Casper College Future-Proofs Music Program with Flock Audio PATCH XT

Community college invests in the next generation of audio engineers and the hybrid workflow

CASPER, WY, October 2, 2024 — Located deep in central Wyoming, Casper College has distinguished itself as a forward-thinking, accessible institution serving a student population of more than 4,500 across a wide variety of degree and certification programs. One of the school’s most rapidly evolving programs is its music degree which has, uniquely for a community college, included significant investments in its audio engineering and production components. Looking to stay on the cutting edge of pro audio technology and provide his students with a future-proofed education prepared for the working world, Casper College Audio Instructor Larry Burger recently supervised the purchase and installation of Flock Audio PATCH XT digitally controlled, all-analog patch bays in the school’s recording studio facilities.

Higher education with a real world touch
Starting from humble beginnings back in 1975 with a modest Otari 8-Track Tape Machine, the growth of the audio engineering concentration at Casper College has been driven by the passion of Burger and his students. The desire to offer a competitive program focused on practical applications of audio engineering is part of what has pushed the school’s leadership to prioritize the technology in its recording facilities. “I’ve been a studio owner for decades and bringing a real-world context to this program is incredibly important to me,” Burger explains. “Ultimately you want to offer these students more than just a taste of audio engineering— you want them to be able to go into the world and use these skills and technologies in the industry at a professional level.”

“Despite being in the ‘middle of nowhere’ in Wyoming, we can expose our student community to a caliber of technology and concepts and raise the horizons of what they think they can achieve.”

“We get a really interesting cross section of students at Casper College just based on where we are located and the walks of life that students of all ages can come from,” added Casper College Alum and A/V Coordinator Tyler Sanner. “That mix of people drives the department and has given us the reason to expand, evolve, and offer even more than we thought initially possible.”

In 2013, Casper College invested in a new dedicated studio space for the Music Program. Burger’s experience in recording studio operations and a keen sense for the direction the industry was headed, led him to encourage the school to embrace a workflow that would include both the latest digital technology as well as classic analog equipment early on. “Our studios have always operated in a hybrid sense for both practical and educational reasons,” he says. “Most of these students have never put their hands on older outboard gear — preamps, compressors, all of that,” he says. “Understanding how all of these things work and how that translates into modern DAW plugins has a big impact on them because it teaches them what to listen when they adjust settings and understand that connection.”

“The second the first PATCH was on the market, I knew it was something that would make a big difference for our program. We made sure to get a hold of them as soon as we could!”

Working at the speed of student creativity
Although the desire for cutting-edge equipment in any studio is universal, Burger says there’s a practical reasoning for seeking out gear that streamlines the workflow in an educational setting specifically. Attuning the program to the learning style and sensibilities of his students is a major reason why. “Today’s students move incredibly quickly — almost too quickly,” he explains. “You want to keep their interest and show them how these small changes can make a huge difference in the sounds they are able to get. The fact that you can A/B the sounds of this older equipment so fast in PATCH allows them to see these changes in real time, and encourages them to spend more effort in learning the slower, more analog part of the process.”

“PATCH allows them to get their hands into the process easily and hear for themselves everything they can do with this older gear.”

Upgrading from PATCH to PATCH XT gave Burger the ability to add even more outboard gear to the studio, and encourage his students to get creative with a bevy of new options that they know have the confidence to operate. Access to PATCH APP DX has made this learning process much smoother. “PATCH APP DX brings the ‘recall’ of these devices into the 21st century and our students have a lot of fun documenting what they do and experimenting with the sounds they get,” he explains. “Ultimately it’s exactly what we want for them — a sense of confidence and understanding in these small, practical devices so that they can use them towards creative ends. It makes the process real and exciting and keeps them engaged.”

“In essence, Flock is the centerpiece of our studio and should be the centerpiece of any modern studio,” he concludes. “The future of recording, and recording education, is the hybrid model, and we’ve committed to preparing our students for the best that both digital and analog have to offer.”

For more information about the Casper College Music Program, please visit: https://www.caspercollege.edu/music-department/

For more information about PATCH series, please visit: https://www.flockaudio.com/

About Flock Audio
Flock Audio Inc. is a pro audio manufacturer based in Kelowna, Canada, founded in 2017. The company is best known for its PATCH System Series, which is a Digitally controlled, 100% Analog Patch bay routing solution for professional audio environments.

For more information on Flock Audio and its products, please visit the company website at http://www.flockaudio.com.