Sound Design
First Term 2013
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Instructor: Jen Groseth, Lighting and Sound Designer
E-Mail: jennifer.groseth@jefferson.kyschools.us
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COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. Develop a working knowledge of Sound technology, terminology and technique
as it applies to theater, dance and opera productions.
2. Students can analyze a script in terms of audio, and produce a sound plot and cue
sheets for a given production.
3. Develop an awareness of how Sound is used as a design element in the performing
arts, film, television and photography.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. Lab project. Solder two wires.
Check
2. Lab project. Solder Kit
5% of Grade.
3. Digital Editing Project#1 (Ellen)
5% of Grade.
4. Favorite Song to Computer #2 (shorter)
5% of Grade.
5. Midterm Exam
20% of Grade.
6. Helicopter Project
15% of Grade.
7. Moments to be Recorded (2)
20% of Grade.
Each one both realistic and Musical. (2 recordings.)
8. Commercial Project (30 secs or 60 secs)
20% of Grade
9. Final Project. Radio Show with sound effects.
Everyone will do cue sheets/ we'll divide the show
10% of Grade.
PROJECTS: I expect projects to be done and in the Main Computer on the given due date in
class. We listen to projects in class. This is part of the learning process. If you deliver your
project to me after class on the due date, it is already one day late. Every day that the project is
late is one letter grade off that project. Please be prompt with your assignments. Thank You.
Extra Costs: You will also be required to purchase a flash drive for this class, and only for this
class. It will have to be empty… we will be installing portable apps on this drive and it will
erase everything that is on that drive. This flash drive will need to be at least 4 gig, bigger is
always better in this case. The best deals right now are on 8 to 16 gig drives, after that they
become cost prohibitive.
Course Outline:
Monday November 26
Intro to Class
Questions, etc…
Listen to First Contact
Week One Nov 27-30
Into to Sound and Sound Design. Why we do it, what it is, etc...
Human hearing and how we hear. Frequency.
Understanding Audio Systems
Basic electricity, basic audio signals. AC/DC Transducers.
Week Two Dec 7-14
More Understanding Audio Systems
Basic electricity, basic audio signals. AC/DC Transducers.
Cables and Connectors, continuity, mutimeters, ect...
Mixers
Week Three Dec 17-20 NEED FLASH DRIVE BY THIS WEEK
How to solder. Weevil Kit
Input Sources
Mics and line sources and how they work
Mixers, EQ, Reverb, Processing
Install portable apps/Audacity on Flash Drive
Begin Audacity
XMAS BREAK
Week Four Jan 7-11
Digital vs. Analog Recording.
Recording to sources. Recording into main lab computer.
Continue Audacity
Assign Digital Project #1 Ellen
DIGITAL PROJECT #1 DUE
More Audacity
Assign Digital Project #2 Song Shorter
Week Five Jan 14-18
DIGITAL PROJECT #2 DUE.
Assign Helicopter Project.
Review for Midterm
MIDTERM EXAM
Read Radio Play Voice thru the Wire
The Design Process. Sound Design, What it is.
Sound Cue Sheets, Running a Show
Assign moments project. Class will have to guess your moment, so don't tell.
Week 6 Jan 22-25
HELICOPTER PROJECT DUE
Listen in class to projects.
More Design. Let's cue Voice thru the Wire.
Assign Voice thru the Wire. Show run cue sheets.
SHOW RUN CUE SHEETS DUE
Look at run cue sheets.
Questions about Moment Projects.
Week 7 Jan 28- Feb 1
Time to work on Moments
MOMENT PROJECT DUE
WE WILL LISTEN IN CLASS
Assign Commercial Project
Week 8 Feb 4-8
Recording Good Voice. Tricks and Mic techniques.
Extra Bass, P Poppers, etc…
Questions about processing and recording. Project questions.
COMMERCIAL PROJECT DUE
Listen to commercial project in class
Week 9 Feb 11-15
Basic Midi. Midi editing, etc….
FINAL PROJECT QUESTIONS.
Week 10 Feb 18-Feb 22
FINAL PROJECT. WE WILL ALL LISTEN IN CLASS.