ARTICULATION DOCUMENT
T217 Recording Studio Fundamentals
MODULE STRUCTURE
Module Category: Specialisation
Level (year of study): Year 2
Credit Units: 4 Modular Credits
Curriculum Hours: 60
Contact Hours: 60
Module Assessment: Continuous Assessment: 60%
Summative Assessment: 40%
SECTION 2: MODULE OVERVIEW
This module introduces students to the art of studio recording and production. This module
will introduce students to professional practices, including both traditional analogue
production approaches and modern digital studio production practices. The entire process of
multi-tracking is covered from acquisition of tracks, through to final mixes.
Learning will take place in the context of professional industry practices and standards.
Ideally students taking this module should have previously completed T214 (Sound Design).
Module Aims
School of Technology for the Arts, Republic Polytechnic
T217 Recording Studio Fundamentals
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This module aims to develop key skills required to work as a Pro Tools operator, microphone
assistant, recording engineer, and mixing engineer.
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Module coverage
(i)
Operate recording consoles, microphones and associated equipment in order
to achieve multi-track recording results in a studio environment.
(ii) Apply fundamentals of digital audio theory, music structures e.g. VVBCVBC,
tempo and meter to a recording session, and integrate this to the learners
own studio production workflow.
(iii) Edit, Mix and Master a multi-track recording to stereo
(iv) Interpret digital audio as a representation of sound, identify aural issues of
tracked sessions and address them with outboard gear or their digital
counterparts.
(v) Observe professionalism in a studio, making provisions for safety during
recording sessions, troubleshooting setup and tearing down of a recording
session and workflow etiquettes.
(vi) Independently produce audio recording projects according to the
specifications of a creative brief.
(ii) Breadth and depth of coverage.
This module continues off fundamentals of digital and analogue audio from T214
Sound Design. Students will be applying their experience with a DAW on their laptops
or basic editing suite to a more impressive environment connected to a digital or
analogue (or hybrid) large console mixer with a ‘live’ room connected to it for
recording ‘live’ drums, a choir or ensemble. The focus of this module will be on music
recording, editing and mixing, and will end with a basic lesson on Mastering. T319
Advance Recording Studio Techniques will continue where this module, T217 Recording
Studio Fundamentals leaves off.
MODULE OUTCOMES AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
Allocated time per day
Module Coverage
Discussions in
Study Cluster
Operate recording consoles,
microphones and associated
equipment in order to achieve
multi-track recording results in a
studio environment.
1
School of Technology for the Arts, Republic Polytechnic
T217 Recording Studio Fundamentals
Resource
gathering
and team
work
Skills
acquisition and
practice
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8
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Apply fundamentals of digital audio
theory, music structures e.g.
VVBCVBC, tempo and meter to a
recording session, and integrate
this to the learners own studio
production workflow.
Edit, Mix and Master a multi-track
recording to stereo
Interpret digital audio as a
representation of sound, identify
aural issues of tracked sessions and
address them with outboard gear
or their digital counterparts.
Observe professionalism in a
studio, making provisions for safety
during recording sessions,
troubleshooting setup and tearing
down of a recording session and
workflow etiquettes.
Independently produce audio
recording projects according to the
specifications of a creative brief.
Total = 15 Problems = 60 hours
2
1
6
2
1
8
2
2
4
1
2
8
2
1
8
10
8
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TEACHING AND LEARNING
This module equips students who wish to pursue a career in recording studios. Music, dialogue
and mixing projects, professional tools and creative techniques are introduced to students and
they in turn create their own versions of these works as module work. Lessons are conducted
in recording studios with ample opportunity for students to practice audio recording, editing,
mixing and saving to digital standards for a variety of entertainment platforms.
The module is predominantly delivered via a problem based learning curriculum. However, up
to 15% of the module uses technical hands-on tutorials. The module is predominantly taught
in a professional studio and also involves mini projects produced during regularly scheduled
class hours.
LEARNING RESOURCES
They can include:
School of Technology for the Arts, Republic Polytechnic
T217 Recording Studio Fundamentals
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Recording studio capable of recording between 8 to 16 channels of 24bit audio
simultaneously, operating Pro Tools on a Power Mac or similar platform
Headphone distributors x 4
Headphones x 16
A purpose built recording studio with at least the following items:
o AKG C414 (with shock-mount) x 2
o Neumann KM184 x 2
o Neumann KM185 x 2
o Neumann U87 (with shock-mount) x 2
o Sennheiser MD421
o Sennheiser E904 x 2
o Sennheiser E905 x 2
o Shure Beta58 x 4
o Shure Beta57 x 4
o XLR and ¼” cables
o Microphone stands, standard x 16, short x 4
o Music stands x 6
o Acoustic foam, baffles and shells
o Patch-bay and patch-cables
o Multi-channel Pre-amps x 8
o Analogue effects processors (optional)
o Analogue limiter x 2
o Cable tester x 2
o SPL meter x 1
o Monitors and matching speaker stands, far-field x 5, near-field x 2, subwoofer x 1
o 8 to 16 channel analog mixer x 2
o Electric and acoustic instruments , including a drum-set, replacement skins, strings
and necessary tuning accessories
o Instruments amplifiers
o MIDI and synthesizer keyboards
o Data cables and peripherals
o Motorised controller, e.g. the Avid D-Command, Avid Command-8, or Mackie MCU
Recommended readings or references (HARVARD STYLE); and
Cook, F. (2007). Pro tools 101. Boston, Mass.: Thomson Course Technology.
Huber, D. and Runstein, R. (n.d.). Modern recording techniques.
Online resources, etc.>
School of Technology for the Arts, Republic Polytechnic
T217 Recording Studio Fundamentals
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