BELMONT UNIVERSITY
MIKE CURB COLLEGE OF ENTERTAINMENT AND MUSIC BUSINESS
COURSE SYLLABUS
Course
Title: Audio Engineering 1
Course
#: AET3090
Credit
Hrs: 3
Semester:
Spring 2007
Class
Location: RCA Studio B, 1611 Roy Acuff Place, Nashville, TN 37203
Meeting
Time(s): 3090.03; Tue-Thu;
11a-12:15pm
3090.04;
Tue-Thu; 12:30pm-1:45pm
3090.05;
Tue-Thu; 2pm – 3:15pm
Class
Lab Times:http://campus.belmont.edu/mb/studio/LabSchedule.htm
RCA-B
Website: http://campus.belmont.edu/rcastudiob/
Final
Exam: 3090.03: 5/7/07, 11am
3090.04: 5/4/07,
11am
3090.05: 5/3/07,
2pm
Instructor:
Michael Janas, B.M.E.
Contact: Office RCA-B / Phone: 242.5167 / email: janasm@mail.belmont.edu
Office
Hours: By appointment.
COURSE
DESCRIPTION:
Prerequisites:
MBU 1110, AET 1380 and permission of instructor. A detailed study of the technical
characteristics and performance of each component of the recording studio. Topics include basic studio electronic signal
flow, tape machine operations, dynamic processing, basic microphone use, studio
acoustics, session procedures and the role of the assistant engineer. Emphasis is placed on developing audio
perception skills for recording engineers.
COURSE
OBJECTIVES:
Learning
Outcomes: The student will demonstrate:
Performance
Criteria:
Students will:
GOALS
OF THE MIKE CURB COLLEGE OF ENTERTAINMENT AND MUSIC BUSINESS:
The following objectives will be applied toward course completion:
· To provide a personalized, career-oriented and practical education that emphasizes leadership, innovation, private enterprise, and entrepreneurship.
HONOR CODE: It is the responsibility of each student to abide
by the Belmont University Honor Code.
“In affirmation of
the Belmont University Statement of Values, I pledge that I will not give or
receive aid during examinations; I will not give or receive false or
impermissible aid in course work, in the preparation of reports, or in any
other type of work that is to be used by the instructor as the basis of my
grade; I will not engage in any form of academic fraud. Furthermore, I will
uphold my responsibility to see to it that others abide by the spirit and
letter of this Honor Pledge.”
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS:
Attendance: Class and lab attendance policy follows the guidelines presented in the
current Belmont University Catalog. Students may miss up to total of two class
(or lab) periods throughout the semester without any grade reduction. After four total absences, a student’s final
grade will be reduced by 5%. After six
total absences, the student’s final grade will be reduced 10%. After eight total absences, the student will
be removed from the class roster and withdrawn from the class with a grade of
F. Absences are excused at the
discretion of the instructor.
Materials: Audio
Engineering 1 Workbook (Red cover); Audio in Media by Stanley
R. Alten (6th or 7th Edition)
Assignments
and Participation
·
Song
Analysis 1 (SA1): Analyze
a song structure and create a Lyric/Arrangement chart as described in
class. Must be typed.
·
Song
Analysis 2 (SA2):
o
Critically listen to a nationally released
musical recording of your choice and describe the instrumentation, arrangement
and production techniques used to make the recordings. Include any relevant anecdotes. This description is to be a minimum of two
pages, with citations in the MLA format. This is a short research paper, not an
editorial.
o
Create a Lyric/Arrangement chart for the song.
o
Prepare a Credits Sheet listing the production
credits including artist, album (if applicable), label, song title, writer,
publisher information, PRO, producer, engineers, musicians and vocalists.
o
Submit a CD of the song in addition to the
documents listed above.
·
Labs: In order to gain experience with specific
tasks, you are required to participate in lab sessions. Labs are hands-on activities with small groups
of students in each studio. Credit for
lab participation is based on individual attendance and participation.
·
Team
Recording Projects: Students
are required to participate as an Engineer in three (3) Team Recording Projects
as part of AE1: an 8-Track Record &
Mix Project, a 16-Track Record Project and a 16-Track Mix Project. See the Studio
Team Recording Project Requirements for detailed information.
·
Assistant
Sessions: In order to gain hands-on
experience, you are required to serve as Assistant Engineer, as described in
the Project requirements, for at least five recording sessions in the CMB and
RCAB studios.
·
Testing: 2
written tests, 1 practical exam, 1 final exam (includes written and practical
exams). See class schedule for dates.
·
Grading scale as per the current Undergraduate
Bulletin.
Basis
of Final Grade Evaluations:
|
ITEM DESCRIPTION |
PERCENTILE CREDIT (% of 100 points) |
|
Song Analysis 1:
Create Song Chart |
3% |
|
Song Analysis 2:
Critical Analysis |
5% |
|
Class Attendance
& Participation |
10% |
|
Lab Attendance |
10% |
|
Written Tests 1
& 2 |
10% |
|
Practical Exam
(Mid-Term) |
5% |
|
Team Recording
Projects |
30% |
|
Assistant Engineer
Sessions |
7% |
|
Final Exam
(includes written & practical) |
20% |
ACCOMMODATION
OF DISABILITIES:
In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the
Americans with Disabilities Act, Belmont University will provide reasonable
accommodation of all medically documented disabilities. If you have a disability and would like the
university to provide reasonable accommodations of the disability during this
course, please notify the Director of Counseling & Developmental Support in
the Office of the Dean of Students (460-6407) as soon as possible.
Spring
2007 Class Schedule
|
Date |
Class
Topic |
Readings
(AIM = Audio in Media, 7th Edition) |
Lab |
Assignments |
|
1/11/07 |
Studio History, Class Overview |
|
|
|
|
1/16-18/07 |
Basic Studio Signal Flow; Basic Electrical Concepts; the
decibel; Polarity; Studio Equipment Interface: The Patchbay, Balanced &
Unbalanced Circuits; Audio Cabling & Connectors |
AIM: Ch.2, 72-74, 90-93 Lab Book |
|
|
|
1/23-25/07 |
Console Signal Flow; API Signal Flow: buss, aux system |
AIM: 79-92 Lab Book |
Session Setup |
|
|
1/30/07 |
Session Procedures: Planning, Recording, Mixing, Assisting,
session documentation |
AIM: 424 “Recordkeeping” Lab Book |
Signal Flow |
SA1
assigned |
|
2/1/07 |
Written
Test 1; Pro Tools operations for printing mixes |
AIM: 372-378 Lab Book |
Signal Flow |
|
|
2/6/07 |
Acoustics & Room Awareness; Mic Operating Principles &
Specifications |
AIM: Ch.3, 43-50, 68-78, 279-280 Lab Book |
Mic Lab 1 |
Due:
SA1 |
|
2/8/07 |
Mic Techniques for Vocals and Acoustic Stringed Inst. |
AIM: 188-194, 212-214 (“Single Mic Tech”), 302-304, 286-288 |
Mic Lab 1 |
|
|
2/13/07 |
Mic Techniques for Acoustic Keyboard Instruments |
AIM: 214-216 (“Multi Mic Tech”), 307-310 (“Stereo Mic Arrays”)291-293
(piano mic) |
Mic Lab 2 |
2/12/07:
Begin Team Project 1 |
|
2/15/07 |
Mic Techniques for Amplified Instruments |
AIM: 298-302 |
Mic Lab 2 |
SA2
assigned |
|
2/20/07 |
Mic Techniques for Drums & Percussion |
AIM: 280-286 |
Mic Lab 3 |
|
|
2/22/07 |
Review Written Test 1 & Practical Exam Prep |
|
Mic Lab 3 |
Due:
SA2 |
|
2/27/07 |
Analog Tape Recording Theory, Digital Recording Theory |
AIM: 101-112, 112-134 Lab Book |
EQ |
|
|
3/1/07 |
Mid-Term:
Recording Practical Exam |
|
EQ |
Due:
Team Project 1 |
|
3/6-8/07 |
Spring
Break |
|
|
|
|
3/13-15/07 |
Equalization |
AIM: 146-150, 408-410 Lab Book |
Comp-Gate |
3/12/07:
Begin Team Project 2 |
|
3/20-22/07 |
Dynamic Processors: Compression, Limiting, Expansion, Gating |
AIM: 155-160, 410-412 Lab Book |
Reverb-Delay |
|
|
3/27-29/07 |
Time Processors: Acoustical Reverberation, Mechanical Reverberation,
Delay |
AIM:150-155, 412-413 Lab Book |
Mix Lab 1 |
|
|
4/3/07 |
Written
Test 2 |
|
|
Due:
Team Project 2 |
|
4/5/07 |
Easter
Break |
|
|
|
|
4/10-12/07 |
Hearing & Listening, Loudspeakers & Monitoring, Mixing
Techniques |
AIM: Ch.1, 168-187, 399-414, 437-440 Lab Book |
Mix Lab 2 |
4/9/07:
Begin Team Project 3 |
|
4/17/07 |
Analog Tape Machine Alignment |
AIM: 101-112 Lab Book |
Tape alignment |
|
|
4/19/07 |
Review Written Test 2 + TBA |
TBA |
Tape alignment |
|
|
4/24/07 |
Movie: Tom Dowd & The Language of Music |
|
None |
|