Recording Studio

Sunset Park Library has an amateur recording studio for Library cardholders working on audio or video projects! Please see our policies and guidelines below, as well as technical details.

For more information on how to use the equipment and software in the studio, visit BPL’s guide to the Recording Studio. Note: This guide refers to the Information Commons Recording Studio at BPL’s Central Library. For a complete list of Sunset Park Recording Studio’s equipment, please scroll down.  

Recording Studio Policies and Guidelines
  • Reserve time in the Sunset Park Library recording studio at  www.bklynlibrary.org/rooms.
  • All users of the recording studio must adhere to the Public Behavior in the Library Policy and the Public Use of Meeting Rooms Policy
  • At least one person using the recording studio must be 18 or older, have an active BPL library card and leave a valid government-issued ID at the Lower-Level Reference Desk for the session. The studio reservation must be in the name of the ID holder.
  • We recommend that there be a maximum of two people using the recording studio at the same time. No more than three people are allowed into the recording studio at a time.
  • The recording studio can be reserved in one-hour increments. The maximum session length for the studio is two hours, and each cardholder can make up to two advance reservations per calendar month. Meeting room use counts as a reservation even if it's for less than the maximum session length.
  • Reservations may be scheduled up to 28 days in advance.
  • Reservations are released if unclaimed within 15 minutes of scheduled start time.
  • Recording studio reservations must involve use of recording studio equipment. The recording studio is not a space for studying or holding meetings.
  • The last recording studio session of each day must end 30 minutes before the library closes.
  • Please make sure that you save or export your project with enough time before the next person's reservation begins.
  • If possible, please bring your own large-capacity (16 GB or more) drive to save your work to. BPL is not responsible for any lost work.
  • No food or drinks are allowed in the recording studio.
  • Failure to follow policies, and/or damaging furniture or equipment will lead to penalties up to and including fines or suspension of cardholder privileges. 
Recording Studio Technology and Equipment

Please note that this is an “amateur” recording studio! The room's sound quality and lighting are not what you might find in a professional studio. It is an opportunity to work with quality equipment and introduce you to the production process; it does not guarantee a perfect product.

  • The studio's equipment includes:
    • Komplete Kontrol S49
    • Yamaha Powered Studio Monitor HS8
    • Avid S1
    • Konig & Meyer Microphone Stand
    • SM58 Legendary Vocal Microphone*
    • Sony MDR-7506 Sound Monitor Headphones*
    • Sony MDR-7506 Sound Monitor Headphones*
    • Apollo Twin MKII
    • Rode SM6 Shock Mount With Pop Filter
    • Rode NT1-A Studio Condenser Microphone
    • Waber Power System
    • Canon EOS Rebel T7*
    • Anker USB 3.0 Data Hub (4-in-1, 5GBPS)
    • Pardunll Professional USB Condenser Microphone

*To use these items, you must request them at the Lower-Level Customer Service Desk.

  • The iMac station’s software includes, among other applications:
    • Logic Pro 11.0.1
    • Garage Band 10.4.11
    • iMovie 10.4.2
    • CLIP Studios 1.11.7
    • Blender 4.2.1
    • Final Cut Pro 10.8.1
    • Photo Booth 13.1
    • Voice Memos 2.4
  • You should bring your own large-capacity (16 GB or more) drive to save your work to, as all the files you create using the recording studio iMac will be erased after logging out of your session. Please note the following:
    • Many drives are formatted for the Windows operating system. You may need to reformat your drive for Mac OS X in order to use it to store and work on multimedia projects. To do so, follow the instructions found here. Warning: Reformatting a hard drive will completely erase all files. To begin, ensure that all wanted files are backed up or stored someplace else, such as on a personal computer, in an email account, or on a cloud drive.

The Sunset Park Library staff cannot provide one-on-one assistance on demand in the recording studio. Some proficiency in using computers and recording devices is necessary to use the studio. All are welcome to attend one of BPL’s basic computer or digital media classes to work towards making audio or video projects on your own.