Composition Studio: Getting started

Before you arrive:

Book the room and make sure you bring your personal USB storage device.

When you arrive:

Go over the equipment checklist on the wall to ensure nothing is missing from the room. Also available in the column to the right.  Report any missing items to the staff immediately.

Check that the computer is powered on by tapping the space bar and moving/clicking the red mouse. The computer should remain on, but if it is not, please press the power button on the back corner of the mac mini sitting on the desk behind the monitors.

Insert your USB into the User Storage Hub. 

Check that the keyboard is turned on.  The blue LED’s above all the keys indicate that the keyboard is on.  The power button is located in the middle and down low at the back of the keyboard.  You can shift the keyboard slightly away from the desk to get your hand to reach this button – then shift the keyboard back into position. 

Please don’t press any of the other buttons on the keyboard.  They are not required. 

Please leave the keyboard on when you leave. 

Sign on to the computer 

Choose User: Composition Suite 

Password: Stravinsky (with capital S) 

Note: It is important to only have one music program open at a time.  Close by clicking on the X in the top corner before opening another program.  Failing to do so may cause libraries to not work properly or could cause the computer to hang, crash and require restarting. 

See: Troubleshooting 

There are two main ways to begin your composition: 

DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) - a virtual multi-track recording studio, best for rendering realistic sounding recordings 

Notation Programs – best for preparing scores and parts for musicians, or composing visually with standard music notation. 

Note: midi files can be exported and imported from notation programs to DAWs or from DAWs to notation programs - depending on how you like to work and what you wish to acheive. 

Report missing items to staff immediately.

Computer : 

• Mac mini computer (behind the monitor) 
• Hard drive (small dark blue - behind monitor plugged into mac mini) 
• Computer keyboard (space gray) 
• User Storage Hub (small silver USB hub) on desk left 
• Small black USB hub at back near mac mini 
• Inserted is a small usb stick and an even smaller wireless usb stick for the red wireless mouse 
• Two mice – grey apple mouse and red logitech 
• 32 in LG monitor, 14 in LG monitor 

Music Hardware: 

• The main piano keyboard (KOMPLETE) 
• Sustain pedal (M gear) on floor under keyboard 
• Korg nanoKontrol2 (on keyboard – left side) 
• Black KOMPLETE Audio 6 (USB audio interface) - on desk right  
• Two pairs of headphones (Sony and AKG) 

david.bindle@usask.ca