MUS 306 Recording Techniques

MUS 306 Recording Techniques - Fall 2004

MUS 306 final project

DRAFT, subject to some clarification of evaluation criteria. Proposals due 30 November 2004

Recording and report due 20 December 2004

You are asked to make a recording of two contrasting pieces approximately 3-5 minutes each. You should work in teams of 2, where each team member is in charge (the producer/engineer) of one piece, and the assistant on the other piece.

You are free to choose:

genre
instrumentation and performers
microphone technique
number of recorded tracks

The recording should include an acoustic component. Some direct inputs (DI) are ok, but there should be at least one stereo acoustic track.

The microphone technique should be different for each piece.

You can use a reverb unit and dynamics processor, but don't have to.

The final result should be stereo.

Have a look at the how-to-do guides (scroll down to find them) for hints, troubleshooting guide and and review of material taught in the course.

All of the equipment in room B002 is available. There is a signup sheet on the door, 3 hours max per session.

Before submitting the proposal, read from W. Moylan, The Art of Recording, Chapters 2,5,8, available on-line.

Chapter 2 The Artistic Elements of Recording Production (pages 10 and 11 are reversed)
Chapter 5 Preliminary Stages: Defining the Materials of the Project
Chapter 8 The Process of Evaluating Sound
Sound quality assessment, concepts and criteria, page 9, figure 2

You may be interested to read Bob Katz, Mastering Audio: The Art and the Science, Part 3, Chapter 4 (on reserve) reviewed here

You may be interested in a research paper

Spatial quality evaluation for reproduced sound

I will be listening for the elements in the following table What I don't want is something where you start with bad sound, and then equalize, compress and add reverb to try to make it sound good.

The project should be delivered on two CD's, an audio CD and a data CD containing full documentation and ProTools (or other) session. Alternately, all the files can be put in the drop box.

The document should include a statement of your overall objectives, and ideas in response to the points raised in Moylan's Chapter 5, and a self-asssessment of the final result using ideas from Moylan's Chapter 8.

You are encouraged to contact me with preliminary recordings for my comments.