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Area of Study 1:: Musictechstudent - Co.uk
Area of Study 1:: Musictechstudent - Co.uk
Area of Study 1:: Musictechstudent - Co.uk
Recording and production techniques for both corrective and creative purposes
Software The core and Functions are detailed below in this table
and advanced
hardware functions of a
digital audio
workstation
(DAW) (1,2,4)
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Other MIDI, OSC or any other programming environments may be used (2,4)
programming
environments Awareness of new, alternative software
emerging production*(4)
software (2,4)
new and
music production practices* (4)
emerging
software on
music
production (4)
1.2 Capture Gain structure Setting gain to maximise signal-to noise-ratio (1,2,3,4)
and distortion
(1,2,3,4) Pre-amp controls: phantom power; gain; pad; high pass filter; polarity; clip/
activity LED (1,2,4)
and suitability
of microphones Directional microphones; (cardioid, hypercardioid and figure of eight polar
(1,2) patterns): omnidirectional microphones
Proximity effect
Sensitivity
suitability of
microphone
types (3,4)
techniques (1,2)
Placement distance and angle
Eliminating plosives
of microphone
placement Recording instruments using a single microphone
techniques (3,4)
Recording instruments using multiple microphones, e.g. drum kit
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The advantages Advantages and disadvantages of different polar patterns (4)
and
disadvantages
of microphone Directional: cardioid; hyper cardioid; figure of 8
of polar pattern
Omnidirectional
and frequency
response (3,4)
Frequency response and transient response
microphone
techniques (3,4) Coincident and spaced stereo pairs
How Sensitivity
microphones
work (3,4) Microphone switches: pad;
switch
Microphone accessories:
pop shield;
elastic suspension/cradle
plates (4)
1.3 How synthesis Selecting and mixing sine, triangle, pulse, square and saw waveforms;
Synthesis is used to white noise; low frequency oscillator (LFO); filters (low pass and high pass);
create sounds envelopes
(2,3,4)
How timbre is How timbre is affected by cut-off frequency resonance, attack, decay,
affected by a sustain and release (amplitude envelope)
wider range of
parameters Mapping envelope and LFO to filter cut-off and pitch
(2,3,4)
Oscillator octave, coarse and fine tuning
Portamento; arpeggiator
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Looping (2,3,4) Loop points
Crossfades
Parameters
(3,4) Reversing samples
Time-stretch (4)
parameters (2)
Using synthesis parameters on samples, e.g. filter and envelope
Velocity layering
Context (2) Use of samples in new contexts to create new meanings or effects
input (2,4)
Using a pencil tool to draw in notes
Quantise (2,3) Hard quantise values e.g.8,12,16, 24, 32 (and note length equivalents)
Swing/percentage quantise
(2,3,4)
Velocity and note length
How MIDI Note on/off; pitch; controllers; pitch bend; LSB and MSB; tempo data in
works by bpm
studying
data bytes (4) Setting a fixed tempo and applying tempo changes
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1.6 Audio Truncating Scissor tool/split
editing (1,2,4)
Lead-in and lead-out times (4)
clicks and
and plosives
other noises
occur (4)
1.7 Pitch How to correct For example, re-tuning a vocal part with automatic tuning
and
manipulatio Manually tuning individual notes by drawing in pitch, playing via MIDI or
n offline pitch shift process (2,4)
Replacing small errors with material from elsewhere in the song (1)
How to correct Replacing small errors with material from elsewhere in the song (1,3)
inaccuracies in
rhythm (1,2,3,4) Manually cutting and moving notes that are out of time
Parameters that Pitch: use of automatic tuning as a creative effect; response time; fine
allow greater tuning in cents
control and
creativity Pitch: selecting notes / scales
(1,2,3,4) (3)
How to use
volume and pan
automation
(3,4)
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Automating For example, cut-off frequency and delay feedback
parameters of
plugins (1,2,3,4)
1.9 Uses of Situations when you would use a compressor and or/gate
Dynamic compression
processing and gating Limiting; expansion; de-essing
(1,2,3,4)
Pumping
Core and Compressor threshold, ratio and make-up gain, attack, release, knee
advanced
parameters of a side-chain
compressor
and gate Gate threshold, attack, release, reduction/range
(1,2,3,4)
Gate threshold, reduction/range attack, release, hold and side-chain (4)
1.10 Stereo Pan (1,2,3,4) Setting pan positions for individual parts (tracks, instruments and/or vocals)
in a recording (1,2,4)
mono-summing
and mid-side Mono compatibility
processing (1)
1.11 EQ Different types Low shelf; high shelf; band; low pass filter; high pass filter; band pass filter
of EQ in a
recording Correcting problems including sibilance, noise and resonances
(1,2,3,4)
Parametric EQ; graphic EQ (4)
parameters
affect sound Drawing graphs of EQ (4)
(1,2,3,4)
Effects advanced
parameters Core and advanced parameters as listed for each effect
(1,2,3,4)
Using inserts and effects (4)
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Modulated Flange; chorus; phaser
delay (1,2,3,4)
LFO rate; LFO depth; feedback
Comb filtering
(1,2,3,4)
How the pedal controls the centre frequency (4)
Amp modelling parameters: amps and speaker types; virtual mic type/
placement (1,2,4)
LFO rate(4)
Lo-fi (3,4) Bit-crushing; vinyl surface noise/crackle effects; telephone effect; vocal
distortion; ambient/found sound
1.13 Balance The relative balance of parts (tracks, instruments and/or vocals)
Balance (1,2,3,4)
and blend
Understanding Master EQ, e.g. high shelf boost and rumble (high pass) filter
how EQ is used
in the mastering
process
(1,2,3,4)
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