Studio Two - Sheila Beckles Studio

A dedicated studio for audio in multimedia production and composition.

Studio Two synth and coloured cables

This facility is mainly designed for postgraduate and staff audio visual and compositional research. It was named after the Sheila Beckles Foundation contribution to the Electroacoustic Studios of the NOVARS Research Centre.

After three years of research employing a number of game-engine tools, we devoted the Sheila Beckles Studio at NOVARS primarily to research into new Game-engine and related technology with a focus on sound.

Electroacoustic studio specs for Studio Two include:

Apple Mac Pro

  • 3.7 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon E5, 12GB RAM
  • 2x AMD FirePro D500 3072 MB
  • 1x Dell P2415Q display
  • 1x Toshiba 50L2436DB LED TV
  • 1x Oculus Rift
  • MacOS

Audio interfaces

  • 1x Pro Tools | HD Native Thunderbolt
  • 1x Focusrite RED 4Pre
  • 1x Focusrite RedNet 2
  • 1x Focusrite RedNet 4
  • 1x MOTU 828x

Loudspeakers

  • 5x PMC twotwo6
  • 1x Genelec 7070a Sub

The Hordijk instrument is a 5U music synthesizer system, including:

Instruments

  • 1x TriLFO / OscFMT / WSPhaser
  • 1x OscHRM / OscHRM / DualFader
  • 1x DualENV / DualENV / 24dBFilterVCA
  • 1x NodeProcs / Matrix / TriLFO
  • 1x Rungler / Rungler / TwinpeakVCA
  • 1x DualLFO / Matrix / QuintVCA
  • 1x MIDI option 1 x Frame / DualPSU
  • 1x Lightweight flight case

Routing

  • Soundcraft FX16ii mixing desk

Other Studio Two resources

Game-physics engines

  • Blender Game engine (open source) with Audaspace (AudioGL)
  • CryEngine3 - Crytek GmbH (Crytek) game development SDK software (network educational license) (PC only)
  • OpenSimulator (second life open source)
  • Unity3D game engine in all computers including add-ons for iPhone and Android (+ 1 pro license - floating Apple Mac Pro)
  • Torque Game Engine + package extras
  • Valve: Steam / Source Game Engine SDK software
  • UDK – Unreal 3D development kit
  • Unreal Engine 4 (OsX)

Piping real-time audio-engines, sequencing tools and audiomiddleware

  • MaxMSP-jitter,DIPS, mu libraries for OSC
  • FMOD
  • Puredata (PD)
  • Lispworkspersonal
  • SuperCollider
  • Csound & Cecilia
  • Pro Tools by Digidesign
  • Logic
  • Nuendo
  • Reaper

Sound and recording equipment

  • 5.1 Genelecs 5x8040 speakers
  • Studio 1 Sound system: Tests in Studio 2 can be ported to 31 Channel Genelec in Studio 1
  • 7070A Genelec subwoofer
  • Digidesign002
  • MOTU sound Card 828
  • MOTU 2048 PCI
  • ST30 Ambisonics kit + windshield
  • 4 Channel DAT - Fostex
  • DPA 4060 mic set

Software for design and web

  • Final Cut Pro
  • Macromedia Dreamweaver
  • Flash
  • Google SketchUp8

Computers

  • Apple Mac Pro (2011) running dual boot with bootcamp - floating machine on wheels
  • Apple Mac Pro (2010) and Protools HD - lives in the hubroom
  • Server running Crytek licenses (in the hub room) and OpenSim Virtual Room
  • Macbook Pro (just for streaming)
  • Custom built PC for gaming (currently shipped to Germany)
  • Xserve - running student and staff accounts

Displays, visuals, filming

  • Apple large Cinema Display (on large wheel rack)
  • 2x Apple Display Monitors (24") + 3 Apple TFT monitor (on wheels)
  • TrippleHead2Go DP edition
  • 2xHD TVs (2012)
  • New HD projector Optoma
  • Sony HDV 1080i- Digital HD video Camera Recorder

Interfaces

  • Mouse :-)
  • Gluion system (100 in/out) FPGA
  • Navigation System (wheel for 'Ho')
  • Kinect
  • PS3 move motion controller
  • Eye camera
  • Space Navigators (4)
  • Control Freak
  • FaderFox interface
  • Kroonde
  • Dual pedal

Consoles and smartphones

  • PS3 slim 360 (with games)
  • Xbox 360 HD
  • PSP
  • Audioguide Android ACER Liquid
  • Apple development license for iPhone

Writing metadata (tagging audio)

  • Punakea
  • Spotlight
  • MPEG7

Mapping, webtools organisation tools for groups and information

  • Visual Understanding Environment (VUE)
  • Prezi zooming presentation editor
  • FreeMind - free mind mapping software
  • Zotero - research tool that helps you gather, organize, and analyze sources

Specialised in game-audio and interfaces

NOVARS OpenSim

In addition to the above studio resources, we also offer virtual meeting rooms and NOVARS OpenSim.