Outer Circle Recording Studio

The Outer Circle Recording Studio is a self-serve space that can be booked by University of Toronto Mississauga faculty, staff, librarians, and students on a first come, first served basis for activities that support the university's academic curriculum. The Studio includes two spaces that are located on the third floor of the University of Toronto Mississauga Library (one floor up from the main entrance).  

The Outer Circle Studio spaces are accessible by elevator.

The studio provides the following equipment:

  • One Button Recording Studio - Create interesting and informative video presentations with ReflecMedia Chroma Key background options.
  • Podcasting Station (Up to 4 people) - Create professional quality audio presentations.
  • Digital Editing Suite  - Access Windows (1) and Mac computers (2) with specialized software (3 stations in total).

Who can use this space?

The Outer Circle Recording Studio (One-Button Studio, Podcasting Station, and Digital Editing Suite) is intended for creating, editing, transforming, and transferring media for activities that support the university's academic curriculum. The space is available for use by UTM faculty, staff, and students.

Accessing the Spaces

  • Student access to the space is initiated by a request from their UTM instructor
  • Student projects need to be planned and confirmed in advance

The spaces are available Monday - Friday between 9 am - 5 pm. Bookings are made on a first come, first-served basis. Availability is based on the number of requests received across all courses; students can usually book one 2-hour session per week.

Check In prior to your appointment

You must check in at the UTM Library Information and Loans Desk at the time of your reservation to gain admission to the room. 

Terms of Use

Policy and Copyright Information

Use of this space must meet the University of Toronto Appropriate Use of Information and Communication Technology policy. The creation, use, and remixing of media must comply with Canadian copyright regulations. Please consult the University of Toronto General Counsel Copyright FAQ for information on copyright issues relating to audio visual materials, and contact your UTM Liaison Librarian if you have further questions.

You will be asked to move to a more appropriate space if you are using the equipment in the Outer Circle Recording Studio for any other activities that are not relevant to the purpose for these spaces.

Please refer to the University of Toronto Mississauga Library policies for more information regarding expectations regarding conduct and building use.

Care for others

  • Following your session ensure you have all personal belongings and that the space is left in good condition for the next person.
  • No food or beverages allowed.
  • Avoid or reduce the use of perfume, cologne, and other scented products.
  • Cell phones must be on silent when using the space.

Who can use this space?

The Outer Circle Recording Studio (One-Button Studio, Podcasting Station, and Digital Editing Suite) is intended for creating, editing, transforming, and transferring media for activities that support the university's academic curriculum.

Accessing the spaces

  • Use of the space is limited to curriculum-related projects, planned and confirmed in advance. 
  • UTM faculty and staff are asked to email us at utml.instructech@utoronto.ca to request access 
    • Student access is initiated by a request from the course instructor 

The spaces are available Monday-Friday between 9 am - 5 pm. Bookings are made on a first come, first served basis. Availability is based on the number of requests received across all courses; students can usually book one 2-hour session per week.

Check In prior to your appointment

You must check in at the UTM library Information and Loans Desk at the time of your reservation to gain admission to the room.
 
Please note:  Your booking may be cancelled if you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment. If you no longer wish to keep a future booking, please cancel your booking so that the space can be made available to others.

Terms of Use

Policy and Copyright Information

Use of this space must meet the University of Toronto Appropriate Use of Information and Communication Technology policy. The creation, use, and remixing of media must comply with Canadian copyright regulations. Please consult the University of Toronto General Counsel Copyright FAQ for information on copyright issues relating to audio visual materials, and contact your UTM Liaison Librarian if you have further questions.

You will be asked to move to a more appropriate space if you are using the equipment in the Outer Circle Recording Studio for any other activities that are not relevant to the purpose for these spaces.

Please refer to the University of Toronto Mississauga Library policies for more information regarding expectations regarding conduct and building use.

Care for others

  • Following your session ensure you have all personal belongings and that the space is left in good condition for the next person.
  • No food or beverages allowed.
  • Avoid or reduce the use of perfume, cologne, and other scented products.
  • Cell phones must be on silent when using the space.

One Button Studio

Record your video and audio files in a professional studio that has sound attenuation panels and acoustic treatments for high-quality sound.

The One Button Studio facilitates recording an HD quality (1920x1080) video by simply plugging in a USB drive and pushing a single button. When a USB drive is plugged in, the studio lights, camera, and microphone automatically turn on. A simple press of the button starts the countdown and recording. When done, another press of the button ends the recording, and the HD video is automatically saved on the USB drive in a widely-used mp4 format that is ready to edit or upload. The Studio also provides a ReflecMedia Chroma Key screen option that can be used to substitute the background with other video footage during production or in post-production.

Before your recording session:

  • Prepare your script and have a plan of what you will record.  (Note:  Your script can be shared as a transcript to improve the accessibility of your video).
  • Look into the camera lens - imagine you are speaking directly to the person you want to talk to.
  • Avoid wearing fabrics that have busy patterns or that are shiny.
  • Rehearse beforehand, speak clearly, and don't rush.

To use the One Button Studio:

  1. Reserve the One Button Studio. (Refer to the section below - How to access and reserve a space in the Outer Circle Recording Studio.) 
  2. Bring a USB drive to record your video (at least 4 GB per 30 minutes of video recording).  NOTE:  If you will be using a presentation, you will need two USB drives.
  3. Follow the prompts on the screen to record your video.

Equipment:

  • Two Mac Minis; one for the presentation, one for live compositing/recording
  • PTZOptics Zcam w/SDI for durable connectivity
  • ReflecMedia Chroma Key setup
  • Software based H.264 recording
  • Low latency live video preview
  • End-to-end balanced audio signal path
  • Behringer Xenyx 1002B Audio Mixer w/phantom power & visible VU meter
  • RODE NTG1 Shotgun Mic
  • Acoustic treatment for better audio
  • Mic extension mount for better microphone placement
  • Bright and compact Prismatic LED Luna lights
  • All hardware for hanging microphone & lights from a drop-ceiling
  • All hardware for hanging Chromatte curtain and acoustic panels
  • Foot switch floor button for recording start/stop
  • Control panel for configuring video
  • Dual monitors

Podcasting Station

Up to four people can use the podcasting station to record a variety of high-quality audio including narration, storytelling, plays, interviews, and more.Before your recording session:

  • Prepare your script and have a plan of what you will record.  (Note:  Your script can be shared as a transcript to improve the accessibility of your podcast).
  • Consider the tone, pitch, and inflection to convey your message to your target audience.
  • Rehearse beforehand, speak clearly, and don't rush.

During your recording session:

  • Adjust your body to ensure you are aligned with the microphone and keep the same distance from the microphone throughout the recording session.
  • Pause for several seconds when you begin recording and use pauses with verbal markers to easily remove mistakes in post-production.
  • Mute individual microphones when you or your collaborator(s) / interviewee(s) are not speaking.
  • Monitor recording levels to keep them consistent and ensure they are below the red zone.
  • Sit up straight, keep your body still, and be mindful of your breathing.
  • Make a test recording to ensure that everything is working properly.
  • Use the headphones provided to reduce audio feedback.

To use the Podcasting Station:

  1. Reserve the Podcasting Station. (Refer to the section below - How to access and reserve a space in the Outer Circle Recording Studio.)
  2. Bring a USB drive to record your audio (Note: File size will depend on audio bitrate, file type, and duration; a minimum size of .1 GB is recommended for 60 minutes of MP3 audio (2 tracks) at a bitrate of 192 KiB/second.)
  3. Follow the instructions provided to record your audio.

Equipment:

  • 1 Windows All-in-One Computer
  • 1 RODECaster Pro
  • 1 Sandisk 32GB microSDHC Card
  • 4 Audio Technica 15’ XLR Cable
  • 4 RODE PSA-1 Studio Arm
  • 4 RODE Procaster Microphone
  • 4 Rode PSM1 Shockmount
  • 4 Audio Technica M40X Headphones

Digital Editing Suite

Edit your media files using high performance computer hardware and software provided in the Digital Editing Suite.

Windows Operating System (1 Computer):

Hardware:

  • 1 Windows computers for video / audio editing (with dual screens to support editing)
    • Dell XPS8940, with Intel Core i9 11900k, 64GB RAM, Nvidia Geforce RTX 3070, 2TB 7200RPM Hard Drive
    • 1 - 27" monitors, Dell 4K

Software:

Mac Operating System (2 Computers):

Hardware:

  • 2 Mac Pro computers for video / audio editing 
    • 3.6 GHz 8-core intel Xeon processor, 64 GB RAM, Radeon Pro 580x, 8 GB Video Card, 1 TB SSD storage
    • 2 - 27" monitors, Dell 4K

Software:

360 View of this Space

 
 
 
 

View the Podcasts and Videos created in the Outer Circle Recording Studio

Fish Outta Water

Explore the use of the Podcasting Studio to support student assignments.

Fish Outta Water: A First-Year Survival Guide. Image with goldfish and fishbowl.

Fish Outta Water:  A First-Year Survival Guide
Created as part of a Research Opportunity Program (ROP) course assignment.

The Swan created by Aruzhan Satynbekova

Explore the use of the ReflecMedia Chroma Key screen feature.