MUS-170 Tech. of Audio Recording I

A study of mixer formats, patch bays, decibels, acoustics, and microphones. Emphasis is on gaining practical knowledge through working with recording equipment. Consideration is also given to production concepts and aesthetics. Students will work on both studio and field recording projects.

Credits

Corequisite

MUS-106

Department

Visual and Performing Arts

Course Rotation Schedule

Spring: In Person

For more detailed course information view the Course Outline

MUS 170: Tech. of Audio Recording I

Department

Visual and Performing Arts

Course Description

Credit Hours

Contact Hours

Lecture	4
Lab	0
Other	0

Grading Scheme

Letter

Corequisites

MUS-106

First Year Experience Course

Yes

Course Learning Outcomes

Operate basic studio equipment (microphones, patchbay, basic console navigation during the recording process, setting up a session and recording using industry standard software)
Practice basic skills within Avid's Pro Tools software (e.g. file management, internal/external routing, basic transport control).
Differentiate, through critical listening, microphones in a variety of situations.
Identify problems such as distortion and phasing.

Topic Outline

1. Introduction to the program and the roles of an audio engineer in today's society
a. Career paths
2. The fundamentals of sound
a. Characteristics of waveforms
b. Harmonic content
3. Introduction to acoustics and psychoacoustics
a. The perception of sound
b. Waveform propagation through various media
4. Modern recording studio design
5. Computer basics
a. Avid Pro Tools basic operation and file management
6. Microphone design and application
a. Dynamic, ribbon, and condenser types
b. Polar patterns
c. Stereo configurations
7. Signal flow in the modern recording studio
a. Multitrack machines (past and present best practices)
8. Introduction to digital audio
a. Analog-to-digital conversion (bit depth, sample rate, and the Nyquist theorem)
9. Recording session basics: planning and organization