Everything you need to know about our tech services

Who should you call when you’re in a muddle with techniques or equipment? What exactly are the tech stores? How do you book rooms and studios for your creations? Here’s everything you need to know about Catalyst’s tech services.

Not all heroes wear capes – some carry a reel of cables. Catalyst’s tech crew are the backbone of our creative institute. Each team member a practicing professional in their own industry, their job is so much more than “making the sound come out of your speakers,” as music tech Mathew Johnson so modestly put it. 

The techs are always ready to run to our students’ aid when they’re in need of technical support or expert advice. They are also the gear gatekeepers of our music and film/VFX tech stores, as well as providing bookable access to studios. If you’re a student at Catalyst, chances are a tech will save your day on multiple occasions.

Want to learn more about Catalyst’s tech services? Scroll down to read about our tech stores and booking system, meet our tech crew and take a virtual tour of our facilities.

Tech Stores

What is it like to spend much of your working week surrounded by synths and musical instruments, or cameras and lighting equipment? Ask our tech crew, who – when they’re not out assisting students or "ensuring the cables are rolled up nicely" – you’ll find in our music and film tech stores. These special rooms are a gear hoarder’s paradise, stocked with all the premium equipment you need to make outstanding films and music. What's more, access to equipment is generally unlimited, with only a few exceptions.

Choose from 2900 bookable items – including synths, drum machines, microphones, mixing consoles, preamps, FX, field recorders, MIDI controllers, decks, CDJs, guitars, amplifiers, pedals, wireless systems, cameras, lights, fog machines, filter kits, lenses and turntables.

Catalyst is home to 25 production and recording studios, one film studio with a green screen, six film post-production suites, one vocal recording studio and one acting studio. Thanks to our smooth booking system, our students have an equal opportunity to take advantage of these expansive creative facilities.

You can easily book a room or equipment online via Catalyst’s Moodle system. Bookable time – the number of hours per week or per month you may book a room or studio – varies per course. For example, first-year music students get three hours in the studio, first-year film students get three hours in the studio and four hours in the Postbox, and first-year Visual Effects students get eight hours in the studio and four hours in the Postbox. This allowance increases per year of the course.

You may also take advantage of additional hours with ad-hoc booking. If studios are free within the next five minutes, you can book them for two hours directly through a tech – without using up your bookable time. You also have access to certain classrooms, as long as there are no classes taking place.

Tech Crew

Our tech team is here to provide you with expert technical assistance, facilities access – and a healthy amount of banter – as well as ensuring your safety. Click on their names below to read their bios. 

Tour our facilities

Want a peek into our music and film facilities? Step right into our world-renowned Funkhaus spaces in this virtual tour.