SYD 16T2 A1AM6.PS EUO 160421

EXTENDED UNIT OUTLINE (EUO)

AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MUSIC: AIM.EDU.AU 1-55 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 T +61 2 9219 5444 F +61 2 9219 5454 E [email protected] CRICOS Code 00665C RTO Code 90465

Page 1 of 9 Version: 1 Nov 2012

Unit Name: Audio Major Study 6 (Professional Studio) Unit Code: A1AM6.PS Teaching Period: Trimester 2, 2016 STAFF

Role Staff Member Email / Extension

Unit Coordinator Beau Sherrard [email protected]

Teacher Glen Phimister [email protected]

Teacher Ben Wood [email protected]

LOCATION AND TIMES

Lesson Location Time

Lecture B202 Tuesday 9:00am – 10:00am

Tutorial (a) A101 Tuesday 10:00am – 1:00pm

Tutorial (b) A102 Tuesday 10:00am – 1:00pm

NOTE: Classes commence 5 mins after the hour, and finish 5 mins before the hour

UNIT RATIONALE A1AM6.PS is the fourth and final stage of the industry stream and sixth and final stage of the bachelor program. Its purpose is to allow the student to culminate all the technical, professional and critical listening skills they have acquired from the previous units, applying them at a professional level. It will also prepare the student for a more comprehensive approach to creative practice by providing an assessment that is significant and completely self-driven. UNIT DESCRIPTION Audio Major Study Stage 6 completes a students’ specialist study in their chosen audio production environment. Students apply professional-level technical skills in selecting, connecting and operating equipment and software specific to that environment, building on the skills established in previous major studies. Students continue to develop environment-specific critical listening skills, and demonstrate a high level of professional attributes in order to complete complex projects and assessments. WEEKLY TOPICS

Week Topics (Lecture and Glen Tutorials – A101) Ben Tutorials (A107)

Week 1 L: Induction, recording plans for their own projects T: Production Critique T: Production Critique

Week 2 L: Critical listening - previous RT6 projects T: Signal Flow revision and tape use T: Recording in the Icon (Studio A, multiple rooms)

Week 3 L: Recording plan for tutorial T: Advanced Recording Techniques – Recording Project 1 (SSL/Studio A), Feedback on plans

Advanced Recording Techniques – Challenging Spaces (Studio E) Feedback on plans




Week Topics (Lecture and Glen Tutorials – A101) Ben Tutorials (A107)

Week 4 L: Guest Lecture T: Advanced Overdubbing Techniques (SSL/Studio C)

Recording Techniques – Recording Project 1 (Icon/Studio A), Feedback on plans

Week 5 L: Synchronisation T: Advanced Overdubbing Techniques (SSL/Studio A) Advanced Overdubbing Techniques (Studio C)

Week 6 L: Automation T: Advanced Mixing Techniques (SSL)

Advanced Editing/Post Production Techniques (Studio C)

Mid Tri Mid Trimester Break

Week 7 No Lecture or tutorial - Practical Exam - Signal Flow No Lecture or tutorial - Practical Exam - Signal Flow

Week 8 L: Production Report Writing. T: Progress presentations T: Progress presentations

Week 9 L: CV Writing/Showreel T: Advanced Production Techniques

T: Advanced Mixing Techniques, progress report on projects

Week 10 L: CV Writing/Showreel T: Advanced Production Techniques T: Advanced Production Techniques

Week 11 L: Freelance basics – invoicing, terms and conditions, legal, charging, tax. T: Advanced Production Techniques

T: Advanced Production Techniques

Week 12 L: CV Revison – JdW T: No tutorial - Practical Exam - Mix Exam (individual studio bookings)

No tutorial - Practical Exam - Mix Exam (individual studio bookings)

Week 13 Practical Exam - Mix Exam (individual studio bookings)

Practical Exam - Mix Exam (individual studio bookings)

LEARNING OUTCOMES At the completion of this unit a student should be able to:

a) Apply professional-level technical skills to select, connect and operate equipment and software within a specialised audio production environment.

b) Apply professional-level technical problem solving skills within a specialised audio production environment.

c) Apply professional-level critical listening, analysis and evaluation skills in a specialised audio production environment.

d) Demonstrate professionalism in time management, people management and personal management within a specialised audio production environment

e) Demonstrate professional-level project management and documentation skills ASSESSMENTS Summary

Description Weighting Submission Date Learning Outcomes Assessed

Practical Exam - Signal Flow 30% Week 7 (individual studio bookings) a), b), c), d)

Project 1 – Résumé and Portfolio 30% Week 12 (Friday 5pm) a), b), c), d) e)

Project 2 - Major Recording Project 40%

Week 11 (Friday 5pm) (Recording Plan due by Tutorial class Week 2)

a), b), c), d), e)

ASSESSMENT DESCRIPTIONS Assessment 1 – Practical Exam - Signal Flow Description




Students are required to perform the role of an engineer in a makeshift home-studio recording environment. Students are assessed on technical, professional and critical listening skills. This assessment focuses on examining the student’s individual ability to work in a home-studio production environment, and poses significant technical and logistical challenges. Students are expected to possess all of the technical and other personal attributes to conduct themselves in a professional manner. They are expected to have a high degree of problem solving, analytical and communication skills to cope in the professional world. Students will individually engineer a pre-arranged recording session using the equipment list provided below. Note that these recording sessions will not occur in any of the control rooms and students will have to "construct" a makeshift control room and studio space using two rooms as designated by the assessor. A musician(s) will be provided to play at the session, and their requirements will alter slightly between one signal flow test and the next. No two signal flow tests will be exactly the same, though they will each have the same basic format. The exam’s duration is 1.5 hours. Students will be observed by an assessor and a debrief will also occur. Booking The Assessment A calendar will appear outside of the audio offices. Students will be required to book a session in the calendar in an available time that suits them. Students will be advised when the calendar is available. Each session will last 1.5 hours. INSTRUCTIONS Using a number of items from the equipment list below, the student will have to connect a studio together in the makeshift control room. Note that the session will NOT necessarily use all of the equipment on the list, as each student session will have a slightly different setup. Your assessor (the "producer") will inform the student of the specific gear requirements for that session, and students are expected to connect the equipment correctly and efficiently. Students are advised to research all equipment from the list. It is likely that you will be familiar with some equipment, but not others. All cables and microphones will be provided. During the exam, students are informed of what their session will entail and what instrument(s) they will be recording. Students are expected to correctly select appropriate microphones, accurately position them using correct methods and set up headphones as required. The session will then proceed and the student will be required to run the session according to the wishes of the Assessor and musician(s). This will require knowledge of the software, and may include editing, mixing and general session management. EQUIPMENT LIST Standard for all Signal Flow Tests:

• Digidesign 003 or 003 Rack+ • Apple iMac plus keyboard and mouse • Powered speakers

Possible Mic’s and Mic Pre-amps

• Behringer ADA8000 • Focusrite ISA428 • Focusrite ISA828 • Focusrite ISA220 • Avalon 737 • A selection from AIM’s Collection 2 microphones

Possible in-line outboard processing

• DBX 166XL • DBX 1215 Graphic EQ • Klark Teknik DN360 Graphic EQ • Behringer Composer MDX 2000

Assessment Criteria




Apply professional-level technical skills to select, connect and operate equipment and software within a specialised audio production environment (25%) Apply professional-level technical problem solving skills within a specialised audio production environment (25%) Apply professional-level critical listening, analysis and evaluation skills in a specialised audio production environment (25%) Demonstrate professionalism in time management, people management and personal management within a specialised audio production environment (25%) Assessment 2 – Project 1 – Résumé and Portfolio Description Students are to create a résumé and portfolio that could be used for a hypothetical role as an assistant sound engineer in a professional recording studio. Students must include in their résumé a written document that showcases their experience and expertise in the field. The portfolio is an audio representation of their work. The project should demonstrate that the student is aware of, and possesses all of the skills required of a professional audio engineer. Students are expected to think about what these might be. Guidelines For The Written Résumé

• Should provide contact details • Should summarise the students skills with a brief opening description • Should list all relevant experience – employment history, work experience, projects • Can list non-audio experience, if it can be shown that the experience does have relevance in the

audio industry • Should provide a brief description of the their role in each of the entries above, including any

achievements • Should provide a brief statement as to why this experience may be relevant in a professional studio

environment • Can include a separate discography • Should list all relevant education • Should point to any personal website, LinkedIn page, Soundcloud page, professional Facebook

page or YouTube channel • Can include references • Must have no typographical or grammatical errors • Must be professionally presented

Guidelines For Portfolio

• Can be one continuous audio file or a number of shorter files • Should demonstrate a student’s capabilities • Must only be the student’s audio engineering work • Should demonstrate a range of genre’s or complexity • Should include an indication of your role, and brief description of each piece

Deliveries For this assessment, you must submit the following:

• Résumé in PDF format • Portfolio in WAV format (24 bit, 44.1KHz) • Portfolio in MP3 format

All files and folders for this assessment must be placed in a main submission folder. The naming format for this folder must be as follows: A1AM6.PS_16T2_ RésuméPortfolio_Surname_Student Number Assessment Criteria Demonstrate the application of professional-level technical skills to select, connect and operate equipment




and software within a specialised audio production environment (20%) Demonstrate the application of professional-level technical problem solving skills within a specialised audio production environment (10%) Demonstrate the application of professional-level critical listening, analysis and evaluation skills in a specialised audio production environment (20%) Demonstrate professionalism in time management, people management and personal management within a specialised audio production environment (20%) Demonstrate professional-level project management and documentation skills (20%) Assessment 3 – Project 2- Major Recording Project Description Undertake a recording project culminating in approximately 15 minutes worth of music. Submit a self-analysis report of the project. A1AM6 major recording projects are designed to develop a sense of collaboration, communication and cooperation between the recording artist and audio engineer, ultimately for their mutual benefit. Requirements Students will be required to record and mix a musical act and deliver a set of tracks approximately 15 minutes in duration (or 4 songs in total). All songs will need to be performed by the one artist/act. The artist must be a “full band” - multiple musicians including an acoustic drum kit. Variations on this requirement can be obtained, but subject to prior approval. Please note that you must not be a member of the band, and you must not undertake any performing role in any capacity. Certain concessions exist with regards to due dates for this assessment, depending on who you collaborate with. You must choose one of the options below: Collaborate with Recording plan due Any 6hr sessions

to be used by Final submission due

Option 1 Composition 6 student Week 4, Tutorial Class End of Week 7 Week 12, Friday 5pm* Option 2 External or AIM based

artist (non CMP6) Week 2, Tutorial Class End of Week 6 Week 11, Friday 5pm

* If working with a CMP6 student, you will need to fill out an Assessment Deferral form in order to have your delivery date officially extended to week 12. The Recording Plan You will write and submit a single “Recording Plan”. The plan documents how you intend to undertake the project and should include sufficient details to support your ideas. Please note that this plan is your commitment to the project and it will be expected that you follow this plan as detailed. Any changes/deviations from the approved plan will need to be discussed with your lecturer beforehand. Your recording plan must show reasonable planning for at least the following, but can include more if necessary:

• Genre o Description of genre o Reference tracks o Microphone choices (best in table format) o How your mic techniques relate to the genre o How your room choices and performer placement relate to the genre

• Detailed instrumentation for each song including all overdubs • Project timeline (see Session Plan Template in your MyAIM as a reference)

o A week by week project timeline of when each session will occur (Pre Prod, Rec, OD, Edit, Mix, etc) referring to AIM week numbers

o Detailed list of overdubs, doubles, layers of each instrument (when applicable)- included in the week by week project timeline for each song

• Studio floor plans and diagrams for all recording setups




• 6 hour session timelines • Clear planning and consideration of all overdubs are necessary • Personnel list (artist names and instruments, producer, assistants, etc)

o Assistants – any supporting documentation to add efficiency to your sessions. Signal flow for assistants? Specific tasks for assistant?

Getting Your Recording Plan Marked To get your recording plan marked, you will need to arrange a personal meeting with your lecturer who will review your recording plan. This meeting will be at a time that is mutually convenient for all parties, and need to take place by the due date listed above. Lecturers will advise of their availability. The lecturer may not be available at all times (their time may have been booked by other students), and you must ensure that you arrange your meeting well in advance. It is very possible the lecturer will not be available to meet with you on the date that the plan is due. At the meeting you must bring the following:

• A printed copy of the Recording Plan • A digital version of the Recording Plan • A printed cover sheet for this unit.

Once the meeting has concluded, the plan will be marked, signed and dated by your lecturer. A digital version will need to be submitted to Assignment Delivery as an official record. The cover sheet will also be signed as proof of submission. Failure to have a Recording Plan by the due date will result in an automatic ‘0’ for the "Recording Plan" criteria of the project. It may also affect other criteria related to the project. In some cases, recording plans are so poor, the lecturer may advise that your plan undergo significant changes. You should endeavour to modify the plan in accordance to this advice, and meet with the lecturer again as necessary. The modifications are in your own best interest, to avoid a poor overall result for this assessment. Booking Studio Time It is advisable that you download and re-read the ‘Studio Terms and Conditions’ as there are some allowances that may apply to your A1AM6 recording project. All recording and mixing must be done utilising AIM’s production facilities. You can choose which room you would prefer to record and mix in. You will receive 24 hours of studio time. Use this “budget” wisely. The facilities that are included in your budgeted studio time are:

• SSL control room • Icon control room • Toft control room • C24 control room (A107) • Tascam control room • Behringer control room • Studio A/B • A113 • Studio C • Studio E/F • Other spaces (on special approval)

It is recommended that you be efficient with your studio time, and use only the time you need. Additional studio time may be booked using the “48-hour rule” (see Studio Terms and Conditions). You should also consider using the Production Rooms in Building B or the DML for things like editing, as these bookings do not count towards your budgeted time. For A1AM6.PS students only, you are able to book two separate 6-hour sessions (NB. If you book a 4-hour or 5-hour session before the deadline, that will count as a 6-hour session). This is to allow you to make




significant progress on your project in the early stages of the trimester. These sessions can only be used before the deadline listed in the table above. After that date, normal block bookings apply, according to the standard booking rules. Pre-Production You must undertake a distinct pre-production phase that is to be detailed in your final written report. As a guide the pre-production phase would include:

• Discussion with your artist as to song choice and music direction • Agreement of reference tracks • Finalisation of arrangements and instrumentation choices • Recording rough demos of the songs • DAW preparation of tempos, markers and time signatures • Recording guide tracks within the DAW session

Recording Each session should also include an assistant engineer. It is up to you to chose and book the assistant. All assistant engineers must be on the Approved Student Engineers List available on the QStudios section in your MyAIM. Session Observation As part of this assessment, you may be observed by one of the audio academic staff. You must expect that at any time, and without notice, a member of staff will enter one or more of your recording sessions to observe your technical and professional skills. Professional skills include time management, people management and self-management with respect to the running of the session. Production Report You must submit a 3000 word Production Report. As a guide please refer to the online resources for A1AM6 for an example of the style of writing. A successful report will be structured as follows:

• An introductory statement as to the aims and objectives of the project. Mention should be made of pre-production, reference material, musical direction and main personnel associated with the project.

• Reference to your recording plan including any deviations from that plan. • A description of the recording and overdub phase of the project:

o Set up details including justifications and expectations for each decision. o A description of how the sessions ran including an explanation of problems encountered

(technical and professional) and how they were solved o A summary statement that critically analyses the recording and overdub phase. Were

expectations met? What worked well? What would you change in the future? Any learning outcomes?

• A description of the editing phase of the project: o A summary statement of the editing required. o Explanation of problems (technical and professional) and how they were solved o A summary statement that critically analyses the editing phase. Were expectations met?

What worked well? What would you change in the future? Any learning outcomes? • A description of the mix phase of the project:

o Mix ideas, decisions and reasoning o Explanation of problems (technical and professional) and how they were solved o Critical analysis of each song from a mix perspective. Were expectations met? What worked

well? What would you change in the future? Any learning outcomes? • A conclusive statement that provides a critical analysis of the entire project.

In addition a successful report will:

• Support any claim with evidence and fact, but avoid excessive technical detail that is irrelevant to your argument.

• Photos and diagrams that support your arguments. When including such material, ensure that you refer to this in your report.

• Contain no grammatical, syntax or spelling errors. • Adhere to the AIM style guide




• Be correctly referenced Deliveries For this assessment, you must submit the following:

• Rough Mixes Folder containing the rough mixes (levels and panning, no editing) of all tracks (stereo interleaved WAV, 44.1KHz, 24 bit)

• Deliveries Folder containing your final mixes with no limiting (stereo interleaved WAV, 44.1KHz, 24 bit)

• Production Report in PDF format • Recording plan in PDF format • Credits list in PDF format

All files and folders for this assessment must be placed in a main submission folder. The naming format for this folder must be as follows: A1AM6.PS_16T2_MajorRecordingProject_Surname_Student Number Assessment Criteria Apply professional-level technical skills to select, connect and operate equipment and software within a specialised audio production environment (15%) Apply professional-level technical problem solving skills within a specialised audio production environment (15%) Apply professional-level critical listening, analysis and evaluation skills in a specialised audio production environment (30%) Demonstrate professionalism in time management, people management and personal management within a specialised audio production environment (30%) Demonstrate professional-level project management and documentation skills (10%) The above criteria will take into account the following elements:

• Vocal Sound/Balance • Instrument balance • Frequency balance • Stereo Image • Spacialisation/Effect use • Dynamics • Production/Genre specific • Recording plan • Plan execution/Problem solving/Professional skills • Documentation

ASSESSMENT DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS Your submission must be in a single folder, named and formatted as required in the assessment description, and delivered at AIM following this procedure:

• Open the Assignment Delivery folder – use the shortcut on the sidebar of a Finder window on a computer in a Production Room

• Open the unit code folder • Drag & drop your submission into the appropriate dropbox (check the assessment description) • Files will be time-stamped

In addition to the submission itself, a hard copy of the assignment's official cover sheet (softcopy available via student login) must be:

• Signed & dated by student; • Counter-signed by a production staff member as confirmation of data submission; • Submitted (with both signatures) by student in person to Student Services; • NOTE: student must retain the cover sheet receipt as proof of submission.




No submissions of CDs, USBs, or printed material. If you have any problems with this procedure, see the unit coordinator, or a production supervisor. TEXTS Text: Owsinski B, 2006, The Mixing Engineer's Handbook, Second Edition, Thomson Course Technology Berkley CA USA Owsinski B, 2010, The Music Producer's Handbook: Music Pro Guides (Technical Reference), First Edition, Hal Leonard Milwaulkee WI USA Owsinski B, 2009, The Recording Engineer's Handbook, Second Edition, Course Technology PTR, Berkley CA USA Zager M, 2011, Music Production: For Producers, Composers, Arrangers, and Students, Second Edition, Scarecrow Press Lanland MD USA Further Reading: Campbell R, 2012, Pro Tools 10 Advanced Music Production Techniques, First Edition, Course Technology PTR Boston MA USA Droney M, 2003, Mix Masters: Platinum Engineers Reveal Their Secrets For Success, Berklee Press, Boston MA USA Massey H 2000, Behind The Glass – Top Record Producers Tell How They Craft The Hits, Backbeat Books, San Francisco CA USA Massey H, 2009, Behind the Glass, Volume II: Top Producers Tell How They Craft the Hits, Backbeat Books, San Francisco CA USA Moorefield, V. 2010.The Producer as Composer: Shaping the Sounds of Popular Music, First Edition, The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. Senior M, 2011, Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio, First Edition, Focal Press, Burlington MA USA. Also available at http://AIM.eblib.com.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=667718 STUDENT RULES Please refer to Section 5 of the AIM Student Handbook for details regarding policies on Assessment, Examinations, Grading, Late Penalties and Student Conduct.

Documents

SYD 16T2 A1AM6.PS EUO 160421