50154 Creative Audio Techniques

Handbook description

Students are introduced to the fundamentals of sound, and engage in ideas of music, sound, soundscape, noise and the voice per se for practices related to radio, studio-generated music, audio and screen sound. Production techniques include introduction to audio sampling and sequencing, and intermediate-level uses of digital audio-editing workstations. Students are encouraged to take experimental and innovative approaches and to realise their work in a variety of forms.

Subject objectives/outcomes

Students will:

1. develop the ability to take up industrial (in an assistant capacity) and artisan roles in the media arts and production industries of radio broadcasting; the convergent media industry; independent media and audio arts; online environments and services, education and community sectors and the entertainment industries
2. develop specialist audio production skills to an advanced creative and intermediate technical level
3. develop audio production skills, including studio recording and microphone and audio software techniques
4. develop skills of self reliance and problem solving to a professional level
5. develop skills in collaboration, communication and teamwork necessary for the collaborative nature of media production work in the audio/sound area.

Contribution to graduate profile

Students who successfully complete this subject will:

• develop the ability to be able to take up industrial and artisan roles in the media arts and production industries of radio broadcasting; the convergent media industry; independent media and audio arts; online environments and services, education and community sectors and the entertainment industries
• develop the professional skills to work as sound artists, independent producers and directors or in a specialist role as part of a creative team
• have the ability to work as professionals using a combination of technical, critical and creative skills
• have knowledge and skills of a broad range of media arts practices and have specialist skills in at least one media production area
• have a conceptual and practical production experience of different forms, approaches, styles and genres in their particular media specialisation
• develop skills in problem solving, communication and teamwork necessary for the collaborative nature of media production work
• be adaptable, flexible and innovative as they cope with and contribute to continuous change within existing professional industries
• be self-reliant as well as being able to collaborate on media arts projects throughout all stages of conception, project development, production, postproduction and presentation
• be able to present to a portfolio, showreel or samples of creative work suitable for presentation to prospective employers, funding bodies, postgraduate programs, and for scholarships and awards
• be prepared for advanced professional skill development or further postgraduate level study
• have the ability to engage in constructive criticism and analysis of media production work.

Teaching and learning strategies

• Lectures and workshops
• Practical workshops and activities held in class
• Working in production teams: researching, organising, managing and producing audio projects
• Analysis of audio works.

Content

• Research, plan and produce audio projects
• Learn studio recording and microphone and software techniques
• Assess audio works and activities.

Assessment

Assessment item 1: A research assignment

Assessment item 2: A major research and production assignment

Minimum requirements

Students are expected to read the subject outline to ensure they are familiar with the subject requirements. Since class discussion and participation in activities form an integral part of this subject, you are expected to attend, arrive punctually and actively participate in classes. If you experience difficulties meeting this requirement, please contact your lecturer. Students who have a reason for extended absence (e.g., illness) may be required to complete additional work to ensure they achieve the subject objectives.

Attendance is particularly important in this subject because it is based on a collaborative approach which involves essential workshopping and interchange of ideas. Students who attend fewer than ten classes are advised that their final work will not be assessed and that they are likely to fail the subject.

Minimum requirements for this subject are:

1. Students must submit a copy of your project in the highest quality applicable format, ie DV, CD, DVD unless otherwise stated. This copy will be retained by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
2. Students must include a credit to UTS on the final submitted project in the format "made at the University of Technology, Sydney, 2003 www.hss.uts.edu.au" or substituting the relevant year of production, unless otherwise stated. Audio projects may submit the credit on the CD cover rather than within the body of the work.
3. Students are asked to sign a release form which gives UTS the right to use part or whole of your project for internal education purposed or external UTS promotion. IT WILL NOT INFRINGE ON YOUR OWNERSHIP OF COPYRIGHT IN YOUR WORK. This form should be submitted with the final assessment task.

Indicative references

Stanley R Alten, Audio In Media, Wadsworth, Belmont, 1981.

Michel Chion, Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen, Columbia University Press, New York, 1994.

David Miles Huber, Modern Recording Techniques (5th Edition), Butterworth-Heinenann, London, 2001.

Douglas Kahn, Noise/Water/Meat : A History of Voice, Sound and Aurality in The Arts, MIT Press, 1999.

Curtis Roads, The Computer Music Tutorial, MIT Press, 1996.

Curtis Roads, Microsound, MIT Press, 2002.

R. Murray Schafer, The Tuning of the World, University of Penn. Press, 1977.

Paul Theburge, Any Sound You Can Imagine: Making Music/Consuming Technology, Wesleyan Univ. Pr., 1997.

David Toop, Ocean of Sound (5th edition), Consortium, 2001.

Essays in Sound, Volumes 1-4 (Sydney).