Office Space

Located in the heart of Asbury Park’s storied music scene, Lakehouse Recording Studios is a multi-studio facility where artists such as Jon Bon Jovi and Lorde have recorded. Co-owned by Jon Leidersdorff and his wife, Monmouth University Trustee Nancy Leidersdorff ’97, the studio also serves as a hands-on classroom for students in the Music Industry program, who produce professional-quality tracks through the University’s partnership with Lakehouse. Joe Rapolla ’90M (above, far right), chair of the Department of Music and Theatre Arts, gave us a tour.

Live Recording Room

This isolated space is where students and outside artists record vocals and instruments. By separating it from the control room, student engineers can hear exactly what the microphones capture, free from the natural sound of the room.

Studio Monitors

Unlike typical speakers, studio monitors are designed for accuracy, not enhancement. They allow students to hear recordings in their truest form, which is essential for mixing and producing professional-quality tracks.

Mixing Console

This Neve 8024, a vintage 1970s analog console from the renowned Neve 80 Series, is the centerpiece of the studio. With only a few still in operation, producers travel from around the world to record on it. Students learn to manage a professional studio workflow on the same board.

Digital Audio Workstation

Using Pro Tools, the industry-standard recording software, students set up sessions, record tracks, and begin shaping a song from the ground up. Here, a session is being set up for recording.

Keyboards

Used to create and layer sounds during the recording process, these instruments are housed in the control room so they can be adjusted on the fly—allowing students to fine-tune tones while hearing results immediately through the studio monitors.