One of the course tutors, Ciaran O’Shea, loves the EQ section on the ORIGIN as well as the console’s in-line signal flow, Suter reports: “When we installed it, I walked into our tech room and he was just glowing!” As for ORIGIN’s PureDrive microphone preamp circuitry, which can introduce warmth and harmonically rich character to a signal, Suter says, as the program’s name suggests, “Sound engineering comes after the creative production, so it’s more about being creative. That console speaks to that element of what we are trying to do and really suits the creative aspects of that course.”
In practical terms, ORIGIN’s operation doesn’t impede the students as they learn about other aspects of the production process, he also points out. “It means that the learning environment is less encumbered by moments of the students not having some sense of control. Say they are miking a drum kit and learning to deal with that situation; you don’t want the console to stand in the way of that. The consistency of the ORIGIN contributes to that, to a smooth learning environment. The functionality of the console is also not overwhelming, which when you are learning something is really good. Yet it’s still a comprehensive console.”
There are other benefits to the ORIGIN that stand out, he says. “Having the real thing rather than plug-ins is really great, as is having access to that professional sound for the students and to a console that they might encounter in a professional space.”
