Music Technology at Goshen MUS340-COMM340 Course Outline

Week 1: Students develop and outline a multi-track recording project to be

accomplished in weeks 3 through 6, to be recorded in the percussion

room; this is part of the midterm. Class members are to perform on their colleagues projects.

panels.

Discussion of balanced vs unbalanced cable. Learn the difference between mic lines and tie lines, and mic, line and speaker level; learn about the patchbays in Sauder and Rieth.
Learn about different mic types and set-ups.

Signal flow: tour the performing venues and study the various input

Create simple mic set-ups to emphasize what has been learned.

Week 2: Understanding mixers: look at a variety of mixers available to us:

            Mackie 1202, Mackie 1604, Crest (the large Sauder console).

            Learn about input, output, auxiliaries, inserts, sub masters, etc.

            Create a set-up of several mics and demonstrate live mixing

Week 3: Understanding recorders: work with Mackie MDR24 (24 track hard

disc recorder); private lessons for midterm recording project

Week 4: Ongoing: understanding recorders: work with Mackie MDR24; private

lessons for midterm recording project.

Explore the patchbays in Central Recording.

Explore the source gear and how it connects with each other through

the patch bays, and to the Ramsa (Central Recordings digital console).

Demonstrate DA78 eight track recorders. The usage of this equipment will

also be practiced hands-on during the ongoing recitals and concert recordings.

Week 5: Ongoing: understanding recorders: work with Mackie MDR24;

Full focus on private lessons for midterm recording project.

Week 6: Wrap up recording projects for midterm. Midterm.

Week 7: During this half of the semester students will produce a multi-track

recording project to be presented as part of the final. The project should consist of at least two multi-track recordings, and a live recording. The project will be imported into ProTools for final editing.  

Intro to the digital domain: bit depth, sample rate, word clock. Explore the Ramsa and how it interacts with the digital source gear and the DA78s.

Week 8: Intro to ProTools: Hardware and how it connects to the Mac, the

patch bays and the Ramsa.

Software: look at hardware and software settings; establish preferences; set disc allocation; main edit window; how to build a mixer; setting input and output; creating tracks.

Week 9: Recording material from eight-track tape into ProTools.

Importing material from the Mackie MDR24 into ProTools through Ethernet connection.

Editing in ProTools: learn the editing tools; learn normalizing, creating

regions, cut and paste material; set up plug-ins; create sends.

Week 10: Mixing basics utilizing materials previously recorded to the Mackie

MDR24 or DA78: this could also draw from the midterm project.

Supervised work on final projects in the form of private lessons, with the other class members observing.

Week 11: Supervised work continued.

Week 12: Supervised work continued.

Class listens to and discusses the final projects.