SSR Archive News

06.11.09

SSR wins MEN Business of the Year Award!

SSR has been awarded with the Manchester Evening News ‘Business of the Year Award’ 2009, in the companies under £5m turnover category!

(Please click here to see Manchester Evening News Story)

Needless to see we are absolutely delighted and would like to thank everyone involved, all the staff, students and extended family at SSR, the Manchester Evening News and the award sponsors, our Creative Partners and anyone who has helped us to grow into the thriving business SSR has become…Thank you.

2009 has been an amazing 25th year in operation for us and receiving such a prestigious award is truly a great honor.

The award was presented at a glitzy ceremony in The Lowry Hotel, Manchester by broadcaster Jeremy Vine. Representing SSR at the awards were principal Ian Hu, Technical Director Tom Aston, Sarah Bradney and Simon Martin

Watch the video of SSR Principal Ian Hu being interviewed after receiving the award:

We have some major announcements coming very soon concerning expansion plans and new facilities so watch this space!

Right now though, its celebration time!

SSR
MEN Business of the Year 2009!

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18.11.09

SSR students get the X-Factor!

SSR students were recently treated to a special guest lecture from Nick Netsall. For those not in the know, Nick is a leading post production professional who has worked on some of Britain’s biggest TV shows, including The X Factor, Derren Brown & Charlie Brookers Screenwipe.

Nick dropped in on the Film & TV Audio Post Production course last week to share some of his many experiences within the industry, give advice to our students and answer questions about the world of Post Production.

Nick has worked for some of the UK’s leading Post Production houses including ‘The Farm’ and ‘Sumners’ along with plenty of high profile Freelance jobs, and his input and advice was of great benefit to students on the course.

Along with divulging some trade secrets about our favourite shows, Nick was sharing some of the techniques and working practises that go into producing high profile programmes, documentaries and films, giving advice and tips on track-laying, mixing and dubbing techniques.

Film & TV Audio post Production tutor Norbert Weiher:
“Nick’s guest lecture was another great chance for my students to get in touch with industry professionals sharing their secrets on programmes that are currently in transmission. His input and advice was well-received and will definitely be of help to those on the course looking to get into the industry.”

We would like to thank Nick for coming down and getting involved with SSR and helping our students, taking time out of his busy schedule to help develop the up-and-coming talent here at SSR.

For further information on the Film & TV Audio Post Production course, please click here…

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11.11.09

Key 103 Scholarship awarded!

SSR and Key 103 are proud to announce that two SSR students have been awarded the 2009 ‘Key 103 Scholarship’ to help them launch their radio careers.

The two lucky students, Emily Smallman and Evalin Gwaki, beat over 100 applicants in a rigorous interview process.

The scholarship will subsidise the girl’s training costs in Radio production at Manchester’s School of Sound Recording and will provide them with some exciting work experience opportunities at Key.

Evalin, 21
“Being the first recipient of the Key 103 scholarship is a great honour and it will enable me to obtain the training and experience required to be successful in the radio industry.”

Emily, 21
"Things have been going at an exciting pace for me since gaining the Key 103 Scholarship and starting my course at SSR.. Already I have gained great practical and technical skills and have made some good contacts."

Gary Stein Programme Director at Key:
“I am extremely proud that Key 103 is involved with SSR in delivering the Radio Degree. The one ingredient which we hope to bring to all the students taking the degree is the essential ‘real life’ experience that feeling part of a radio station brings and takes this course beyond the classroom.”

This exciting collaboration with Key 103 will also see Programme Director Gary Stein delivering a guest lecture for SSR’s Radio Production course, sharing his industry experiences and offering invaluable advice to our students.

SSR Director Wendy Breakell
“This is an incredibly generous gesture by Key 103. We are so grateful that key has chosen to support two SSR students in this way.”

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01.10.09

SSR is very proud to announce the Charlie Jones Scholarship winner for September 2009.

19 year old David Billings from Kent beat over 200 applicants for the prestigious award and was presented with the scholarship by The Lord Mayor of Manchester, along with Wigwam Acoustics MD Chris Hill, Charlie's sister Helen Jones and Wendy Breakell of SSR.

Paul will join the Audio Engineering Techniques and Technology course at SSR, specialising in Live Sound Engineering.

The scholarship award was started at SSR in 2006 to commemorate the lifelong service of one of the UK’s most revered sound engineers; Charlie Jones. Charlie worked in many areas of live sound including Television broadcast and touring and notched up over 30 years in the industry at the top of his profession. The scholarship was started to carry forward Charlie’s ambition to train the next generation of live sound engineers, especially those from challenging backgrounds and those with a passion for live sound but unable to afford professional training.

Upon receiving the award, David said:
“It was such a shock getting the call from Chris Hill at Wigwam, it still hasn’t sunk in yet. I would like to thank Wigwam, Helen and all at SSR for such an amazing opportunity, I won’t let them down.”

Chris Hill, MD of Wigwam Acoustics, said:
“The Charlie Jones scholarship is something very close to my heart and it gives me great pleasure to see young, talented people given the opportunity to shine.”

David’s parents and grandparents were special guests at the ceremony and his father had this to say on seeing him receive the award:
“We are thrilled for David to be given this opportunity, and as parents we are extremely proud of him. We would like to thank everyone involved and say a special good luck to all the tutors who will be teaching him!”

For more information on the Charlie Jones Scholarship and how you can apply for 2010, please click here

For further information on SSR’s Live Sound course, please click here

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14.10.09

SSR Goes Grand

SSR students have recently been asked to help run a new state of the art music and performance venue in the North West. Students on the final phase of our Audio Engineering course have been given the opportunity to work at ‘The Grand’, helping run events for the live venue and recording studio.

‘The Grand’ is a multi-million pound music, arts and performance venue, boasting some of the best audio equipment in the industry including full D&B FOH monitoring and Digidesign's legendary D-Show Profile desk. The venue can hold 400 people and will cater for different events such as live music, theatre and conferences. The venue is also strongly connected with local schools and colleges in the East Lancashire area, providing practical training workshops and work experience for students.

‘The Grand’ is offering a host of opportunities for our students to get their hands on this state of the art equipment and to supplement their SSR studies in a professional environment. They will work alongside fully trained and qualified technical staff and get a chance to experience working with both signed and unsigned artists.

As well as helping out on live gigs, the students will also have the opportunity to use the highly spec-d recording studio which is fully equipped with an SSL AWS900 mixing console supporting a 32 I/O Pro Tools HD3 rig. Recent artists to use the studio/venue include The Boomtown Rats, Dr Hook, Ruby Turner, Martin Simpson and Tom Baxter along with a selection of local bands and singers/songwriters.

Martin Desai, Head of Audio at SSR, said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to gain some invaluable experience in a real-world, professional venue. The facilities at ‘The Grand’ feature some very high end, industry standard equipment which should really benefit the learning experience of our students.”

SSR would like to thank ‘The Grand’ for offering this great opportunity to our students and we look forward to working with the venue in the future.

To find out more about ‘The Grand’ please visit their website: http://www.thegrandvenue.co.uk

For further information on our Audio Engineering courses please click here

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02.10.09

SSR reaches the final 3 in the Manchester’s Business of the Year award.

SSR is delighted to announce that it has made it the final 3 for this year’s MEN Business of the Year Award.

From literally hundreds of companies, SSR has been selected as a business that is providing an outstanding quality of service to the people of this city and beyond. These are just some of the key features that impressed the judges:

• Our industry links and relationship with employers
• Our university partnerships
• Our record of placing students in work after graduation
• The quality of the student experience
• The standards of teaching from industry active tutors
• The facilities and equipment that we provide and constantly update
• The support we give to students
• The dedication of the staff who work here

SSR‘s Director Wendy Breakell was overjoyed at the news:
“The credit for this achievement is down to the great team of people who work at SSR whose passion and commitment to the students is beyond belief. SSR has been in Manchester since 1984 so it is great that in this, our 25th year we are receiving this stamp of approval from the city we love.”

SSR Principal Ian Hu added
“Obviously I’m going to be a bit biased, but I’ve always believed that we are the best at what we do. It’s wonderful to know that an external panel of high ranking professionals have rated us this highly. Getting to the final three is a fantastic achievement in itself, if we win, the champagne will be flowing for quite a while.”

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27.10.09

Whipped into Shape!

Alternative electro-rock band The Whip from Manchester recently began rehearsals at SSR in preparation for the recording of their new album starting October 2009.

Working alongside SSR students, the band set up on stage in SSR's own, industry standard Live Venue to rehearse ideas for their new album. This was great news for students on SSR’s Live Sound course, who were once again placed into a professional setting working with a top commercial band.

Jay Beard, SSR’s Head of Live Sound,
“It is this sort of experience that sets SSR students ahead of others when competing for jobs in this competitive industry. SSR’s record for graduate successes speaks for itself.”

Formed in 2006, the band shot to fame in 2008 on release of their debut album, X Marks Destination, which was produced by Jim Abbiss and released on Southern Fried Records in March 2008.

Band member, Bruce Carter said,
“We chose SSR as the place to rehearse as the setup here is absolutely amazing. We’re going to be rehearsing and recording some stuff on stage here and also in Spirit Studio upstairs.”

Craig Sanderson, SSR’s in house commercial engineer and producer commented,
“It’s great to see the Whip at SSR; they’re a local band, and totally original in sound and outlook. The debut album was quality and expectations are high for a successful follow-up. SSR has historically worked alongside some of the biggest names in UK music, people like the Smiths and the Roses, so it’s great that the tradition is carrying on with Manchester’s latest original talent. And if the album is recorded at SSR’s Spirit Studio, then even better for the students.”

For more information on SSR's Live Sound course please click here

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09.10.09

The Director’s Cut

SSR are very proud to announce that Film Director and Music Video Producer Jamie Donoughue has joined our highly respected team of industry-active tutors.

With his extensive experience of all filming elements from pre through to post production, Jamie is the perfect choice to deliver the new degree which will be preparing students for a career as a Producer or Director in the commercial, corporate and music video markets. The degree is not only cutting edge, but the very first of its kind in Europe and is available as a 2-year Foundation Degree (FdSc) or a full 3-year Bachelor of Science Degree with Honours (BSc, Hons).

Jamie said:
“The degree uses the format of the music video and short film to deliver all the necessary skills for film and video production of any given length and in any genre. All principles are covered in fine detail from initial planning and research to sets, lighting, shooting, location sound, then editing with a host of advanced processes including special effects, computer generated imagery, grading, compositing and the process of Post Production. Learning is always reinforced through brief-driven practical assignments, so when students graduate they have a solid grasp of industry workflows and up-to-date working practices. Candidates are also encouraged to collaborate with other students on music-related courses for the creation of their music video productions, and SSR has no shortage of great bands for collaborative works!”

Jamie’s past credits includes a mix of Television, Short Film, Drama, Music Videos, Documentaries, Commercials and Corporate Productions. He is delighted to be joining SSR and is passionate about what this new degree can offer to aspiring film makers and music video producers.

SSR Principal Ian Hu said:
“This is another example of SSR at its best. A cutting edge degree course perfectly aligned to the advanced and diverse skills needs of the film and video industry, giving our graduates an obvious advantage in the job market”.

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12.10.09

Film and TV Audio Post students secure feature film as final project

SSR will once again provide real world work experience for it’s students as the entire class from Film and TV Audio Post Production course are about to start work on a full-length UK made feature film called ‘Bar Stewards’.

The black comedy (written and directed by Michael Booth – Diary of a Bad Lad) is funded by Northwest Vision and Media as well as the UK Film Council. Currently the editors are finalising the cut and audio post production is scheduled to start in October at SSR.

Says Norbert Weiher, Head of Post Production at SSR,
“I am very pleased that we have been approached by the producers to carry out the audio post production for them. SSR continues to work in tandem with the industry and every approach is a testimony to our growing reputation as leaders in media technology training. It will be a fantastic opportunity for the phase 3 students to put their skills to test on a full-length film and this will also give phase 1 student’s experience of working practices and workflow in feature film production. All students involved will appear in the credits for the feature film on release – another unique opportunity for our students.”

For more information on SSR's Film & TV Audio Post Production course please click here

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04.10.09

Wired and Inspired

The SSR Fresher’s Events Programme got off to a flying start with ‘Wired’ at the Deaf Institute, Grosvenor Street Manchester last Thursday (3rd September 2009).

Wired is a monthly live music club event run entirely by SSR Live Sound Engineering students across various club venues in Manchester. The students take care of everything from stage set up and management, set up and sound checking of bands and all backline, to front of house mixing and monitors and any other technical issues arising.

Working in a true commercial setting after studying in our Live Venue, is an invaluable experience for SSR students.

As Jay Beard, Head of Live Sound said,
“Not only do the students get chance to test their skills, they also connect with some of the key people from the industry. And on top of that, we all have a great time.”

Deaf’s DJ Matt said,
“We had loads of live music, 2 course graduations, student music being played; an ambitious roster for just one night! Having said that, Wired was again smooth and glitch-free, thanks to the pro attitude of the students an, judging by the atmosphere in here everyone absolutely loved it”.

For more information on our audio engineering course please click here

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24.07.09

The beautiful North - Paul Heaton visits SSR

Singer-songwriter Paul Heaton recently visited SSR. Paul, who is currently enjoying a successful solo career, was a member of bands 'The Beautiful South' and 'The Housemartins'

Paul popped into SSR to have a look around our new Spirit Studio and transfer some of his new material for future sessions.

Impressed by what he saw, Paul said “I’m looking for somewhere to do my next album, and this is a great room” and with his typical humour added “It’ll be nice to work in a studio that I can ride my bike to!”

Such interest from music icons confirms that, finally, Manchester has a high end, commercial studio, ready to serve the needs of the area.

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10.07.09

Fancy one down the Rovers?

SSR's TV Production students took a field trip to Granada Studios last Saturday, except this was a tour with a twist. As well as taking the public tour, the students were treated to a 'behind the scenes' look at production on programmes such as Corrie, Jeremy Kyle, Granada News and Countdown.

Granada's Audio Operations Manager Mike Hayes hosted the visit and spoke at length about Granada's (3sixtymedia) technical operations, the digital switchover and Granada's plans for the future. The students learnt first hand from Mike how the digital revolution is changing the face of TV (IPTV) and how viewers now expect to access content on demand, any time, any place over the internet, as well as on TV and through a plethora of mobile devices.

The TVF students are currently studying at SSR on a programme funded by Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for the television industry. Recent huge leaps in technology and cross platform delivery has placed pressure on TV personnel to learn cross boundary skills. Production teams have shrunken in size and freelancers are now expected to multi-task in all areas of the production, from the creation of initial ideas, research and planning (over multi platforms) to shooting, editing and the delivery of content across TV, Internet and mobiles.

Phew! With all that in mind, we really do think it’s time for that pint!

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09.06.09

Spirit Studio Re-launches!

We are glad to announce that on Friday 5th June 2009 Spirit Studio was re-launched!

It was a very proud day in the history of SSR. A host of VIP’s, creative partners, students, staff and friends past and present all came together at SSR to witness the opening of our brand new ‘Spirit Studio’ and the launch of “The Tony Wilson Scholarship.”

On the closing of the old Spirit Studio, Reni of The Stone Roses said:
"I will miss Spirit. Just knowing it’s gone feels like losing a tooth – a tooth used when smiling!"

The new Spirit Studio was officially opened on the day by the Lord Mayor of Manchester and MP for Manchester Central Tony Lloyd.

Tony Lloyd MP was clearly blown away by what he saw:
"SSR has played an integral part in creating the globally known Manchester legacy we have today. SSR is providing the industry led training that will produce the next generation of creative talent ready for Media City. I am delighted to have such an establishment in my constituency and will do all I can to support the college in its future endeavours."

Ian Downs, Uk Sales Manager for PMC, was equally impressed with the studio:
"Friday was well worth the 360 miles round trip, the studio is looking great. Tom (Tom Aston, SSR Technical Manager) & Co should feel really proud of the work they have done. A real credit to SSR Spirit."

The new studio was created to have the “wow factor” and that was certainly the word on everybody’s lips as they arrived. The studio will be a great place in which to learn, record and mix and since it will be the best professional studio in the region students can look forward to seeing some of the best musicians and bands in there. As one student said:
"With Spirit Studio and all that SSR offers why would anyone study music production anywhere else?"

For further information on our Audio Engineering course, click here

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09.06.09

Launch of the Tony Wilson Scholarship!

On Friday 5th June, SSR was proud to support the launch of "The Tony Wilson Scholarship" with help from Tony’s family and friends. His son Oliver Wilson, Tony’s colleague at Granada Lucy Meacock and former music promoter and Factory band manager Elliot Rashman were on hand to show their support to the Scholarship and share some memories of their time working with Tony.

John Robb, the music journalist who has written about Spirit studio from the 1980’s and knew Tony well was the Master of Ceremonies.

Oliver Wilson paid tribute to his father and spoke about what he felt the scholarship would mean to the city of Manchester:
"We get asked to do an awful lot of things in my dad’s memory, most of which aren’t suitable or relevant or cheapen the work he did and values he stood up for. This scholarship is a living legacy which I am very proud to be involved with it as it gives great opportunities to talented youngsters looking to get into the industry."

And to prove that point SSR student Rory Birch who is currently on our Charlie Jones Live scholarship programme spoke about what it had meant to him:
"This scholarship has enabled me to have the sort of training that will help me get into the industry that I love. I think it’s great that there in another one dedicated to Tony Wilson who was such a great man."

Wendy Breakell SSR Director:
"We were all were very moved by Oliver’s words which helped to reinforce the reason why scholarships are so important. SSR is proud to be able to do this in Tony Wilson’s name and create a legacy that is about the future."

For further information on the Tony Wilson Scholarship, click here

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22.06.09

Young Film Makers and Music Producers at SSR

A group of budding young musicians and film makers from Cheshire were treated to a series of workshops and activities at SSR to develop their skills and experiences in preparation for their future careers.

The 40 young people were treated to a series of exciting workshops led by industry professionals which culminated in a live music production using an Oasis track and music video edited using Final Cut.

The project was organised by Aim Higher, a government funded organisation that introduces young students to their future educational options and supports their career ambitions.

The feedback from the students was awesome with students grading our deliveries as outstanding. Les Barrett, the Aim Higher co-ordinator had this to say:
"Once again SSR have provided a fantastic experience for Cheshire students. The staff go out of their way to plan and prepare the event with tremendous care and attention to detail. thanks forgiving us a great day. We will be back next term."

For information on our Schools Services, please click here.

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15.06.09

SSR at Girl Aloud!

For a second time, SSR students were in attendance at the Girls Aloud gig at the Manchester Evening News arena.

On Friday 29th of May, SSR Live Sound students went along to the M.E.N. to get a first hand, behind the scenes look of what goes into putting on an arena scale gig.

The students were invited onto the stage area to observe the microphone placement for the girls and the musicians, and to get a closer look at the on-stage monitoring and front of house speaker systems. They were then encouraged to walk around the audience areas during the sound check to observe the uniform dispersal of the sound around the arena.

Ex SSR Live Sound students Pete Seddon is currently working on the tour and was good enough to give all of our students various tasks to do during the show.

"It was a pleasure to have the students from SSR visit the tour. It was a chance to give something back. I know that the old boys of the live sound world feel somewhat reassured about the future of the music industry when they see such enthusiastic young engineers hungry for their jobs"

For further information on our Live Sound course, please click here

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29.05.09

The Pigeon has landed!

SSR students demonstrated their talents and skills at a recent festival in Manchester. Students from the SSR Live Sound course were given key roles assisting at The Hungry Pigeon Festival which took place in Piccadilly gardens over the recent bank holiday weekend.

Stuart Avery, the MD of the company who organised the event had this to say:
"I just wanted to write to let you know that the guys from SSR who helped out over the weekend at Hungry Pigeon were absolutely brilliant! Without exception, they were all helpful, friendly and responsible, and my partners and the other Hungry Pigeon staff were all very impressed with their professionalism and willingness to help out. I got a lot of feedback from them, and it seems they all got a lot out of the experience which is great. Their presence over the weekend was a really big help to us, and I’d definitely be happy to have some SSR students on board for future events."

The students really appreciated the opportunity to develop and practise their skills at a real event.

"Thanks to SSR for helping us to get this great opportunity. We learnt loads but at the same time we also realised how much we have learnt on the Live Sound course that has really prepared us for a career in the industry."

For further information on the live sound course click here

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27.05.09

SSR's First Female First

SSR is proud to announce that Nicola Walters has graduated with a 1st class honours from our BSc Sound Engineering and Design course. The degree was launched in 2005 and offers students the chance to develop their creative and technical talents across music production and TV and film post production.

Nicola was a first class student from the beginning and made the most of her time here. Nicola could always be found in the studios recording bands, improving her mixes and editing her work.

Her Tutor Ian Carmichael remembers Nicola’s eye for detail and great interpersonal skills that should ensure she is destined for a great career in the industry.
"Nicola was an outstanding student who showed great determination and commitment to the course. Highly creative, Nicola was always looking for ways to improve and develop herself. It was a pleasure to teach her."

Currently working at a studio in Brighton, a little bird tells us that she may be planning to do a PHD. We will be seeing Nicola at her graduation in July when we will hopefully find out more.

We are very proud of Nicola’s achievements and hope that her success will inspire other women to follow her example.

For information on the BSc Sound Engineering and Design course, please click here
For more SSR student success stories click here

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22.05.09

Culture and Media Government Minister to visit SSR

SSR is gearing itself up for the official opening of our new and unique top flight recording studio and the launch of The Tony Wilson Scholarship on Friday 5thJune.

And joining our students, staff and 50 guests for this great event will be The Secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport Andy Burnham, our local MP Tony Lloyd, The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Sue Murphy (Manchester Councillor for Employment and Skills), and Oliver Wilson, Tony Wilson’s son.

Also attending will be a host of Manchester celebrities from the music and media world including Lucy Meacock (ITV presenter); John Ryan (BBC radio Manchester); Elliot Rashman ( Ex manager of The Happy Mondays Simply Red);John Robb( music journalist); Mani ( Stone Roses/ Primal Scream); Peter Hook (New Order) and many others.

The new studio will be called “Spirit studio” which was the name of this company when we were first established in 1980 in Tariff street as a rehearsal and recording studio. The studio was used by Manchester’s major bands such as The Smiths, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, 808 state and Candy flip.

Ian Brown of The Stone Roses had this to say about the old Spirit studios:
"Spirit Studios, the original, the best, the greatest recording complex in the west"

from left to right - Oliver Wilson, Tony Lloyd MP, Lord Mayor of Manchester, Lucy Meacock, Andy Burnham

So happily for Ian and all the other musicians from the region on June 5th a new top flight Spirit will be reopening its doors. The 1500sq ft facility located on our fourth floor will house a Neve VR48 console and some impressive outboard gear. A key feature will also be the PMC monitors that are used in the best recording studios in the world and cannot be found in any other educational facility. Spirit will rival any studio in this area and across the UK including Abbey Road.

The day will also see the launch of The Tony Wilson Scholarship by Oliver Wilson, Tony son. Worth £12,000, the Scholarship will offer financial support to talented and creative young people from the region to study on an SSR Industry course.

Oliver said of the scholarship programme
"I am very excited that SSR are giving a scholarship in my fathers name because it is something he would have believed in and encouraged. I was astonished at what an amazing place SSR is when I recently went to visit, and I am so happy that people who perhaps ordinarily wouldn't have the chance to go will now be given an opportunity to learn new skills and perfect their craft. SSR is another reminder that Manchester is a world class city, and the fact that such a wonderful place will be helping the youth of Manchester in my father’s name is something I am extremely proud of."

SSR director Wendy Breakell was clear about what this day is all about:
"June 5th is about SSR celebrating its great history and achievements which are many but it is also about the future and the role that SSR will play in developing the next generation of musicians, sound engineers and film makers. For any young person who wants a career in the music industry SSR is the only place to be."

And the celebrations will continue throughout the day when members of the public can come down to see the new studio and into the evening. The SSR reunion party will see past students, staff and artist coming together to celebrate 25 years of SSR.

"This will be an event to remember,” said SSR Principal Ian Hu "people are travelling from all over the country and even overseas to attend. On a personal note I can’t wait to catch up with so many of the people that helped make SSR what it is today."

For further information on the history of Spirit studios click here
For information on The Tony Wilson scholarship click here
For information on SSR courses return to our home page

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20.05.09

SSR Head of Post Production works on new film

SSR’S Head of Post Production, Norbert Weiher, has recently been involved in an exciting SKILLSET project that culminated in a film screening at the BAFTA cinema in London.

Norbert was working with ex SSR student Pete Bailey who was working as location recordist. Together they completed all audio work on ‘Lovepik’, directed by Charles Harris who has worked for companies like the BBC, Thames TV and Channel 4. He has also won the Best New Director award: Palm Springs Festival of Festivals for the film ‘Paradise Grove’.

Norbert said
"Working on this project has been a great experience. It’s good too see what our past students are achieving within the industry using the skills they have learned at SSR. Pete is a prime example of what you can do with good training and a lot of hard work!"

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27.04.09

SSR at Doves Sound Check

Through SSR’s great industry connections our students were invited to attend the sound check and rehearsal of The Doves at The Manchester Academy on Sunday 26th April.

The students were issued with Access all areas passes and spent the whole afternoon with the sound crew and The Doves management team.

Natalie, one of our growing number of female students looking to break into Live Sound loved the whole day:
"It was a fantastic experience. The guys were incredibly generous with their time and answered all our questions. We learnt loads so thanks to SSR for giving us this opportunity."

Jay Beard, SSR’s Head of Live Sound, has engineered for the Doves and is a well respected figure in the Live Music Industry, so SSR students are given privileges and access to the industry that no other college or institution can ever hope to have.

As Jay confirms
"Along with great facilities and tutors, SSR students know that our industry connections make us the only place to be if you want a career in Music."

For more information on our Live Sound Engineering course, click here

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27.04.09

Look who’s teaching on the Live Sound course!

Wigwam Acoustics digital expert Alex Hadjigeorgiou and Keith Farmer, Engineer to the likes of Ian Brown, The Prodigy and Apollo 440, have both been passing on their knowledge and expertise to SSR’s live sound students.

Wigwam Acoustics is a leading PA company, based in Haywood, and are a major contributor to the live sound course here at the school. Alex is Wigwam’s main trouble shooter, flying out around the globe to ensure that the sound reinforcement equipment behind some of the biggest acts in the world works without a hitch.

Alex joined WIGWAM after completing his Audio Engineering diploma at SSR in 1986. Alex is passionate about the school and the quality of the teaching. We are really glad to welcome him back as a guest speaker to advise the next generation of talent.

Keith Farmer works for SJS and has had a great career in live sound.

We are delighted that Alex and Keith have dedicated some of their time to teach on the live sound course, the experience of being taught by two of the industries leading figures is invaluable to our students.

Natalie from the Live course echoed the view of all students
"Keith and Alex were brilliant. We learnt so much in a short space of time. They were a real inspiration."

For more information on our Live Sound Engineering course,click here

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17.04.09

The Smiths' Mike Joyce visits SSR (for a sneak preview of Spirit Studios)

Mike Joyce, the Chorlton-on-Medlock born drummer who found fame with Manchester super group The Smiths had a sneak preview of SSR’s new Spirit recording studio.

Mike was in to discuss future collaborative projects regarding bands Delphic and The Dutch Uncles with SSR’s Operations Director, Bill Devon and Creative Director, Dr Nick Clarke.

Following a brief tour of the facilities Mike was ‘stunned’ by the new Spirit Studio recording facility currently under construction, which will be launched on June 5th this year; the studio launch celebrations will include a host of musicians and leading music industry people from across the whole of Greater Manchester.

The studio is set to be one of the best studios in the North of England, offering what is widely acknowledged as one of best mixing consoles in the world, a Neve VLP60/48. In Mike’s own words, “With the Neve in place and such a fantastic live recording space the new Spirit Studio will be the Abbey Road of the North – simply the best studio around” – thanks Mike, we agree too.

Spirit Studios will officially be launched on the 5th of June 2009

Listen to Mike’s radio show Alternative Therapy' from Manchester Radio online. www.mikejoyce.com

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08.04.09

SSR's new mega studio nears completion!

As one SSR student recently said:
"If you’re into Music and Sound, why would you want to be anywhere else other than SSR?" And part of the reason for this is SSR’s new Neve studio which will be opening on Friday June 5th."

The Neve VLP60/48 will be the centrepiece of the new 1,500 sq.ft Studio located on the fourth floor of SSR’s already impressive building. To be called “Spirit Studio” this facility will offer a totally unique recording experience for SSR students and Manchester’s musicians.

“Spirit” will be one of the highest spec’ced studios outside London, and that’s not just us saying it. The experts who have been assisting in the design and construction, and the manufacturers supplying the speakers, the amps and all the top outboard gear have been amazed at what they have seen.

And recent visitor Mike Joyce, drummer for The Smiths confirmed:
"Manchester has never really had a professional, top end studio, this is it. I can’t wait to bring some bands here. They will be blown away."

Complimenting the Neve, will be the world renowned PMC MB2S-A monitors. According to PMC, SSR is so far the only education centre in the world to house these top end PMC monitors. We are very proud that our students will have such state of the art equipment at their disposal.

PMC’s Ian Downs is clear about their standards:
"We are very selective about where we place our monitors. We look carefully at the studio design and acoustics, making sure the monitors are housed in the perfect environment so they can perform at their best and in the way they were meant to be heard. We are delighted that SSR has gone to great lengths to meet these requirements, including flying in acoustic specialist Jochen Veith from Germany to calculate and create the perfect acoustic environment for the monitors and studio as a whole."

SSR Director Wendy Breakell sums it all up:
"Our commitment to the future careers of our students has seen us pull out all the stops with this studio. This is what makes SSR special and the place that students trust to give them the best experience possible."

For information on our Audio Techniques and Technology course, click here

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08.04.09

MMU – New Academic Partner

SSR is delighted to have formed an academic partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University. This new affiliation with MMU will see SSR deliver an exciting new foundation degree course; Post Production Technologies for Film, TV & CGI.

This groundbreaking FdSc degree is a unique collaboration which will enable students to study in the best environments possible. The post production facility at SSR was designed by post audio specialist John Wood, famous for his contribution to the television industry over the last 40 years.

The course will enable students to become fully trained in all aspects of post, in both audio and visual production, including the art of motion capture. Students on the course will have the advantage of utilizing the world class facilities on offer at both MMU and SSR.

MMU’s Media Lab is a cutting edge development equipped with industry standard cameras, editing software and CGI facilities. The Media lab also comprises an Animation Capture Suite with ‘iStopMotion’ software, an Apple Mac suite, Sound and Video Editing suites along with a 3d design suite for digital modelling.

Combined with the outstanding Foley, post production and recording studio facilities available here at SSR, students on the course will have at their disposal the very best in equipment, training rooms, tutors and industry links which will give them the leading edge when it comes to finding employment upon graduation.

SSR post production tutor Norbert Weiher had this to say about the collaboration:
"This is great news for us, but even better news for the students of this course. With Media City in Salford on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to get this type of training."

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31.03.09

Exodus Live at SSR

SSR proudly hosted the latest ‘Exodus Live’ event in association with Community Arts North West in the Charlie Jones Live Venue on Friday 20th March 2009.

The night was deemed a great success and saw the venue jam packed with guests enjoying the varied sounds on offer. A total of 7 groups performed at the bash, including Kokoriko, Educated Thugz and Beating Wing, showcasing the best Manchester has to offer in Rap, African and World music sounds.

The night was staffed exclusively by SSR students who, faced with some unfamiliar instrumentation and hectic changeovers, did a fantastic job and made the bands sound great for the packed audience in the Venue.

Exodus aims to impact on the cultural landscape of Greater Manchester through developing partnerships with Greater Manchester's creative and cultural sector, artists and groups amongst our refugee communities, and the wider Greater Manchester population.

SSR Live Sound Student Tom Harris was the production manager for the event and had this to say about the evening:
"It was great to be able to do something a bit different than the usual guitar/indie band nights. There were some really interesting instruments to deal with and having 7 really different bands meant the night was quite stressful and challenging, but our great training from the Live Sound course at SSR saw us all through. It was a great night to be involved with!"

The performances were recorded on video and also as a separate ‘live’ mix using SSR’s state of the art DiGiCo studio. We will be uploading some clips to the website shortly so stay tuned for highlights of the evening.

For more details on the next Exodus events, please visit www.can.uk.com

For more information on our live sound course, click here

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18.03.09

Award winning engineer Ray Furze guest lectures at SSR

SSR students were treated to a special guest lecture from Ray Furze the Live sound engineer for The Spice Girls, Pixies and The Beautiful South, amongst others. He was FOH engineer of the year for two years on the run. So Ray’s profile and experience is pretty spectacular.

Ray’s lecture focused on his amazing career as well and insights into how to be successful in the industry. The students gained a great deal from the event.

"Ray’s lecture was great, his background is amazing. The electronics part of the lecture was really fascinating, it gives us a more in depth understanding of what's going on."

"One thing I really liked was when he was explaining how he and the rest of the crew were working at the Jubilee event, how they divided the work to make it possible and how to spot any problems on time."

"Another thing I picked up and consider very important is the way he handles difficult situations and the way he handles people which we all know are really critical skills in this industry."

"Ray’s lecture was really inspiring and left me feeling optimistic and focused on where I want to be in the Sound Industry."

SSR Live sound Tutor Jay Beard
"Once again SSR students are able to benefit from SSR’s close connections to the industry. We really appreciated Ray’s insights and words of wisdom to the next generation of Sound Engineers."

For more information on our live sound course, click here

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12.03.09

Charlie Jones Scholarship awarded

SSR are very proud to announce the Charlie Jones Scholarship winner for March 2009. 24 year old Paul Cassidy of Glasgow beat over 80 other applicants for the prestigious award. Paul will join 24 other students on the Audio Engineering Techniques and Technology course, specialising in Live Sound Engineering, courtesy of Scholarship organisers Helen Jones, Wigwam Acoustics and SSR.

The scholarship award was started at SSR in 2006 to commemorate the lifelong service of one of the UK’s most revered sound engineers; Charlie Jones. Charlie worked in many areas of live sound including Television broadcast and touring and notched up over 30 years in the industry at the top of his profession. Charlie, whilst working through his busy schedule, always managed to find the time for training new recruits. The scholarship was started to carry forward Charlie’s ambition to train the next generation of live sound engineers, especially those from challenging backgrounds and those with a passion for live sound but unable to afford professional training.

The scholarship was awarded by Manchester music legend Mani at SSR’s 25th birthday party on Tuesday 10th March. Also present were Andy Rourke of the Smiths, bass legend Jah Wobble and Goldblade’s Jon Robb.

Paul delivered a short speech and gave special thanks to Helen Jones, Charlie’s sister for what he described as a ‘life-changing opportunity’.

For further information on our live sound course, please click here

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11.03.09

SSR celebrates with Manchester's music legends

Our 25th Anniversary bash kicked off in style on Tuesday 10th March with some of Manchester’s iconic music legends, who have all recorded at SSR in the past.

Mani (Stone Roses/Primal Scream), Andy Rourke (The Smiths), John Robb (Goldblade) and Jah Wobble (Public Image Ltd) were among the special guests in attendance to join in the celebrations and were on hand to offer advice and support to SSR students.

Along with the VIP’s, many former students were also there to share stories about their time at SSR and how it helped to launch their careers in the industry.

Current students were treated to master classes with Mani on how to be the best sound engineer, how to deal with the corporate music industry as well as top tips for bass playing techniques. What also made his visit very special was that 2 of SSR tutor’s have worked with Mani so it was an opportunity for some sharing of stories and inside secrets.

One of the many highlights of the day was the signing of a Peavy Bass Guitar by bass playing legends Mani, Andy Rourke and Jah Wobble, which will soon take pride of place in our reception area.

One starstruck SSR student said:
"This was the best day of my life, to be in the same room as two of my favourite musicians, Mani and Andy Rourke"

Chris Hill, Managing Director of SSR’s creative partner Wigwam Acoustics, was there to support the occasion and award The Charlie Jones Scholarship to Paul Cassidy. Paul had impressed the judging panel with his dedication and commitment to pursuing a career in the Live Sound industry.

SSR would like to thank all those who came along to help us celebrate, along with everyone who couldn’t be there but have contributed to SSR history as a past student, creative partner or member of staff.

Here’s to the next 25.

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11.03.09

SSR gets cheeky at The Oscars

SSR partner Karen Milligan attended the Oscars in LA recently to secure an exclusive interview with Slum Dog millionaire’s Director Danny Boyle. Karen (Cheeky Media Managing Director) freelancing for ITV Granada, joined her former colleague Granada Reports' Entertainment Correspondent, Caroline Hacking to track down Danny, winner of ‘Best Director’ for his film Slumdog Millionaire.

The cheeky pair secured an exclusive interview with Danny, poolside at his hotel in Beverly Hills........ and later managed to track him down at a showbiz bash in L.A. where Caroline finally got her hands on the famous Oscar statue.

Karen was delighted with the interview which was broadcast across UK news networks the same day. Karen rang SSR from LA to confirm that our students will be able to use her footage to practice their editing skills.

Karen is the joint course leader for SSR’s TV Freelance Training Project (The TVF Project) as well as one our key creative partners for our TV and film courses.

SSR principal Ian Hu
"SSR’s industry contacts and creative partners give our students access to real world material and professional practice that gives them that vital cutting edge when it comes to securing work in this highly competitive industry."

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04.03.09

Mani kicks off SSR's 25th Birthday Party on Tuesday, 10th March 2 - 4 pm - JOIN US, ALL WELCOME!

Manchester’s School of Sound Recording (SSR) is celebrating its 25th anniversary with some legendary Manchester musicians.

And first on the list is Mani from the legendary Stone Roses and Primal Scream. Mani will be at the SSR campus on Tuesday 10th March between 2-4pm, giving advice to the next generation of students hoping to make their way into the Music Industry.

SSR began life as a commercial recording studio known as “Spirit Studios” on Tariff Street in the Northern Quarter in 1980. It provided vital rehearsal space and recording opportunities for up and coming Manchester bands. The first band to cross Spirit’s door was The Smiths along with Simply Red, Happy Mondays and many others.

The Stone Roses followed suit although at the time had little money to pay their way. One infamous story is that unable to pay their studio bill The Stone Roses broke in and recorded a secret tape. Maybe Mani will confirm this on his visit.

Mani said:
"We loved coming down to Spirit, we had some wicked times. I am really looking forward to seeing SSR, meeting the students and getting a first glimpse of the new Spirit studio that is being built on the top floor. Maybe I’ll get a chance to hear that tape."

Ian Hu SSR Principal:
"It’s great that Mani is coming down as he is an important part of SSR’s very rich history. This company experience over 25 years is what makes us a respected and trusted provider of creative media education. We have come a long way from the 15 students who started in 1984 to the 350 we have now"

In 1984 Spirit became SSR, the first audio engineering school in the UK. 25 years on the company is now located in a massive 4 storey state of the art facility in Ardwick offering degree programmes in Music and Media courses to record numbers of students. This is the first of many anniversary events planned by SSR, and to mark this occasion students and staff will be coming in the dress code of 1984.

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19.02.09

Acoustics master class from PA giants L-Acoustics

SSR students were very lucky to have the PA system giants L-Acoustics visit in February. David Brooks flew in from Paris and Stuart Down came up from the UK office to present a seminar on PA system design as part of the live sound course. This is the first time L-Acoustics have delivered any such seminar outside the AES/EBU in the USA.

Stuart Down said:
"We were very pleased to be asked by Jay Beard to conduct a seminar at SSR. It was great to see that SSR is giving the students who are interested in the live sound industry real hands on experience where they can be exposed to state of the art equipment and benefit from the experience of engineers and manufacturers who play a key role in the development of pro sound systems in the touring industry. We were very proud to have been able to take part in this process and look forward to visiting again in the near future."

SSR’s Head of Live Sound Jay Beard said:
"L-Acoustics are such a highly regarded company and have much respect in the industry, it’s wonderful to have their full support of the course."

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18.02.09

D-Show training - first in UK to pass 210V!

3 Live Sound students at SSR have just become the first in the UK to participate in and pass the new official Digidesign Pro Tools 210V certification.

The V stands for “VENUE” and refers to the live digital console the D-Show, which is steadily growing in popularity in the live console market across the globe. The D-show is becoming a favourite amongst live sound engineers because of its familiar Pro Tools architecture it's use of plug-ins.

Jay Beard, Digidesign Certified Instructor and head of Live Sound at SSR recently delivered the 3-day training course and was happy to announce that students James, Alan, and Nick all passed their exams first time.

SSR expects this course to be very popular in 2009 with both students and working live sound engineers.

Live Sound facts:
According to the BPI, the Live Sound Industry is continuing to grow steadily and live music revenues make up almost half of all revenue generated by the music industry as a whole. Live music is bigger than the building trade and the pharmaceutical industry in the UK.

This has been reflected by the popularity of SSR’s Live Sound course, which has seen over 80% of our graduates go straight into paid employment, a statistic which is way above the national figures for employment following FE and HE training.

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13.02.09

DiGiCo studio update

You may recall in January SSR proudly unveiled the newest addition to our range of high end studios with the opening of our new DiGiCo Recording Studio. Not only were we pleased to receive one of 3 consoles used to broadcast the Beijing Olympics to the world, but also for the fact that DiGiCo chose SSR above other UK training providers to showcase their amazing console!

4 weeks on and we thought we’d get some feedback from the users of the studio. It seems the new facility has proved a hit with tutors and students alike….

SSR Audio Tutor Alan Wrench was delighted with the new facility
"I’m very impressed by this new studio. It can be used for recording and production, post production work and broadcast, so it’s already very popular with a large number of students. A lot of thought has obviously gone into the design resulting in a very ergonomic environment for the engineers. The DS-00 console is very flexible and intuitive and easy to use, even giving an ‘analogue feel’ to what is a high end digital system."

The DiGiCo studio has been designed with a variety of uses in mind, including recording/mixing bands directly from the Charlie Jones Live Venue. In addition to the DS-00 console and it’s huge array of onboard effects and routing possibilities, the studio also features a plethora of high-end outboard equipment. This includes a Manley MU valve compressor, an Akai S5000 sampler, a Roland JV2080 synth, a vintage Roland MKS70 analogue rack synth including PPG300 programmer, a Sony M7 multi fx unit and Sony R7 reverb unit, Roland vintage chorus/echo (tape based) unit, a vintage Roland stereo flanger and a Sampson foldback amp.

Among the first to make use of the new facility were SSR Audio Engineering students Alan Harrison and Craig Sanderson who had this to say about the studio:

Craig - "The new studio is great to work in and the DiGiCo console looks and sounds amazing. I can’t wait to get back in with a band and really put the studio to the test!"

Alan – "The highlights for me are the DS-00 console and the Manley valve compressor, which sounds amazing. The design of the studio and the other equipment in there makes for an ideal recording/mixing environment."

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12.02.09

Post Production field trip to Granada Studios

SSR post production students were last week invited to a tour of Granada Studios in Manchester, to see first hand the post production techniques that go into producing some of our favourite television programmes. The trip was organised by Mike Hayes of ITV/3Sixtymedia, who are of course one of our creative partners. Because of these strong links with the industry, our students were given a privileged opportunity to meet the staff as well as learn from the professionals in action.

The students were accompanied by SSR Post Production tutor Norbert Weiher on the trip, which saw them take a tour of the studios and get an insight into the professional production of programmes like Coronation Street.

Mike Hayes, head of 3sixtymedia, said:
“It was great to have SSR students down here at Granada Studios, we know the post production courses will be producing our future employees and the students are getting real industry standard training and experience. As always it is great to work with SSR!”

SSR Student Matt Talbort said:
"We have only just started the course and here we are engaging with the industry directly as a result of SSR’s fantastic creative partners. SSR really does get students connected. It was a great trip and we learned a lot, and we are all looking forward to the next one!"

Looming for next year is an opportunity for SSR students to get involved in a live show production at Granada studios, alongside further trips and guest lectures. In related news, SSR will be delivering 310i (Icon) Pro Tools training at Granada Studios utilising their ‘D-Control’ mixing console.

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27.01.09

Royal Northern College of Music & SSR

The Royal Northern College of Music and SSR are to start a unique partnership which will see SSR students collaborating with their RNCM counterparts.

SSR students will now be able to choose from a full range of classical and contemporary instrumentation to record while RNCM students will be able to get recordings of their music using some of SSR’s facilities. Student bands from the RNCM will also make regular use of the Live Venue as SSR students will perform front-of-house and monitor mixes for a whole range of musical styles.

"This is one the most exciting links that SSR has ever formed" said SSR Principal Ian Hu "effectively it gives our students ‘talent on demand’. Imagine working on a piece of music using synths and samples initially but then bringing in a real brass section or a string quartet. That kind of thing would normally cost a fortune."

Andy Stott – Programme Leader, Royal Northern College of Music added
"This is a fantastic opportunity for our students who are some of the most talented musicians in the UK to work with the students of SSR. I’m really impressed with SSR’s facilities, staff and professional approach so we know our students are in safe hands."

SSR Student Felix adds
"Once again SSR proves it’s the best place to be. The school is always looking for ways to enhance & improve opportunities for students to become the best in the business"

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15.01.09

25 years at the top!

It only seems like yesterday when SSR opened its doors to became the first audio engineering college in the UK with 20 students and 3 staff. Fast forward to 2009 and we now have 350 students and 40 staff enrolled on a range of courses in Music, Audio, Film and TV production. We are proud to say that in 2009 we remain the leading company for creative media education and pro tools training in the UK and Europe.

Throughout the rest of the year we will be holding some very exciting events involving some legendary figures who have been involved with SSR to celebrate the contributions being made by this school to the creative and cultural life of Manchester. We are responsible for training literally 1,000’s of people for many diverse jobs and careers in the music and media industries through our unique and extensive industry connections.

And to reflect the fact that SSR never stands still, our courses are updated at a breathtaking pace in line with the advances in technology and the changes seen in the industry. The latest updated course is our flagship Audio Engineering Techniques and Technology programme which has many additional features and modules and continues to give our students that cutting edge as well as the flexibility to pursue their own particular specialism whether in studio, live or Post production sound.

Our newly created Audio Post Production course unique to the UK is ready for its second intake this March. The first group have already enjoyed guest lectures from the Post - production staff at Granada and the team working with Peter Kay, Steve Coogan and The Royle Family. They have been on trips to Granada studios and been back stage during the recording of many programmes. Currently finishing Pro Tools, the students are about to start their Final Cut training and hear from a former senior video editor from Yorkshire and Granada television.

For further information on the history of SSR click here

For further information on our SSR industry courses in:

Audio Engineering and Techniques click here
Audio Post Production click here
Electronic Music Production course click here
Student success stories and testimonials click here

Contact the principal Ian Hu for further information or to arrange a tour and interview e-mail ian.hu@s-s-r.com or call 0161 276 2110

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07.01.09

King John

SSR Post Production tutor John Wood is no stranger to high profile work and so it was no surprise when John was commissioned work on The Royle Family Christmas special.

John who has been called the George Martin of the Post Production world is a favourite with the Manchester comedy mafia. As well as The Royles he works regularly for Peter Kay and Steve Coogan who insist on the best production teams for their shows.

John strongly believes that to make it to the top, technical expertise and people skills are equally important.

"I stress to SSR students in the Post Production Course that when the temperature rises in the edit suite your job is to keep cool. So I ensure that SSR students are trained in how to deal with highly pressurised situations."

Clive from the Post Production course agrees:
"John is great because he has so much experience and wisdom. He is passing on some invaluable advice and guidance based on real world situations and testing us on what we would do. It gives us so much confidence, knowing that we are learning from tutors who are operating at the very highest level"

It is these kind of connections that equip our students with the professional qualities needed to launch their careers.

For information on the Post Production course click here or email norbert.weiher@s-s-r.com

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06.01.09

SSR graduate becomes Award Winner!

Here at SSR, we have a saying “Once an SSR student always an SSR student” so we love hearing news from our past students who have gone on to forge strong careers in the Audio and Visual industries. Former student Bernardo Jiminez contacted us to tell us that he has won awards for ‘Best Original Song for a TV series as well as ‘Best Incidental Music’ and ‘Best Sound Editing.’

Needless to say this is great news for Bernado, and everyone here at SSR would like to extend their congratulations to him.

Bernado has also completed projects for some high profile clients including Renault, Nokia, Rayovac Batteries, Kellogs and Unilever.

Bernardo had this to say about his time at SSR:
"I am very grateful for my time at SSR. The staff and students were fantastic. I have very fond memories of my time there and the whole experience was incredibly valuable to my career."

Once again, congratulations to Bernado from all at SSR, and we would like to wish him the best of luck in the future. His story goes to show just how valuable our training can be when followed up with lots of hard work and dedication.

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