Instructor: John Keston (Schedule)

Meeting Times and Location Section 1 (M2):
Monday / Wednesday
Room 009 11:00am - 11:50am
Room 233 12:00pm - 1:50pm

Meeting Times and Location Section 2 (M1):
Tuesday / Thursday
Room 009 8:00am - 8:50am
Room 233 9:00am - 10:50am

Syllabus: ca2431syllabus.doc
Glossary of Terms: ca2431glossary.doc

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6
Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11

Project Due Dates

Audio Production - Week 1

Monday: Today we'll discuss a few principals of sound itself. Sound is made up of waves which travel through air. This is why we can perceive sound, and also why we are able to record it using microphones and analog or digital recording media.

What's the difference between analog and digital recording? Analog recording translates the sound waves into an analog electronic signal which is then stored on magnetically sensitive tape. Digital recording samples the sound at intervals in time. The rate of these intervals is called the sampling rate and is indicated in Hertz or KiloHertz (44.1KHz for example). The faster the rate, the higher the recording quality. The sampling bit depth indicates the resolution of the sample, or how the amplitude of the sampled sound wave is divided. CDs use 16 bit resolution. The information is then stored on some type of digital media such as a hard drive in a computer or a CD, or a DAT (Digital Audio Tape) cassette.

DSP or Digital Signal Processing is the manipulation digital audio without converting it to analog. There are many different types of DSP. Each type is essentially a different algorithm with a set of user adjustable parameters used to manipulate digital audio. Some examples of DSP include level or volume adjustments, equalization, panning, looping, delay or echo, reverb and pitch shifting.

For your group lesson please bring a set of headphones and a CD which contains some audio to sample from. The lab assignment will include a sampling and DSP exercise.

Required Reading:
Recording Technology History
Digital Audio Basics
Sine wave files

Wednesday: Today we will be sampling from a cd of your choice and then using DSP to loop and manipulate a small segment of a piece of digital audio from your CD. Use SoundForge to sample a no more than 8 second segment from your CD. This can be accomplished by routing the audio from the CD player in the computer to the computer's sound card and then recording the results. We will be demonstrating this process in class.

Once you've recorded your segment use ProTools to select a loop of audio that you want to work with. Copy this loop to a new file and apply pitch shifting and at least two more kinds of processing in order to come up with a new and completely different sounding loop. When you're happy with the results copy the loop to the drop off drive in the "John Keston" folder under "ca2431" in a directory named with your own name. We will listen to the loops in class on so make sure you have finished before Monday, Week 2.

Audio Production - Week 2

Monday: Listening assignment. In class today we'll listen to a selection from Miles Davis "In a Silent Way". The track is called "Shhh/Peaceful" and is one of the recording industries first examples of looping. In 1969 digital recording was science fiction, so to accomplish looping the producer had to literally cut a paste sections of pre-recorded analog tape together and then play them on reel-to-reel tape machines. The results from this experiment were far reaching and today looping is used extensively in the recording industry.

Our next assignment is to create sound effects. Stock sound effects are available in the LRC, but even with a vast library of recordings available, often recording your own sounds gives your productions more character. This assignment will have two parts. The first part is to create five sound effects by manipulating audio that you have available to you. Use DSP to modify the sounds so that they become something of your own. Keep the original sounds so that you can demonstrate how you changed what you started with.

Assignment 1: SFX Project Requirements

Search the sound effects available in the LRC.

Generally online resources are not acceptable for this project, but a new online resource called Freesound offers high quality sound effects uploaded by registered users. This online community licenses the content under Creative Commons, making the sounds legally available for most uses.

Wednesday: What are dynamic microphones and how do they differ from condenser mics? How do you choose the right mic for the right situation? How do microphone polar patterns effect he response of the mic? These are some of the questions we'll be answering during lecture. After lecture we will be demonstrating the audio qualities of some of the different microphones that are available in the Cage by making some test recordings using the ProTools system. For your own purposes the DAT field recorder is available to check out from the Cage.

Knowing about the different types of microphones and how to use them is crucial to engineering high quality audio recordings. Dynamic microphones such as the Shure SM57 are very durable and excellent for recording loud signals such as close miked drums, guitar amps and so on. More sensitive condenser mics such as the Shure KSM32 or AKG c4000b are excellent for capturing the nuances in voices and quieter acoustic sounds.

Now that you have a basic understanding of microphones it's time to start experimenting with them. This brings us to part two of our sound effects assignment. Record at least five unique sound effects using at least two different microphones. Be creative. You can use your own voice to create effects. Shutting doors, stomping on floors, breaking glass or hammering on pots and pans are a few examples of creating sound effects. Please have both parts of the assignment finished by the beginning of class on Monday, Week 4 and we'll listen to what you've created.

Microphone Reading Assignment

Audio Production - Week 3

Monday: We will be discussing the proper use of mixers. How to adjust signal levels, prevent clipping, reduce noise, microphone inputs, equalization, solo/mute, and auxiliary sends will be some of the the topics we'll be discussing.

Note: To record your sounds outside of the building for your projects you will need to buy a DAT tape and checkout the DAT field recorder with microphone(s). DAT tapes can be purchased at Guitar Center, the Supply Store. If you own a Mini disc recorder or can borrow one from someone, that is fine as well, although you still may need to checkout a mixer so that you can get the microphone input into the Minidisc You may also need an adapter to convert the mixer output to the 1/8" stereo input on the Minidisc recorder.

Recording with the TASCAM DA-P1 DAT recorders (decks):
1. Insert DAT tape into the recorder and make sure the write protect tab is enabled (closed position)
2. Connect your microphone(s) to the XLR inputs in the DAT recorder
     a. Use the left channel for mono recording
     b. Use both channels for stereo recordings
3. Set the ANALOG INPUT switch to the MIC position
4. Set the INPUT switch to ANALOG
5. Enable the PHANTOM power when using condersor microphones
6. Press the RECORD button to arm the DAT deck for recording
7. Adjust the input levels until you have a strong signal without clipping
8. Press and HOLD the RECORD button and PLAY to start recording

Transfering your recording to ProTools via SPDIF and the MBox:
1. Connect the DIGITAL OUT from the DAT recorder to the SPDIF in on the MBox
2. Start a new session in ProTools
3. Create a new stereo or mono track for your recording
4. MBox 1 (light blue model): Under the "Setups" menu choose "Hardware Setup" and switch the inputs from "Analog" to "SPDIF"
5. MBox 2 (dark blue model): Change the track I/O to S/PDIF (L Mono) or S/PDIF (L/R Stereo). The I/O view can be enabled under View > Edit Window > I/O.
6. Press the "R" (record arm) button on your track
7. Press PLAY on the DAT recorder to monitor the input in ProTools
8. Press "Record" and then "Play" on the transport in ProTools to start transfering your recordings

Wednesday: Let's start working on our next assignment which involves multitracking. Please mix 5 or more tracks of audio in ProTools utilizing the techniques we discussed in class. Avoid clipping and keep noise to a minimum. When looping try to find "zero crossings" within the wave to avoid pops. Use equalization to "place" individual tracks within the mix. Use several sound sources, such as dialogue or vocals recorded with microphones, sound effects from the sound effects collection in the library, sounds effects (Foley) recorded with microphones and/or musical instruments. Follow the link below to download the project requirement details in MS Word format.

Assignment 2: Multitrack Project Requirements

Plugins/Inserts: So far we have been applying DSP with the Audio Suite menu in ProTools. This method manipulates the selected audio and creates a new waveform which replaces the original audio on the track. This technique is know as destructive editing. The advantage to apply effects this way is that the processing happens only once and does not continually tax the CPU of your computer. The disadvantage is that the processing is destructive; unless you undo or revert to the original, you cannot easily return to the previous state or adjust the effect once it's applied. This is why it is much better to use non-destructive DSP plugins (or inserts) in your projects. Inserts are processed in real-time so that you can make adjustments to the effect as you listen to the track, temporarily disable (bipass) the effect, or remove the effect comletely without having to revert to the original audio.

TDM - Time Division Multiplexing
RTAS - Real-time Audio Suite

Reading:
What is a Software Plugin?

Listening exercise #2 - Let's also listen to an example of audio that's using many layers (tracks) combined. Try to identify as many distinct sounds as possible and analyse what you're hearing by trying to pick out any signal processing that was used in the example played in class.

Audio Production - Week 4

Monday: Both parts of your sound effects assignment are due today . Please make sure that all your sounds are copied to the drop off drive so we can listen to them in the studio. We'll be listening to your sound effects in class. Also, keep working on your multi tracking project. Think about what you want to create in one minutes time. Perhaps you have a story with dialogue, or you'd like to experiment creating some music. The most important thing is that your five tracks work well together. This project will be due before class two weeks from today on Monday, Week 6. Mix down your project and save it as a .WAV file (44khz, 16bit) and copy the file to the drop off drive. We'll listen to them in class on Monday, Week 6. Also today and Wednesday I would like to listen to how everyone's doing on their projects so far and give you all some feedback, so please be prepared to show me in lab.

Finally let's take a careful look at Equalization in ProTools. Equalization, or EQ, is critical when mixing multiple tracks of audio together. Layering sounds with similar frequencies can often cause a "muddy" mix unless each track is taylored with EQ to work well together. The following article has an excellent explanation of a few different types of eq filtering.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equalization_filter

Wednesday: Check out these links to other digital audio software programs. In this class we'll be focusing on just a few examples (Sound Forge, Vegas, Pro Tools and Reason), but there are dozens of excellent and innovative applications for creating music, manipulating audio or generating new sounds never heard before.

Digital Audio Production Software
ProTools - www.digidesign.com
Sonar - www.cakewalk.com
CuBase - www.steinberg.net
Logic - www.apple.com/logic
Digital Performer - www.motu.com

Soft Synths
Reaktor - www.native-instruments.com
Absynth - www.native-instruments.com
B4 - www.native-instruments.com
Kontakt - www.native-instruments.com
Reason - www.propellerheads.se

Odd stuff
Ableton LIVE - www.ableton.com
Recycle - www.propellerheads.se

Writing Assignment: Write a one page paper on an audio production application that we will not necessarily use in this class. Discuss what makes the software unique and how you and professionals in the industry might use the software in projects. This paper will be due on Wednesday of Week 5.

Audio Production - Week 5

Monday: Today we'll be watching an episode of Cowboy Bebop to help inspire us for the Animatic Project which we'll be starting next class. While watching, pay particular attention to the audio that has been meticulously produced for this series. Not only is the music fantastic, but the sound design is of very high cinematic standards. Be prepared to discuss specific examples of the audio production after watching.

FYI: The entire Cowboy Bebop series is available in the library. Directed by Watanabe Shinichirou and music by Yoko Kanno (her music compositions are excellent, and make the series for me). Here's a few links to peak your interest:

http://www.cowboybebop.org/english/ - The official Cowboy Bebop: The Movie site.
http://www.cowboybebop.org/english/door/interview/index.html - Interview with the director.
http://www.ex.org/4.5/16-interview_kanno1.html - An excellent interview with Kanno Yoko.

Next we'll be creating one minute of audio for a story board and finally producing an animatic to go along with it. Start by writing the script. Include details regarding the sound design. Perhaps you'd like to produce a mock advert or a story with narration. Next start producing the audio. Once you've completed the audio, create the visuals by scanning in your sketches of each individual scene. Use an application you're comfortable with to put it all together. Next class, after evaluating the multitrack project, we'll go over the requirements for the project and discuss the process, techniques and applications.

Wednesday: Starting next week I'll be demonstrating more techniques in both ProTools and Reason. Here are the requirements for the final Projects.

Option 1: Combined Final Animatic Project
Description: The Combined Final Animatic is a one minute visual piece and a second project without visuals. This is intended to satisfy those of you who wish to try your hand at some music or experimentation with Reason.
Due: Wednesday, Week 11
Points: 50
1. Minimum length is 1:00. If working in groups of two 2:00.
2. A minimum of 6 panels if creating animatic (12 if paired) are required. Other visuals are acceptable including flash animation, slide shows, video, etc.
3. Use ProTools LE (with mBox) or ProTools 24 (in 007) to produce your audio.
4. Use foley techniques to records 50% of your Sound Effects.
5. A one page script is required which includes dialogue and, more importantly, sound design notes.
6. Compile your project in one of the following accepted formats: .mov, .mpeg, .avi, or .swf
7. A minimum of 10 tracks of audio in ProTools is required.
8. Include 2 screenshots of your ProTools work in progress with your project.
9. produce a 2nd non-visual audio piece, the minimum length for the 2nd project is 3 minutes (without visuals).
10 . Try to maintain the highest possible audio quality. For MP3s do not compress your audio any more than 44.1khz and 128Kbps. Wave files should be rendered as 44.1k 16bit.
11. Turn in your project on CD or DVD and include the screen shots.
12. Use mastering techniques to finalize your mix.
13. 5% of grade is awarded for presenting your projects in class.

Option 2: Final Animatic Project
Description: The Final Animatic is a two minute visual piece without a second project and intended for longer more complicated animated sequences or visuals (video, interactive, etc.).
Due: Monday, Week 11
Points: 50
1. Minimum length is 2:00. If working in groups of two 4:00.
2. A minimum of 8 panels if creating animatic (16 if paired) are required. Other visuals are acceptable including flash animation, slide shows, video, etc.
3. Use ProTools LE (with mBox) or ProTools 24 (in 007) to produce your audio.
4. Use foley techniques to records 50% of your Sound Effects.
5. A one page script is required which includes dialogue and, more importantly, sound design notes.
6. Compile your project in one of the following accepted formats: .mov, .mpeg, .avi, or .swf
7. A minimum of 10 tracks of audio in ProTools is required.
8. Include 2 screenshots of your ProTools work in progress with your project.
9 . Try to maintain the highest possible audio quality. For MP3s do not compress your audio any more than 44.1khz and 128Kbps. Wave files should be rendered as 44.1k 16bit.
10. Turn in your project on CD or DVD and include the screen shots.
11. Use mastering techniques to finalize your mix.
12. 5% of grade is awarded for presenting your work in class.

Audio Production - Week 6

Monday: Let's listen to and discuss the multitrack project. Explain what you learned in the process of combining several tracks of audio. What sort of difficulties did you encounter and how did you use signal processing to improve the quality of your project?

If you're in the animation program your "Animatic Project" may involve synchronizing lip movements with dialogue. This article by Michael B. Comet is an excellent introduction to basic lip sync positions and techniques used to make an animated character appear to speak pre-recorded dialog.

Lip Sync - Making Characters Speak

If you are planning on using Flash there are several ways to make sure your sound is Synchronized properly. The best way is to enable "Stream" on the first keyframe of your sound layer. This may cuase Flash to drop frames, but the synchronization will be maintained. The following link has details on how to maintain the synchronization of audio in Flash.

What are some ways to synch audio in Flash?

Wednesday: Today we'll be taking the Audio Production Midterm Quiz. The quiz is worth 15 points toward your grade. Midterm grades are due this week. Please make sure all of you meet with me to make sure that all your projects are turned in properly.

This week I'll be demonstrating how to use the equipment in the recording studio as well as discussing concepts such as Foley. Check out this website for a list of Foley articles and descriptions of some techniques. http://www.filmsound.org/foley/

Don't forget to create at least 50% of your sound effects using Foley. The following reading assignments will help you get a clear idea about the process of Foley, and how you can create your own Foley for your project.

What is Foley?
Foley Artist Share Their Secrets
Interview with Dustin DuPilka

Audio Production - Week 7

Monday: Remember to give me paper copies of your scripts today, and in the lab, let's continue working on the animatic project. Today in lecture we will be viewing the audio production special features for the Lord of the Rings series. These documentaries offer us a glimpse into the world of high budget film audio effects and foley techniques.

Wednesday: MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, but is used for much more than connecting instruments and computers. MIDI has far exceeded it's expectations at it's conception. Today we'll discuss a little about the history of MIDI and how we can make use of this technology in our projects.

Wikipedia MIDI Resources
About.com MIDI Reading Assignment

In class I'll demonstrate how to manipulate MIDI information and interface Reason within ProTools. Today we'll also meet in small groups for group lessons. Our group lesson will be on how to use automation in ProTools documents.

Audio Production - Week 8

Monday: After a brief introductory demonstration of Reason, I'll be demonstrating how to interface Reason and ProTools, import MIDI into a ProTools document and setup the MIDI tracks to play specific virtual instruments in Reason while the class follows along in the lab. This demo includes a 10 point exercise. The steps for the exercise follow:

1. Import a .mid file into ProTools (file/Import MIDI to Track). Use www.classicalarchives.com or www.creativecommons.org to find a MIDI file use can use for this exercise.
2. Create a stereo audio track for Reason then add Reason as an insert using the mix view.
3. Use the I/O view in the Edit Window to choose instruments in Reason for each MIDI track.
4. By the end of lab, bounce your mix to disk, call it midi_exercise1.wav and copy it to the drop off under John Keston/ca2431/<your name>.

Wednesday: We'll be covering compression today in our group lessons. Please look at the following articles regarding compression for more information:

Compressor / Limiter (article with audio examples illustrating compression)

Home recording technology has advanced rapidly over the last few years, making it possible to produce music in your bedroom that's as high quality (fidelity wise) as any professionally produced music or audio at a fraction of the cost. Today I'll be discussing some of the principals of home recording which allow you to cost effectively produce high fidelity audio without having to spend big bucks in a recording studio. Afterwards, during our group lessons, we'll look at how to backup your projects in ProTools.

Audio Production - Week 9

Monday: Today we'll talk about some of the hardware available for home studios. Very professional quality audio production is currently produced in inexpensive home studios around the world. Professional quality sound cards are available for as little as $129 (see http://www.m-audio.com/). With an inexpensive mixer and some reference monitors you can be on the way to building a studio of your own.

Wednesday: How do you import movies into ProTools? How do you then display the movie? This is very important when producing audio for video. These are some of the things we'll be going over today. We'll also look into how you can import MIDI files into ProTools or Reason. Importing MIDI files allows non-musicians to produce music from public domain MIDI information. These files can be found throughout the internet. See the following site as an example:

http://www.classicalarchives.com/

Audio Production - Week 10

Monday: Reason 2.5 allows you to stack high quality virtual instruments and effects in a virtual "rack" like you'd see in a recording studio. The instruments can be controlled by a MIDI keyboard, or triggered by built in step sequencers. Both of these methods have been demonstrated in class.

The sound quality is fantastic, and the software with a decent computer could take the place of thousands of dollars worth of studio equipment (see www.propellerheads.se for more information). Although Reason has amazing capabilities, you shouldn't rely on using it exclusively for your final projects. Reason does not allow you send MIDI to external devices, or directly record audio input. Today during the group lessons we'll experiment with Reason and Rewire within Pro Tools.

Wednesday: Mastering is something that ideally is done by a seasoned professional, however, it's not always possible to afford to pay an experienced mastering engineer. We'll discuss some of the basics of mastering in class, such as sequencing, sweetening, and loudness. For more information please see the article linked below.

Mastering FAQ

In order to complete your final projects you will be required to mix down and render your audio to a two track master. This master will most likely be a .wav or .aiff file which can be transferred to either CD or DVD. This process used to be completely manual, but today we have the aid of computer automation allowing us to produce much more precise mixes in a fraction of the time.

Audio Production - Week 11

Monday: Final project presentations.

Wednesday: Final project presentations, also the last day to turn in your finals and any late work. Thanks for your participation. I hope you enjoyed the class as much as I did. Keep your ears open and have a great break!