Conference Paper
Back to the Future: Reintroducing Analog and Vinyl Audio Production to Digital Natives
AES Conference: 2021 AES International Audio Education Conference · Paper 4 · July 2021
Abstract
This paper describes a case study involving the reintroduction of analog vinyl theory and production practice at a university media school. In order to quickly meet student and industry demand, an industry partnership approach was used involving a manufacturer of new vinyl pressing equipment, a major vinyl pressing plant, as well as a local vinyl mastering facility. New supporting curriculum was “triaged” into an existing audio theory course and students formed a production collective with the objective of producing a quality vinyl showcase of student-produced music. The result was “The Resurgence”, a vinyl release that achieved acclaim and generated even more interest in the wider student population for a continuation and expansion of the analog curricular initiative. A second iteration of the course was delivered remotely during Covid lockdowns in 2021, requiring further evolution to facilitate both remote collaborative music production as well as in-house virtual mastering of four new vinyl releases.
