Brian Brown Recording Studio continues the legacy of a visionary Australian artist

A newly refurbished and upgraded recording studio named in honour of the brilliant Australian jazz musician Brian Brown OAM (1933-2013) who established the jazz and improvisation course at the VCA in 1980, has been launched at the VCA and MCM’s Southbank Campus.
The upgrades, funded by the State Government through Creative Victoria, will allow for a bigger live recording space, high-end technology and a range of new teaching, research and community activities.
The Brian Brown Recording Studio was launched by the Minister for Creative Industries, Martin Foley MP.
The development of the original studio, known as the Sound Research Studio, was overseen by Brian Brown in 1980, and the studio was regarded as one of the foremost centres for electro-acoustic composition in Australia.
“Brian was an inspired musician who used the most advanced technology he could find, weaving it into his saxophone and flute playing, painting the vision of 21st century music-making,” says Senior Lecturer in Music at the VCA, Dr Robert Vincs, who studied and played with Brian Brown.
The studio now has a "live" sounding space in addition to a "dead" space; a 36 channel in-line recording console with digital integration; a comprehensive collection of new microphone technologies as well as sought-after vintage microphones; low-latency HD video monitoring to allow musicians in a variety of spaces to record and communicate via video; an audio and video link with adjacent teaching space and an ensemble room to deliver studio classes on a large scale.
There are also plans to set up full synthesiser integration to allow digital input into our analogue synthesiser collection – including the rare Synthi 100 – meaning new production technologies can be used in conjunction with old.
 “The studio was in desperate need of a major upgrade, says Director of the VCA, Professor Su Baker, “so we can now offer all the studio functions required by an emerging musician in the 21st century and continue the legacy of a visionary Australian artist.”
The studio was and continues to be the centre for jazz and improvisation recording at the VCA with constant links to ensemble teaching led by prominent musicians on staff including Alex Pertout, Rob Vincs, Geoff Hughes, Ashley Cross and Geoff Kluke.
www.vca-mcm.unimelb.edu.au