About
Chicago Sonic Commons is a sound equipment sharing system.
It is an experiment in collective use and non-ownership broadening access to resources through alternative systems of circulation.
By cataloging Chicago sound makers’ collective abundance of equipment, Chicago Sonic Commons connects sound makers with resources and each other.
what
Audio equipment, musical instruments, and other sound related things.
Resources accessible through Chicago Sonic Commons are sourced from the people using it. Equipment is contributed through a process called designation. People designating equipment agree to no longer claim ownership of the equipment and to help facilitate its exchange with other people using Chicago Sonic Commons. The equipment then becomes part of a commons of ‘non-owned’ resources listed in an online inventory. Other people can then request to use the equipment.
Examples of equipment: microphones, amplifiers, audio interfaces, recording devices, and speakers, as well as acoustic and electronic instruments.
where
Anywhere people in Chicago are using sound equipment.
Equipment typically stays with the person who last requested it until it is requested by another person. When people use Chicago Sonic Commons equipment, it lives alongside their own stuff. When someone else requests that equipment, they communicate with the person who currently has it and arrange an exchange. Once the equipment is exchanged, the equipment lives alongside the new person’s own stuff.
Some larger pieces of equipment have storage hosts. Storage hosts are people who have access to enough space to store larger equipment and have offered to store specific things in that space. This might be an individual with a garage or basement or an organization with extra storage space. In this case, after someone is done using equipment, it is returned to the storage host.
who
Anyone making sound in Chicago.
Chicago Sonic Commons is a tool both for people who currently have access to sound resources and people who don’t. By designating equipment as part of Chicago Sonic Commons and committing to a sharing agreement, sound makers retain access to equipment which was exclusively theirs while also expanding access to other sound makers in Chicago.
Chicago Sonic Commons grew out of a project developed by Seamus Carey during the Alba Sonic Arts Residency at Experimental Sound Studio. There is now a growing community of sound makers and systems thinkers working on Chicago Sonic Commons.
If you are interested in becoming a CSC Custodian, please indicate your interest on this form along with your name and contact info. We would love to work with you!
how
Designate, Request, and Exchange.
Using Google Docs, Forms, and Sheets, people can designate equipment, request to use equipment, and coordinate equipment exchanges.
Designate – Designate equipment as part of Chicago Sonic Commons. By designating equipment, the former owner of that equipment agrees to no longer claim ownership of it and to help facilitate its exchange with other people. It becomes part of a commons of resources shared and maintained by people using Chicago Sonic Commons.
Request – Request to use Chicago Sonic Commons equipment. All resources are cataloged in the CSC Inventory spreadsheet. Each item listed has a link to a Request Form which can be used to request use of the equipment.
Exchange – Exchange equipment between people. When someone requests to use equipment, they are connected with the person who currently has it. They arrange a time and place to meet up and exchange the equipment. After the exchange, both people fill out an Exchange Form confirming that the equipment was exchanged.
The primary tools which make up Chicago Sonic Commons are the CSC Website, CSC Inventory, Request Forms, Exchange Forms, and the Designation Form.
CSC Website – Website with all info and links needed to use Chicago Sonic Commons.
CSC Inventory – Sheet with all equipment listed with catalog numbers, current locations, links to detailed info, and links to Request and Exchange Forms.
Request Forms – Forms used to request specific pieces of equipment
Exchange Forms – Form used to confirm exchange of specific pieces of equipment
Designation Form – Form used to designate equipment
why
The cost of sound equipment is prohibitive, and institutions that house audio resources are often economically or culturally exclusive. Chicago Sonic Commons opens access to the collective resources of a network of sound makers.
Chicago Sonic Commons’ sharing model has the potential to better foster connections between those in its network when compared to a more traditional library model. Instead of interacting solely with a centralized equipment warehouse and the people managing it, people interact with other people in the network. People working with similar tools are connected, creating the potential for creative partnerships.
The absence of a centralized storage/check-out space means the project is only as geographically isolated as its members. This creates the potential for the project to activate Chicago as a whole, without being centered around a single neighborhood. This decentralization also ensures resources don’t sit dormant on shelves in a single storage location.