The Department of Recording Industry at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) is one of the largest programs of its kind in the world. Recently, MTSU control rooms D and E have been refurbished and acoustically redesigned by Carl Tatz Design. Garnering a Mix Magazine Class of 2012 Educational Facility Award, both rooms, which are mirror images of each other, feature the Carl Tatz Design (CTD) PhantomFocus™ System 4 monitor tuning protocols utilizing the school’s existing Genelec 1037C monitors. Along with a custom application of the Carl Tatz Signature Series™ family of control room acoustic modules by Auralex, the facilities were transformed from the least popular studios on campus into the most sought-after ones by the university’s students and teachers alike.
“It’s amazing to have a monitoring system that allows our students to experience music the way it should truly sound. We want them to develop a sense of the ideal, and the Phantom Focus System presents that to them every day,” states MTSU Department of Recording Industry assistant professor and Grammy-nominated engineer/producer John Merchant. “Studios D and E are where our students begin their audio careers. Learning to record and mix with this quality of monitoring is like learning to drive on a Maserati!”
Department chair Bill Crabtree comments, “MTSU’s Recording Industry Department is very happy with our new studios D and E. The work that was done by Carl Tatz Design is outstanding. Along with his proprietary PhantomFocus System monitor tuning protocol, these two control rooms are now the two best mix spaces that we have on campus. We hope to do more work with Carl Tatz Design in the future to bring our remaining studios up to the standards that Carl and his staff have established in Studios D and E.”
Recording Studio Techniques instructor Mauricio Gargel who had been teaching in both control rooms D and E prior to the Carl Tatz Design implementation, has the unique opportunity to compare the before and after experiences for both him and his students. “The low frequencies are now impressively defined helping the students understand each and every note in the spectrum without guessing. Even the pan-pots can be heard much more accurately, and the depth is also incredible. You can smell the soundstage … it is soooo real. Concepts like soundstage, depth and presence are much easier to teach… They are actually happening now, and the student can feel it. It makes my job much easier! Thanks Carl Tatz!”
“We’re honored to work with Carl Tatz, one of the top studio designers in the industry, on this exciting new Auralex offering. This new series makes Carl’s signature style easy and affordable enough for any serious studio owner. Now virtually any room can benefit from the same aesthetic and sound control enjoyed by top hitmakers like Rascal Flatts and others,” says Eric Smith, founder and president of Auralex Acoustics.
Source: Clyne Media Communication
