Music Production Week 1

The second of the courses I've signed up for.

This one was a little more intense than the Songwriting one, and the nineteen lectures in the first week cover topics ranging from propagation of sound to how to connect microphones and instruments into a system.

There were seven quizzes too, covering propagation, amplitude, frequency, visualising sound, microphones, cables and signals. I have managed to get what I class as a satisfactory mark for the quizzes, so I'm feeling pleased about that.

Some of the theory I was familiar with, could be something to do with the training I received as a telecommunications engineer when I was with BT (although it was known as "Post Office Telecommunications" when I first joined).

The peer review assessment is to select a topic and prepare materials to help teach the topic. The lesson can be in a variety of formats including a pdf document, a video, a screen movie with voice-over, text with diagrams, a blog post, a powerpoint...  Basically almost any method that you want to.

The topics that can be chosen are:

• Audio Basics: Propagation, Amplitude, Frequency, and Timbre. (you can do a broad overview or focus on a single parameter of sound)
• Microphone Basics: Type, Frequency Response, and Polar Pattern. (you can do a broad overview or focus on a single aspect of microphones)
• Visualizing Sound
• Type and Usage of Important Studio Cables. 
• Typical Recording Signal Flow Using Your Own Equipment. 
• How To: Recording Spoken Word. 
• How To: Recording an Acoustic Instrument. 
• How To: Recording an Electronic Instrument. 
• How To: Recording an Electric Guitar or Bass without an Amplifier. 
• How To: Recording an Electric Guitar or Bass with an Amplifier. 

I don't know which one I would choose yet, I'm going to have to think fairly hard about it. I'm quite tempted by recording an Electric Guitar without an amp - I have an electro-acoustic guitar and a 1/4" to USB adaptor and some free recording software, and also have a small mixing desk I can throw into the mix. Decisions, decisions!

I think I know what I'm going to be doing on Sunday, there is no chance of me doing any tomorrow or Saturday because I'm thinking about going to the Epic Powwow after the Cub Scout meeting tomorrow night and I'm working on Saturday and have a party to go to that night too.

I think it's time I should be heading to bed, I've an 6am alarm for work tomorrow.