Using MOTU Interface in EMS A and B

A few people have asked me how to use the MOTU Audio Interface to hook up their own computer to the speakers in the Electronic Music Studios. This is a guide on how to do it.

Step 1: Install the MOTU 828mkII drivers on your laptop. You can either goto the MOTU website and download it yourself or you can copy and paste them from the desktop of the computer. In EMS A, I have put a folder on the desktop with the drivers. It should work for both Mac and Windows. They will be added to the EMS B computer soon.

Step 2: Plug in a firewire 800 cable to your laptop and plug in the other end to the firewire 800 jack labeled "Interface"

Step 3: Goto the System Preferences on your laptop and select the MOTU as the interface.

Step 4: Patch the output of the MOTU interface to some part of the console. You can patch into console faders and route them to the Program Bus. I like to patch into 6TK3.

Step 5: At this point, all you should have to do is play audio from your laptop and turn the volume up on the console. Make sure that you have done your bussing correctly on the console or have 6TK3 selected. Also, open up the MOTU software that you installed and check to make sure your sound preferences are as shown below.

Enjoy working from your own computer!

Welcome Back/Summer Maintenance 2012

Welcome back to a new school year! I just wanted to provide some updates about maintenance that happened in the studios this summer.

A quick overview of some of the changes:

1. All 3 studios now have 3 displays that function as an extended desktop. You can drag the windows around in any configuration that suits your workflow.

2. The TC6000 remote screen is now mirrored on one of the 46'' displays in both the Audio Studio and EMS B. It is hooked up to the VGA input. Use the VGA for the TC6000 and DVI for the computer monitor.

3. Fans were installed in the API Vision console in the Audio Studio and EMS B that will help regulate the console temperature.

4. A samples drive has been loaded into the computers in EMS A, EMS B and the Audio Studio. They are currently loaded with "Discrete Drums." Over time, we hope to add more sample packs to the drive.

5. The hum in the right surround Alt 2 speaker in the Audio Studio has been repaired

6. Durrough meters were installed in EMS B. They are currently not normalled to outputs 1-8, however you can patch into them. We plan on fixing the normalling as soon as possible.

7. We had a slight power supply issue this summer in the Audio Studio. Dave and I were able to diagnose and fix the problem over the course of 2 days. For a second, we thought we were in for some big trouble. I got to learn how the power supplies are setup and routed for the API Vision Console.

8. The interface for the meters in EMS B was changed and they are much more stable and reliable.

These are just some of the highlights. We completed even more maintenance than this, especially in terms of infrastructure. Hope you enjoy the rooms

Surround Speakers in EMS A

EMS A is now properly set up for 5.1 surround mixing. The 6 speakers have been in the room since it opened, however we were waiting on stands in order to have them at the same height as the left, right and center speakers. They are now installed and the cables have been managed. We haven't bolted the stands to the table yet as we are experimenting with placement and functionality in the room. Let us know your thoughts as you work on surround sound projects. Please note that the power for each surround speaker is controlled by the Furman power conditioner located at the bottom of racks 3 and 4 respectively, so you must turn these conditioners on. I don't anticipate that users will have any problems remembering this because these two power conditioners should be turned on at the beginning of every session and turned off at the end of each session.