CCRMA User's guide

CCRMA is an acronym for the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics it is pronounced "karma" (the first "c" is silent). CCRMA is an interdisciplinary center which is part of the Music Department at Stanford University. From its beginnings in the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratories of the 1960s, CCRMA has tried to maintain an open and friendly environment. Nearly all of the resources are shared among researchers, faculty, and students in cooperation with each other. The number of people interested in working at CCRMA has grown faster than the facilities, and so it is especially important that all CCRMA-lites respect one another, and help to maintain an environment in which all of us can be productive and creative. This guide is an attempt to outline some of the policies and procedures - "rules to live by" - that will hopeful help us to maintain this cooperative environment.

Of course it is impossible to legislate "good citizenship" or a complete code of conduct because no list of rules can cover all possible cases. Really, when in doubt, follow these three simple ideas:

(1) Don't do anything that you wouldn't want someone else to do to you

(2) NEVER change ANY wiring in ANY studio for any reason (see a staff member for this) and

(3) ALWAYS make sure you lock doors and windows if you are the last to leave the building.

• General use of the facility
• Use of CCRMA resources and equipment (computers, studios, etc.).
• Who is who at CCRMA?
• Security
• Parking
• Phones and Fax
• Mail
• Photocopying
• Printing
• ID Cards and Passes
• Conveniences
• Kitchen
• Restrooms
• Lockers
• Smoking
• Libraries
• Desks

See also the Frequently Asked Questions document for more information about the CCRMA environment, and especially the computing facilities.

General Use of the facility
The facility is open to registered CCRMA users, which consist of undergraduate and graduate students, research staff, faculty, and visiting composers and researchers on a twenty-four hour basis. In order to use the facility you should have filled out a CCRMA registration form which is available from Vibeke Cleaver (CCRMA's secretary) or from your sponsor and which must be approved by the CCRMA administration. This will allow you use of the various resources and access to the facility.

In return for use of the facility, we ask that you be respectful of the CCRMA community and work in a cooperative manner. Projects involving heavy use of CCRMA resources should be approved by a CCRMA staff person ahead of time. In general, see Jay Kadis or Fernando Lopez-Lezcano to make arrangements. To sign-up for the use of a studio or audio equipment, please see Jay Kadis.

Equipment should NEVER be moved, rewired, or rearranged without permission. Please note also that the default mode for all room air conditioners is that they should be ON. If you leave a room with air conditioning, please be sure that the system is on.

Most workstations and many audio set-ups are protected by a fiber-optic alarm system. If this equipment is moved without proper procedures, an alarm will go off at CCRMA and at the police department. If you need to move any of this equipment, please find Jay, Fernando, or Julius. If an occasion occurs where you have to move other equipment for a short period of time in order to complete some work and you are not able to find a staff person, please send a message to Jay and leave a note as to where you have moved the particular piece of equipment. You are also required to put whatever you move back where it belongs after you use it. Before moving anything, you should also check to make sure that you are not disturbing someone else's work.

In general, if you have a problem with something, please see a staff person: Vibeke Cleaver - general administration; Jay Kadis - audio equipment, studios, and MacIntosh administration; Fernando Lopez Lezcano - network, NeXT, Linux, and SGI administration.

If you haven't already, please take a minute to familiarize yourself with the list of Frequently Asked Questions about CCRMA.

CCRMA resources and equipment
As part of the Stanford community, we are responsible for following the official policy of Stanford University regarding computer resources usage, and you should take a moment to review this policy. The University also has official policies regarding commercial use and conflicts of committment. This means that CCRMA equipment - including audio equipment, copiers, printers, computers and studio equipment - is intended only for work directly related to CCRMA. This means work required for a CCRMA course (but not University courses in general) or work for officially CCRMA-sponsored research. Contact Jay Kadis, Fernando Lopez Lezcano, or Jonathan Berger if you have questions about whether a particular use of the facilities is appropriate.

Computer accounts and other computer facility access privileges are granted to individuals only. You may use only your own account and access privileges you may not grant permission to any other person to use them.

Who is Who at CCRMA?
CCRMA is home to an evolving group of composers, scientists, researchers and students. A complete list of CCRMA people (or "CCRMA-lites") is available at the "roster" page. If you have a problem involving computers (except Macintoshes) email Fernando. For problems with audio equipment, studios, and Macintoshes, email both Jay and Fernando. If you have an urgent problems and you are not sure whom to address, you can send mail to the entire staff.

Security
A really serious concern at CCRMA. We have had too many instances of theft at CCRMA, usually due to just one person being slightly careless. Everyone must take personal responsibility for security at CCRMA. If you see someone you don't know, it is not impolite to say something like, "Hi, my name is Pat. I don't think we've met - who are you?" in order to verify that someone belongs here.

Once you are a registered CCRMA user you will be given an entrance code to the building. This will give you access to the building at night and on the weekends. Do not give this personal code to ANYONE (we mean it!). If you make appointments to meet people here at the Knoll, please arrange to open the door for them.

NEVER prop open the outside doors open or give out your code. If you see an outside door propped open, close it immediately.

Please do not let people into the building during off hours if you do not know them. You can call the police by taking a free external line (press any one of the top five buttons that is not lighted in one of the digital telephone sets) and dialling "9911".

The ballroom, classroom, and studios at CCRMA also have a general access and alarm code. This code changes periodically. You must receive this code directly from Jay Kadis.

Please make sure that all windows or doors are closed if you are the last to leave a work area, and turn on the alarm if the area has one. If you are not sure if you are the last one in the area, please take a moment to check, and if you find someone, tell them you are leaving so that they can take responsibility for closing doors and windows and turning on the alarm.

There are four separate security systems active at CCRMA: three access systems and a fiber optic equipment security system in areas that are not covered by the access systems.

The mainbuilding access system uses individual or group access codes to enter the building from outside. Each user or group has its own number for this system.

Trailer B has a common code for its combination lock entrance doors.

Inside the building, some areas have zone intrusion alarm systems which must be armed when no one is in the room: these areas include the ballroom, the classroom and classroom annex, the Maxlab, the MIDI studio and Studios D and E. These areas use a common code which everyone may use to turn the system on and off and to allow access. The recording studio and control room can be accessed by the same code but have no intrusion alarm.

The last system is a fiber optic loop which threads physically through equipment. The system detects any break in the continuity of the loop and immediately sends an alarm. In order to move the protected equipment, it is necessary to have a staff member disarm the system.

Parking
The area around the Knoll is a C permit area. Parking permits are available from the Parking Division at 655 Serra Street. For information on parking fees and how to apply for a permit, phone 3-9362. Visiting scholars need to show their visiting scholar cards in order to obtain a parking permit. Parking fees are prorated throughout the year.

Phones and Fax
There are phones throughout the building which you may use for local calls. The main CCRMA phone number is (650) 723-4971. CCRMA's fax number is (650) 723-8468. Because we have a limited number of phones and phone lines, we ask that you not use the CCRMA phones and fax for personal calls unless necessary.

The Stanford phone directory has instructions on using the Stanford phone system. Local calls are free. If you need to call long distance, please obtain and use your own personal long distance calling card from one of the long distance companies such as AT&T or MCI.

To place a phone call first get dial tone by taking a free external line (press one of the top five keys in the phone set that is not lighted). Dial your number at once if you are calling within stanford (number of the form x-xxxx). Otherwise press "9" to access a second dial tone and a real external line. After that you can call locally for free.

You can call another ccrma phone by pushing one of the appropriately labelled direct connection buttons or by pressing the "INTERCOM" key followed by the 3 digit number of the extension you're trying to reach.

Please note that all phone sets are digital! You cannot connect a modem or any other analog phone related equipment to the line. Doing so will probably damage your equipment and/or CCRMA's small PABX.

The analog phone connected to the fax machine is just for giving feedback to the caller when sending faxes manually; it should not be used for placing external calls. Please use the phone in the lobby.

Mail
U.S. mail and some I.D. mail (internal Stanford mail) gets delivered to the Music Department and we pick it up there. Mail delivery is around 2pm. Please do not have personal magazines and technical journals sent to CCRMA as they are heavy and must be carried up the hill from the Music department by a CCRMA staff person. Faculty, staff and graduate students are assigned boxes in the CCRMA lobby. Outgoing ID mail is picked up from a box outside of Heidi's office in the trailers. Outgoing US Mail must be taken to a post office or mail box.

Photocopying
The photocopier (located in the trailer outside Heidi's office) is for CCRMA-related work only, not for personal use. This is a small-office copier, which means that it cannot withstand high volume use. The photocopier is available to the entire CCRMA community during "normal" business hours (9 AM - 5 PM, Monday through Friday) and is free of charge. Please be a responsible community member and adhere to the "CCRMA-related only" policy.

Printing
The networked laser printers are primarily for CCRMA-related work only, not for personal use. However, if you need to make personal print-outs, the charge is 5 cents per page. Usage of the printers is tracked automatically (Unix tracks NeXT, Linux, and Unix print jobs). Whenever you use the printers, please write down how many copies you made in the appropriate log book and indicate the purpose of the copies. There is a log book next to each printer. If you do not use the book, we assume that all the printouts you made are personal, and you will be billed periodically for all personal printouts. Users who don't pay are subject to having their computer accounts frozen.

It is common courtesy to realize that the network printers are a community resource. It is customary that if you need to print more than 50 pages of a document, please do so during evenings or weekends, or at the Campus Copy Center or at a commercial vendor. Otherwise you will tie up the printers for too long.

ID Cards and passes
Faculty, staff and students are given ID cards by the University which entitle them to the use of various facilities of the university. Visiting scholars receive a card which states the time frame of their visit and entitles them to the use of the university library system and the sports facilities. All "CCRMA-lites" will also receive a Music Department concert pass which, when space is available, allows you to attend a Music Department concert and permits you to bring one guest. Some musical events at Stanford do not honor the Music Department pass so please check before attending.

Facilities
Kitchen
CCRMA has a small kitchen available on the second floor off the lobby which contains a microwave, 2 burners, a refrigerator and instant hot water. This kitchen is shared by everyone, so please clean up after yourself and please do not consume food that does not belong to you.

CCRMA follows the custom of many shared refrigerators: if food is unmarked, it is free for anyone to eat. This means you should clearly mark your food with your name and the date. The CCRMA staff reserves the right to throw away (or eat) any unmarked food, any dirty dishes, or any food that appears to be too old. (This is not an invitation for you to let food just rot in the refrigerator please be attentive and throw out any food that is beginning to grow fuzzy life forms.) CCRMA provides spring water in a cooler near the front entrance, but to be ecology-minded, please bring your own reusable cup. Also, please bring your own mug for coffee or tea and dishes if you plan to eat at CCRMA. Please note that paper cups do leak after a while. Be careful not to leave a half empty (or half full) cup on a wood desk. The many circular stains on them will (maybe) remind you.

Again, please follow common sense: don't leave dirty dishes in the sink and if you make a mess in the microwave or the refrigerator, please clean it up. In fact, if you see a mess that isn't yours, please clean it up - this makes it nicer for everyone.

Restrooms
There are three unisex restrooms available at CCRMA. One is on the second floor off the lobby and through the kitchen. The second is on the ground floor near the MIDI studio. The third is on the left of the Trailer. The University provides only marginal custodial services on a weekly (weakly?) basis, so please be considerate and keep the bathrooms clean for others.

Lockers
CCRMA has limited office space due to the earthquake damage to the third floor of the Knoll. We do have a small number of lockers available on a first come-first-serve basis, located just to the right of the first floor entrance. Graduate students, visiting scholars and staff who would like to use a locker should request one from Gary Scavone. Users are required to supply their own locks.

Smoking
Stanford University policy prohibits smoking in all campus buildings. Smoking is permitted in the courtyard, but please don't smoke near open doors or windows where smoke may drift into the building.

Libraries
The Stanford Library System is open to all staff, faculty, and students. Visiting scholars are granted access to the libraries via their visiting scholar card.

CCRMA has a small reference library which is located in room 301, the only room authorized for use on the third floor. This is a reference library only - books and journals should not leave the premises, but may be copied using the copier on the second floor. Meetings and seminars are sometimes held in the library. A key is available from Heidi for the book cabinet. Those people who will be using the library extensively may check out a key for an extended period of time.

Desks
Desks are in limited supply at CCRMA. Faculty and staff members have exclusive use of their desks and these are not for general use. Other desks at CCRMA are either designated as "community use" or assigned to a particular person, typically to graduate students and some visiting scholars. If you need to work at a desk, you are free to work at one of the assigned desks if the desk owner is not there, and if you are respectful of their things, and if you politely leave if the owner shows up and wants to use it.

The computers at CCRMA are all intended to be "general use" and are available to authorized users on a "first-come, first-served" basis. Unfortuntately, due to lack of space, we have had to place a few of these "community use" computers on top of desks that are assigned to particular people. Common sense should prevail here. If the person who "owns" a desk arrives and someone is using the computer on the desk, the desk owner can ask the computer user to move, provided there is another computer available somewhere.

©1996-2000 CCRMA, Stanford University. All rights reserved.