PHILTECH INSTTITUTE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY

2nd Floor Hong Building. Barangay San Diego Poblacion,

Gumaca, Quezon

SUBJECT: DIGITAL SOUND PRODUCTION

Date & Time: Friday 7:00am – 9:00am

Instructor: Mr. MELBORN E. GATMAITAN

Course Objectives:

The course is designed as an introduction to computer based recording, editing, mixing and production of sound. The student will gain experience using an industry
standard digital audio workstation (DAW) for music and sound production, Pro Tools.

Satisfactory completion of the course should provide students with the following skills and knowledge:

 A fundamental knowledge of how sound is digitally produced and recorded.

 An understanding of how the digital and the analog protocols differ and the relative advantages of each
 An understanding of how the Pro Tools DAW creates and manages sound elements and stored on computer files within a recording session
 The ability to work at a basic level in the Pro Tools environment recording from multiple sources, mixing and basic sound wave editing
 A working knowledge of MIDI, including the ability to create and manipulate MIDI files, quantize MIDI events and edit discrete MIDI information
 An introduction to sound synthesis via a percussion loop.
 Hands on experience with live recording, from concept, mixing, and then to mastering a CD

As an Fine Arts course, the student will also understand the aesthetics of sound, musically, voice, or otherwise, with the goal of producing and engineering
appealing audio works using state of the art software tools and equipment. Class critiques will be part of the projects produced.

Grading Policy:

 30% Two in-class midterm exams (each 15%)

 Quizzes – 15% You may drop your two lowest quizzes from your average; no make-up quizzes are permitted, however, and will count as a dropped quiz.
These are the only inclass "exams".
  Paired Assignments – 10%
 Final Production Project (Pair)– 25%
 Participation 10% The participation grade will be calculated primarily from your peer member evaluation on the final project and assignments throughout
the semester.
 Individual Final Graded Assignment 10%, during the finals period an assignment to demonstrate your ability to edit, process and mix creating an original
composition with provided raw audio material. This is to ensure you were learning the software application and concepts.
 Extra Credit Any student, or student team, may gain extra credit by developing a project for the Liberal Arts Symposium Projects and credit must be
arranged with the instructor according the schedule put forth by the college for LAS. Another option may be to record some instrumental performances led
by faculty members of the music department this spring. Opportunities often arise where someone needs a professional recording. See the instructor for
more information.
 10% Intangibles (will include attendance, participation in-class activities, course evaluation, etc.).
o Class attendance. Missing 10% or more lectures will loss all 10% Intangibles
 No late assignment will be accepted without prior approval from the instructor. No makeup exams for missed midterms or final exam unless compelling
reasons can be provided and verified.

Learning Episodes:

Week Topics
1 Orientation
2-3 Define and describe fundamentals audio concepts such as sound waves and their components the sound envelope and
sound as recorded in analog and digital forms
4-5 Describe fundamental production considerations that relate to hearing, sound perception and hearing health.
6 Review and Exam 1
7-8 Demonstrate a fundamental understanding of the operation and operating principals behind common audio
equipment including mixers, loudspeakers/monitors. Microphones and Digital Audio workstations.
9-10 Demonstrate proper mounting and microphone placement techniques by recording a voice over; for use in bothe pre-
written and student written commercial programming
11-12 Demonstrate fundamentals knowledge of the pro tools audio application to record, edit, mix and publish a completed
project.
Review and Exam 2
13 Demonstrate fundamentals knowledge of the pro tools audio application to record, edit, mix and publish a completed
project.
14 Demonstrate proficiency in both aesthetic and technical criteria by using the presented
15 Audition of projects to instructor for comment
16 Project finalization
17-18 Production Presentations (Final Exam)
Project Details

The final project will consist of producing 15-25 minutes of audio material, typically music, of varying complexity, burned to a CD. The material shall meet a number
of requirements listed below.

Do not record yourself for the final project. You may be a performer for some other pair in the class. Please check with the instructor for exceptions to this.

1. Produce and engineer a small recording consisting of a minimum of 2 minutes to a maximum of 4 minutes performed by an soloist or a small group of 1-3 in
the studio. A soloist, however, must be accompanied by another instrument. This production can consist of two separate recordings, but the total time
must fall precisely into the 2-4 minute range. The songs must end artistically and appropriately as part of the time. The original material must consist of 3-4
separate channels that you will need to mix down into two channels (stereo) for the CD and/or MP3. One channel may be include MIDI (or synth loop)
recording, but at least two audio channels. Thus, these individual productions will then contribute as separate recordings to the final CD. Further
enhancement and engineering is expected to be applied to these, given the feedback from the class listening audition March 27 and 29.
Create a project folder called Individual in your Student folder where the raw material still exsits but you have a soloed stereo track ready to play with your
work. The track should start at zero. This project element must be completed by all in the class by _______________ for listening auditioning purposes

2. In your pairs, produce 5-8 minutes from a larger group consisting of 3 or more performers, in a studio setting. This production must be substantial with at
least 6-8 separate channels where 2 to 4 channels are live audio channels. One or more channels must be MIDI or synth loop material. This production
should also be two separate recordings, but the total time must fall precisely into the 5-8 minutes. Each production must end artistically and appropriately
as part of the time. However, the recording cannot be primarily a synthesized work. A drum loop, for example, may be used as the MIDI dub, but a whole
composition of synthesized music is not acceptable. That is, the recordings must have significant live audio or performance recording.

3. Produce 5-8 minutes of a large ensemble recorded, not in the studio, but rather in a performance hall. This typically should be a rehearsal session and
unlikely will have a live audience. You will need to arrange the recording session with the ensemble and be as non-intrusive as possible. You cannot, nor are
permitted to, record Artist Series events or formal perfomances of college ensembles. Do not expect to get more than 2 takes of the live
rehearsal/performance. You may only have two original channels (stereo) to work with unless you use more than two microphones. The purpose is to
record the live ensemble performance outside the studio environment, but minimize and deal with the ambient noise recorded. Your post production is
about producing the best recording from this uncontrolled, non-studio environment. One or two tracks should result. The material must be at least 5
minutes but not more than 8 and must end appropriately.
4. For the CD produce a first track that essentially narrates the CD cover information.
For each track from steps 1,2 and 3 the following information must be provided:
o track number (the first track is the narration)
o title of the work
o who are the composer(s), lyricist(s), arranger(s) of the work (in the spirit of a bibliographic citation)
o who are the performers, director
o who is the producer (see below)
o who is the engineer (see below)
 o either as background to the narration or as a movie "trailer", give a 10 second sample of the work to be found on the track.

5. Produce a final track one which each producer critiques and/or highlights the production and engineering work you did, including feats and difficulties.
Support your reflection by including examples of raw material and how it was mixed, refined, and edited, showing off your work and explaining the
problems you encountered. Each producer needs to limit the critique to 30-60 seconds.

6. One person from the group will serve as producer of the CD and oversee the care for the first and last tracks of the CD (steps 6 and 7). All tracks should have
natural flow and most imporantly have even loudness levels, sound and feel. All original recordings and mixes for these productions shall be done in
ProTools and stored on the DAP server for instructor access as part of the grade.

Everyone in the group are expected to contribute as evenly as possible. Each individual must serve at least once as a producer and once as an engineer in parts 2 or
3.

1. The producer handles the recording logistics, performer interaction, management, content and post production decisions.
2. The engineer. (The actual studio set up, microphone settings, recording, mixing and postproduction are the responsibilities of the engineer.)
3. As a performer in front of the microphone. (If you are a musician of any kind, then you can be in one of the ensembles. Be sure your performance
contribution should be distinctly heard. If you're not a musician, you can at least narrate.)

THE PRODUCER AND ENGINEERING ROLES ARE TO BE DONE BY AN INDIVIDUAL. No co-producers or co-engineers.

NOTE: Your grade will NOT be reflective of the artistic abilities of the performers, but instead the grade will be based on your recording abilities and what you were
able to do with the material in the post-production stages. All will receive the same group grade, but adjustments will be made for variations in contribution in the
participation grade. There will be opportunity to rate your peers in this process.

The final CDs will be "screened" during the last two to three days of classes.

Assignment Submissions:

Late work will not be accepted unless compelling reasons can be supplied and verified. Do not attempt to submit work after the deadline without instructor's
approval. It will not be read nor considered for grading. All labs and projects are due on their respective due dates at 11:59pm Central time, unless otherwise
noted.

Attendance and Participation:

Attendance is required and will be taken during each class meeting. You are expected to stay throughout the entire class meeting. You cannot make up any missed
in-class activities. Your attendance record will be taken into consideration for your overall evaluation for this course.
It is the student’s responsibility to document their attendance in this course by participating in the class..

Class activities may include crating website exercises/assignments. These g activities will be counted towards students' participation grades (as a portion of the 10%
intangibles).

A student who misses half or more of the lectures for this subject during the first two weeks may be dropped from the course.

Interpersonal Interactions and Netiquette:

Treat your classmates with the professionalism and courtesy you would expect in the workplace, and with which you yourself would want to be treated. Make sure
that your communications are appropriate and adhere to netiquette policy. There is an informal code of conduct that most people follow on the Internet.
Netiquette includes not sending email or messages in ALL CAPS or with too many exclamation points or asking repetitive questions in forums that have FAQs
posted. Sending spam is also a violation of netiquette. You will have an easier time communicating with others over the Internet if you conform to these basic
standards. Note that Blackboard Learn software automatically stores course access records, quiz scores, email postings, discussion postings, and chat room
conversations.

“Courtesy, politeness, manners, and civility are all, in essence, forms of awareness. Being civil means being constantly aware of others and weaving restraint,
respect, and consideration on into the very fabric of this awareness. Civility is a form of goodness; it is gracious goodness. But it is not just an attitude of benevolent
and thoughtful relation to other individuals; it also entails an active interest in the well-being of our communities and even a concern for the health of the planet on
which we live.

Transitory/Minor Medical Issues:

In situations where a student experiences a transitory/minor medical condition (e.g. broken limb, acute illness, minor surgery) that impacts their ability to attend
classes, access classes or perform tasks within the classroom over a limited period of time, the student should refer to the class attendance policy in their syllabus.