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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 11, 1983)
L'llVJLXX.^ , VXVJX^wvvr^v i- V, V 7V>0 Studio stresses quality work by Angel Stokes Battalion staff The growing musical en vironment in the Bryan/College Station area has a new addition — Brasswind Studios. Owner David Cooper says Brasswind is different from other studios in the area because it is the first full-time profession al studio. Brasswind tries to reach sev eral area markets, Cooper says, including radio and television commercials, audio/visual work for Texas A&M and demonstra tion tapes for local bands. The studio rates are moderately priced for the services offered, he says. All the audio work is pro duced at Brasswind, he says, but the video work is sub contracted to studios in other cities. Some work currently done by Brasswind includes the back ground music for the Lester's tell fashion spots for Channel 3, radio spots tor University Na tional Bank and Messina-Hof Wine Cellars. Brasswind has studio capabi lities to do two-track, eight-track and 24-track tapes. Cooper says the studio doesn't have a 24- track machine because that mar ket isn't developed here yet. But, he says, if a client wants to make an album or a high-quality demo, then a 24-track machine can be brought in. With access to three machines in the state, the studio only has to borrow a machine and plug it into the ex isting equipment. '"The studio is doing things not normally done by studios because of the markets it is hying to reach," Cooper says. Tne markets for radio advertise ment and television spots al ways have been here, he says, but clients had to go to Dallas, Atlanta, Austin and other cities to have the work done. These extras include sub contracting video work and the availability of a 24-track machine. A production music library, called a music bed, for background music also is avail able. The equipment at Brasswind is similar to that found in studios in Nashville and New York, Cooper says. "I wanted quality, not quanti ty," he says. Most of the equipment is "state of the art," ne says. The mixing console is a Console Tri dent Series 70. Made in England and released last year, he says the one at Brasswind is the first in Texas. Other studio equipment in cludes: a Linndrum Drum Com puter, a Fender Precision Bass, a Polyphonic Synthesizer and a Yamaha electric grand — the most common road piano. After completing a demo tape photo by Dean Saito David Cooper surveys his recording set up in Brasswind Studios. for an album tape, it is sent first to a mastering plant and then to a pressing plant. Cooper has three companies lined up to do the mastering and pressing. Which company is chosen de pends on the quality of work and the budget the client wants. Cooper's first idea for a studio in Bryan/College Station came about in 1976, he says, when he took a course in recording en gineering in Dallas while also attending Baylor. After graduating from Baylor with a degree in music theory, he moved to Nashville and worked sound at the Opryland. While in Nashville, he says he got some lucky breaks by meet- See STUDIO, page 11 Hit Broadway play at A&M Thursday "Amadeus," the hit Broad way play of threeyears ago, will be presented Thursday in Rudder Auditorium at 8 p.m. The award winning play, pre sented by the National Tour ing Company, is the third of eight programs in the Opera and Performing Arts Society's 11th season. "Amadeus" examines the conflicts between the two 18th-century composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri. Although Salieri was popular among the people of the time, he longed for Mozart's genius — "his gift from God." The characterizations of the two main roles make this play unique. Salieri, played by Phillip Pleasants, is the gener ous man of court, while Mozart is foul-mouthed and cruel. Salieri's jealousy moves him to destroy Mozart, played by Edward Hodson. It is un certain whether he was re sponsible for Mozart's death, as he once confessed. "Amadeus" won five Tony Awards, including the award for Best Play. It also was a huge hit in England at the Na tional Theater. i photo by Dean Saito Cooper is dwarfed by his mixing console.