The Sydney campus of JMC Academy — an Australian specialist creative industries education institution — has equipped two of its studios with Genelec Smart Active Monitoring solutions. The new studios now give JMC’s students the experience of working with high-end professional equipment while also providing the longevity required by educational institutions.
The renovation provides the multifunction Studio A and the adjacent Studio C with surround and stereo-monitoring configurations.
For Studio A, centered around a 48 channel SSL Duality Console, the design team opted to soffit-mount 8361A monitors into the wall in the LCR positions, with a pair of 8351Bs straddling the console bridge as stereo nearfields. Supporting these are 8340As for the rears and a 7360A for the sub, resulting in a fully independent 5.1 surround system. “For students to work on post-production video mixes or record a full band, Genelec monitors offer an amazing sonic performance,” says Paul Newcomb, business development manager at Studio Connections, Genelec’s Australian distributor.
Studio C has a pair of Genelec 8351Bs soffit-mounted into the wall. Newcomb says this will reproduce every subtle nuance of the music in incredible detail. “The music seems to float mid-air like a transparent three-dimensional puzzle,” adds Newcomb. “Robust and durable, the monitors performed at their breath-taking best and sounded fantastic.”
Due to the diversity of mixes and applications in each studio, the design team calibrated the entire installation with Genelec’s GLM loudspeaker management software. “GLM always plays a major role in the sound of the monitors,” Newcomb explains, adding that the studios now boast an inspiring, world-class atmosphere, allowing students to access real-world experiences of audio engineering and production during their training.
“For students, facilities like JMC Academy are often the first time they get to experience a professional recording environment,” Newcomb concludes. “JMC has provided them with a great opportunity to learn their craft using monitors which tell the truth, sonically. We’re confident that their experience will be a positive one and that working with Genelec will become a partnership that they can trust for many years to come.”