A270
Multitrack Studio Techniques I
Fall 2012
Instructor: Michael Stucker |
Class meeting times: Monday
2:30-3:20pm |
Required
Reading: Pro Tools Manual (available as download or on 327 or 405 computer)
Suggested Text: The Mixing Engineer's Handbook, Bobby Owinski ISBN 0-87288-723-5
Grading:
80%-projects, Practical Tests, and listening assignments (see below for
breakdown)
20%-class/session participation and attendance
Project and practical test grades will be available through the Oncourse grade book.
In order to receive a passing grade in the course ALL assignments
must be finished and turned in before 12pm (EST)Friday December 7.
There will not be a final exam for this course
Pre-requisites: A102 is required prior to taking A270
Class
Objectives:
-encourage students to listen intently and describe what they hear verbally
-students will build a mix in stages, adding tools/techniques as they are discussed
in class
-studio recording will be discussed and basic methods demonstrated
The scheduled
class time will involve demo recording/mixing sessions, lecture, and individual
student time with instructor. When individual student with instructor time is
scheduled each student will have a 20-minute time-slot to reset, play back
their mix and get instructor feedback. Students not in 327 with the instructor
will have projects to do in 405. At all times, other than the individual time
when the student is not scheduled. Every student is expected to be in class!
Absences for
Project
Materials:
>Each student will need to provide CD-R's for assignments. CD-RW's are
not acceptable.
>Each group of students for the "Group Sessions" will need an
external hard drive to save their session for later use.
Grading:
1-
Assignments and Projects are due on the date listed on the syllabus at the
start of class. I will try to give reminders in class, but you are responsible
for all assignments even if reminders are not given. Late assignments will lose
a letter grade (10 points) per week that they are late.
2- Mixing
Projects from Pro Tools sessions must be saved as follows:
- Each student will create a folder named with their first and last name inside
the A270 folder on the MC327 drive .
- Each session must be saved inside this folder.
- These sessions must be named as "ProjectName_StudentName".
Project name will be something like "LevelPanMix", then add your first and last name.
-Sessions not labeled properlyor saved in the wrong
location will not be graded until corrected. These will then be counted as
late. Late projects will lose a letter grade (10 points) per week that they are
late.
-Make certain that your session opens exactly as you want it to be graded.
3-
Projects turned in on CD must be neatly labeled on the CD and be turned in
inside a Jewel Case with the CD label template filled out to be accepted for grading. If the labeling is not correct on the
due date, they can be turned in after and counted as late. Late projects will lose
a letter grade (10 points) per week that they are late.
4-Start
IDs/Index points must be set to the start of audio (within 1 second). There
MUST be at least 2 seconds of silence between audio selections. Selections that
are cut off at the beginning or end will lose points. For short excerpts the
audio should be faded in starting at or just after the start ID and faded out
after the relevant audio has played.
5- LISTEN
to your CD BEFORE you turn it in! Skip to the start of each ID to make sure
that audio is not cut off and the IDs/track numbers are in the correct place.
6- In
order to receive a passing grade in the course ALL assignments must be finished
and turned in before Friday, December 9 at 12:00pm EST.
Listening:
- Throughout the semester listening assignment will be due and the provided
worksheet must be used. For most of these the song choice will be left up to
the student. As weeks pass the forms should contain more detail as techniques
are covered in class. Worksheets are provided for each assignment and change
over time.
- Two Presentations will be due during the semester. These are similar to
the other listening assignments but students will bring the recordings to class
to play and discuss. Use the provided Presentation Assignment sheets for these.
Mixing
Assignments (Level/Pan
Mix, EQ Mix, Dynamics Mix, FX Mix, and Final Mix)
- Students
will choose from a number of songs that are saved as Pro Tools sessions in
MC327. There will also be a CD of mixes of these songs to help you choose and
reference as you are mixing. Once you have chosen a song, pick a CD from your
collection to bring and reference as you are mixing. Use this to help define
how "bright" or "dark" your mix is. It will also help you
define how your ears are changing as mixing time passes. Bring this CD on
assignment due dates as well.
Individual Test Times |
|
6:00 |
Kate Siefker |
6:20 |
Connor Maddern |
6:40 |
Josh Bush |
7:10 |
Connor Stobaugh |
7:30 |
Jonathan Bruns |
7:50 |
Nate Lasley |
8:20 |
Kendall Demarest |
8:40 |
Suli Steulpnagel |
Week |
Monday Date |
Monday |
Wednesday |
Projects/Homework Due |
1 |
Aug 20 |
Class intro, Listening |
Session Planning, 405 Basics, Neotek block diagram |
Presentation #1 (Aug 22) |
2 |
Aug 27 |
Pro Tools Basics, Starting a Mix, EQ basics |
Demo Session at Echo Park Studios with: The Broderick |
Level/Pan
Exercise (Aug 27) |
3 |
Sept 3 |
Labor Day, no class |
Level/ Pan Mix |
Listening #1 (Sept 3), |
4 |
Sept 10 |
Using EQ, listen to examples, Routing |
Recording in 405 |
EQ Exercise (Sept 12), |
5 |
Sept 17 |
Dynamics Basics |
EQ Mix/ Practice 405 test |
Listening #2 (Sept 17) |
6 |
Sept 24 |
Using Dynamics |
Recording in 405 review |
Dynamics Exercise (Sept 24) |
7 |
Oct 1 |
Critical Listening |
Dynamics Mix/ Practice 405 Practical |
Dynamics
Mix (Oct 3) |
8 |
Oct 8 |
FX Basics |
405 Practical Test Wed October 10 |
Country
Research(Oct 8) |
9 |
Oct 15 |
Using FX |
Working in 405, headphones and punching |
Listening #3 (Oct 15), |
10 |
Oct 22 |
Country research |
FX Mix/ Practice Overdub Practical |
Listening #4 (Oct 22) |
11 |
Oct 29 |
Finishing Mix |
Demo session in 405 with: The Broderick |
|
12 |
Nov 5 |
Review Group A plan |
Overdub Practical Test November 7 |
PT Record Assignment (Nov 9) |
13 |
Nov 12 |
Review Group B plan |
Group Session A: Suli, Josh, Nate, Jonathan |
|
14 |
Nov 21 |
THANKSGIVING BREAK (no classes) |
||
15 |
Nov 26 |
Presentation and Paper: |
Group Session B: Connor S., Kendall, Kate, Connor M. |
Presentation and Paper (Nov 26) |
16 |
Dec 3 |
Presentation and Paper: |
Listen to Session Mixes, Eat Pizza |
Presentation and Paper (Dec 3) |
17 |
Dec 10 |
No Final Exam for A270,
however: |
||
Due Date |
Assignment |
% of grade |
Description |
Aug 22 |
3 |
Choose a song listen and fill out Presentation #1 form. Bring to class, play and talk about arrangement and production. |
|
Aug 27 |
2 |
-Open the LevelPan exercise
session in the A270 folder in 327. |
|
Sept 3 |
2 |
Choose recording, listen, and fill out form |
|
Sept 5 |
4 |
Choose from instructor provided Pro Tools sessions and mix using only levels and pans. Sessions must be stored as instructed on Syllabus. Choose a commercially released song to use as a reference while you are mixing, bring this with your mix. |
|
Sept 12 |
2 |
-Open the EQ exercise
session in the A270 folder in 327. |
|
Sept 17 |
2 |
Choose recording, listen, and fill out form |
|
Sept 19 |
4 |
Add EQ to Level/Pan mix, save to a new Pro Tools session named "EQMix_StudentName" |
|
Sept 24 |
2 |
-Open the Dynamics exercise
session in the A270 folder in 327. |
|
Oct 1 |
4 |
Listen to the chosen recording and fill out form, be prepared to discuss in class. |
|
Oct 3 |
4 |
Add Dynamics to EQ mix, save to a new Pro Tools session named "DynamicsMix_StudentName" |
|
Oct 8 |
5 |
You will need to research and quantify what modern Country Music sounds like. Focus on things that you as an engineer will be able to control. You should have at least of page of written notes with no less than 5 audio examples. You must be able to discuss in class what you have heard and how that would affect your session planning. |
|
Oct 10 |
2 |
There is nothing due for thie assignment you jsut need to practice using this document prior to the 405 Practical Test | |
Oct 10 |
405 Practical Test |
5 |
Be able to setup a condenser microphone and get sound to Pro Tools, then back to console. Each student will have to demonstrate this to the instructor on their own. Each student will be limited to 10 minutes. |
Oct 15 |
2 |
Choose recording, listen, and fill out form |
|
Oct 15 |
FX Exercise |
2 |
-Open the FX exercise session in the A270 folder in 327. |
Oct 22 |
2 |
Choose recording, listen, and fill out form |
|
Oct 31 |
4 |
Add Effects to Dynamics mix. save to a new Pro Tools session named "FXMix_StudentName" |
|
Nov 9 |
2 |
Students will pair up and record a tambourine track to the session provided. This may be done in 327 or 405. The tambourine will be provided. Each student must both record and play tambourine. |
|
Nov 9 |
5 |
Students will be given 10 minutes to record an overdub with a musician provided by instructor. The signal chain will already be set up. Student will be required to create a usable headphone mix, record an overdub and do punch-ins. The studio will be available October 20 for practicing. |
|
Nov 14, or Nov 28 |
Group Session |
15 |
Class will be split into 3 groups. Each group will be assigned a class night in 405. Each group will be responsible for finding a band to record. The band must have drums, bass, guitar and vocals. Variations from this instrumentation must be approved with the instructor. |
Nov 26 or Dec 3 |
4 |
Research a Producer or Engineer and prepare a 10 minute presentation for the class. This will include at least 3 listening examples. You will give the presentation to the class and turn in a 2-3 page paper. (see Presentation and Paper explanation) |
|
Dec 5 |
4 |
Each student will mix their group session recording and burn to CD |
|
Dec 5 |
4 |
Adjust FX Mix as you wish, burn to CD to turn in. |
|
Dec 5 |
5 |
Pick one of the sessions that you were not mixing for the Level/pan, etc. mixes. Use the CD or iTunes playlist in 327 as a guide and create a mix that is as close as possible. Save the session in 327 and burn to CD/turn in. |
|
Attendance/Participation |
10 |
||