As world leaders in music industry education, masterclasses from high-profile industry guests are a regular occurrence at ACM.
We were pleased to continue this trend when we welcomed esteemed engineer Bob Earland through our doors at ACM Guildford for an exclusive workshop.
On the day, our students gathered in our Teaching Control studio for a practical session on starting out in modular synthesis.
Having worked in the industry for over 15 years, Bob began the class with a whistle-stop tour of his career highlights. Working with many talented bands and artists over the years, he’s racked up numerous album credits with the likes of Wiley, Kate Tempest, and Roots Manuva. In 2013, Bob became involved with the Radiophonic Workshop; a group that was borne out of BBC engineers’ experiments with broken equipment. Having always had a passion for synth, it was clear that Bob was keen to pass on his knowledge to our students.
During the session, Bob taught the students some basic techniques to get them started in the minefield of modular synthesis. Explaining how to try out certain sounds, he explained that often mistakes can create the most interesting noises.
As synthesis deals with electricity, Bob made sure to fully brief everyone on how to stay safe when working. He urged them to use battery-powered equipment when starting out and advised “if you’re in any doubt, don’t try it!”
After an introduction as to how everything worked, Bob got students up, involved and trying out their newly-learned techniques in the studio. Making sure everyone had an opportunity to test out the gear, Bob stayed behind after the session answering more questions from the young producers.
The session involved everything from contact mics to toy keyboards. Learning that you can even use a Furbie to create a cool sound, our students were clearly eager to try out their new skills in their own productions.
If you want to learn from incredible industry professionals like Bob Earland, please call our Admissions Team on 01483 500 841 or visit www.acm.ac.uk/open-days/ to book a place on an ACM Open Day today.
