Two Audient mixing desks are installed in The Talent House – a new creative institution and joint venture between UD Music and East London Dance, which opened in Stratford to great fanfare last year. Comprising a mixture of recording studios, rehearsal space, dance studios, workstations and teaching facilities, this hub is part of a £4.1m project supporting young talent in the community.
“EQs add a musical touch to recordings”
UD has worked with countless big-name acts during its 20 years in the arts, including Mercury award winner Little Simz, Skepta, Alex Boateng (0207 Def Jam), Wretch 32, Labrinth, Devlin and more. Developing a series of talent programmes, UD aims to support aspiring singers, songwriters, producers, instrumentalists and DJs get a head start in the music industry via their talent programme, work experience and degree qualifications.
To that end, the six-room record production and teaching facility is an integral part of The Talent House. An ASP4816 mixing console resides in Studio 1 and a large format ASP8024 Heritage Edition sits at the heart of Studio 2.
Fully spec’d and available for commercial hire as well as to students, UD Music studios are overseen by Senior Consultant, Danny Trachtenberg. “The Audient desks have been great centrepieces to the studios. Their layout makes for both an intuitive experience for visiting engineers and useful teaching tools for students,” he says. “The pres’ sound is clean, EQs add a musical touch to recordings and the bus compressor adds classic glue to mixes.”
“The Audient desks have been great centrepieces to the studios”
Level 4 accredited qualifications in Music Technology & Production start in September, during which students will be able to explore the full potential of each of the Audient consoles, as well as learning the ins and outs of taking commercial recording sessions. Those who complete a UD Level 4 course (awarded by the University of East London) can continue at university to finish a full degree.
Pamela McCormick, Founder/ CEO at UD, says, “At UD, we understand that young people need the resources and space to create and explore their potential. Our state-of-the-art studios, powered by two Audient mixing desks, provides just that. UD continues to empower those trying to make it in the music industry to realise they already belong, equipping those who are breaking through into notoriously competitive creative environments with the tools they need: excellence, structure, confidence, opportunity and networks.”
“the bus compressor adds classic glue to mixes”
It was with this in mind that UD’s week-long Industry Takeover festival took place last month. Since its launch in 2009, Industry Takeover has built a reputation for offering an unrivalled programme of professional development, entertainment, education, and networking opportunities, to hundreds of industry-minded hopefuls and is now regarded as one of the most informative career programmes within the wider music industry. Among the 20+ events, was a sold-out studio Masterclass with platinum-selling producer, TSB (Stormzy, Knucks, Headie One, J Hus).
“UD’s role is to develop, educate and connect young Black talent to the business, and I’m excited that, through our subsidised (and therefore affordable) membership programme, we will be providing an opportunity to elevate the talents of underrepresented communities and drive positive change to create a more diverse industry,” adds Pamela.
For more information about UD visit their website: https://www.udmusic.org/
