September 24, 2024 – The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment at Long Island University (LIU) has announced the opening of a new, state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos®.
With the new facility, the Roc Nation School will become the first program in Brooklyn to offer a fully-integrated, Dolby Atmos Music curriculum – in partnership with the Dolby Institute – as it aims to nurture the next generation of creative talent. It will make history as one of the largest professional Dolby Atmos music recording studios in New York.
The new studio spans about 2,400 square feet and includes four iso booths for live band recordings, a large tracking room and a 750 square foot control room equipped with cutting-edge technology that will break ground in music education, especially for students seeking to learn how to create in Dolby Atmos and pursue careers as producers, engineers, executives and more.
“We’re thrilled to open this next-generation studio to bolster our curriculum and better serve our ambitious students,” Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment Dean Tressa Cunningham said. “Our new facility will enable students to gain immersive experience using the latest technology to put themselves in the strongest positions to thrive after graduation. It also creates a new opportunity for the School to engage with the larger creative community.”
The facility was designed by Walters-Storyk Design Group (WSDG) and integrated by Pro Audio Design Inc. Pro Audio Design President Dave Malekpour previously designed the iconic Baseline Studios, where Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter recorded several of his musical masterpieces.
Dave Malekpour, President of Professional Audio Design Inc. (PAD)
Malekpour worked closely with Director of the Music Technology, Entrepreneurship & Production program Gimel “Young Guru” Keaton to carefully curate a collection of high-end equipment to afford students the best opportunity to gain hands-on experience with analog tools that are utilized for many modern plugins.
“This new Dolby Atmos studio further solidifies our school’s place at the forefront of music education,” Guru said. “Every detail in the facility was methodically curated for our students and I’m excited for them to maximize their learning experience on campus and prepare to enter the workforce with an unprecedented advantage.”
“This project is an amazing example of what happens when you take the best of what we do in higher-ed facility design and hip-hop studio work and apply it towards something that benefits the growth of future industry leaders and artistic creatives,” said WSDG Founding Partner John Storyk. “We were honored to design this facility for Roc Nation LIU and we all benefit as a creative community to see the next generation of industry professionals thrive in a program like this.”
Dolby Atmos is a completely new way to create and experience music. It gives artists a wider creative canvas and listeners new sensory experiences by revealing details with incredible clarity and depth, fostering a deeper connection between artists and their audience.
The school’s faculty will leverage the studio to teach students the fundamentals of recording, mixing and production in Dolby Atmos and provide students with a transformative audio experience.
Additionally, the school will host a masterclass series in the studio, where industry leaders will provide students with valuable insights and techniques into the production process. The recording studio will open the door for the music community of creatives to come to campus and partake in professional development, guest mixed sessions and more.
“Dolby is proud to partner with Long Island University and Roc Nation School of Music, Sports and Entertainment,” said Christine Thomas, Head of Music Industry Relations, Dolby Laboratories. “This collaboration empowers the next generation of creatives with Dolby Atmos, furthering our commitment to education and the creative community. By combining Young Guru's expertise, Roc Nation's industry leadership, and LIU's innovative programs, we're creating a rewarding partnership that will shape the future of music production.”
From a technical perspective, the studio features a 9.1.4 Augspurger speaker system with 2x Avid MTRX Studio interfaces, Grace Design M908 monitor controller, SSL Origin studio mix console. The setup also boasts Avid ProTools Ultimate and Avid MTRX Studio, enriched with an array of plugins from leading developers such as Waves, Antares, SoundToys, Celemony, and Universal Audio (UAD). The custom-designed console and producer's desk by ZAOR provide a commanding, ergonomic and efficient workspace for both educational and mixing purposes.
The system features Augspurger Duo15-Sub18 speakers for the stereo setup, with additional Duo8 speakers for center, surround, wide and rear channels. The studio is equipped with renowned outboard gear including a Neve DPX1073, Pultec EQp1A3, Universal Audio LA2A & 1176, Empirical Lab Distressor, Avalon 737 Tube Channels, API channel strip, and 5500 EQs.
“The system we've developed represents the most powerful and detailed 9.1.4 Dolby Atmos setup, which reflects the distinct sound and culture of Roc Nation, and paving the way for the next generation of audio professionals,” said Dave Malekpour, Pro Audio Design President. “This has been a thrilling project from start to finish, made all the more rewarding by our collaboration with Tressa Cunningham, Young Guru and the LIU team, with the support of both Malekpour Design Partners and the Pro Audio Design teams, culminating in a world-class, industry-leading system perfected by our build team to meet the most exacting specifications."
