Audio Lab: Home

The Audio Lab is open to current ATU students where they can record their voice for podcasts or film narrations, record their piano or guitar playing, mix beats and pop songs, and post-produce pre-recorded audio files with high quality mastering software. Where is the Audio Lab?

• Reservations can be made one week (seven days) in advance.
• 2-hour periods are available for reservation.
• Limit 1 reservation per day (by the same person) unless the following 2-hour slot is open.
• Arrive no later than 15 minutes after your reservation start time.
• After 15 minutes, the room becomes available to other users.
• Cancel reservations ASAP if your plans change so others can reserve the space.
• The library reserves the right to change your reservation. This is very rare; should this happen, we will contact you with as much notice as possible.
• Reserve the Audio Lab.

• Current ATU ID must be presented at the door, which will be checked by the Recording Assistant on duty.
• ATU students receive priority access, followed by faculty, and then staff.
• Audio-Visual projects are the only projects allowed; you will be required to demonstrate your work to the Recording Assistant on duty.
• No food or drink allowed.
• All recording and computer equipment must stay in the ATU Audio Lab and will be accounted for.
• Staff are not responsible for personal items that are lost or stolen.
• The Libraries' Code of Conduct applies to all library spaces, including the ATU Audio Lab.

Podcasts consist of digital audio or video files that are presented by a "podcaster" who provides original recorded content with commentary and other supporting digital documents such as photos and text. Common places to find podcasts are from video content providers (YouTube, Vimeo), blogs (Blogger, Wordpress), social media (Facebook, Soundcloud), and a host of personal and organizational websites.

The ATU Audio Lab provides high quality microphones, an iMac digital workstation, and excellent software to support podcasting projects.

Audio editing and mastering are two processes that differ from "mixing." Editing and mastering a basic mono, stereo or surround sound recording is usually the final process completed after mixing several audio tracks into one file.

In many cases where mixing is not needed, we simply record a stereo track, edit the parts not needed or desired, and enhance or "sweeten" the sound for final production known as "mastering."

The audio editing and mastering programs we have available include Audacity, Adobe Audition, and Wavelab.

Many audio projects require the "mixing" of multiple recordings commonly known as "tracks" into one stereo or surround sound audio file. Multitrack recording and "beat mixing" is possible with a number of software programs including Ableton Live, Audacity, Adobe Audition, GarageBand, Ignite, and Logic Pro X.

The ATU Audio Lab supports the ability to record narrations needed for film documentaries and PowerPoints projects with several types of microphones ranging from medium to high quality. Video editing is also supported with software programs including iMovie and Adobe Premiere Pro.