For many budding musicians, renting studio time to record a song or an album is not something that’s financially possible. So Vancouver’s music community understandably breathed a collective sigh of relief this past May when the Vancouver Public Library officially opened its Inspiration Lab at the city’s main branch downtown.
The Inspiration Lab features five free-to-use studios in total, the largest of which is the Terry McBride Recording Studio, named after the Nettwerk Records founder. The 175-square-foot room features microphones, an audio mixing board, and a computer equipped with the latest in sound editing software.
For busker Alfredo Flores, the studio has helped him realize the dream of releasing an album.
“I don’t have money to pay to record an album,” he says. “But I’ve recorded more than 20 songs already. I made a CD from the library that I’m selling on the streets now.”
Flores arrived in Canada nearly 20 years ago from Guatamala and has a TransLink busking permit to play guitar and pan flute at various SkyTrain stations.
“It was a big surprise for me when I found out [about the studio],” says Flores. “One of the guys from my country, he told me about it and we went the next day.”
Flores says he doesn’t know anything about computers, but with the help of a friend was able to record his songs.
While the library doesn’t supply sound engineers, it does provide classes to teach people how to use the software themselves.
Anne O’Shea, Vancouver Public Library’s manager for programming and learning, says the Inspiration Lab reflects the changing role of libraries in the community. No longer mere book depositories, the modern library is a multi-faceted, shared technological resource, serving a variety of needs.
“The decision [to build the Inspiration Lab] came from community consultation,” she says. “People told us that they wanted a space to experiment and learn about digital technology.
“It’s a perfect fit.”
The Inspiration Lab also includes a hands-on digital media hub with video production and editing, analog-to-digital conversion, and self-publishing software. For bands looking to create a music video, the Inspiration Labs also include a green screen as well as computers equipped with video editing software.
O’Shea says the studio has been popular with buskers and young musicians who might not be able to afford time in a big professional recording studio. In addition to recording music, the Inspiration Lab’s smaller studios are designed to record things like podcasts, including the VPL’s own weekly Vancouver Special podcast.
Thankfully, the sound-proofed rooms have proven to be up to the task.
“Noise hasn’t been an issue,” says O’Shea.
Visit the Vancouver Public Library's website to book a studio online for free.
