State-of-the-art music-making facilities put Chester University at the forefront

An investment of over £300,000 in cutting-edge music production technology, kit and studio building work looks set to make the University of Chester a magnet for budding music producers and sound engineers.

The University’s Department of Music, Media and Performance says the new facilities, which will cost around a third of a million pounds in total, can be used in tandem with their Apple Mac computer labs and a wide range of live recording technology used on-site and for external gigs and performances.

Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer, Jim Mason, believes the University’s investment puts it in a very strong position regarding providing students with access to the latest technology, once face-to-face teaching recommences.

“Our new Slate Raven MTZs, for example, allow our students to produce music ‘hands on’ in a similar way to how they would on a mixing desk, rather than just using a mouse to ‘point and click’ but with all the benefits of being able to produce music entirely within a computer, if they want to.  However, on the other hand, our Audient ASP8024HE analogue mixing desk allows an entirely non-digital mixing experience if that’s what students prefer.  Our blend of brand new technology with timeless classics such as an original 1980s Roland TB-303, the musical germination of the Acid House scene, gives students the best of both worlds”, Jim said.

“We are currently also building a brand new state-of-the-art studio facility which should be ready to use in a matter of just a few months, to add to our already extensive provision” he added.

Jim joined the University in 2001 and has had commercial success, mainly as a producer and remixer of commercial dance music, for a number of different labels.  He co-ordinates a team of highly-experienced staff on the Creative Campus, Kingsway, dedicated to unlocking students’ creative potential.

“Whatever your ambition (and we definitely want you to be ambitious), if you believe your future lies in music production then you’ll want to be working with the very best equipment and alongside experts who can inspire you to use it – and use it well. If you love music, love how it makes you feel and what it inspires you to create, then we want to meet you”, he said.

To find out more about Chester’s courses and the industry-standard equipment that supports them, visit BA (Hons) Music Production and BA (Hons) Music Production and Performance

Pictured - Students in a vocal recording session.