Boone, NC (November 17, 2025)—The Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, has undergone an acoustic, design and technology upgrade in the Robert F. Gilley Recording studios, which involved a new 64-channel API Vision Console for the B Studio and a complete acoustical redesign of the facility led by Program Director for the Music Industry Studies program Professor Scott Wynne, in collaboration with Wes Lachot of Wes Lachot Design Group.
The new design—the first that the veteran studio designer has done at an academic institution—incorporates ATC SCM100 soffit mount 3.2 and ATC SCM 50 surround monitors for mixing in 5.1. Lachot’s Organic Architecture principles are displayed throughout the room, including in his zero reflection front wall and proprietary cloud and wall diffusers.
The revamped B Studio offers 34 channels of outboard preamps, 24 channels of compressors, 32 channels of outboard EQ and 12 channels of outboard effects processors from major manufactures including Neve, API, SSL, Manley, Empirical Labs, Drawmer and Eventide.
Recording at Florin High School AMP Academy
The API Vision console is partially loaded with 16 channels of API 212 preamps, 32 channels of 225 compressors, 16 channels of 550AL and 48 channels of 550BL EQs, and seven 235L Gate/Expanders. The optional 500 Series section incorporates reverbs by Merris and AMS Neve to give students access to reverb controls from the mix position. Future updates will incorporate stereo bus compressors.
The API Vision console was chosen for B Studio in order to provide the best hands-on experience for students due to its overwhelming patchbay options, configurations and automation system.
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“The quality of the console is clearly paramount to the decision of commissioning this API Vision console, but it was also about the ability to do 5.1 mixes, automation and the dual-fader design for teaching inline console signal flow,” Wynne said. “While there are many consoles out there that have a plethora of features and routing, we already have an SSL Duality Delta, Avid S6, Lawo MC2-56 and Midas M32 consoles that the students learn on, as well, and this definitely fit a specific niche historically and creatively.”
The Music Industry Studies program has a concentration in Recording and Production with a minor in General Business.
