Gilbert, Ariz., Aug. 29, 2019 – Being educated by manufacturers in the studio is great…and bending the ears of industry professionals for sage advice is even better.
Recently, CRAS students were able to do both.
The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS; www.cras.edu), a leading institution for audio engineering education, was recently visited by REFTONE co-founders and co-owners Lisa Chamblee and Dave Hampton. Not only did the duo share their expertise in studio speaker and reference engineering, but Chamblee also imparted her wisdom during a CRAS “Women of Audio” (WOA) mentoring session to a host of future female audio professionals.
“CRAS recently started a group called CRAS Women of Audio to help support, guide and promote women at CRAS and beyond, and Lisa was able to meet with our female students during their REFTONE visit for some extra mentoring,” said Nancy Scharlau-Murman, CRAS Music Production and Recording Instructor. “She spoke personally of her experiences and offered invaluable career guidance, and her vast industry knowledge and honesty clearly resonated with all. The group was excited to have met Lisa and share their audio experiences with her and the others in the group, as well. This was a positive mentoring session that was greatly appreciated by the group and, hopefully, will open new doors for future meetings.”
Chamblee said that visiting CRAS was an incredible experience. “The student level of participation and potential is extremely high,” she added. “I was impressed by the students, faculty, and campuses. My time spent with the CRAS Women of Audio group talking about engineering, the industry, and the business was very special and inspiring. I’m looking forward to all the future visits!”
Both Chamblee and Hampton are well-accomplished audio engineers and producers in their own right who have worked with artists such as Prince, Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Chicago, and Marcus Miller. Hampton is an author who has written two books and is a studio designer having designed many rooms including Paisley Park for Prince. Chamblee has experience as a studio manager as well as studio design, having designed with Dave for RZA, Sinbad, and MIA. They came together to co-found REFTONE in 2012.
“I have visited many schools and am always impressed when I visit CRAS,” said Hampton. “[CRAS’] studios reflect the same environments that I work in with many different artists to this day. I also was impressed with [CRAS’] live program as well as the school’s Dolby Atmos broadcast truck classroom. It was a pleasure to talk with the new young talented crop of engineers and provide feedback on their music.”
David Kohr, CRAS instructor and CRAS Faculty Liaison AES Student Chapter, said that Lisa and Dave were engaged with CRAS students the entire time they were on campus and that the pair were open and welcoming which made them easily approachable. “Our students opened up to them right away. It was one of the most, if not the most, student-involved and engaging events that we’ve ever done here at CRAS. They listened to student mixes and offered their creative advice and input. Needless to say, there were a line of students with their laptops and phones in hand waiting to share their music to get some feedback.”
REFTONE produces passive near-field reference monitors that allow you to hear full range clearly at low volumes, for accuracy and placement. These reference speakers help you be a better judge and know exactly what you’re listening to, exposing sonic details that may be hidden on some active monitors. REFTONE are ideal for all stages of audio production, including tracking, mixing, editing, mastering, and post production. REFTONE are designed for all user levels and environments, such as professional and home studios, edit bays, laptop rigs, DJ booths, and mobile recording setups. Engineers, producers, video editors, students, DJs, and broadcast pros all trust REFTONE speakers to make their crucial decisions. A combination of classic audio principles, a proprietary driver and high quality wooden cabinetry make REFTONE the reference speaker your ears can rely on.
“On top of being on campus representing their company and products, Lisa and Dave were also open books with our students when it came to their years of experience and knowledge,” added Kirt Hamm, CRAS administrator. “They both did a great job and we can’t thank them enough for sharing so much of their time and expertise as well as their great REFTONE products.”
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, Audio Post for Film and TV, Music Production, Commercial Production and Video Game Audio, all taught by award-winning instructors who have excelled in their individual fields. 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 G+ and 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.
For more information on CRAS, please visit www.cras.edu, contact Kirt Hamm, administrator, at 1-800-562-6383, or email to [email protected].
About REFTONE Speakers LLC
REFTONE Speakers was created by Audio Engineers, Dave Hampton and Lisa Chamblee to offer quality reference tools to the audio industry. Their mission is to offer affordable, high-quality audio reference monitoring solutions to the multi-media industry without a compromise on design and quality. REFTONE products give users a detailed, accurate listening experience that translates their audio work clearly.
About The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences
Based in the heart of The Valley of the Sun with two campuses in Gilbert and Tempe, Ariz., The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS) is one of the country’s premier institutions for audio education. The Conservatory has developed a unique and highly effective way to help the future audio professional launch their careers in the recording industry and other related professional audio categories.
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