Area 01’s Sound Lab Supports UW’s Aspiring Musicians
February 4, 2025 by Paige Stanley
At the beginning of the school year, Area 01’s Sound Lab was revamped with new state-of-the-art equipment. Consistently booked out weeks in advance, the lab is extremely beneficial to student musicians within the HFS community. The lab is free to use for all HFS residents* in need of a practice space and recording studio for their bands or podcasts.
In addition to the Sound Lab, Area 01 features gaming consoles, pool tables, foosball, arcade games, board games, an Image Lab, and the Dabble Lab, a makerspace with 3D printers, a laser cutter, vinyl printer, sewing machines, study rooms and more.
The Sound Lab’s equipment consists of a recording interface with a wide range of inputs and outputs as well as microphones, two guitar amplifiers, a bass guitar amplifier, a keyboard amplifier, a Nord Stage 4 keyboard and a drum kit. Students can bring their own instruments to plug into the amps.
The Sound Lab is located within a soundproof room in the Area 01 amenities space on West Campus. Open daily from 1 p.m. to midnight, Area 01 is frequently filled with students looking to have fun and decompress after classes. Located directly in Maple Hall, the space is very convenient for students to gather and hang out, especially on weekends.
For students interested in using the Sound Lab, Area 01 holds workshops every Saturday to explain the equipment and recording interface. Student Maintenance Technician and senior studying mechanical engineering, Madison D, leads students through the Sound Lab workshops as well as Dabble Lab equipment training. In addition, she maintains the equipment and troubleshoots repairs.
Madison uses the Sound Lab with her Japanese rock band, Kaede 01. The student band features 6 musicians playing guitar, drums, keyboard, and vocals. Their last show was at the HUB Lyceum for Husky Jam Track 12 on January 25. Check out their music on Instagram here @kaede01band.
As stated above, the Sound Lab is usually completely booked out. Students can reserve a maximum of 2 hours per day up to two weeks in advance. Reservations can be made when Area 01 opens at 1 p.m. by either booking in-person at the Area 01 front desk or calling the front desk at (206) 616-9666.
Madison recommends coming in-person to the desk right away to ensure you get your desired time slot. Residents are encouraged to visit Area 01 and the Sound Lab as well as provide feedback for what they wish to see added or improved.
“I always try to encourage students to tell me or give feedback to our amenities spaces if there is anything they want to see upgraded or if they want to see improvements” Madison said. “I think we’re always looking for community feedback. Specifically, I am always looking for feedback on the Sound Lab and seeing how we can improve the musician experience.”
If you have a suggestion for the Sound Lab or Area 01 in general, let the Area 01 staff know and they will do their best to implement it!
*Nonresident students and UW faculty can also access the space by paying a user fee.
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