Cali has an innovative training offer in music production thanks to Audinate

The Colombian university of ICESI has created an avant-garde studio for students to master all the elements of musical production. The key is utilizing Dante-backed audio over IP workflows.

Located in Cali, ICESI It is one of the main universities in Colombia, with programs in multiple engineering fields, pharmaceutical chemistry and law, but it is the music studies that stand out the most technologically, since it is in this faculty where some of the most innovative sound techniques have been implemented thanks to Audinate Dante.

Mateo De Los Ríos Camacho, director of the new music program at ICESI University, said the goal of the Dante system was to offer students the best production capabilities in the world.

“Cali is an incredibly musical city and this is a part of the Colombian identity, so we wanted to make sure we were giving our students the exact tools that professionals use. “The most important component of that was having the right technology and infrastructure.”.

Dante is the de facto standard for digital audio networking and distributes hundreds of uncompressed channels over standard Ethernet networks, with almost zero latency and optimal synchronization. Allows the audio, control and other data coexist effectively on the same network.

“Dante is what elevates our educational offering at the university”, comments Mateo. “It provides a tactical advantage to our students.”

Cali has a large number of musicians, including several salsa bands who understand the creativity and commitment required to create music. However, the city long lacked a music production program that provided the practical skills to record, mix and produce professional quality audio.

The implementation of the ICESI University music degree program began with the provision of networking infrastructure specifically for Dante to the three new recording studios in the newly constructed building, and to all the rooms where there could be capacity to produce music. In total, 27 different spaces, included 3 recording studios, assembly halls, Individual practice and technical spaces that are connected to a specific Dante network in the building.

“The idea is that through our four-story building we can connect to almost any room instantly”, Matthew says. “The first experiment was to have musicians play in one room and mix from the other side of the building.”. When the students saw that for the first time, “They were moved by what it meant.”.

Learning environments

Each space is unique and designed specifically for flexibility in music creation. Spaces include the main production 'live room', that can accommodate a single musician or a full ensemble. It is two stories high and is physically connected to two different recording studios through glass windows, but, with Dante, The location can be accessed from any recording space or media lab in the building.

Recording studios have a wide selection of devices available for a customized workflow, and devices Focusrite RedNet are used to obtain all types of signals on the Dante network.

“To receive and transmit signals from different spaces we use Focusrite RedNet boxes, and some with portable preamplifiers. The connections of the three recording studios are made through RedNet boxes 2 y RedNet 5”.

Focusrite RedNet2 interfaces offer 16 Dante audio over IP connectivity channels, while Focusrite RedNet5 multi-channel bridge interfaces provide seamless connectivity between Pro Tools HD and Dante.

Meanwhile, Multiple practice spaces can also be connected to recording studios. These spaces give students access to acoustic pianos, batteries and other instruments. The output of these spaces is brought to the Dante network using Focusrite RedNet1 interfaces.

“It is a top-of-the-line production facility thanks to the capabilities that Dante offers. When our students go out into the world, we know that they will have the ability to produce music at an extremely high level, because Dante is the solution used in the modern production environment.”