Schedule
Lessons⌗
Week 1 (1/12)⌗
Monday (1/12)⌗
- Syllabus overview
- Semester Introduction
- Finding the textbooks in the DSU Library
- Some extra resources about Reaper
Assignment: Written Assignment 1 - Edison’s List
Wednesday (1/14)⌗
- Review Edison homework
- Hearing and Listening + Using Nearfield monitors
Reading: The Studio as Compositional Tool by Brian Eno. Submit a written response to D2L.
Friday (1/16)⌗
- Discuss Eno reading:
- Continue: - Hearing and Listening + Using Nearfield monitors
- Watch at home if we run out of time:
Week 2 (1/19)⌗
Monday (1/19)⌗
- No class (MLK Day)
Wednesday (1/21)⌗
- Supplemental Monitoring
- Low-end Mixing References
- Listen to your favorite music and analyze its mix. These might become your reference mixes later.
Friday (1/23)⌗
- Pre-mixing Checklist
- Resources:
- Lecture:
- Short Video on SPAN
- Mix Referencing - From Subjective Impressions to Objective Results
Homework: Create a list of six mix references (three styles of music). Listen on various speakers and write a paragraph for each explaining your choices.
Week 3 (1/26)⌗
Monday (1/26)⌗
- Listen to your mix references
- [Setup a mix in Reaper](../posts/week-2 /friday/setup-mix/)
Wednesday (1/28)⌗
- Setup a mix in Reaper
- We didn’t get to this on Monday.
- Tempo mapping
- finish tempo mapping
- After tempo mapping, finish adding regions and markers.
Friday (1/30)⌗
Assignment: Editing 1 - Drums - Due Wednesday
Week 4 (2/2)⌗
Monday (2/2)⌗
- Tuning and vocal aligning
- ReaTune - manual and automatic adjustments
- Vocal Alignment
- We’re starting our class song on Wednesday, so bring in any ideas (and instruments) you have for the composition.
Assignment: Complete the vocal tuning and aligning project for Better Way and submit to D2L by Monday.
Wednesday (2/4)⌗
- Finish Tuning and vocal aligning - aligning backup vocals
- Recording the class song
- What kind of composition do we want to create?
- Create backing tracks for playing to?
- Drums, bass, other instruments?
Friday (2/6)⌗
- more recording the class song
Week 5 (2/9)⌗
Monday (2/9)⌗
- More recording the class song
Wednesday (2/11)⌗
- out of town - no class
Friday (2/13)⌗
Assignment: Mixing Assignment 1: Choose a medium-difficulty project, create a mixdown with proper balance, adjust timing and tuning. DUE February 23rd at 1:00 pm.
Week 6 (2/16)⌗
Monday (2/16)⌗
- No class - President’s Day
Wednesday (2/18)⌗
- Building raw balance
- More recording for class song?
Friday (2/20)⌗
- Finish up final recordings for the class song
- What projects are you all working on for the mixing assignment?
- Look through some options and talk about what you’re thinking about doing.
- Look at some challenges with particular projects.
Week 7 (2/23)⌗
Monday (2/23)⌗
- Listen to some of your mixes and critique them.
Wednesday (2/25)⌗
- Compressing for a reason
- Pick some tracks in the mix and experiment with compression settings.
- Some listening: Chapter 9: Compressing For A Reason
Friday (2/27)⌗
- Compression Lab
- Turn in the results by Monday.
- Look at some freeware limiters
- Looking at a few freeware compressors
Week 8 (3/2)⌗
Monday (3/2)⌗
- Buss compression - “Glue Compressor”
- Beyond compression:
- transient & tempo plugins
- And other plugins: Chapter 10: Beyond Compression
Wednesday (3/4)⌗
- Two options:
- Final recording on class song
- Work on a mix as a class using techniques we’ve learned so far.
Friday (3/6)⌗
- Using EQ
- Extra resources:
- Listening to EQ examples
- EQ Slides
Assignment: Editing 2 - Equalization - start in class, due 3/11 at 2 pm
Week 9 (3/9)⌗
Monday (3/9)⌗
Wednesday (3/11)⌗
- Finish Beyond equalization
- EQ Lab due by 2 pm today.
Friday (3/13)⌗
- Class canceled
Week 10 (3/16)⌗
- Spring Break - No Classes
Week 11 (3/23)⌗
Monday (3/23)⌗
- Finish Beyond equalization
Introduce Teaching a Lesson project (proposals due April 3rd).
See “Class Song” guidelines (Due March 30th).
Wednesday (3/25)⌗
Friday (3/27)⌗
- Keep thinking of your lesson plan and proposal (Due April 3rd)
- Mixing with reverb
Week 12 (3/30)⌗
Monday (3/30)⌗
- More reverb
- talk about what you’re thinking of doing for your lesson.
Wednesday (4/1)⌗
- Listen to projects
Friday (4/3)⌗
- No class - Easter Break
Presentation proposal due by midnight
Week 13 (4/6)⌗
Monday⌗
- no class - Easter Break
Wednesday⌗
- Volunteer for presentations next week, starting on Friday
- Two students each day
- Mixing with Delays
Friday⌗
- More delay - third-party plugins
Talk about final project
Week 14 (4/13)⌗
Monday⌗
- Alex
Wednesday⌗
- Dylan
- Tavone
- Reminder to complete your recordings as soon as you can. Next week we’ll be working on the mixes in class. We can also do any overdubs that might need someone else in our class.
Friday⌗
- Emmet
- Colby
Week 15 (4/20)⌗
Monday⌗
- Millie
- Justice
Wednesday⌗
- Zakry
- Shea
Friday⌗
- Final project work day
- Show your current session progress for the final project.
- Confirm your recording plan and make sure you are on track for at least 15 recorded audio tracks from Charm Studios.
- Finish any remaining recording, comping, timing, tuning, and cleanup.
- Build the mix with balance, panning, EQ, compression, and effects.
- Start your short production notes so you are not writing them at the last minute.
Week 16 (4/27)⌗
Monday⌗
- Final project progress check
- Play your current mix for the class.
- Show your Reaper session and confirm that you have at least 15 recorded audio tracks from Charm Studios.
- Check track labels, colors, folders, bussing, and markers/regions.
- Make a clear list of what still needs to be recorded, edited, or fixed in the mix.
Wednesday⌗
- No class - Undergraduate Research Projects Presentations in the Science Center Lobby. Come support your classmates!
Friday⌗
- Final project progress check and wrap-up
- Play the latest version of your mix.
- Show your automation, reverb/delay choices, and any major mix revisions.
- Export your final stereo mix bounce.
- Consolidate your Reaper project and finish your production notes.
Final project due to D2L by May 6th