Thanks to a new recording studio in the Rozsa Centre, students can now record their awesome yodelling talent in stereo sound right here on campus.
Although the studio, unveiled Monday, was originally a part of the plans for the Rozsa Centre, a lack of funding prevented the studio from being realized until recently.
"It was built with the hall," said Assistant Dean of Fine Arts Ian Warwick. "But we didn’t have the money for the equipment."
The recording studio, which cost $440,000, was funded by philanthropists Ted and Lola Rozsa, who donated $40,000, and the Calgary Community Lottery Board, which donated $400,000. A high demand for recording studios made the Rosza Centre a prime choice for the donation.
"[The Calgary Community Lottery Board] had a lot of requests for recording equipment by schools and community groups," said Warwick. "Here, they [could] offer the best facility in the city."
As a result of the donation, the Faculty of Fine Arts was able to purchase new recording equipment. The recording studio will be most beneficial to U of C music students, providing them with the opportunity to record recitals and performances.
"They’ve always made archival recordings at the University Theatre or Boris Roubakine which, in comparison, is the difference between a shoebox and a mansion," said Events Coordinator Luke Dahlgren "They’re like night and day."
Sound Recording Consultant Michael Macphee, who was pleased with the quality of the new equipment, agreed.
"It’s as good as it gets," he said. "It’s one of the standards in high quality DSD (direct stream digital). In fact, we’re still waiting for software to make it work better. It’s still under development."
For 10 hours each month, school and community groups will be allowed to use the recording facility at reduced rates.
"One of the best advantages of this is that it increased our opportunities to collaborate with schools," said Dean of Fine Arts Maurice Yacowar. "We grab every opportunity to have fine arts students from other schools to enjoy our presentations and use our facilities."
The studio will be available for rental at varying prices.
"There’s quite a range of prices really," said University Theatre Manager Normand Bouchard. "We could say anywhere between $25-150 an hour."
Students in the music program in the Faculty of Fine Arts can use the facility for free, enabling the studio to be used as a learning tool.
"The opportunity for students is right here on campus," said MacPhee. "That gives a genuine sense of your musical talents."
First-year Master of Teaching student Tanya Romeike agreed.
"As a student, it’s great to hear yourself as a benchmark for future musical growth," she said.
So far, six engineers are trained to use the equipment and will be hired on a contract basis. Starting next fall, courses in sound recording technology will be offered in the Faculty of Fine Arts.