Main Recording Studio
Recording Studio - 14, 14a & 15
The Pearson Recording Studio serves as the flagship facility of the Packard Hall recording complex. At the heart of the control room is a Yamaha QL1 digital mixer, which functions as the central sync clock for the studio while giving students hands-on experience with professional console workflows and the flexibility of digital audio. A Grace Design m920 monitor controller delivers high-resolution playback through a set of Genelec 8050B studio monitors. And an RME UFX II audio interface to expand the system with eight additional inputs, enabling highly flexible (and creative) signal routing, with seamless analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversions.
The entire facility is networked with low-latency Dante audio-over-IP, allowing seamless integration between recording spaces and equipment. Recording is powered by a 2023 Apple Mac Studio running industry-standard software, including Avid Pro Tools, Apple Logic Pro, Ableton Live with Max for Live, and Max/MSP/Jitter. The studio also includes the Waves Horizon plugin bundle, providing more than 70 professional audio processing tools, and a Behringer X-Touch control surface with motorized faders, combining the tactile experience of an analog console with the flexibility of a modern digital audio workstation. The control room is acoustically optimized with custom diffusion and absorption panels designed by Soundpost Acoustics and built by ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø's in-house carpentry shop.
The 700-square-foot live room is designed for professional recording and performance, featuring 16 channels of Grace Design m108 microphone preamps, eight channels of Focusrite Red A/D and D/A conversion, and an adjacent isolation booth with an additional eight channels of Grace Design preamps. Finally, the live room includes five Focusrite Red AM1 headphone stations to provide customizable artist monitoring for ensemble recordings.
Designed by Soundpost Acoustics of Longmont, Colorado, the live room combines exceptional acoustics with a warm, inviting aesthetic. A feature wall of locally sourced Colorado sandstone serves as both a striking visual backdrop for performances and video productions while providing natural diffusion that minimizes flutter echo and standing waves. Repurposed shiplap siding, custom wood diffusers, rockwool absorption panels, hardwood flooring, and bench seating that doubles as bass trapping create a balanced recording environment that sounds as impressive as it looks. The adjacent isolation booth is acoustically optimized to eliminate unwanted reflections, giving engineers complete control over ambiance during recording and post-production. Large soundproof windows maintain clear communication and sightlines between performers and engineers while preserving this critical isolation. 
The studio's microphone collection supports everything from classical recording to modern music production. Dynamic microphones include Shure SM7s, Beta 57s, Electro-Voice RE20, Sennheiser MD 421s, AKG D112, and a Shure Beta 52A for drums, guitar and bass amplifiers, and other high-SPL sources. The condenser collection features matched pairs of Schoeps CMC6 microphones with MK2 omnidirectional capsules, Neumann KM 184 cardioid microphones, and Lewitt LTC 040, offering exceptional accuracy for stereo recording, acoustic instruments, and ensemble work. Large-diaphragm condensers include Neumann TLM 107s with selectable polar patterns, the versatile AKG C414 XLII, and the Shure beta 91A, making them ideal for vocals and a wide range of other recording applications.
The ribbon microphone collection includes the Royer R-121, prized for its warm, natural sound and ability to handle high sound pressure levels, along with a matched pair of AEA Nuvo N8 active ribbon microphones that combine the classic ribbon character with higher output and increased durability.
Finally, rounding out the collection is a dedicated series of specialized DPA microphones for violin, cello, double bass, and grand piano, as well as a singular Mojave M300 Tube Microphone for recording applications that require a warm, “larger-than-life” sound.
To Book the Main Recording Studio:
Please reach out to our Director of Music Technology Schylar Woods.
DISCLAIMER: The Main Recording Studio is used across several departmental operations and therefore will be prioritized for use in the following order:
- Active block course support and special Music Department faculty requests
- The academic/creative works of music majors and music minors
- Cross-departmental collaborations and requests
- Personal (non-music major or minor) student projects – proctored by a trained student engineer.