Music students have been given the chance to breathe new life into their work with some classic recording equipment. The college recently acquired an Otari 24-track analogue tape recorder of the type used in recording studios up until the 1990s, when most studios switched to digital recording. There has recently been a resurgence of interest in analogue recording, as many in the recording industry now recognise that it is the medium on which classic recordings of the 1950s, 60s and 70s were made, and some argue that this particular technology imparts a particular sound quality that cannot be reproduced using digital equipment. The college's 24-track machine was manufactured in 1985, and was one of the most popular models in top recording studios during the 1980s. It has been fully refurbished by Thear Technology, and its addition to the college's recording equipment means that CWA now offers truly unique facilities to music students in the region. Music lecturer Mike Campbell said: “The fact that CWA now has this facility means that students will be develop a better understanding of how recordings were made before the advent of digital technology. We are now able to offer something that even many universities do not.”