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Max Lab

The Max Lab (Rm. 201) is CCRMA’s site for physical computing, interaction design, fabrication, sensors, microcontrollers, screwdrivers, etc. Named after Max Mathews, the Max Lab is where we focus on hardware and software interfaces for interacting with sound.

Using the Max Lab

Keep It Safe

1. Ask for help if you don’t know how to use a tool.
2. Stop and ask for help if anything doesn’t feel safe.
3. Say something to anyone you see doing something unsafe.
4. Never use power tools alone. Always have someone with you.
5. Never work in the garage alone. Always have someone with you.

Keep It Clean

1. Clean up any mess you make.
2. Put tools and parts back in the correct bin. They are labeled for a reason.
3. Green spray paint means something belongs in the Garage; tools without green belong in the Max Lab.
4. Use the brooms, dustpans, and vacuums to clean work surfaces after every session.
5. Don’t leave projects out on surfaces between work sessions; take them home or…
6. You can claim a rubbermaid box to store your active projects, by labeling it with your name in black Sharpie on white gaffers tape.
7. Take home any projects you’re not actively working on during the current Academic Quarter.

Large Projects

Coordinate with Max Lab staff about any project larger than a guitar.

Digital Fabrication

3D Printing

The Max Lab has four 3D printers (from newest to oldest):

• Bambu Lab P1S (4 heads)
• Prusa CORE One
• Prusa i3 MK3S+
• Ultimaker 3 Extended (2 heads)

The primary filament that we use is PLA.

To 3D model you will need 3D CAD software. This can be OpenSCAD, Fusion 360, Solid Works, or even Blender. After you design your model, you can export it as an .stl file.

To print your model, you will need a 3D slicer to convert your model for the printer. You can use Ultimaker CURA or Prusa Slicer.

Some useful 3D printing troubleshooting information:

• Prusa: If you notice that your 3D print isn’t printing accurately, you may need to run a print bed calibration in the Prusa settings.
• Ultimaker: Sometimes the nozzles get clogged and you need to do a hot and cold pull or even an atomic cleaning.

Related Links and Resources

The Max Lab website documents projects and shows the general Internet public a small fraction of the Max Lab’s research and creative results.

The Max Lab and Garage Rules are to ensure safety and peaceful coexistence in the Max Lab. Also see the general Stanford-wide Health and Safety Policy.

CCRMA’s Physical Interaction Group is “a student-led interdisciplinary research group” doing projects in the Max Lab.

The course Music 250A “Physical Interaction Design for Music” teaches how to use the Max Lab and results in student projects. There’s complementary information on the 2016 250a webpage from when Sasha Leitman taught the class.

CCRMA’s Wiki has many MaxLab-related pages, including:

• An old Max Lab wiki page
• Physical Interfaces for Music 250a
• Sensors and More Sensors
• Gesture Signal Processing
• Microcontroller architecture

External blog posts by CCRMA visitors include some of the best online photos of the lab:

• Jason E. Anderson’s blog post about his experience attending the 2019 CCRMA Summer Workshop Designing Physical Interactions for Music, including a 6 minute video “Modeling the Makerspace: A Study of CCRMA’s Max Lab”, a narrated photo slideshow tour of CCRMA and particularly the Max lab.

• Chris and Mae 2010

(The Max Lab Room Guides are mostly out of date and more for historical interest.)

This page of CCRMA documentation last committed on Fri Dec 12 11:44:01 2025 -0800 by Matthew James Wright. Stanford has a page for Digital Accessibility.