Pictured is one of three new API Legacy consoles that were recently purchased by Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Photo: Phil Farnsworth; courtesy of Berklee College of Music
Automated Processes Inc. (API) announces that the Berklee College of Music in Boston replaced three of its older consoles with three new 32-channel discrete analog API Legacy Plus consoles over the winter break. Berklee houses 13 studios that operate for 22 hours per day, seven days a week for students pursuing a Bachelor of Music Degree with a major in Music Production and Engineering.
“We’ve received nothing but glowing reviews from students, faculty and staff,” says Rob Jaczko, chair of the MP&E Department and a former staff recording engineer at A&M Studios in Hollywood, with credits that include Sheryl Crow, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley and others. “API represents a professional benchmark that has been a sonic standard for decades. Innumerable classic albums owe their sound to API. We bought these consoles to allow our students to experience that important piece of the recording puzzle firsthand.”
The three studios that house the API Legacy Plus consoles teach foundational classes in recording and mix techniques, where signal flow and the basic aesthetics of recording and mixing are taught. Because the Legacy is a classic in-line console, it serves to make lessons in signal flow intuitive. “The Legacys are very flexible in terms of routing,” says Jaczko. “It makes straightforward tasks—such as demonstrating parallel compression in mix class—easy. But it also allows for more creative uses of console routing, which facilitates teaching advanced concepts and gives students the opportunity to truly master complex mix situations.”
The three API rooms have also been designed to share a parity of equipment, allowing students to move projects between these studios with ease. Additionally, all Berklee MP&E students receive a laptop loaded with Pro Tools LE and other software tools. The three rooms with the Legacy Plus consoles also interface with Pro Tools HD.
The three API studios also serve Critical Listening classes. “The simple act of putting tracks up through the API Legacy Plus is impressive,” says Jaczko. “It’s the classic sound. There’s a certain musicality to it that is obvious when you hear it, but difficult to explain in words. This is a critical piece of ear training for our students.
The College also has aspirations to build a music technology building from the ground up. “We wanted our console purchases now to retain their relevance moving forward,” Jaczko concludes. “We’re happy to know the Legacys will be serving legions of students for a long time to come!”
For more information, visit www.apiaudio.com and www.berklee.edu.
