Music Technology Facilities

The Department of Music’s music technology facilities are integral to our students’ education, both as classrooms and as laboratories for student projects and research. They include:

Studio A

Studio A consists primarily of analog signal path feeding both an analog 2” 24-track tape machine as well as a 24 IO (input/output) Pro Tools HDX (MacPro 3.7 QuadCore XEON E5) digital audio workstation centered by a Trident 88 recording console boasting 88 channels in mix mode. The best of both technologies (analog & digital) can be synchronized together in this studio. This studio is also equipped with outboard gear by Focusrite, Drawmer, ART, DBX, and Lexicon as well as microphones by Audio Technica, Sennheiser, Shure, and Cascade.

Studio B

Studio B is a modern console-less modular outboard type studio. The control room houses a Raven MTZ control surface with a plethora of 500 series and XLogic mic pre amps and processing modules as well as some of the best outboard gear available. It features microphone preamps and outboard processing by SSL, Neve, API, Pendulum, Purple Audio, UREI, Tonelux, Vintech and Empirical Labs and microphones by AKG, Sennheiser, Shure, Cascade, Fostex, Neumann and Telefunken. The complex has a live space, two isolation booths, and is powered by an Avid Pro Tools HDX (MacPro 3.7 QuadCore XEON E5) digital audio workstation (24 IO), with an additional UAD-2 OCTO signal processing DSP card. The control room is set up for mixing 5.1 surround sound using ADAM AX series speakers and subwoofer. Plug-in packages from Fab Filter, Universal Audio, Izotope, Waves, Native Instruments, McDSP, Antares, and Celemony.

Studio C

Studio C is our mixing, overdub, and post-production project studio, which is equipped with a small control room and small live room. The studio is centered by a TOFT Audio Designs ATB-16 console and a 16 IO Universal Audio Apollo 16 DSP-QUAD audio interface. This studio is designed for students to practice manipulating signal path and microphone placement techniques, learn the basics of digital audio workstation methodology, and work on projects that do not require the larger facilities of Studios A and B. It also features a variety of analog and digital synthesizers, including a Symbolic Sound Kyma Pacarana, a range of outboard effects processors, and plug-in packages from Universal Audio, Fab Filter, Izotope, and Native Instruments.

MIDI/Theory Lab

The Department of Music also has a Mac-based (21.5 iMac i5 4K Retina) 20 workstation computer lab equipped with tools for education in recording, audio and music production, and music theory. Each workstation has an M-Box Pro-mini, Yamaha Clavinova electronic piano with weighted keyboard and an AKAI MPK-49 MIDI controller. Software available in this lab includes: Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Logic Pro X, Digital Performer, Reason, Adobe Creative Cloud apps (including Premiere and Audition), and Unity with plug in packages from McDSP, Native Instruments, and Izotope. Each workstation is connected to a mixing system to allow student projects to be played directly from the workstation. The lab also includes a TOFT ATB-8 mixing console for classroom instruction of analog signal path and console topology.