Concordia University Expands With New Rupert Neve Designs 5088
Located just outside of Los Angeles, Concordia University Irvine recently opened the new Borland-Manske Center in August 2019, marking a significant expansion of its music program.
The acoustic spaces in the $30M building were designed by Walters-Storyk Design Group and include an 1100 sq. ft. studio suite connected to a 3000 sq. ft. orchestral hall and a 2500 sq. ft. choral hall for large scale recordings. Anchoring the studio is a new 32-channel Rupert Neve Designs 5088 console, fully loaded with 32x Shelford 5052 Mic Preamp / Inductor EQ modules, 9x Shelford 5051 Inductor EQ / Compressor modules, and the company’s own SwiftMix™ automation.
“I have been fortunate to work on consoles designed by Mr. Rupert Neve for many years,” says Prof. Steve Young, Concordia’s Director of Commercial Music. “One of our core values for the new facility is to provide students with an opportunity to learn, create and grow in an environment featuring tools and technology to which they might not normally have access.”
Concordia’s commercial music program is a “diverse, immersive experience, designed to prepare the student for the demands that face today’s music professionals.” The curriculum, which emphasizes both musicianship and artistry, includes study in areas such as performance, composition / songwriting, arranging and music production.
“While students learn best-practices in music-making, we want them to experience best-in-class audio quality,” Young continues. “The 5088 was an obvious choice for its vintage heritage, modern capabilities and superior sound. It has a transparency and clarity that separated it from the other consoles we considered – and it looks amazing in the room!”
