The Radio Manifesto

IC Radio is a society at Imperial, and also a community. These are the values and statements we strive to embody.

Come for the music and the chat.
Be open to unfamiliar sounds and new experiences.
Give a voice to those less often heard.
Respect one another.
Be yourself.

Get in touch

Best way to ask questions and get support is via the links on the following: IC Radio | Linktree

If you have ideas you think would make radio better just DM us @icradio on Instagram or get in touch with a committee member.

How do I host a show/book a slot in the studio?

Got an idea for a show?

Drop in to our weekly induction on Mon 12:00

Get a membership on the ICU page

Request a slot using this form here

Read the Studio Guide below!

Get on the air!

Studio Rules

Food and Drink: No food or drink is allowed near the equipment. Leave drinks on the table away from the equipment or in the shared studio next door.
No smoking or vaping
Guests: Guests are allowed if accompanied by an IC Radio Member.
Equipment Care: Treat all equipment with respect. Do not remove or damage any items.
Cleanup: Leave the studio as you found it, clean and tidy.

How to use the Studio

Understanding the Studio
Key Card Access - To enter the studio, ask the security office at Beit for KEY CARD 2. You will need membership and be on the key card list.
Please enter the studio via the side-door.
Equipment Overview
We have the following equipment available for use:
- STUDER OnAir 1500 Mixer (The big grey thing in front of the monitors)
- PC (You probably know what a computer is)
- Mics (Each has a numbered sticker corresponding to the mixer)
- Headphones - DT 700 Pro 80 Ohm
- DJ Decks - 2x CDJ-2000-NXS2, 2x XDJ-700s, and 2x Technic turntables
- DJM-800 Mixer
- Speakers - 2x Yamaha HS8
Starting Up
Turn on all equipment using the BIG RED ON SWITCH located at the bottom of the plug board stack. (see image)
STUDER/Mic Usage
You should have been shown how to use the STUDER mixer and mics during your induction. If you are unsure, ask a committee member for help.
- Volume Levels - Take care not to raise the volume of the faders above the 0 mark.
- Sustain - Lower the sustain channel (red) before starting your show, and put it back up to zero at the end if no one is following you immediately after. Make sure the CUE button is not lit up on the sustain channel.
- Make sure you have your channel turned ON if you would like to put it out on the radio - the button will turn red, as seen on the diagram.
- Toggle the CUE/TB button to hear the channel through the headphones/speakers WITHOUT it going out on the radio. (See diagram)
- Generally it is good to press the cue button for each of the mic channels you are using, that way you and your guests will be able to hear yourselves through the headphones even when the channels are OFF.
- Note the ON and CUE buttons act independently. DJs who wish to practice off air should press the CUE button on the DJ channel and leave the channel OFF. That way the DJ mixer will play through the loudspeakers whilst Sustain continues to play out on the radio.
- Remember that speakers turn off when mics are on to prevent feedback, but headphones remain operational for volume monitoring.
- To adjust the volume of the headphones/speakers use the volume dials located on the right marked HP VOL (Headphones) and LSP VOL (Loud Speaker Vol). See diagram.
Can't Hear Anything? Quick Troubleshoot Guide
- Is the ON button lit for your desired channel - Press it if not
- Have you got any of the mic channels up? - Set them to the bottom/ press OFF if so, the mic lights should turn red once active so you'll know if this is the case.
Accounts and Playlists:
Use IC Radio's Spotify and Soundcloud accounts for accessing playlists. DO NOT LOG OUT OF THESE ACCOUNTS.
Phone-ins/Zoom Calls
It is now possible to have guests on Zoom. Open the Zoom app and sign in with your imperial account by pressing the SSO option. Set up the audio options as shown:
Zoom audio outputs via the 'WIN PC' Channel (see Studer diagram) - if you would like to hear your guest/broadcast their voice, ensure this fader is turned on and the volume set to the 0 mark.
If you would also like to be heard ensure that your mic channel is turned on and also have the volume set to 0.
Chatting off air:
- Press the OFF buttons on the channels for your Mic and WIN PC
- Note turning off the WIN PC channel will stop the broadcast of any music being played on the PC.
- Press CUE/TB buttons on these channels. (See Studer Diagram), you will now be able to hear each other without it going to air.
- If you want to send music to your guest on zoom (perhaps you are having a music quiz?) you need to deliberately assign the relevant input channel to the bus for Zoom which is N-X Bus 1. This is complicated and will be explained somewhere else (when we write that page).
- Make sure you sign out of your zoom account to avoid the next studio user doing something embarrassing with it.
Functionality for phone-ins is still being worked on - as we continue to upgrade the studio, we will update this page with more advice. Please LOG OUT of your zoom account when done, so others can use it easily too afterwards.
Jingles + Sound FX
Find the keyboard and mouse for the right-hand monitor in a sliding tray below the desk.
If you wish for these to be audible, set the RD Panel fader volume to 0.
Once the fader is up, feel free to browse the panel of jingles and play as you please!
Using the studio to record
If you intend to record your shows - this should already be handled via the RSVP system. Check your emails, if you have a scheduled show, for this.
If that does not apply to you:
You can record all audio that outputs via the Studer, via the following steps.
- Open Audacity on the PC
- Press Record
- Stop recording when done.
- Please remember to export your finished project as an mp3, in a relevant folder - DO NOT SAVE THE FULL AUDACITY PROJECT FILE, as they take up too much storage space.