Record and edit music and podcasts in the Creative Studio’s Audio Booth, located on the third floor of the Main Library. The 8-foot-by-12-foot space is acoustically treated to provide a quiet space for audio recording and editing. Patrons ages 14+ can work on self-directed projects; children ages 13 and under require an adult caregiver.
Training & making your reservation
First time using the booth? Schedule a required training
One staff-led training session is required before you can reserve the booth independently. Request a Learning Lab appointment »
Completed your training session? Reserve:
- Make a reservation online »
- Call 708.383.8200 (press 2)
- In person at any service desk
More about reservations
- Reserve once a week for up to 3 consecutive hours during Main Library open hours (please note: Creative Studio computers shut down 30 minutes before closing); extensions are not available.
- Reservations must be made one week in advance and can be made up to four weeks in advance.
- Reservations may be released for use by others if you are 15 or more minutes late.
- To change or cancel a reservation, please tell us as soon as possible. Contact us now or call 708.383.8200 (press 2).
Using the station
Only two people allowed in the booth at a time
Inside the booth
- Microphones: two Shure SM7B vocal microphones, one Audio-Technica AT2021, and one Shure SM57
- Arturia KeyLab Essential 61 MIDI Controller Keyboard
- Arturia DrumBrute Impact Analog Drum Machine
- Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 USB Audio Interface
- Software: Ableton Live, Audacity, Pro Tools Studio, and REAPER
Do-it-yourself environment
Want additional guidance from staff at this station? Sign up for a one-on-one, 30-minute Learning Lab appointment to learn more about using this station. Please note: In-depth, day-of assistance is not available.
Noise level guidance
The booth is in a shared space with other workstations. While it is acoustically treated, it is not 100% soundproof. Please keep speaker volume levels low enough so as not to disturb other Creative Studio users. Amplifiers and drum kits are not permitted.
Planning ahead
- BEFORE: Bring your own external hard drive to save and take edited files with you at the end of your session. Need to borrow a hard drive? Check out a hard drive—with 2 TB of space—with your Oak Park library card »
- DURING: Media files are big! Plan to use 30 minutes at the end of your session to save files to your external hard drive.
- AFTER: For everyone’s privacy, all files are removed from library computers at the end of each session.
Exploring more: Software guides & resources
Ableton Live 11
Audacity
Pro Tools
REAPER
- REAPER guide, resources, videos, and forum
- User guide: Thorough text-based guide on how to use several functions and tools in REAPER
Other resources
- Arturia DrumBrute Impact Drum Machine: Instructions and tutorial videos
- Bandlab: Online DAW (digital audio workstation) with a social media platform to collaborate and share music
- Drumbit: Online drum machine that allows users to import other .mp3 files and save what’s created in the application
- Sound on Sound: Audio production-focused magazine and website that includes equipment reviews, interviews, tutorials, and a forum
- Tape Op: Creative music recording magazine and website (some online articles may require a subscription, but some free options are available)
