Butler University Keeps Ahead of the Curve with Cutting-Edge M-Audio Technology
Butler University Keeps Ahead of the Curve with Cutting-Edge M-Audio Technology
To celebrate Butler's new computer lab, M-Audio visited Indianapolis for a day of presentations and performance featuring the ProKeys 88, Ableton Live 5 and more.
To celebrate Butler's new computer lab, M-Audio visited Indianapolis for a day of presentations and performance featuring the ProKeys 88, Ableton Live 5 and more.
Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana is no stranger to using technology in its music and media arts programs. Associate Professor and choral director Dr. Tim Brimmer first brought computer-based music technology to Butler when he built their “Multi-sensory Learning Lab” over 10 years ago. But this year the school decided it was time to bring the 17-station facility up to date with recent developments in the music industry.
“Complete music production on the computer desktop is at once easier, better sounding, and more economical than using lots of outboard gear,” says Brimmer. “We wanted workstations in the lab that were simple, but powerful. M-Audio’s Ozonic—a combination 37-note keyboard and FireWire audio interface—makes each one of the Macintosh G5 iMac workstations a place where students can take their music and sound ideas from inception, through the creative process, and all the way to finished project on CD or DVD.”
Brimmer also worked with M-Audio to develop a special equipment and software bundle featuring some of the technology featured in the lab. This bundle delivers a complete recording studio in a backpack, once the student or faculty member adds the laptop of their choice. The combination of M-Audio’s Ozone 25-note keyboard/audio interface, Nova microphone, Ableton Live composition software, M-Audio’s Key Rig virtual instrument rack, and Studio Pack yield the ultimate mobile solution.
“When I saw that all of our students and faculty could own the basic tools they need to create quality music for less money than it used to cost to just rent a recording studio for a few hours, I was excited to recommend the bundle to all of our music majors,” says Brimmer.
In celebration of Butler’s new lab, M-Audio lead clinician Scott Wilkie came to Indianapolis to conduct a day of workshops culminating in a packed concert at Butler’s own Starbuck’s Café. Wilkie, longtime clinician and veteran of the L.A. recording industry, explained the basics of using keyboard controllers, software instruments, audio interfaces and software applications like Ableton Live and Pro Tools.
In his concert performance, the master keyboardist played his dynamic brand of jazz on M-Audio’s new ProKeys 88 performance piano. Wilkie clearly felt at home on stage, playing his favorite compositions for an enthusiastic audience with a mint frappuccino within reach. By connecting the ProKeys 88 to a FireWire 410 and Macintosh G4 laptop running Ableton Live and Pro Tools M-Powered, Wilkie was able to have his drummer and bass player “accompany” him by triggering tracks that had been recorded in a Los Angeles studio months earlier.
In his concluding remarks, Brimmer summed up the experience: “The consensus here is that Live 5 allows for incredible creativity; the Ozonic is an ideal MIDI/keyboard/audio interface; and Scott Wilkie is an amazing pianist.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
“Complete music production on the computer desktop is at once easier, better sounding, and more economical than using lots of outboard gear,” says Brimmer. “We wanted workstations in the lab that were simple, but powerful. M-Audio’s Ozonic—a combination 37-note keyboard and FireWire audio interface—makes each one of the Macintosh G5 iMac workstations a place where students can take their music and sound ideas from inception, through the creative process, and all the way to finished project on CD or DVD.”
Brimmer also worked with M-Audio to develop a special equipment and software bundle featuring some of the technology featured in the lab. This bundle delivers a complete recording studio in a backpack, once the student or faculty member adds the laptop of their choice. The combination of M-Audio’s Ozone 25-note keyboard/audio interface, Nova microphone, Ableton Live composition software, M-Audio’s Key Rig virtual instrument rack, and Studio Pack yield the ultimate mobile solution.
“When I saw that all of our students and faculty could own the basic tools they need to create quality music for less money than it used to cost to just rent a recording studio for a few hours, I was excited to recommend the bundle to all of our music majors,” says Brimmer.
In celebration of Butler’s new lab, M-Audio lead clinician Scott Wilkie came to Indianapolis to conduct a day of workshops culminating in a packed concert at Butler’s own Starbuck’s Café. Wilkie, longtime clinician and veteran of the L.A. recording industry, explained the basics of using keyboard controllers, software instruments, audio interfaces and software applications like Ableton Live and Pro Tools.
In his concert performance, the master keyboardist played his dynamic brand of jazz on M-Audio’s new ProKeys 88 performance piano. Wilkie clearly felt at home on stage, playing his favorite compositions for an enthusiastic audience with a mint frappuccino within reach. By connecting the ProKeys 88 to a FireWire 410 and Macintosh G4 laptop running Ableton Live and Pro Tools M-Powered, Wilkie was able to have his drummer and bass player “accompany” him by triggering tracks that had been recorded in a Los Angeles studio months earlier.
In his concluding remarks, Brimmer summed up the experience: “The consensus here is that Live 5 allows for incredible creativity; the Ozonic is an ideal MIDI/keyboard/audio interface; and Scott Wilkie is an amazing pianist.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
