Facilities & Resources

Sound Facilities and Resources

Graduate students in SAIC’s Sound department have access to five sound studios and four workstations equipped with the following:

• Digital and analog recording studios for live recording, electronic music production, mixing, and mastering
• ProTools digital audio workstations
• Vintage and contemporary analog synthesizers and signal processors
• Advanced software including MAX/MSP, Supercollider, IRCAM Tools, and RX Tools
• Multi-channel studio for spatial audio
• Performance controllers and installation microcontrollers
• A wide range of studio microphones and outboard gear including rare signal processors
• Purpose-built labs for software and hardware design and development, instrument construction, and hardware hacking
• Several workstations for exclusive graduate use, including modular synthesis, digital audio production, and a Yamaha Disklavier computer-controlled acoustic piano
• An extensive inventory of portable equipment including hydrophones, accelerometers, specialized microphones, and high-quality remote recording gear

Sound in Chicago

The city of Chicago is an internationally recognized epicenter of sound and music experimentation, of which the SAIC Sound community forms an integral and vital part. The following venues bring sound artists, musicians, composers, and performers of international repute to Chicago as well as supporting local artists and collaborative initiatives, often providing students with the opportunity to perform, exhibit, and self-organize.

Experimental Sound Studio
Elastic Arts
Constellation
Hyde Park Art Center
Comfort Station
The Renaissance Society
The Logan Center for the Arts
High Concept Laboratories
Tritriangle
Heaven Gallery

Situated in the diverse cosmopolis of Chicago, the Sound department often collaborates with international cultural partners to bring visiting artists and scholars and to organize projects and symposia that broaden the discourse around sound, such as the 2011 "Sound Art Theories Symposium" that brought together 13 scholars in the field for two days; and "Sexing Sound: Gender Sound Music," a three-day program in 2015 of performances, installations, and panels. International partners have included the Goethe-Institut, the Italian Cultural Institute, and the Swiss Consulate, among others.