It’s not every day a local recording studio, or in this case a local audio engineering school can lay claim to hosting a massive international band at their facilities, but this was certainly the case with the Academy of Sound Engineering (ASE) studio.
Here’s the story…
When Mumford & Sons were planning their South African tour they wanted to do something different. Not only were they coming to perform for their South African fans in Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria, but they also wanted to use their time in South Africa to record some new music.
This required studio facilities and local technicians to make it happen. Mumford & Sons were adamant that the recording facility should meet specific criteria and be able to accommodate the large amount of equipment needed by the band during their tour.
ASE graduate Gerhard Van Der Merwe who works with the band’s management company suggested the ASE studio because they were the only facility in the country that had the required capacity and adhered to international standards. In addition, a selection of strategic pieces of studio gear was acquired from the Academy’s partner companies and suppliers to comply with the band’s extensive gear requirements.
Two days were spent in the ASE studio recording new music in collaboration with Baaba Maal, The Very Best and local band Beatenberg. ASE senior lecturer Gray Burnett, graduates and students assisted the artists during these rehearsals and recordings.
The college says the students at the ASE studio excelled as recording technicians, stage technicians and hospitality crew and received glowing reports from Mumford & Sons.
Thanks to the students’ outstanding performance at the studio, the band’s management has even offered them the once-in-a-life time opportunity of an international internship on qualifying with their Academy of Sound Engineering Diplomas.
