Citrus College Recording Arts Program

At a Glance
Name: Citrus College Recording Arts Program Contact: Tim Jaquette, recording supervisor Major Courses of Study: Audio Recording, Sound-for-Picture, Digital Audio Editing and Mixing, and Live Sound Engineering Degrees Offered: Certificate; A.S.-certification pending Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Main Technology Platforms: Neve VR Series, Euphonix CS2000, Digidesign Pro Tools Tuition: California resident, $396; out of state, $5,148; international, $6,084 Financial Assistance: State and federal grants, (i.e., Pell Grants, Federal Work Study, etc.) and other funding sources.

The Recording Arts Program at Citrus College has been in place since 1998 and continues to evolve and expand, offering a broad range of classes and a varied curriculum taught by experts. Main tracks include Fundamentals of Audio Technology and Recording Studio Workshop I (taught as a pair, including both analog and hard disk recording); MIDI, Computers and Music, which provides the skills to work with sequencers in a studio environment; Live Sound Reinforcement, which serves as a first step toward a concert/event engineering career; Critical Listening Skills for Engineers; Advanced Audio Technology and Recording Studio Workshop II (also taught in tandem); Digital Audio Technology, which is an intense Pro Tools course with mixing, editing and audio-for-video projects; Acoustics for Engineers, with an emphasis on acoustical reflections, absorption, surfaces and speaker placement; and the Music Business/Audio Careers, which deals with the business aspects of the music industry, from records to movies, rates, contracts, royalties and career choices.

Citrus College students train on contemporary technology platforms in studios professionally designed by Carl Yanchar of Wave:Space Inc. The facilities function as both a teaching environment and as a working studio available for commercial rental, which enhances the real-world benefit of the program.

Studio A is the main tracking studio, equipped with a 72-input Neve VR Series console with Flying Faders automation. Studio B, equipped with a Euphonix CS2000 72-channel console with Cube matrixing and 7.1 surround mixing capability, offers two iso booths and is used to teach overdub and mixing techniques. The Digital Audio Computer Lab is equipped with 25 Pro Tools|MIX workstations and Digital Performer 3.0, as well as consoles, MIDI keyboards and modules.

As a commercial studio, Citrus College’s facilities have been used for a wide range of major productions, including music scores for L.A. Law’s reunion and a remake of the classic film High Noon, as well as a variety of film/TV sessions for companies such as HBO, Warner Bros., The Walt Disney Company and Nickelodeon.

“The philosophy of the program is to give a well-rounded, basic education of how the industry works and the equipment and techniques involved so that a student can go out, get a job in a studio and not only understand the technical aspects, but also the musical and budget considerations,” explains Tim Jaquette, recording supervisor at Citrus. “Since we are also a rental facility, we take the opportunity to have students first observe and then assist on professional sessions so that they get a real concept of what goes on in a studio. These sessions vary from custom albums to film and television scores to stage show underscores, so there are a wide variety of environments for students to participate.”

In addition, the Recording Arts Program at Citrus College plans to add programs focusing on post-production, film score mixing and record production; a new high-definition TV program is currently in the planning stage.

The Recording Arts Program also has an excellent internship program and graduate placement. This service has helped graduates achieve positions at major facilities including Cello Studios, Cherokee Studios, Martin Sound, Sony Pictures, Enterprise Studios, Studio 56 and at NARAS. •