Sennheiser Launches New Online Recording Sound Academy, Bo Bice Mixing Competition

Sennheiser is launching a new online Recording Sound Academy (RSA), designed to help aspiring producers and engineers create a great sounding mix.

Through a partnership with Steinberg, Sennheiser is providing recording enthusiasts with the opportunity to have their mixes reviewed and evaluated by award-winning engineers including Grammy winners David Thoener (Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie), Karl Richardson (Eric Clapton, Bee Gees, Barbra Streisand), Al Schmitt (Steely Dan, Ray Charles) as well as Tom Young (Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra), Tim Palmer (Pearl Jam, U2) and Kool & Dre (Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes, Queen Latifah).

Through this entirely online, interactive program, aspiring engineers and producers get raw, individual pre-recorded tracks for three unreleased songs by a well-known recording artist, each recorded with Sennheiser and Neumann microphones.

To participate, users join the Recording Sound Academy ($129), download these pre-recorded tracks from the Recording Sound Academy website, mix them on their computers or home studios, and then upload a finished track to the site. After each mix is completed and uploaded, it is then individually critiqued by an award-winning engineer.

The first artist to be featured in the program will be American Idol star Bo Bice.

Sennheiser's online Recording Sound Academy

The online Recording Sound Academy borrows instructional elements from the live Sennheiser Recording Sound Academy, including tips and instruction on microphone selection and placement and recording techniques. All participants in the online Recording Sound Academy program are invited to participate in a series of live video webinars that feature the participating engineers who will explain how they created their version of the final mix for the songs.

The webinars, which include a Q&A session, presents an opportunity for program participants to learn about special techniques and methods of mixdown, as well as how Neumann and Sennheiser microphones were used to capture the tracks.

Participants are encouraged to utilize whatever DAW software they are comfortable with. However, the program will provide a complimentary copy of Steinberg’s Cubase LE 5 to all users. Additionally, once the program is completed next year, one participant with the best mix will be chosen to win a Neumann U87 Ai.

For more information and information on how to participate, please visit the Recording Sound Academy website at http://www.sennheiserusa.com/RSA.

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