Move FAQ
Information about our upcoming move to the Atrium at Fed Square.
Information about our upcoming move to the Atrium at Fed Square.
Not yet! We’re still at 15 Dowling Place, North Melbourne.
We’ll move to our new studio in Spring 2025.
Spring 2025. Firmer dates to be announced. Stay tuned!
We’re working hard to reduce disruption to membership as much as possible.
The studio will be closed for up to 2 weeks while we move the collection and get set up in the new space.
All memberships, starter passes and gift vouchers will be extended to account for any closure.
Due to factors outside our control, we don’t yet know exact dates. But we’ll give members as much notice as possible.
The heart of MESS is our community. We’re proud to have created a space where everyone, from musical newbie to renowned electronic musician to studio staff, learn something new each time they walk in.
That, and all the other great things we all love about MESS, won’t change.
The new studio will be a more public-facing location within the Atrium at Fed Square. It will allow us to display our collection more prominently, reach more people through our programs and be in conversation with national cultural organisations like NGV and ACMI.
More announcements to come! Sign up to our Newsletter to stay up to date.
To make an even bigger MESS — with expanded programs, greater accessibility, and the capacity to welcome more people than ever before to the studio. All united through the act of creativity.
This move is the culmination of close to 10 years of hard work. We’ve been incubating under the Meat Market, and we now have an opportunity to grow our impact and reach.
Our new studio in the Atrium at Fed Square is an iconic location that will put MESS at the heart of the cultural conversation.
Directions to our new location will be coming soon.
To avoid confusion, we’re not publishing the address until we close the North Melbourne studio.
Our opening hours at Fed Square will be much the same as they are now–but with extra studio sessions on the weekends.
More information to come.
If you’re not a member, you can still experience the collection!
You can purchase a casual studio session, take a workshop or apply for a course.
If you’re more into listening to music than making it, join us for one of our live shows.
Yep! All member benefits remain the same. Members can bring one guest to their session if they’re working on the same synth.
Anything that’s available at our current studio will be available at our new one.
The same collection of historically significant instruments will be at your fingertips.
We hope that our new studio will have even more space to display and store the collection.
Fed Square is really committed to access. The Atrium is wheelchair accessible – Flinders Street is the best place to enter from. The Atrium also has accessible toilets located next to our new studio and is equipped with a hearing loop.
There will be some stairs in the new studio, but all areas will remain wheelchair accessible.
Yep! Casual sessions will be available at the new Studio. In fact, all current offerings will be available once we’ve moved. And we hope to add more once we’ve settled in.
Learn more about our studio sessions here.
We’ll keep doing them! Our professional development, workshops and intro courses will continue in our new studio.
Find out what’s on offer here.
What, where, how and when.
MESS is a collection of historically significant electronic instruments and a flourishing community of sound makers. We create pathways to make one of the largest collections of synths in the world available to anyone through studio sessions, courses, workshops, live shows and commissions.
At MESS music is for everyone.
MESS is currently located within the Meat Market complex at 15 Dowling Pl, North Melbourne, VIC 3051. In Spring 2025, we are moving to our exciting new location within the Atrium at Federation Square.
Find our opening hours, how to get to MESS and contact information: https://mess.foundation/about/contact/
There are countless ways to get involved at MESS:
Stay tuned via our Mailing List, Website and Instagram for upcoming opportunities at MESS.
The MESS collection includes over 1,000 eclectic and historically significant electronic music instruments.
From the Hammond Novachord (1939), widely considered the first commercial polyphonic synthesiser, to the Fairlight CMI (1979), an Australian invention that revolutionised music technology through sampling, our instruments encompass a century of innovation and the collective memory of a utopian, forward-focused artistic vision.
We preserve the stories of these instruments through our radical model of preservation through use.
Discover our full collection here: https://mess.foundation/booking-system/
Instruments in the MESS collection span the history of electronic music. Many have been generously donated or loaned to MESS from several privately held collections.
We are immensely grateful to the individuals and organisations who allow us to share this resource with MESS members.
To learn more about our collection visit our Website and Google Arts & Culture listing.
Yes! MESS is for everyone, regardless of skill level, technical background or music experience.
Discover your creativity with one of our Introductory Workshops, Courses, or book a Starter Pass. In the studio, supervisors are there to assist you on the instruments with guidance and support.
We’re incredibly proud of the learning culture at MESS. Everyone shares the space as an equal and it’s not unusual for industry stalwarts to learn with and from total newbies.
Opening hours, how studio sessions work and more.
The MESS studio is our open-plan space where you can experiment with our collection of over 1,000 electronic musical instruments spanning the history of electronic sound and music.
You can discover, explore and book our full collection here: https://mess.foundation/booking-system/
MESS is currently located within the Meat Market complex at 15 Dowling Pl, North Melbourne, VIC 3051. In Spring 2025, we are moving to our exciting new location within the Atrium at Federation Square.
Find our opening hours, how to get to MESS and contact information: https://mess.foundation/about/contact/
There are sessions available at the MESS studio Wednesday–Sunday.
Wednesday-Friday: 1-5pm and 6-10pm.
Saturday-Sunday: 1-5pm.
After you’ve made a booking, you’re welcome to come for any length of time during the session — or make use of the full 4 hours!
Be sure to let us know when you make your booking when you plan to arrive.
Our studio sessions are a great way to get into making music or to hone your craft.
What to expect:
Find a more detailed explanation of how studio sessions work here: https://mess.foundation/studio/#how-do-studio-sessions-work
Anybody over 18 can use the MESS studio.
To use our studio and collection:
Find a more detailed explanation of how studio sessions work here: https://mess.foundation/studio/#how-do-studio-sessions-work
Booking a machine is easy!
First you need to become a MESS member or purchase a Starter Pass.
Alternatively, you can book a Casual Session starting from step 1. You’ll be asked to create an account — follow the prompts and book your session!
Find more details about how to book here: https://mess.foundation/booking-system/
We can’t wait to welcome you into the studio.
Yes.
When booking through our system, select the primary machine you’d like to work with during your session.
To add an additional instrument, simply list it in the ‘Comments’ section of the booking form. If it is available, it will be set up with your primary instrument during the session.
You only need to bring yourself to a session. MESS will provide:
If you’d like to record, please bring your laptop and a recording device. You may also wish to bring your own headphones and interface.
Find more information here: https://mess.foundation/studio/#how-do-studio-sessions-work
There are plenty of ways to get involved at MESS while visiting Naarm/Melbourne:
Attend a MESS workshop for a deeper understanding of synthesisers.
Our historically significant collection requires extensive care and maintenance so that it can be preserved for generations to come.
We do not currently hire or loan items from the MESS collection to the general public.
The MESS collection wouldn’t exist without the generosity of our donors.
MESS accepts donations of machines, equipment and parts. Due to space limitations, we can’t accept every generous offer.
Please get in touch with us at studio@mess.foundation if you’d like to donate an instrument.
Our priority is to maintain our substantial collection at MESS.
Unfortunately we don’t have the capacity to take on external repairs.
The MESS collection is made up of machines that have been generously donated or loaned to us. We ask all users to treat them with care and respect. We understand that accidents can happen. All users are covered under our insurance policy once they’ve agreed to the Studio Terms and Conditions.
If something does go wrong, please let the studio supervisor know. They’re always there to support you, and will take it from there.
We encourage you to film and document your creative process at MESS. That being said, there are a few things to consider.
Phone capture:
Larger cameras/camera crews:
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in maintaining a fair and collaborative environment for all MESS users. Should you have any inquiries or need clarification on audio recording or filming policies, please don’t hesitate to contact our team at admin@mess.foundation.
We encourage you to bring your laptop or recording device to MESS to capture the sounds you make and your creative process. The answer varies pending on whether the project is personal or commercial:
Audio recording for personal artistic projects:
Audio recording for commercial projects:
Please reach out to admin@mess.foundation with any questions or clarifications.
MESS members may all bring one guest each with them. The guest must be working with the member, on the same instrument(s) as them. Members are responsible for their guests within the MESS studio.
Casual pass users and other users may not bring a guest with them, this is a privilege reserved for MESS members.
How do you become a member and how do memberships work?
Becoming a MESS member is easy!
For more information about memberships, including how to sign up as a MESS member, head to https://mess.foundation/join/
Anyone over 18 years old can become a MESS member.
MESS is for everyone.
We run educational initiatives and school programs for youth. Find out more about our programs for kids and teens here: https://mess.foundation/school/kids-and-teens/
Unfortunately, only those over 18 years of age can become a MESS member.
We have three subscription levels: Annual Membership, Six Month Membership and One Month Membership. Discounts apply if you pay the full amount upfront.
Find more information about our membership model here: https://mess.foundation/join/
As a MESS member, you can book studio sessions to experiment, play and record.
MESS membership also gives you discounted access to select MESS workshops, events, programs and content.
You can reset your password at the login page. Simply select “forgot my password”.
Please email memberships@mess.foundation if you’re still having problems with your MESS account.
You can find detailed instructions here: https://mess.foundation/booking-system/
If this issue is with your password, you can reset your password at the login page. Simply select “forgot my password”.
If you’re still having trouble, email booking@mess.foundation.
MESS Is a not-for-profit charitable organisation. All money collected goes towards MESS operating costs, programming and collection maintenance.
We work hard to ensure that our membership model is as financially accessible as possible.
For more information on about MESS see here: https://mess.foundation/about/
At this stage, memberships are available for individuals and institutions. MESS members can bring one guest per session if they’re collaborating on the same instrument.
Absolutely!
MESS offers memberships for universities, schools organisations. If you are an institution interested in signing up as a member, please get in contact at admin@mess.foundation.
If you’re an institution of another sort, please get in touch.
Of course!
Your financial support ensures that MESS can continue to open our collection to as many people as possible and empower all people to build an enriched life through music.
Head to https://mess.foundation/about/donate to find out all the ways you can support us.
Yes! MESS members are the backbone of our community, helping us to achieve our mission of increasing access to creativity for all.
As a MESS member, whenever you’re in town you can drop by the studio, get discounts to our events, workshops and more. If you’re only visiting for a short-time, you can also book a one-off session, or purchase a Starter Pass.
If you’re not planning on using the studio, we have a Supporter Membership.
Supporters are integral to our community and keeping the MESS dream alive. An annual Supporter Membership includes: