The University of Oxford unveiled its new Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, featuring a Harrison 32Classic 32-channel analog mixing console in one of three music studios. The center houses the Faculty of Music’s studios, including Studio Three, which utilizes the console to capture live performances from various venues over the building’s integrated Dante AoIP network.
The 32Classic provides 64 bi-directional channels of premium AD/DA conversion coupled to a Dante interface. This allows connectivity among spaces including the 500-seat Sohmen Concert Hall and 120-capacity Black Box Performance Lab.
Studio Three is a traditional recording studio used for teaching students traditional ways of making music with small- to medium-sized ensembles. Daniel Hulme, the Schwarzman Centre’s Studio Manager, said the Harrison gives connectivity between spaces to capture a good-sized ensemble with separation.
Hulme noted the workflow is simple for musicians rather than engineering students. The console features an open architecture without hidden layers. He selected the console primarily for the sound of the EQ and mic pre.
The Schwarzman Centre is open to the public, with concerts beginning in April. The music studios will be available for third-party hire. Hulme said the Harrison will appeal to visiting artists and professionals because analog saturation makes a big difference.
Studio One is a Dolby Atmos 9.1.4 room. Studio Two is an immersive compositional space configured for formats including NHK’s 22.2, Dolby Atmos, Sony 360 Reality Audio and Ambisonics. All three studios were acoustically designed by Level Acoustics.
The Dante network provides access to performance venues allowing live performances to be recorded through the Harrison console. Joshua Rush, CMO at Audinate, said Dante was built to make audio routing as flexible as creativity itself.
Hulme previously worked at Suite 16, an all-analogue recording studio co-owned by New Order’s Peter Hook. He said he wanted an analogue console for the new facility to balance future immersive technologies with past workflows. If you have good foldback and can combine things together in an easy and immediate way, you’re in a good place creatively, Hulme said.
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