Services
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    Watch our Services Video3:02

    Can we support your course? Of course!

    Watch our Services Overview Video (3:02)
    The Media and Design Studio offers a wide variety of services to supported WCAS faculty, complementing their syllabi. We provide teaching labs and classrooms, digital equipment, training and workflow suggestions to you and your students. We also develop online resources for online learning and scholarship.
    Facilities

    The Media and Design Studio has facilities available for students to complete assigned worked or for you as faculty hold lab sessions. Reservation requests and questions can be directed to mads-rooms@northwestern.edu.

    Main Lab and Circulation Desk

    • Kresge Room 2510

    In addition to offering a robust equipment checkout counter, the Activity Space offers a unique combination of individual and group spaces for learning, creating, and critiquing. Students participating in language learning activities or in bridged online courses, such as those offered through Big10 Course Share, will find carrels that are specially equipped with high quality microphones, headphones, and cameras. Students working on collaborative projects or presentations can reserve private meeting rooms, or use one of our activity booths.

    Hours: Mon-Thu 9am-6pm, Fri 9am-5pm, Sun 1pm-5pm

    Capacity: ~30 (12 computer workstations, 2 booths, 2 collaboration suites, "maker" nook)

    Common Activities: Audio recording or teleconferencing assignments or drills (Native Accent, Skype, Japanese Hypercard Software), Video editing and voice over recording, Viewing/Listening (DVD, CD). Collaborative editing. Console-based Gameplay. Tutoring.

    Computer Classroom 2524

    • Kresge Room 2524

    Kresge 2524 is one of the Media and Design Studio’s two primary computer classrooms, reservable in advance, equipped with low-profile MacBook Pro computers and microphoned headsets. Teacher Station includes: Projection, Mac Mini (Mac OS), Document Camera, Region Free DVD Player, VCR.

    Hours: By Reservation, regular class times

    Capacity: 20 Students

    Common Activities: Language Lab Activities (DiLL), Computer-based assessment, Testing, collaborative media editing, collaborative authoring, training Sessions, seminar discussions, group meetings

    Voice Over Recording Studios

    • Kresge Rooms 2531 and 2533
    Access policy

    Students in classes that require high-end production value need undisturbed access to top-quality production equipment. The Voice Over recording suites are equipped with a professional grade Studio Microphone and pop filter and padded walls for sound dampening. An "On Air" sign allows people in the hallway to know you are recording. Ability for additional XLR and 1/4" inputs; Sound blankets may be requested in Kresge 2510.

    Hours: 24-hour access for students in pre-approved classes. Requests for access made quarterly by faculty via email to mads-rooms@northwestern.edu

    Capacity: 1 station/2 chairs in each room

    Common Activities: Advanced Audio Recording

    Editing Suite

    • Kresge Room 2535
    Access policy

    The Edit Suite studios boasts 3 iMac edit stations equipped with recording headsets and padded walls for sound dampening. An "On Air" sign allows people in the hallway to know you are recording. Small nook available for video recording; apple boxes available on site, sound blankets may be requested in Kresge 2510.

    Hours: Offline for Fall Quarter 2021.

    Common Activities: Group Audio, Video Recording, Standing Presentation Video Recording

    Computer Classroom 2530

    • Kresge Room 2530

    Kresge 2530 is the second of the Media and Design Studio's two primary computer classrooms, reservable in advance, equipped with desktop iMac computers and microphoned headsets. Teacher Station includes: Projection, Mac Mini (Mac OS), Document Camera, Region Free DVD Player, VCR. .

    Hours: By Reservation, regular class times

    Capacity: 20 Students

    Common Activities: Digital Art, Language Lab Activities (DiLL), Collaborative Media Editing, Presentation Authoring, Training Sessions, Seminar Discussions, Group Meetings

    Equipment Rental

    The Media and Design Studio has equipment available so faculty don't ever have to wonder how their students can complete assignments or how they can incorporate multimedia into their classrooms. The Media and Design Studio can walk you through the most effective equipment for what you want to do, and all of our equipment can be reserved online via our WebCheckout Portal. If you need assistance with your reservation, please email mads-circ@northwestern.edu or call the Equipment Checkout Counter at (847) 491-4167 during our operating hours.

    • Allow your students to have access to audio and video equipment for projects (interested faculty should request support the quarter before)
    • Incorporate iPads into your syllabi
    • Complement the room you are meeting in with our Instructional Support and Teleconferencing Equipment
    • The Media and Design Studio's easy-to-use recording equipment is also available to Humanities faculty and staff for departmental use.

    Adapters for the University's various projection systems may also be checked out without reservation for anyone with a Wildcard.

    Please note that our equipment, especially our audio equipment, is intended for use in classes and for completed projects and is not necessarily ideal for event planning (which depends greatly on the location and its appointments). The Media and Design Studio does not have speakers available for checkout for large spaces.

    Equipment Usage Policy

    All students must have a Statement of Responsibility on file with the Media and Design Studio in order to have access to the WebCheckout Patron Portal and check out equipment. The Statement of Responsibility can be filled online either at the check-out counter or beforehand. Authorization with your NetID is required.

    Audio Production

    Digital recorders, microphones, transcription

    The Media and Design Studio has a variety of microphones and recording devices, some of which can also be used for video production. Please note that our microphones are intended for recording audio and not for live amplification.

    Video Production

    Motion cameras, lighting, support

    We have easy-to-use cameras and accessories to make smart devices look professional. Among our accessories are tripods, lights and microphones. All of our equipment is designed for ease in getting your footage from the device to your computer too.

    iPads

    3rd generation

    The Media and Design Studio has a small collection of older, 3rd Generation iPads available for special needs, such as sharing older iPad applications with classes of students, or for use with survey tools. Possible uses are somewhat limited as the iPads do not support the most recent updates to system software and security enhancements. As such, they should not be used for any personal purpose or in conjunction with any personal information such as logins or passwords, but can be used with certain low-risk apps and with the Guest wireless network. For any interest in use of iPads beyond this collection, such as the use of current-generation devices, please contact us for assistance.

    Instructional Equipment

    Projection, teleconferencing

    Projectors, Document Cameras, a Conference Phone and Webcams/Microphones to use with Skype and other programs are all available to check out for a day and are reserved in advance. We stock many useful items such as Mac laptop and iPad video adapters (we call them dongles though) and make these available to walk-in requests.

    Although equipment is offered to the users qualified above at zero cost, our pricing list is available upon request for extenuating services.

    Enter Web checkout
    Media Services

    The staff of the MAD Studio boasts a wide variety of skills and expertise handling and preparing media across several forms and formats. While we do not offer a specific catalog of routine media services, we invite you to contact us for consultation or production assistance with special pedagogical or research needs.

    Need Help? Shoot us an email

    A few notes about some former, now obsolete services:

    Goodbye, DVDs: Goodbye glorious collection of hundreds of audio cassette and VHS tapes and DVDs. Many of the former titles are now located in the holdings of the University Libraries for checkout, some are even available via online streaming! Either way, the Mitchell Media Center is an excellent starting point for seeing what's new! In addition to our peers in the Library, we are also happy to help guide you on locating and requesting media titles through the Course Reserve system so that students can access media directly from within the Canvas Learning Management System.

    Au Revoir, Film Clips: A once popular service, the MAD Studio no longer prepares discrete clips of movies for use with Course Reserves. Since 2017, the ability to select, name, and assign virtual clips of reserve titles is now finally and happily part of the Course Reserves system itself. For assistance using the feature, contact the eReserves team at e-reserve@northwestern.edu

    Course Enhancement

    The Media and Design Studio offers a wide array of technical support to Weinberg courses, including web development, curricular design advice, and custom app development. We can help translate your content and vision for your course into a finished, working result. We can tell you what is possible and come up with realistic timelines of how to implement these enhancements in your classes.

    • Web Development & Hosting

      See our projects page for a complete listing of past works.

    • Video Projects

      The Media and Design Studio is capable of creating videos for instructional needs, working with you from the script stage, through casting and art design, shooting, editing all the way to streaming it for your classes. See examples of past video work on our projects page.

    Interested in working with us?
    Shoot us an email