Shure Incorporated's 10th annual Fantastic Scholastic Recording Competition is now accepting entries from eligible universities and colleges throughout the U.S. and Canada until October 31, 2013, at 11:59 P.M. CST. The competition is open to teams of students enrolled at a college, university, or institution of higher learning who are pursuing a bachelor’s or associate’s degree program with a focus or concentration in fields related to audio engineering (music production, audio recording or engineering, electronic media, sound recording, or a similar program). Using the same high quality gear that professional musicians and recording engineers rely on, these student teams will submit original compositions, which will be judged by a panel of esteemed musicians and industry authorities.
In early November, Shure will randomly select the 10 competing schools from the eligible registration pool. Each of the participating student teams will receive a standardized microphone locker from Shure that must be used to complete the recording project. The contents of the locker include two KSM313, two KSM32, two KSM44A, one KSM42, two KSM141, four SM57, two SM27-SC, one BETA 52A, one Beta 91A, three BETA 98AMP, two BETA 181/S each with an additional Omni capsule, one SM7B, one VP88, and one A27M.
Competing teams must track and mix their original piece of music, which will be judged by a panel of industry professionals on its overall fidelity, clarity, sonic balance, and creativity in microphone selection and placement.Previous judges have included some of the industry’s top audio visionaries such as Ken Caillat, Mike Clink, Steve Churchyard, Frank Filipetti, Elliot Scheiner, and Leslie Ann Jones, among others.
The winning school will be awarded a new set of assorted Shure products, including KSM, SM, and Beta microphones, as well as SRH headphones, a prize package valued at more than $11,000. Runners-up and honorable mention school prizes will include select Shure microphones and headphones valued at $5,395 and $1,872, respectively. In addition, students on the top three recognized teams will receive prizes ranging from a KSM42 microphone, valued at $999, to a SM27-SC microphone, valued at $374, to SRH840headphones, valued at $250.
“For nearly a decade we have been wowed by the caliber of student submissions we receive each year,” said Stephen Kohler, senior director of marketing, Shure Americas. “During this milestone year, we anticipate recordings will once again impress us on all fronts—creativity, passion, mixing, and microphone techniques.”
The contestants chosen in the random drawing will be posted on Shure's website on or around November 11, 2013, and dedicated microphone lockers will be sent in the days to follow. The winner of the Fantastic Scholastic Recording Competition, as well as the runner-up and honorable mention distinctions, will be announced on or about April 28, 2014. To learn more about the competition’s rules, guidelines, and prizes, please visit: www.shure.com/contests.
