In 2016, WSDG was contracted to design the Studio. Alongside studio engineering industry expert, Nathan Zwald, the foundation for the world-class educational facility was conceptualized.

The Studio was designed with many modern technological innovations built from the ground up. With a host of architectural marvels for each recording space, the Studio is built to accommodate the ideals necessary for the highest quality for industry standard recording sessions.

The Mathena Recording Studio at Liberty University’s School of Music is a state-of-the art 1600 sq ft. recording/teaching facility designed by WSDG (Walters-Storyk Design Group), a media facility design and consulting firm that has collaborated on over 3500 audio /video facilities worldwide. WSDG has created educational facilities around the world including NYU’s Steinhardt/Dolan Music Technology Center, and the Berklee College of Music Valencia and Boston facilities (2015 TEC winner).  Their studio credits include Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios (1969); NYC’s Jungle City Studios, Green Day (CA), Jay-Z (NY), Aerosmith (Boston), Bruce Springsteen (NJ), Alicia Keys (NY), Paul Epworth’s The Church Studios (London), and NYC’s Jazz At Lincoln Center; broadcast facilities for The Food Network, ESPN, and WNET.  WSDG is a ten-time winner of the NAMM TEC Award for outstanding achievement in Acoustics/Facility Design.

The new Liberty recording facility features a 500 sq. ft. Control Room capable of hosting up to 15 students, a spacious 350 sq. ft. live room which is also designed as an observation classroom, a 100 sq. ft. ISO booth and a 200 (sq. ft.) Piano Room and is setup to record throughout the 141,000 sq ft Center for Music & The Worship Arts to include multiple recital halls and their world-class concert hall. In addition to professional recording projects, the studio will be used in conjunction with the university’s School of Music, Songwriting, Artist Development, Recording, Engineering and Producing, Film Scoring, and Jazz Studies programs.

A 20-year industry veteran, Nathan Zwald, Assistant Professor of Sound Recording, and Director of Audio Production, led the studio design and project team to ensure this facility was capable of accommodating all relevant teaching modalities for music recording and production as well as offering facilities and capabilities expected by industry professionals.  Capable of operating in both modern (digital) and legacy (analog) modes, the studio gives students the opportunity to understand the flow and function of recording studios at all levels of sophistication and offers clients their choice in workflow for their sessions.  The studio equipment list includes iconic names from the recording industry to provide students with exposure to these legendary sounds and to give clients an exciting pallet of tones to choose from when recording.  Some of these include:

Mixing Console

SSL Duality Delta 48

Digital Audio Workstation (primary)

Avid Pro Tools HDX2 128 input

Avid MTRX audio interfaces

Studio Monitoring

ATC, Focal, ProAc, Grado, Auratone, Meyer

Microphones

Neumann, Schoeps, DPA, AEA, Royer, Josephson, Telefunken, Brauner, AKG, Sennheiser, Shure, Cascade, and more

Outboard Processing

Rupert Neve Designs, Lachapelle Audio, Shadow Hills Industries, UTA, GML, API, Empirical Labs, Tube Tech, Retro Instruments, Bricasti, Bettermaker, Kush Audio, Antelope, RME, and more

Software

Melodyne, Wavelab, Logic Pro X, Izotope, McDSP, UAD, Waves, Eventide, Lexicon, Spectrasonics, Native Instruments, East West, Synthology, Fab Filter, and more

Studio Instruments

Yamaha C7 piano, 1973 Hammond B3 organ, Sakae Celestial drum kit, Craviotto/Pearl/Noble & Cooley/Ludwig/Sakae snare drums, Tyler/Fender/Matchless/Vox/Kemper guitar amps, guitar pedals, Dave Smith Prophet 12, Moog Sub37, Nord Stage 2

Connectivity

Dante, MADI, AES/EBU, Optocore,

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