EDIROL in Education

PC-80 keyboards feature in SAME ICT Conference workshop

Stuart Clyde works with SAME ICT conference delegates

In association with Roland UK and Music Sales, Edirol recently supported the Scottish Association of Music Educators’ ICT conference at Stirling University, by supplying a quantity of PC-80 workstations for a MIDI sequencing workshop. With ease-of-use and speedy setup high on the agenda for course tutor Stuart Clyde, the PC-80 provided a one-stop solution to quickly turning the conference computers into powerful MIDI and audio workstations.

Stuart told us: “Conducting a live MIDI Sequencing workshop for forty delegates at our recent Music IT Conference was indeed a daunting undertaking. However with the Edirol PC-80s in tow we needn't have worried. These fantastic machines feature true plug-and-play simplicity. The bundled soft-synth works seamlessly with the keyboard eliminating all MIDI latency and providing the quality sounds you would expect, everything was up and running perfectly in seconds. The keyboard feels great and with two headphones outputs on each machine and an integrated audio interface, Edirol have indeed thought of everything. The PC-80 really is the solution for all the niggling problems we all experienced in the past. Now we just need one keyboard, one USB cable, one computer: job done!”

Amersham & WycombeCollege

At Amersham & WycombeCollege, students can develop music technology, production and performing skills in a selection of courses that provide preparation for life in the music industry. In 2006 the College launched a new record label, Sham Records, with its first CD distributed through local music stores and via the college website. Music students have access to two new recording studios and two suites of PC and Apple Mac workstations.
Tim Day, Course Leader for the National Diploma in Music Technology, talks about the role of SONAR in various course modules and outlines some upcoming projects.

“SONAR is used in the National Diploma in Music Technology and the First Diploma in Music. It is also used to a lesser extent in the National Diploma in Music Practice. We use it in some modules very specifically for particular things, and in others as a general option. For example in the MIDI Sequencing and Software module (National Diploma) it is a main teaching sequencer alongside Logic.

We also use it to teach audio editing in the First Diploma, and as the National is moving to an Audio and MIDI Sequencing module next year we anticipate using it for this as well. It is used in teaching to illustrate various aspects of digital audio principles, e.g. sample rates, and in Music In Context (using the groove clip feature to produce a Steve Reich style phase piece). I’m also using it to demonstrate some very basic mastering techniques. We use the synths and samplers as part of the Sound Creation and Manipulation module in the Music Tech National Diploma. The SONARV-Vocal is very useful in Final Major Project as it is the only vocal correction software we have.

By the second year of ND Music Technology students are expected to be familiar with SONAR, Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Reason and Ableton and to use the software they find easiest for the task at hand. SONAR is on all the PCs, but at the moment our studios – as opposed to classroom suites – run Macs. However we are currently running the Roland RSS Digital Snake and have signed up to beta test the REAC drivers that allow the Snake front end to plug straight into a PC running SONAR. When these come out we anticipate installing a PC running SONAR in at least one studio. All PCs are networked and students can move sound files freely between PC and Mac applications via the network.

Recently we have used SONAR to cover vocal correction (Y2 National Diploma), producing loops using found sound (Y1 National Diploma), and producing a track using samples and synths (SONAR with Reason ReWire). Within the next few weeks we will be using it to produce loops and other audio files for sound effects for a play (using recorded and synthesised sounds). Students will also use it to prepare sounds for a technology related performance. We hope to be using PCs connected to the Digital Snake to record various performances etc; we are just waiting for the beta test drivers.”

Tim mentions some SONAR features that have proved particularly useful.

“SONAR’s groove clip feature is especially useful, particularly in its recent implementation with pitch/volume/pan per slice controls. The V-Vocal is very handy as we have nothing else like it. The ease of audio editing is generally appreciated. I think AudioSnap will be a very useful feature in college as it is easier to use than the Pro Tools equivalent and we will also appreciate the new time stretching options. The students like the REX Player - maybe a little too much, as it’s too easy for them to create a track using library loops without doing any actual production. I’m finding X ray Windows surprisingly useful at home (thought they were a gimmick at first) and I expect the students will be impressed.”

Finally, it's a matter of choice for the students …

“Generally our approach is that students should learn to mix, learn to edit, learn to sequence etc rather than learn any one particular piece of software – hence the use of SONAR alongside Logic in MIDI sequencing. Once the early units are out the way (in which we do tend to prescribe what students should use), we tend to give students the option but encourage them to use all available software. I think that in the end students will choose a favoured DAW based on their preferred platform – here, students who like Macs will gravitate to Logic and those who like PCs will gravitate to SONAR.”

www.amersham.ac.uk