Instructors Cory Patterson and Keith Morris with one of the L-Acoustics Kudo cabinets and SB-218 sub

L-Acoustics is a French company that revolutionized tour sound with their Line Array products. Their systems are ubiquitous in tour sound and install rigs including the Alladin Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and the Hollywood Bowl. Recently, the Conservatory took delivery of a full system that will be flown in our 6,000 sq. ft. Live Sound Classroom. The array consists of 12 Kudo Quad-Amplified active 3-way enclosures; 4 SB-218 self-powered (1000 Watts) P series companion subwoofers and 12 LA48a Class TD amplifiers offering 2x 2300 W into 4 ohms. Students will be taught how to properly hang and configure this system, adding to their experience with the Conservatory’s current JBL VERTEC Line Array system currently featured in the room.

On Easter weekend, a crew of 50 Conservatory of Recording Arts students will accomplish what the Arizona Cardinals have been unable to do all year in their new stadium: Win Big. The all-CRAS audio crew, led by Live Sound instructor Keith Morris will win by getting first-class on the job training as they help set up and operate a huge audio system in the 64,000-seat venue. The event, hosted by Radiant Church, boasts an action packed, multi-media experience featuring the Disney Channel’s Jump5 and an inspiring Easter Holiday message.

The event will use an impressive array of sound reinforcement gear provided by PRG/Electrotec in Las Vegas including 28 L-Acoustic V-Dosc Line Array loud speakers, 6 dV-Dosc down hangs, 9 KUDO side hangs, in-ear monitors from Shure and floor wedges from Electrotec. Front of House will be mixed by Morris on a Yamaha PM1D Digital Mixing System with monitors provided through a DigiCo D1. The entire system is powered by 40 amps from Lab Gruppen with loudspeaker management from XTA controlled by their AudioCore software.

One of the tools the Conservatory uses in its Live Sound curriculum is SIA SmaartLive software. It can analyze the frequency response of a room, allowing the FOH engineer to correct phase and sonic irregularities for the best possible reproduction of sound within the venue. The video above is a demo by Conservatory instructor Cory Patterson.

photo caption: Students setting up the stage for their Cycle 3 live sound band clinic

CRAS students learn sound reinforcement in a real-world 6,000 sq. ft. live sound classroom offering a wide array of pro audio gear. After setting up mics, feeds to FOH and a monitor mix for the band, students later record them remotely and turn in their mixes to be graded by the staff. Live sound and recording have never been closer than they are now. The advent of professional portable recording gear, like Digidesign’s Pro Tools makes it easier than ever to capture a performance live, then release it for public consumption.

photo caption: Cycle 8 students learning how to fly the JBL VerTec Line Array in the CRAS 6,000 sq. ft. Live Sound venue

JBL is one of the biggest names in tour sound, with their VerTec Line Array systems operating in venues all over the globe. The system has won numerous awards including the coveted Mix Magazine TEC award for Sound Reinforcement Loudspeaker Technology. Conservatory students get plenty of hands- and ears-on time with JBL’s VT4888 array in their live sound classes in Cycles 2, 3, 9 and 10 and receive a manufacturer’s certification in the operation and setup of the system. The class pictured above is learning how to safely “fly” the rig at very specific angles, making sure the venue is optimally covered. The Conservatory’s live sound program prepares students for work in tour sound, audio for houses of worship and theater.

photo caption: Instructor Keith Morris showing Cycle 3 students the ins and outs of gating

When it comes to signal path, knowing what’s good and what’s bad is very important. And knowing how to deal with what’s bad is where dynamics processing comes in. Setting up gates and compressors, either hardware or software versions, is a big part of Cycle 3 at the Conservatory. Students are taught what it means, and sounds like, when you adjust the Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Decay and Release of a processor. The Conservatory’s Pro Tools rigs, studios and live sound venue offer processors from Aphex, Waves, Drawmer, Manley, Universal Audio, Urei and more, giving students a wealth of experience setting up a variety of gear.