Well it’s been over a month since my last update, and we’re just days from the finish line. In fact, the title of the post technically should be changed, because as of this morning, the wall is down!
A lot has happened over the last month, but not too much of it has been so photogenic. Our AV integrators spent a week or so here working on the Recording and Conferencing room setting up what is going to be a pretty impressive system in there. Details are still being finalized, but you’ll be able to essentially pipe a series of input sources (camera, computers, Vaddio board, etc), to a series of output sources (TV, Panopto, web conferencing) with ease through a Crestron touch screen. This will allow you to do things like create a live recording from the camera, while simultaneously capturing a keynote presentation from the mac, and then process it through DukeStream for distribution. Or start a video conference and digitally share your whiteboard scribbles and computer screen. Lots of possibilities.
Soundbooth pieces, awaiting assembly
As for the other two breakout rooms, they’re getting decked out quite nicely as well. The Vocalbooth has been relocated from our previous lab to the new space and is looking quite spry in its new home. A small but nice detail about the new installation is the fact that the booth is now sunk down below the access floor and now sits directly on the concrete slab below. This will not only eliminate a tripping hazard of having to step up into the booth (and also allowed us to get rid of our ramp access), but it’s also going to be a bit more acoustically sound, without the possibility of vibrations coming through the access floor.
Video Editing room. Receiver and speakers just out of view. Laptop and coffee not included.
The video editing room (or as I’ve been calling it the last week or so, my “on-campus office”) is looking really great. We got a custom desk to wrap around half of the room, and there is easily enough room for 3 or so to work together in here. The standard iMac (see below for specs) is also connected to a 37″ television and a Yamaha AV receiver. Sensitive video and audio work should be a dream to work on in here.
It still smells like New Computer Smell in here.
Last week, the room finally got some more photogenic upgrades in the form of furniture and new computers. We set up all the desks in the main space, and then went to town unboxing a truckload of new computers and external monitors. The centerpiece of the new setup is a 27″ iMac, with 3.4 GHz i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB solid state drive for the system, and a 1TB disk for storage. And if the iMac’s 3,686,400 pixels weren’t quite enough for you, about half of the stations in the lab are also equipped with a 24″ secondary display.
Finally, I’ve been listening to Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” all day today to celebrate the deconstruction of the temporary wall that has shrouded our space in mystery and dust for the last 2 months or so. It’s incredibly exciting to be able to finally step back and look at the graphics from more than 2 feet away, and I couldn’t be happier about how it turned out. Pictures won’t do justice, so you’ll just have to swing by.
We’re full-court press today and tomorrow to get some final details worked out, and I’m sure there will be some lingering issues that need to be addressed as we progress through the summer. But I’m excited for everyone to see the lab, so come on over starting on Wednesday and check it out!
