AET3090 Audio Engineering 1

Instructor: Michael J. Janas

Contact: Office RCA-B / Phone: 242.5167 / email: janasm@mail.belmont.edu

Course Credit: 3 Course Hours

Class Location: Historic RCA Studio B, 1611 Roy Acuff Place, Nashville, TN 37203

Class Meeting Times: Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu, 9:30am – 11:15am

Class Lab Times: Mon or Wed, 1p-2:30p

http://campus.belmont.edu/mb/studio/LabSchedule.html

Final Exam: Thu, July 7, 2005, 9:30am

RCA-B Website: http://campus.belmont.edu/rcastudiob/

Course Description: Prerequisites: MBU 1110, MBU 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 Objective: To gain experience in setting-up a studio for a recording session; to gain an understanding of acoustic and electronic signal flow; and to become familiar with the various tools (microphones, consoles, machines, outboard gear, etc.); and to learn procedures that will help make recording sessions go smoothly, enjoyably, efficiently, and will result in quality recording.

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.

· To equip students with the tools to think critically, communicate effectively, accept responsibility, make successful decisions, and prosper in diverse work environments.

· To emphasize quality classroom instruction within the parameters of ethical Christian principles.

Honor Code: As members of the Belmont community, students, faculty, staff, and administrators are all responsible for ensuring that their experiences will be free of behaviors, which compromise value. In order to uphold academic integrity, the University has adopted an Honor System. Students and faculty will work together to establish the optimal conditions for honorable academic work. Following is the Student Honor Pledge that guides academic behavior:

“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: University guidelines apply at all times. See the current Belmont University Bulletin. Class attendance policy follows the guidelines presented in the current Belmont University Catalog (i.e., counts as 15% of your total grade for the class – see grade evaluation chart below).

Class & Lab Materials: Audio Engineering 1 Workbook (Studio Class Lab – the red one); Audio in Media by Stanley R. Alten will be used as a reference.

Participation: Students are expected to show a sincere effort of co-operation, participation, and self-application during this course of study. Students are expected to read assigned text, recommended reading and handouts, and to fully complete ALL class, lab, workbook, and project assignments.

Labs: In order to gain experience with specific tasks, you are required to participate in lab sessions. These sessions are hands-on activities with small groups of students in each studio. Credit for lab participation is based on individual attendance and participation. Lab sessions times are posted on the CMB website: http://campus.belmont.edu/mb/studio/LabSchedule.html

Academic Testing: There will be written exams as well as practical exams and pop tests when/if needed. Each will be comprehensive and inclusive of all class, workbook, and reading material covered up to that date. ABSOLUTELY NO "MAKE-UP" TESTS WILL BE GIVEN.

Basis of Final Grade Evaluations:

ITEM DESCRIPTION	PERCENTILE CREDIT (% of 100 points)
1. Class Attendance	15 %
0 days absent = 100 points credit; 1 days absent = 92 points credit; 2 days absent = 84 points credit; 3 days absent = 76 points credit; 4 days absent = 68 points credit; 5 days absent = Dropped from class with F.
2. Written Test #1	05 %
3. Practical Exam #1	05 %
4. Written Test #2	10 %
5. Practical #2	10 %
6. Final Exam	15 %
6. Project #1	05 %
7. Project #2	05 %
8. Project #3	10 %
7. Assistance Sessions	10 %
8. Labs Participation	10 %

Grade Scale: As per current Undergraduate Bulletin. No Curves.

Recording Projects: You are required to complete three Recording Projects. These projects will give you practical, hands-on recording experience, and will require you to organize and coordinate sessions as well as record the music. See the “AE1 Recording Project Requirements” for a complete description of the projects, which will be handed out in class as well as posted to http://campus.belmont.edu/rcastudiob/ (the RCA Studio B website).

Approach these projects with the intent of putting into practice the subject material covered in class. To that end, Engineers WILL NOT perform on their own projects, and Assistant Engineers WILL NOT perform on sessions they are assisting. You may, of course, perform on projects on which you are not the Engineer or Assistant.

All projects are due at the beginning of class. Late projects are not accepted.

Assistant Sessions: In order to gain hands-on experience, you are required to serve as Assistant Engineer for recording sessions in the CMB and RCAB studios. Credit for assisting is given on an hourly basis. Each assistant hour will receive a credit of 5 points. Bonus credit may be earned by completion of more than 20 assistant hours (i.e., 20 hrs = 100, 21 = 105, 22 = 110, etc.) up to a maximum of 130 points. Credit hours will be logged via the CMB Studio Invoice database system. You must be properly booked on the session and sign the invoice at the end of the session in order to receive credit. If two (2) assistants serve one session, each assistant will receive 1/2 credit. As assistant you will be required to keep all session records including: track sheets, studio layout, signal processing, effects set-up, etc.

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 Tammye Tanksley, Director of Counseling & Developmental Support in the Office of the Dean of Students (460-6407) as soon as possible.

Audit Students: As per the current Belmont University Bulletin, students who audit are allowed to attend classes as a “non-participant in a non-credit, non-degree seeking status." However, audit students are encouraged to participate in class discussions and labs and to attend and observe recording sessions in the Center for Music Business studios. Due to time constraints on studio availability, students who audit are NOT allowed to assist as second engineer on project recording sessions and NOT given recording project session time. In addition, since auditing is a non-credit status, participation as an audit will not meet the minimum qualifications for booking and participating in recording sessions held in the Center for Music Business Studios (CMB).

Summer 2005 Class Schedule

WEEK	TOPICS INCLUDE
1	History of RCA Studio B, Basic Electrical Concepts, Basic Audio Circuits & Connections, Introduction to Studio Signal Flow, dB relationships, Tape Machine Operation, CD-Burner Operation, Pro Tools 2-trk Operation, session procedures
2	Microphones (types, specifications), mic technique, signal flow (recording)
3	Signal Processors: eq, dynamics, time processors
4	Mixing techniques and procedures, analog alignment, monitor placement, loudness perception
5	All of the above

DATE	ITEM
June 10	Begin Project #1
June 13	*Test #1*
June 14	Project #1 Due; Begin Project #2
June 20	Practical Exam #1; Project #2 Due; Begin Project #3 tracks; distribute Test #2 (take-home)
June 27	*Test #2 Due*; Begin Project #3 Mix
July 6	Practical Exam #2; Analog Alignment Lab 1p (entire class)
July 7	*Final Exam; Project #3 Due*

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