Digital Scholarship Services

The Recording Studio is avaliable for use from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Fridays, and is closed on weekends. A reservation is required to use the space. Make a reservation and then check out the key, keyboard, and mouse from the Digital Collaboration Studio Service Desk.

The Recording Studio is for oral history, podcast, or interview recording only, and is not appropriate for music or other performances. This space is designated a Quiet Conversation Area.

The Production Room (310D) is only available for use by designated UMKC Digital and Public Humanities students, staff, and faculty. Please contact umkcdss@umkc.edu to schedule a reservation for the Production Room.

The Recording Studio (Room 310C) provides a space that includes a motorized video camera and an array of microphones to capture audio and video recordings, such as interviews for podcasts. The studio is not appropriate for recording the playing of musical instruments, as it is not a soundproof environment.

How to set the Room for Recording

1. Start with the control panel located on the black credenza. Once you touch the screen, it will turn on. Touch "Let's get started!"
2. The system will inform you that it will use the PC inside of the credenza for recording. Touch, "Continue."
3. The next step is to choose which microphone you'd like to use. Touch the "Ceiling Mic" or "Boom Mics" on the control panel, depending on your purpose.
   1. The ceiling mic doesn't provide the best sound quality, but it catches sounds from every direction evenly. That means you don't need to speak toward the mic while recording.
      
   2. The boom mics (XLR 1/2) capture a much better and more precise sound than the Ceiling Mic. However, you will need to speak to them for the best result. They are not great at gathering sounds cast toward other directions.
      
4. Now, the Recording Studio is set for recording. Go to the Input tab of the Sound Setting in Windows and make sure your Input Device is Line IN (2- MNL Rec Audio Sound Card). Check the app you're using as well. Each app has different settings.
5. You can control the volume of the Boom Mics through the control panel, while you have no control over the Ceiling Mic. Touch "Microphone Setting" and "Wired Microphones." On this tap, you can mute or control the volume of the Boom Mics. Each mute button will be colored red if its microphone is muted, and white if its microphone is unmuted.
   
6. You won't need to control anything on Windows for the camera. It is already set. Touch "PTZ Control" on the control panel to move its angle or zoom. Please do not adjust the camera manually.
   
   1. The control panel is calibrated as if the user is not facing the direction opposite the camera, so pressing the right button will turn the camera to the left, and vice versa.
7. If you bring external USB devices to the Recording Studio, you can connect them to the PC in the black cabinet via the USB 3.0 port.
   
8. Transfer all files off the computer before logging out, either to a USB device, your UM System One Drive or Google Drive, or another cloud storage option. Files left on the computer will periodically be automatically deleted.
    

Software in the Recording Studio

• Microsoft Voice Recorder -  a basic audio recording software; no need to log-in
• Microsoft Camera – a basic a basic video recording software; no need to log-in
• Audacity - an intermediate audio recording software; no need to log-in
• Adobe Audition – an advanced audio recording software. Log-in through UM System email is available.
• Panopto – an audio/video recording and presentation software. Log-in through UM System email is available.
• Zoom – not necessarily a recording software but you can open a meeting for yourself and record video and audio. You can log-in through SSO.

You can find online instructional videos for many of these programs. If there is a problem with the computer or the software does not appear to be working correctly, contact IT Help or call 816-235-2000 for additional technical assistance.

Save files to your UMKC OneDrive if you are logged in with your UMKC ID, you can also save files to the desktop and then upload to the cloud or a USB external drive.