WavesLive Was Developed and Presented by Waves Audio, Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS), & CRAS AES Student Chapter Representatives to Teach Live Sound Techniques Utilizing Waves Plugins & Gear

Gilbert, Ariz. - The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS; www.cras.edu), the premier institution for audio engineering education, and its AES Student Chapter, recently opened its doors at its Gilbert, Ariz. campus to Waves Audio for WavesLive, an in-depth workshop for CRAS students and local audio pros. “The live sound workshop was incredibly informative and insightful for our students,” said Kirt Hamm, CRAS administrator. “Waves designs and produces top-shelf pro audio gear. Having them come in and train our students is real-world knowledge they can take with them into the field, which is invaluable at this stage of their education. The CRAS AES Chapter is incredibly active, and it was evident here during the WavesLive workshop.” The session was a CRAS AES event that was developed and presented by Waves and David Kohr, a CRAS instructor and CRAS Faculty Liaison for the AES Student Chapter. In all, approximately 200 students and local audio pros participated in the workshop. The event began with introducing CRAS AES, where co-presidents CJ Smith and Josh Badger spoke about student AES activities. That was followed by Waves artist’s Ken 'Pooch' Van Druten (Linkin Park, Kid Rock, Kiss) and Eddie ‘El Brujo’ Caipo (Enrique Iglesias, Gwen Stefani) demonstrating how they mix their artists on tour using Waves plugins. Waves Live Product Specialist Kent Margraves also gave an overview of SoundGrid and DiGiGrid products as well as demonstrating some of Waves’ most useful plugins in a live sound setting. “Education and audio instruction have always been a Waves priority and as such, we are delighted to cooperate with CRAS where students can explore the latest in cutting-edge audio technology and hone their craft,” said Mick Olesh, Waves EVP of Sales & Marketing. “CRAS is the perfect vehicle for training the next generation of sound engineers and musicians.” There were open dialogues between Waves, CRAS instructors, and CRAS students throughout the workshop. The students were encouraged to be involved as much as possible so they could learn every facet of live sound recording. “Here at the Conservatory, we have one of the most active student chapters of the Audio Engineering Society in North America, and its companies like Waves reaching out to us to host this amazing WavesLive event that makes getting an education from the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences so much more unique than what you can get anywhere else,” said Kohr. “Waves has some of the best plugins available and now, with the Waves LV1 software mixer, they have an amazing console as well. Waves has always been involved with the Conservatory, providing a valuable platform of education for our students.” Besides being trained on gear, Waves educated the participants on how far live sound has come over the decades, as well as how to get established in the live sound industry and recommended reading to get ahead. “The event was very well rounded,” added Hamm. “Being successful is not just about how to work the gear. It’s about relationships and how to work well with the artists. Waves did a fantastic job educating our students with their first-hand knowledge and experience.” The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences is composed of two nearby campuses in Gilbert and Tempe, Ariz. A CRAS education includes broadcast audio, live sound, film and TV audio, music, and video game audio, all taught by award-winning instructors who have all excelled in their individual fields, including sound reinforcement, audio recording and production, digital recording, troubleshooting/maintenance, and music business. CRAS structured programs and highly qualified teaching staff provide a professional and supportive atmosphere, which is complemented by its small class sizes allowing for individual instruction and assistance for students in engineering audio recordings. CRAS has been providing quality vocational training in audio recording for more than three decades. The curriculum and equipment are constantly being updated to keep pace with the rapid advancements in the music and sound recording industries. CRAS’ course offerings and subject matter have always centered around the skills and knowledge necessary for students’ success in the audio recording industries. The 11-month program is designed to allow every student access to learn and train in all of the Conservatory’s studios which are comprised with state-of-the-art audio recording and mixing gear, the same equipment used in today’s finest studios and remote broadcast facilities, including Pro Tools 12, API Legacy consoles, SSL AWS consoles, Studer Vista consoles, and much more. All students must complete a 280-hour industry internship to graduate from the Master Recording Program II that may ultimately lead to industry employment. Currently, a CRAS graduate has been nominated for a 2017 GRAMMY® Award. In addition, 32 CRAS graduates worked on 35 2017 GRAMMY-nominated albums and songs across 35 categories, of which 11 graduates received multiple credits on nominations. “We want everyone to see, hear, and feel how our 11-month program focuses exclusively on what a student needs to know to begin living their passion in any one of the many facets of the recording arts,” explained Hamm. For more information on the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences, please visit www.cras.edu, contact Kirt Hamm, administrator, at 1-866-757-3059, or email to info@cras.edu.