Specialist research facilities at the OU include the following:

Music Research Studio

Industry standard recording designed with performance analysis in mind.

At the heart of the Open University’s Walton Hall campus in Milton Keynes, the Music Research Studio was purpose-built in 2009 to the exacting specificationsof music researchers. The studio comprises a recital room (“Howard Music Room”), a separate recording booth, a recording control room, and four research pods for audio/video editing and analysis. The acoustic response of the recording rooms is shaped with the use of suspended cubes, curtains, and acoustic panels, thus providing flexible recording conditions.

The studio is ideal for research on music performance and can be used for a wide range of interdisciplinary research, education and dissemination purposes as well as industry standard recording sessions.

Acoustics Research Laboratory

Acoustics Research Group facilities include two anechoic chambers, a laser laboratory, an ultra high speed camera, a scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer, professional quality microphones, as well as a wide range of measuring apparatus, recording equipment and high performance computing hardware.

Music Computing Laboratory

The Music Computing Research Group hosts a Music Computing Lab stocked with a range of music computing software; electronic musical instruments; motion trackers, pitch trackers, sensors, and diverse technologies for gestural control and data capture. In close collaboration with the Pervasive Interaction group we are constructing new musical interfaces using a variety of multi-touch and whole body tracking technologies.