We’ve got a festive update to share on the £1.7 million in Capital Funding pointblank secured from the Office for Students (OfS). If the earlier announcement was the headline, this is the unwrapping: the funding is now being channelled into real, student-facing upgrades across our London campuses. Our facilities are about to be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, found only in world-class studios, to supercharge your learning. In the spirit of the season, let’s check out what’s in our festive sack of studio goodies and how each piece of equipment powers up your music career.
A flagship recording and mixing upgrade
Leading the list is a custom-built 32-channel Rupert Neve Designs 5088 mixing console: an item so iconic it’s the kind of equipment found only in top-tier studios. This desk brings serious analogue capability into our learning spaces, giving aspiring engineers and producers the chance to learn on a console built for depth, detail, and hands-on control. This is an impressive upgrade to our existing arsenal of a 48-channel SSL Duality Delta and two 32-channel SSL Origin mixing consoles.
From routing and gain staging to EQ decisions and mix workflow, the 5088 supports the kind of learning you only get when you’re working on a real ‘big board’. It’s a major step forward for training that connects classroom knowledge to the expectations of professional sessions.
Stocking up on high-end outboard gear
A great console deserves a great supporting cast, so we’re also expanding our analogue outboard line-up with equipment you’d expect to see in leading studios and mastering rooms. These are the rack-mounted heroes that add sparkle and punch to pro recordings, and you’ll get to use every single one:
Manley Massive Passive Mastering Edition
A renowned stereo equaliser known for musical, organic tone shaping. It’s ideal for teaching subtle frequency sculpting and broad-stroke mastering-style decisions, while reinforcing the discipline of intentional EQ moves.
Universal Audio Teletronix LA-2A
One of the most recognisable compressors in recording, celebrated for smooth, controlled dynamics. It’s a practical, hands-on way to learn compression behaviour and gain control in real sessions.
Empirical Labs Distressor EL8S
A highly sought-after modern compressor and true studio staple, it can move from smooth vocal control to hard-hitting drum punch in seconds, with modes that nod to classics like the LA-2A. For students, it’s the perfect hands-on tool for learning dynamics and adding that final analogue polish to a mix.
Manley Vari-Mu Compressor
The Manley Stereo Variable Mu is an all-tube stereo compressor/limiter that studio pros love for adding warmth and glue to mixes. It’s the kind of high-end gear that instantly makes mixes sound more polished. For an aspiring engineer, the Vari-Mu is exciting because it is legendary – the same flavor of tube mojo found on classic records. So we’re slipping one into your wishlist a piece of that classic studio magic.
UA 1176 Compressor
The Universal Audio 1176 is a classic FET compressor, famous for lightning-fast attacks and hefty punch. It’s everywhere in recording: on vocals, guitars, drums because it can make things sound bigger and tighter almost instantly. Engineers prize the 1176’s ability to add ‘punch and attitude’ to a track, whether it’s gently smoothing out a vocal or cranking a gritty guitar tone. Fun fact: its ‘All Buttons In’ mode is legendary for wild distortion effects.
Neve 1073 Mic Preamp
The Neve 1073 is basically the rockstar of mic preamps. This vintage-style Class-A preamp/EQ is revered for giving recordings a big, warm low-end and smooth yet punchy top end. Slap a mic into a 1073 and even a humble acoustic guitar or vocal starts to sound like it’s destined for the charts – it adds that signature Neve vibe that’s hard to replicate.
Avalon VT-737SP Channel Strip
The Avalon VT-737SP is a tube-powered channel strip that combines a mic preamp, optical compressor, and EQ in one handsome 2U rack box. It’s best known for delivering the glossy, radio-ready sound of top pop and R&B records. In other words, it adds a juicy, polished sheen to vocals, basses or any source you run through it.
API 3122 Mic Preamps
A staple of professional front-end recording chains, known for an energetic, punchy character. They provide an excellent platform for learning microphone technique, capture quality, and how to choose preamps for different sources.
Legendary Microphones
A great voice deserves a great supporting mic. This Christmas, we’re decking our studios with legendary microphones like the Neumann U87, nimble KM184 condensers, and silky Coles 4038 ribbons. These mic heroes capture every nuance, warmth, and sparkle of your sound, adding character to every recording.
Neumann U87
The Neumann U87 is a large-diaphragm studio condenser that’s basically the superstar of vocal and acoustic recording. It’s known for a warm, smooth sound that flatters singers and instruments alike. This means students learn on the very mic heard on countless hit records, so even beginners feel like they’ve got pro gear on their desk
Neumann KM184 (pair)
Next up, the KM184s are a matched pair of pencil-style small-diaphragm condensers ideal for stereo recording. In practice, they shine on acoustic guitars, drum overheads, pianos, and even orchestras. For students, this pair is like a holiday gift in a box, which lets them experiment with various stereo recording techniques to level up their productions.
Coles 4038 (pair)
Finally, the Coles 4038 is a classic British-made ribbon mic with a bi-directional pickup. Ribbon mics like the 4038 are prized for a very smooth, natural tone – Coles points out its frequency response is exceptionally flat and clean sound profile, with virtually no distortion. In the studio this means it adds a warm, vintage glow to anything from drum room ambience to electric guitar or horns.Whether you’re trying out a mid-side setup or a complex recording setup for immersive audio, the 4038s got you covered.
A timeless gift: 10 acoustic pianos across campus
Not every gift is wired and flashing – some are wooden, elegant, and timeless. We’re also bringing in ten acoustic pianos for our students aspiring to be composers, songwriters, performers and producers.
Yamaha C3X grand piano
This magnificent grand piano will take pride of place in the Hub, our main student common area and performance space. It’s a focal point for rehearsals, writing sessions, and performances; an instrument that invites collaboration.
Yamaha upright pianos
We’re also adding Yamaha U3 uprights into our recording studios. The U3 is a studio staple, known for its precise, responsive touch and full-bodied tone. Even our practice rooms are getting a dash of piano magic with new Yamaha B3 uprights. The B3 is an excellent upright known for its robust build and warm sound, perfect for practice sessions and songwriting drills
Fresh iMacs for smoother production sessions
We’re also rolling out new high-spec Apple iMacs across our classrooms and practice studios, because nothing kills momentum like a session that can’t keep up. These workstations will support modern production demands: large Ableton projects, dense Logic sessions, multitrack recording in Pro Tools, and the kind of plug-in and sample library workflows students rely on today.
Podcast studios: a new space for voices and ideas
Calling all presenters, producers, and future broadcast talent: we’re massively upgrading our podcast studios, equipped with professional broadcast technology. This includes
- 1x podcast/classroom studio equipped with a full LAWO Crystal system
- 1x podcast presenting station equipped with Calrec Type R system
- 2x practice studios fully equipped for podcast/broadcast
These spaces will support everything from interview formats and talk shows to multi-guest recording and polished post-production workflows.
Built for outcomes, wrapped for students
Every upgrade connected to this OfS investment has one purpose: they’re investments in you, our students. These upgrades are here to help students learn faster, create with more confidence, and work in spaces that reflect the realities of modern studios and broadcast environments.
We’re beyond excited to see how you will use these tools: the songs you’ll write on the Yamaha grand, the mixes you’ll craft on the Neve, the podcasts you’ll produce in our new studios. So here’s to unwrapping a bright future! Enjoy these new toys responsibly and creatively – and remember, not even Santa’s workshop has gear this cool. We can’t wait for you to go in and make some noise. Happy holidays, and even happier music-making!
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Thanks to the dedication of our industry expert instructors, pointblank has earned a prestigious Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), placing us among the very best institutions. Whether you’re passionate about DJing, music production, sound engineering, vocal performance, software engineering, radio, or songwriting, pointblank offers degrees or short courses in London, LA, Ibiza, and Online. No matter your location or aspirations, we are here to help make your dreams a reality.
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