MEO.ROCKS

Teach the Teachers Technical Requirements

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We want your Teach the Teachers Project to be a great educational and creative experience.  We are committed to make sure as you get ready for the class, that your computer and internet connectivity are the best they can be for the course.  We don't require the latest / greatest computer, operating system or industial strength internet speed, but we don't want you to be frustrated with the process due to something we can help fix prior to the class.

 

Our goal is to give you a set of quick, easy to use tools and training that will allow you to upgrade into any professional level software with little or no additional training.  We are first, like you, professional musicians and educators.  We approach the use of computers in music as a support for your creativity as an end-user, not as a developer.  You can accomplish amazing results with most computers and consumer level software that is either already on the computer or that comes as part of our free software suite. 

Here is a list of out-of-the-box requirements:

 

OS (Operating Systems)

• PC: XP / SP3, Vista, Win 7, Win 8
• MAC: 10.6 or later

Processor (The CPU)

• Without Over-Geeking...your machine should be newer than 2009

RAM:

• 2 Gig or greater

Hard Drive

• You should have at least 150 gig free on your C Drive.  If you can, now would be a great time to add a second internal HD.  The smallest you can find now are 500 gig...but they're pretty cheap.  Don't get talked into a solid state drive!  Using an external USB drive is not recommended while you are working on a project.  It's fine for backing the project up.

Browser:

• Any of them will work with different degrees of quirks.  Make sure they are up to date.  No IE6 or 7...sorry!  We recommend Chrome due to it's compliance with HTML5 media streaming.  You should make sure your Adobe PDF reader, Flash and Java are up to date

Internet Connection:

• First.  Don't depend on what you are being told you have.  Test what is getting right to your machine here.  We want to know both your download AND your upload speed.  If you are taking the class from home, please test between 6P-9P local time.  That's when the gamers come out and everyone is streaming NetFlix.

Things to keep in mind:

1. We will be meeting on line with each of you for about an hour within two weeks of the start up of the class.  We will be using a computer sharing program that will allow us to help you optimize your system.  We might make some adjustments to your basic operating system, but it will not affect your normal programs.
2. We will be installing a small suite of common software (yours to keep) that WILL NOT contain adware, malware or anything that could compromise your internet security or the running of other software.  You will need to be able to make changes to your computer (administrator priviledges) especially if you are using a computer that is part of an educational system or used as a workstation.  You can tell this by whether or not when you boot up your computer you are asked to log in to a network or shared ethernet.
3. You DO NOT need to have any additional hardware EXCEPT for a keyboard controller.  Any MIDI keyboard will work except you will need a MIDI to USB adapter.  Typically your local music retailer or consummer electronics store carries those for around $30.  If not we can put you in touch with out supplier who can get you anything you might need or want at our commercial discount.  You can also use any keyboard controller that connects to your computer by USB.