Facilities

The studio equipment is updated more often than these web pages are. Instead of inflated lists and staged pictures, here are some snapshots of how the place looked in early November of 2006:

The Classroom

There is a nice professional photo of the classroom on the EMS home page. The trouble is it was taken in 2000 and doesn't reflect important changes, such as updated equipment and the installation of a video projector quiet enough to use in class. One of nicest features of this room is that background noise is under 30dB SPL. Students have recorded their own heartbeats in there.

The room is equipped with a fine monitoring system (DynAudio BMT 15s with subwoofers), a small Mackie mixer, assorted computers and processing gear as well as rolling carts with equipment appropriate to the current class. Instructors use a small video camera to project close-ups of gear they are discussing. There's a pull down screen between the speakers.

The room is really quite flexible. Here's a picture of what it looks like in the summer when we host David Cope's Workshop in Algorithmic Composition:

Studio II

First year students divide their studio hours between the classroom and a composition studio that is cozy but convenient to use. It has essentially the same equipment as the main studio, except with more modest speakers. (Mackie HR824) The Modular Moog is unique, however.

Composition Workshop

Second year students and some graduate students work in the composition workshop, which is pretty much crammed with gear ranging from a 78 rpm turntable to some gadgets built the week before this picture was taken. The core of the room is a classic analog console with a 24 track hard disc recording system. The room has two workstations, one based built around a Mac G5 and MIDI modules...

the other centered on a Kyma synthesis system.

The rack contains semi-retired classic gear representing the best that has been through the studio since it was founded in 1974. To the right of the computer is an Emu Modular, the first one ever sold (courtesy of Ed Rudnick). This part of the room is known as "analog heaven."

Recording Workshop

Although recording arts are not the main focus of the UCSC program, we do have a basic recording studio. Advanced students use this to hone their studio engineering skills and to make recordings of instrumental compositions. This room features a Pro Tools setup as well as a Mackie dB8 console and 24 track hard disc recording system. The window looks into the classroom, and is tested at 85 dB of sound isolation. Mic lines run to the classroom and to Studio II, and the 24 track is networked to the one in the composition workshop.

Digital Arts/ New Media

Digital Arts and New Media is an MFA program in cross disciplinary arts. Until the new building is complete, the DANM audio visualizations lab is sharing space with the Electronic Music Studios. This room is used for various projects involving the marriage of sound and light.

Office PQE

Finally, some shots of the room that holds it all together. This is the director's office on a reasonably clean day:

The business end:

The Tech end: