The Cummings Electronic and Digital Sound Studio boasts 6 modern Mac workstations that are connected to the College network. All machines run Pro Tools and Max/MSP through the latest version of Digidesign. All workstations are connected to at least one synthesizer, a MIDI keyboard, a 16 channel digital mixing board, and a pair of high-quality studio monitors (loudspeakers). CD duplicating and printing equipment is available.
We teach on the Roland XV-5050 synthesizer, a powerful, fully programmable, multi-timbral synth. We have many other synthesizers, samplers, and effects processors available, as well as a variety of microphones appropriate for recording a wide variety of sources.
Pro Tools is the industry standard in multi-track recording and editing. Our Digidesign hardware is high quality, offering crystal clear sound on 8 inputs and 8 outputs.
Max/MSP is a graphical programming environment for audio projects. It works with both audio data and MIDI, allowing for it to be used to build and implement a wide variety of ideas, projects, and tools, ranging from digitally constructing a dynamic range compressor, to creating an entirely new and customizable digital instrument. Max/MSP is much easier to learn and work with than a lower level programming language such as C++ or even Java. Much more about Max/MSP is available from Cycling 74.
Sibelius is a musical notation program, allowing a high level of customization over musical scores, which is fully integrated into Pro Tools.