The music department purchased $80,000 of new equipment during the spring and summer quarters.
Arthur Winer, a music professor, and technician John Sandhagen installed several new components in the music department.
Eighty thousand dollars may sound steep, however, Winer explained there are other components available that cost much more.
"I saved the department a lot of money," said Winer. "All of the equipment is cost effective and truly pro."
The music professor believes some of the equipment is likely to be in use 20 years from now.
The equipment purchased ranged from cables and microphones to digital audio workstations to a Yamaha C3 grand piano.
Winer sums up the new equipment to be of great use as teaching tools for the music students.
"We want students to be able to walk into any studio in the world and know the equipment," said Winer.
The new Yamaha grand piano replaces the old upright piano students previously learned how to record on.
Students will also learn from new digital recording equipment. According to Winer, the studios are equipped with new ProTools HD digital audio recording systems.
In order to provide this new equipment with power, Winer installed two Furman balanced power supplies.
"[These devices] make the power very clean to keep the noise out," said Winer.
With the new piano and equipment in place, the Cal Poly recording studios are working on a professional level.
Over the summer Winer had the opportunity to record singer Susan Egan and her accompanist Dr. Stephan Cook.
The music professor commented that the music department puts on nearly 50 recitals each year on campus. The new equipment will allow professional recordings to be made of these live performances.
Students share Winer's excitement for the new addition.
"The coolest thing is the spring reverb unit," said music student Will Hooks, who plays the saxophone and is a member of the jazz band.
"A lot of this equipment is brand new to us,"?said Hooks.
Some of the equipment put into place has never been available for students.
"The equipment gives us more flexibility, we have more toys," said Hooks.
"I want to use the new Blue tube mic we got," said Darrel Tung, a music student. "It's going to sound great."
The microphone Tung refers to is a vintage style tube microphone designed to make high quality recordings.
"The mic is equivalent to a painters brush," said Hooks.
Without the proper tools, the most talented artist cannot create a masterpiece; now music students have the resources to produce their own masterpieces.
Reach Joseph Muldoon at lifestyle@thepolypost.com.
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