THE STUDIO ADVANTAGE:
Omega Recording Studios exists to serve the music industry and top professional musicians. It has long been regarded by major artists as the place to record while in the Washington DC area. We have hosted such artists as Def Leppard, Michael Bolton, Mya, the Washington Opera, and the United States Marine Band, and have served all of the major networks for television specials, including feeding live television shows broadcasting from downtown Washington venues with live remote orchestras in our studio.
Although Omega is equipped and staffed to handle any audio recording task, large or small, professionals most often to turn to Omega to record music that just can’t be done in small project studios, or for projects that require superior quality or special expertise. Omega is particularly recognized for recording live musicians playing traditional musical instruments, such as orchestras, concert bands and other large ensembles. With exceptional acoustics, an ideal selection of analog and digital equipment, and an inventory of the finest microphones, Omega is capable of recording any style of music. The engineering staff has a refreshing, professional attitude, and is happy to do whatever is needed to help you make a fine recording.
Washington DC has a large community of first-rate professional musicians that cover virtually every musical style, and Omega has the resources and contacts to help you to select the best players on either a union or non-union basis. The combination of exceptional professional musicians and Omega’s Studio A, which comfortably records live groups of up to 70 musicians, has made it the go-to studio for international music publishers. For over thirty years publishers such as the CL Barnhouse Company (Oskaloosa, Iowa), Warner Bros Publications (New York, Miami and Los Angeles) Rundel Music Publishing (Germany) and DeHaske (Netherlands) travel to Omega annually to record music for symphony orchestra, concert band and jazz big band. In this time of tight budgets, Omega has become the low-cost alternative to some of the traditional music centers like New York. It recently recorded the symphony orchestra and big band tracks for the New York Voices, engineered by Elliot Scheiner, who commented, “I was truly impressed with everything. The staff was incredible.”
Omega’s inventory of musical instruments includes well-maintained grand pianos, Hammond organs, Fender Rhodes piano, an extensive array of digital keyboards, guitars, basses, and drum sets. Our orchestral percussion includes every mallet instrument, top quality timpani and orchestral drums, and a vast collection of auxiliary instruments. Frankly, we do a lot of orchestra, concert band, and big band recording, and have all of the knowledge, skill, equipment and relationships with the finest musicians to help make that sort of recording easy for you.
THE SCHOOL ADVANTAGE:
There can be no better place to learn Audio Engineering than in a school that uses a working professional studio for its classroom. The Omega Studios’ School is that place! And within this ideal learning environment Omega has a structured curriculum, carefully crafted since 1977 to provide students with a solid education that includes the theory, the science, and their practical application. This education goes deep. What also makes Omega stand apart is our small class size: our student to instructor ration is 8:1. That means no competing for the instructor’s attention or competing for time on the board. Our 80% hands-on program will also allow you to get the technical training that is required in this field.
At Omega, your instructors are pro audio engineers who work in the recording industry every day, and have years of real world experience to pass on to you. Your classrooms are the three professional recording studios, used every day by pros in the business, and two labs. You learn hands-on using the finest professional equipment. This is not just a “theory of audio engineering” program, using the equipment you’re likely to find in the local music store. This is the real thing: audio education by professionals, for future professionals, using top professional gear, like Neve, Neumann, Studer, SSL, and the other top quality equipment that has long been the very backbone of the recording industry.
The best recording schools, like all other institutions of higher education, are accredited by organizations that are recognized by the US Department of Education. Accreditation gives students the assurance that the school offers a quality curriculum that actually leads to careers in the field of study, while maintaining the highest standards of ethical management. The Omega Studios’ School is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, approved for Veterans’ Benefits, and approved by the US Department of Education for Federal Financial Aid.