Ram apo College of New Jersey
School of Contem porary Arts
MUSI 120
Music Production
M usic Production Technology
Monday/Thursday, 2-3:30
SETH CLUETT
Assistant Professor of Music Production
Music Department
A205 extension 7352
scluett@ramapo.edu
mailbox: BC-238
Office hours: Monday 4-5:30; Wednesday by appointment
“Discover the recipes you are using and abandon them”
-- Brian Eno, Oblique Strategies (1975)
“What has no conceivable, imaginable purpose may be the solution to problems that may not yet need
solving.”
-- Laurie Spiegel, “That was Then <=> This is Now” (1995)
This course is an introduction to the technologies and the art of music recording. Students will
begin to learn the basic principles of sound design, psychoacoustics, critical listening, and the
effective use of the standard analog and digital equipment for music production and postproduction.
Essential studio techniques and foundational information will be introduced and no previous
technical or musical experience is necessary for enjoyable participation in the course. Each
week, hands-on making will be paired with short readings and historical examples that will
provide a context for sound of all kinds in contemporary concert and popular music, art
practice, film making, ecology, as well as game and interaction design.
GOALS
- Develop an understanding of and fluency with technology for recording sound
- Understand the types and uses of industry standard microphones and recording formats
- Understand how to capture sound according to your creative needs
- Learn to speak clearly and communicate musical ideas to yourself and others
- Develop troubleshooting skills through research and questioning
1
LEARNING OUTCOM ES
1) Understand the methodologies and principles for recording sound, music and speech in
order to communicate ideas effectively.
2) Develop the technical vocabulary and deep knowledge of concepts necessary to ask clear
questions in the future as technology continues to develop and influence recorded sound.
3) Understand and critique the relationship between music and its mechanisms of distribution.
4) Identify, recognize, and correct for problems in music production and engineering.
Outcomes
Outcome 1
Outcome 2
Outcome 3
Outcome 4
Weekly
Projects
x
Midterm
Project
x
Quizzes
CEC
x
x
x
x
Class
Discussion
x
x
x
x
x
x
REQ UIRED CO URSE M ATERIALS
- Readings provide online via PDF.
- a storage device with a minimum of 8gb of free space is required.
- The primary software for this course will be Audacity (free) and Reaper (60-day free
trial), purchasing Reaper is not necessary but is recommended ($60)
- In lieu of the textbook, I am requiring the purchase or presentation of a pair of overthe-ear headphones (we will talk about brands and requirements) for example:
Around $100 : Sony MDR-7506, Sennheiser HD-280, AKG K-240
Around $50 : Sennheiser HD-203, Beyerdynamic DT 131, AKG K-77
Less than $50: Audio-technica ATH-M3X, Behringer HPX2000
See www.sweetwater.com, guitar center, or bhphotovideo.com
COURSE REQUIREM ENTS
PRO JECTS
This course balances hands-on, projects-based work with in-depth technical skill and
knowledge development. For roughly the first half of the semester, material will be assessed
bi-weekly and will relate directly to the technical material we cover in class. After the mid-way
point, the material will open up into projects that will demonstrate your ability to implement
technical skills and critical thinking.
CRITIERIA FOR EVALUATION
Participation in class discussion and critiques, thoughtfulness about your working process, and
a critical understanding of your own abilities as an student inform your grade for the course in
general and the assignments in particular. Your work is evaluated using criteria specific to each
project, assignment, and quiz. Active participation in class discussion is expected, as is regular
attendance and attention to the reading materials. The techniques and skills that we will be
developing will be assessed according to your grasp of the concept and your ability to execute
skills-based work in the manner appropriate for each technique.
2
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF TECHNICAL W ORK AND CONC EPTS
The techniques and skills that we will be developing will be assessed according to your grasp
of the concept and your ability to execute skills-based work in the manner appropriate for each
technique.
Grading breakdown:
50% Weekly projects and midterm project
20% Final project
20% Class participation
10% Quizzes
Grading Rubric (applies to assignments and the final course grade).
92-100
A
82-91
72-81
B
C
65-71
Below 65
D
F
Outstanding; pushing the limits of both the student’s creativity and
the assignment
Thorough, thoughtful, and creative approach to the assignment
Average/adequate performance; handed in on time; project completed
according to minimum requirements
Poor; does not meet minimum requirements
Fail; failure to complete the assignment
Final Project
There is no sit-down final exam for this course. In its place, a final project will be due and
PRESENTED complete on Decem ber 21 from 3pm -6pm .
COURSE ENRICHM ENT COM PONENT
This course will include a minimum of five (5) hours of unmonitored appropriate experience
outside of the classroom. For the course enrichment component you are required to attend
and report on two events:
1. Faculty interview podcast – breaking into groups of three, identify a faculty member
or music producer/engineer to interview about their music listening habits as they
transitioned out of high school into college/workforce. Ask them preliminary questions
to determine interview questions. After the interview locate and use musical examples
from your conversation. You will record, edit, mix, and upload your podcasts to
soundcloud and present them to your peers.
STUDENTS W ITH DISABILITIES
If you need course adapation or accommodations because of a disability that has been
documents with the Office of Specialized Services, please make an appointment to speak with
me.
ACADEM IC INTEGRITY
Students are expected to read and understand Ramapo College’s Academic Integrity Policy, which can be found
online in the College Catalog (http://www.ramapo.edu/catalog_13_14/academic-policies.html). All members of
the Ramapo community are expected to be honest and forthright in their academic endeavors.
Since violations of academic integrity erode community confidence and undermine the pursuit
of truth and knowledge at the College, academic dishonesty must be avoided. Students in this
3
class are bound to the definitions of cheating, plagiarism, academic misconduct, and
fabrication and violations will be dealt with swiftly and without mercy. Students who are
suspected of violating this policy will be required to meet with the instructor and will be
reported to the Office of the Provost.
Misunderstanding of the appropriate academic conduct will not be accepted as an excuse for
academic dishonesty. If a student is in doubt about appropriate academic conduct in a
particular situation, he or she should consult with the instructor in the course, the department
chair/program director, or the academic dean in the appropriate division in order to maintain
the highest standards of academic honesty.
Additional policies and definitions may be found in the Student Handbook.
ATTENDANCE
Class attendance is required and your attendance will be necessary for successful completion
of the course. You are allowed one unexcused absence. Reasonable excuses for missing class
will be determined at the discretion of the instructor. Please try to inform me via email
whenever you know you will be absent.
Two lates = one unexcused absence
Two unexcused = -1 point off final course grade (if you’re on the cusp, this could hurt)
Three unexcused = -3 points off of final course grade
Four unexcused = -5 points off of final course grade
Five unexcused = -10 points off of final course grade
Additionally, College policy states that students must notify faculty with the first three weeks of
the semester if they anticipate missing any classes due to religious observance.
LATE W ORK
Late work and late assignments will not be accepted unless approved by the instructor.
Exceptions to this policy are at the discretion of the instructor. Approval must be sought no
later than 5:00pm the day previous to the due date of the assignment by email.
COM PUTER FAILURES
No allowance will be made for computer failure and/or network problems. Back your work up
early and often to avoid problems. In addition to the local copy of your file(s) on the computer
harddrive, an additional back-up should be made to your google docs space, a portable
harddrive, or usb flash drive.
ELECTRO NIC FO RM S O F CO M M UNICATIO N
In accordance with College Policy, I will use your Ramapo College email address (@ramapo) to
communicate with you about all course-related matters. You are responsible for checking your
email daily.
COM PUTERS, ELECTRONIC DEVICES, AND W EB ACCESS IN CLASS
The use of laptop computers in class is appropriate and encouraged. Electronic devices such
as Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), Cell Phones, and Portable Media Devices as well as the
use of web-resources during class other than those expressly required for class work are not
allowed. Use of such a devices during class time will be considered an absence and will count
against the final grade (see the Class Attendance section above).
4
SYLLABUS (prelim inary schedule and readings subject to change)
WEEK 1
INTRO DUCTIO NS and PO LICIES
Assigned – Project #1 – Re-learning your listening environment
Read:
Chapter 1 (Huber)
BLOCK #1
(RE)LEARNING TO LISTEN
WEEK 2
Undoing the internal editor
Themes:
Acoustics part 1, Frequency/Amplitude, Graphing soundwaves
Due – Project #1
Read:
Chapter 2 (Huber)
WEEK 3
Capturing what we hear
Themes:
Acoustics part 2, Decibels/Perception, Tape, Analog/Digital
Read:
Eno – Studio as Compositional Tools (available via PDF on Moodle)
Assigned – Project #2
BLOCK #2
THE “STUDIO ” Part O ne - THE SIGNAL CHAIN
WEEK 4
M ixers, i/o, cables, and DAW s
Themes:
The signal chain, DAW software generally, Protools specifically
Assigned – Solitary Listening Report (compare and contrast three ten-minute sessions)
WEEK 5
Pro Tools intensive
Themes:
Read:
Learning to hear in stereo, fabricating space/reverb, panning, editing
Guerin, R., MIDI Power! – The Comprehensive Guide, Cengage, 2005. – Chapter
1 (available via PDF on Moodle)
Due – Solitary Listening Report
BLOCK #3
M ICROPHONES
WEEK 6
M icrophone Types and Uses
Themes:
Condenser and dynamic microphones
Assigned – Project #3
Read:
Hosken, D., An Introduction to Music Technology, Routledge, 2010. Chapter 3
(available via PDF on Moodle)
WEEK 7
M icrophone Placement
Themes:
Positioning and selection of microphones for recording
5
Assigned – Close Listening Through Technology
BLOCK #4
THE “STUDIO ” Part Two – THE TRACKING SESSIO N
WEEK 8
Practical Preparations
Themes:
Preamplifiers, Amplifiers, DIs, and Mixers (part2)
Due – Project #3
Assigned – Final project song proposal
Due: Close Listening Through Techology
WEEK 9
Session execution
Themes:
Recording session basics, Forms, Sheets, and keeping track
Due – Final Project feasibility proposal
BLOCK #5
BASIC M IXING
WEEK 10
M ix Lab
Themes:
Balancing, Stereo vs Mono, Imaging
WEEK 11
Dynam ics, Equalizations, Reverberation
Themes:
not over-doing it.
BLOCK #6
M ASTERING
WEEK 12
Program Dynam ics
Themes:
Playback on a range of systems, mastering for specific projects
WEEK 13
1s & 0s, Form at Com pression, Dither
Themes:
Compression Algorithms, filetypes (continued)
WEEK 14
Final Project 80% Draft
WEEK 15
Final Project Workshop
FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATIONS - Decem ber 18 from 3pm -6pm
6