Instructor
Dr. Mark Snyder
msnyder3@ju.edu
Phillips Fine Arts 207
(904) 256-7665
Office Hours M 2:30-4:00 PM, TR 2:30-4:30 PM, and by appointment.
Introduction
Welcome to MUS 445: Commercial Production. The course covers the tasks you will use most often when using a DAW, how to assist in producing a record and finally, you will produce your own record. In beginning, you’ll be introduced to songwriting, basic music analysis for the purpose of songwriting and recognizing production techniques, tracking, overdubs, MIDI, mixing, effects and the digital audio workstation, (DAW), Logic Pro. Once you have made it through the text and done all of the exercises and created your own song, you will create another song but using Pro Tools instead. Along with the accompanying text, I cover Logic Pro in great detail, but students are required to teach themselves the techniques they learned in Logic using Pro Tools. While it would be much easier for you now if I taught PT the same way I teach Logic, your ability in the future to work or learn any DAW would be truly hampered. You should understand that there are two songs you will create that will be critiqued by your fellow students and myself in class. If you don’t feel you can be publicly criticized for your work, this may not be the course for you. While all critiques should be respectful, honesty can hurt when you’ve poured your heart and soul into a piece of music you’ve created. The truly exciting part of the course is that we will be making three records! The first, you will assist me in recording a faculty group, the second, you will be recording the top student group, Jazz Combo I and the final group is an outside professional combo. All three records will be released internationally giving you credits on three recordings along with the two songs you create to fill out your portfolio!
Text
We will be using articles, videos and reading all studio manuals but the required text is the Apple Training Series Logic Pro. Additionally, there are many books that are great for further reading. I’ll make links to those throughout the semester.
Additional Materials
- Memory Stick or Hard Drive for storing & backing up your projects.
- Studio quality headphones. Pick a pair from the list below. They don’t need to be from Sweetwater.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HD280Pro/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SRH440/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MDR7506/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/K240S/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ATHM50
Course Goals
Students will have:
- Experience using Logic Pro and Pro Tools Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs)
- A basic introduction to music theory terminology (analysis)
- Engage in song writing (creation)
- An understanding of MIDI techniques (sampling, synthesized sound generation, computers, controllers)
- Develop skills in audio production as it is used in composition, recording, editing and performance.
Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand the role of MIDI in contemporary music applications.
- Perform fundamental to intermediate tasks in a Digital Audio Workstation.
- Aquire the organizational skills necessary to make a profession recording to be released.
- Use Pro Tools & Logic
- Experiment with the creation of an idea, question, format or product by applying new, different, or divergent approaches to it.
- Use the creative process to understand oneself and solve problems
Class Participation & Attendance
Education is partially experiential and therefore class attendance is critical.
Absences and Excuses
Each student is directly responsible for absences and for making up missed work.
Assignment Descriptions
Homework
In addition to the readings and lab work, there are graded homework assignments for the course. These consist of project drafts that demonstrate your progress on the project. You will post these on this course site and your posts will include evidence and integration of course readings, video tutorials and whatever other research you incorporated to support your work. You will also be required to comment on each others drafts and projects.
Projects
There are 2 song Projects that will demonstrate what you have learned in Pro Tools & Logic. These will be completed and uploaded to the course site for grading and then published for class critique.
You will work on all three recording project as teams but each of you individually will create a final mix of all three records that will be uploaded to the course site and you will be required to comment on each others draft and final mixes.
Quizes
There will be pop quizzes that will cover what was supposed to be prepared for class. This means, always come to class after having read the material, done the exercises and whatever else was required for that day.
Tests
There will be two tests given during the semester. One will cover your knowledge of our studio equipment and the other will cover how to run a session.
Critiques
Students are expected to participate in the critiques of the projects that occur when these projects are played in class. Failure to do so will lower the grade of your project. Critiques are designed to offer insights, suggestions for improvement, support to encourage you to improve your work. Each of you will provide an affective grade for each of final projects that is averaged in with my affective grade and feedback.
In addition to the above requirements, participation will be measured against the following criteria:
- Contribute original thoughts or ideas to the critiques.
- Give relevant reasons to validate points.
- Demonstrate openness to divergent points of view.
- Be respectful of the perceptions of others.
- Integrate material from previous units to formulate ideas and generate dialogue.
Assessments
Projects will be graded by timeliness and the fulfillment of the requirements as well, but grades of A and B will be reserved for students going above and beyond the requirements and overall quality.
Expectations
Students will be expected to spend an average of 6 hours per week in the lab working with the software and creating music in conjunction with the readings. All work will be completed and turned in on time. All readings in the schedule below will need to be completed before the first class meeting of the week and the lessons from the text will need to be completed by the end of that week and before turning in your drafts/projects so you will be able to discuss how all of the readings informed your work for the week. Drafts are due on the course site by Friday at 11:59 PM and comments on your classmates work is due by the following Tuesday at 11:59 PM so that you can turn your assignment in with comments on time.
Schedule
UNIT 1:
Week 1 Introduction, Music Theory, Song Structure, Start Listening!
Week 2 Songwriting, Logic Lesson 1
Week 3 Basics of Digital Audio & Recording, Logic Lessons 2 & 3. No class Meeting! Start working on Logic Project.
Week 4 Recording Vocals & Instruments, Logic Lesson 4 & 5Draft 1 due
Week 5 Polar Patterns & Stereo Mic Techniques, Logic Lessons 6, 7 & 8. Draft II due
Week 6 EQ, Compression, Logic Lesson 9 & 10, continue working on Logic Project. Draft III due
Week 7 Mixing, Reverb 1, 2 & Delay, Review, Draft IV due
Week 8 Logic Project due Test 1
UNIT 2:
Week 9 Computer as Instrument, Pro Tools Tutorials, start working on Pro Tools Project.
Week 10 MIDI and Electronic Music Technology, continue working on Pro Tools Project. Draft I due
Week 11 Live Vocal and Instrument Processing, continue working on Pro Tools Project. Draft II due
Week 12 Review, Pro Tools Project Due
Unit 3:
Week 13 Effects 1, 2 , Start working on final mixes.
Week 14 Review & Test 2
Final Mixes Due Exam Time
***The above schedule is approximate. We may be ahead or behind a day or two. Check the Assignments on Canvas for due dates***
Grading
Homework 20%
Projects (5) 50%
Tests 30%
Academic Honesty
Students at JU are expected to adhere to the highest standards of academic honesty. Refer to the information on academic integrity and misconduct found in the online JU catalog, p.101. Academic dishonesty will be handled appropriately by the instructor.
Grading
The course grade will be determined from evaluations of the following:
20% Project 1
20% Project 2
20% Final Projects
20% Class Assignments and Exercises
20% Reading Quizes
Student Support Services
Students at JU are expected to adhere to the highest standards of academic honesty. Refer to the information on academic integrity and misconduct found in the online JU catalog, p.101. Academic dishonesty will be handled appropriately by the instructor.
