Announcement: Opportunities in Digital Sound Design at DSU⌗

• DSU Live: A student-run club where you can learn how to set up and run live concerts, as well as start and manage a record label. Find out more and get involved by talking to one of the current members or visiting DSU Live.
• Sound Design Discord: Connect with your peers, share projects, and keep up with program news in the DSU Sound Design Discord Server.
• Student Research Initiatives: Interested in funding for projects? DSU has resources to support undergraduate research, and sound design students are encouraged to get involved. Learn more and apply at Student Research Initiatives.

Week 1 (8/25)⌗

Monday (8/25)⌗

• Class introductions
  • What’s your name, major, and what is the last song you listened to?
• Introduction to syllabus
• Intro to Music Technology slides

Homework: Your favorite sound (submit on D2L) - Due Friday, 8/29.

Wednesday (8/27)⌗

• Your favorite song is due Friday
• Finish Intro to Music Technology slides

Friday (8/29)⌗

• Sound and hearing slides

Week 2 (9/1)⌗

Monday (9/1)⌗

• No Class - Labor Day

Wednesday (9/3)⌗

• Listen to a few of your songs
• Introduction to Reaper

Friday (9/5)⌗

• Listen to a few more songs that we haven’t heard yet
• Introduction to Reaper - Continue with intro
• Saving and exporting
• Introduce Project 1: Arranging Clips
  • Find loops and preview them - Looperman - show the different features of this website
  • Find drums, percussion, chords, and a cappella vocals

Project 1: Arranging Clips - Due Monday, 9/15 by class.

Reminder: All projects will be played out loud in class. Make sure you are comfortable sharing what you’ve created with the group.

Week 3 (9/8)⌗

Monday (9/8)⌗

• No class - work on your loops project independently

Wednesday (9/10)⌗

• Listen to favorite songs
• Show a basic version of the loops project
  • Find 7 clips from Looperman
  • Layer and rename tracks in Reaper
  • Build arrangement
• Some layering and mixing of the project from Monday
• Audio Hardware slides

Friday (9/12)⌗

• Finish the in-class project
  • mixing and exporting
  • Finish: Audio Hardware slides

Week 4 (9/15)⌗

Monday (9/15)⌗

• Listen to loops projects

Project 2: Satirical PSA - Have your script ready by Monday, 9/22.

Wednesday (9/17)⌗

• Move to the studio
  • Studio tour
    • Microphones presentation
    • Studio Documentation
    • Book your time in the studio to record your projects
• Reaper Recording
  • One student dialogue demo

Friday (9/19)⌗

• Editing
  • Each student must edit their own PSA.
  • More tips for editing in Reaper
    • Editing
  • In class editing assignment instructions

Week 5 (9/22)⌗

Monday (9/22)⌗

• Another recording day for some more practice, but focusing on editing and mixing.

Wednesday (9/24)⌗

• Sound Effects + music beds
  • In class example: The Raven Audiobook SFX Design
  • Finding sound effects
  • Examples could be transition impacts or swooshes between character lines. Some scripts will have specific needs for effects that illustrate locations or products, like chirping birds for outdoor settings.
  • Add sound effects to separate tracks
• Make sure your music and dialogue work well together
• Mixing – background music should be much quieter than dialogue; around -30 dB is a good start.

Friday (9/26)⌗

• FX Roulette game

Week 6 (9/29)⌗

Monday (9/29)⌗

• EQ

Wednesday (10/1)⌗

• Listen to PSAs in class
• Discuss what worked well and what could be improved
• EQ in class assignment

Friday (10/3)⌗

• DAD day at MAAC - Thursday, 10/30 from 7 PM - 9 PM - DAD @ MAAC #4 | Facebook
  • Think of a project you’d like to have shown at the event; every DSD student is required to show at least one work.
• Exploring EQ on a multitrack recording - instructions

Week 7 (10/6)⌗

Monday (10/6)⌗

• Dynamic effects
  • ReaComp, ReaXComp, ReaLimit, ReaGate
  • What elements in our mix are still not sitting correctly that could use compression?

Wednesday (10/8)⌗

• Time-based effects
  • Delay, Chorus, and Flanger

Friday (10/10)⌗

• Reverb

Week 8 (10/13)⌗

Monday (10/13)⌗

• No class for Native American Day

Wednesday (10/15)⌗

• Putting together all we’ve learned to make a simple mix
• Project 3: In class mixing assignment - Due by 10/24