Aktuelle News & Schlagzeilen

Hawaii-based Middle School inspires underprivileged students with recording studio featuring a Solid State Logic AWS 948 console

Washington Middle School in Honolulu recently completed a recording studio designed to inspire underprivileged students to follow their passions. The multi-million-dollar project, backed by the Hawaii State Department of Education and eight years in the making, supports stereo and immersive productions and sports a long list of recording equipment, including a Solid State Logic AWS 948 Delta SuperAnalogue mixing console.

Line Studio at WMS, as the facility is known, is an example of contextualised learning, explains Sam Fong, Sound Recording Studio Director, a recording studio where students in a district where more than half the population lives below the poverty line will have opportunities to create dreams and build confidence. “Contextualized learning is a big deal for us, so it has to be relevant to young people’s lives and the dreams they will be pursuing”, he says. Exposing middle school students, ages 10 to 15, to opportunities to follow their passion and find their voice is key to future success, Michael Harano, WMS principal, has publicly stated.

Fong was attracted to the Solid State Logic (SSL) brand, but also to the idea of an analogue console: “I came up in the early ‘80s, mixing on analogue consoles. It’s beautiful when you get a chance to work on an analogue console.” That said, he was one of the first on the island to install a digital console, back in the day. “We really wanted this studio to be analogue, combined with the most current digital technology”, he continues. “Digital technology is really convenient, and a console like the AWS 948 delta basically combines the consoles of the ‘80s with modern workflows.”

The architectural and acoustic design of Line Studio at WMS, a 1,600-square-foot space previously occupied by a computer classroom, was provided by WSDG, who also collaborated with Fong and Harano on the pro audio and video equipment complement and technical design. PK Pandey and AVN provided equipment and integration.

The audio gear in the outboard racks is comparable to any world-class recording studio, from vintage-style compressors to a pair of high-end reverbs and a collection of mic preamp alternatives. Main in-wall stereo monitors are from Symphonics Acoustics with an ATC 7.1.4 speaker system supporting Dolby Atmos work.

Fong attended the NAMM Show 2016 to research equipment choices and find a studio designer. The project was given the go-ahead at the end of 2018, then was delayed by the pandemic. Line Studio at WMS will have its grand opening later this year, or early 2025, Fong says.

(Photos: Solid State Logic/Washington Middle School)

www.solidstatelogic.com

© 1999 - 2025 Entertainment Technology Press Limited News Stories