Audio Mastering

Instructor: Barak Shpeiz GENERAL INFORMATION Welcome to Audio Mastering! Audio mastering is a crucial stage of production in modern music. The concepts and practices are uniquely different than those of other processes in recording music. Specific topics include - but are not limited to - the history of audio mastering, advanced audio engineering theory, and principles and practices of the art and science of mastering. COURSE OBJECTIVE AND UPON COMPLETION OF THIS COURSE

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to: Understand the concepts and requirements of audio mastering Assess the strengths and weakness of mixed audio Work with a variety of audio formats and client systems Tonally and dynamically adjust multiple mixed audio tracks into a cohesive set TEACHING METHODOLOGY

This course will be conducted 100% online which means we will never physically meet. The course is designed to fit your own personal schedule during the week. However, online courses are not independent study courses. You will be expected to interact online with the instructor and your fellow students; to do assignments; to meet deadlines; and in some cases, to work in virtual groups.

GRADING AND EVALUATION OF COURSEWORK

Weekly Homework Assignments: It is crucial that you do the required reading from the text. There will be homework associated with the reading, and some questions on the exams will be derived from the reading. There will also be Homework projects and essays for you to complete. Weekly Quizzes: There will be 5 short quizzes. They will primarily be multiple choice and true/false questions. Midterm Exam: The Midterm Exam will cover all topics and objectives discussed up to that point in the class. These objectives will be tested by true/false, multiple-choice, short answer, and essay questions. Like the weekly quizzes, the exams are open book. However, the time limit provided for the exam will be specifically set and the exam must be taken online. The Midterm is 20% of a students overall grade. Final Project: There will be a final project due at the end of this course. The project will require for you to master one track and upload it for the instructor to review. You will also have to compose an essay as part of this assignment a long with your mastered mix. The Final Project will be 25% of the students overall grade. **Keep in mind that with all written assignments, how you write matters. Sloppy work, including bad spelling and poor grammar will adversely affect your grade. ** Grading Students will be responsible for completing all homework assignments, projects and midterm and final. Homework and projects will be graded by completion, not by accuracy. All assignments must be turned in on time. Points will be deducted from your grade for late assignments. If there is an extenuating circumstance, please contact the instructor as early as possible. The final grade will be assessed from all assignments and tests with weighting shown below. 6th Week: Timed mid-semester Exam on all MIDTERM material to-date. FINAL 12th Week: Final Project Due. PROJECT

All work will be submitted electronically through the Scholar360 online system either through online tests, project submission, or the class drop box. Please familiarize yourself with these features before an assignment is due. Course Requirements Quizzes (5) Small Projects (6) Mid-term Final Project Total Percentage Points 25% 30% 20% 25% 100% 250 300 200 250 1000

The letter grade which you will receive for the course is based upon the scale below:

Letter Grade A

Grade Level (Possible Pts) 90-100 (895-1000) 80-89 (795-894)

Letter Grade C

Grade Level (Possible Pts)

70-79 (695-794) 60-69 B D (595-694) 0-59 F (0-594) *All students are required to pass this course with a C or better.* The quizzes and midterm will be short answer/multiple choice testing information covered in class up to that point. The small projects will involve the student downloading an audio file and asked to perform specific tasks relating to concepts in the class. The final project will be the completion of an audio master by the student of material provided by the instructor. *All students are required to pass this course with a C or better.*

TECH REQUIREMENTS RECOMMENDED (NOT REQUIRED) READING The Following list of desktop production components represents the minimum requirements for this class/program. Should you have questions related to course requirements, please contact a student advisor.

Analog/Digital Converter Two channel (or more) I/O (input/output) device, capable of converting analog audio signals (from sources such as guitars, keyboards, or microphones) to digital information and digital information to analog signals. These I/O devices may be connected to your computer via USB, Firewire, or a PCI card. An example of an appropriate I/O device would be:

Meet Mbox 2 Mini (Estimated Price $260.00)- the worlds smallest, most affordable Pro Tools LE recording, editing, and mixing system ever. Whether youre a singer/songwriter whos new to recording or a seasoned pro on the go, Mbox 2 Mini packs professional features into a robust, ultra compact, easy-touse audio workstation to record and mix music wherever your inspiration takes you And with its diminutive size, Mbox 2 Mini literally puts the power of Pro Tools in thepalm of your hand.

MIDI/USB Keyboard To input MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) notes into your digital audio workstation or sequencer, you will need a MIDI instrument. MIDI instruments can take the shape of keyboards, wind controllers, guitars, or drums. The best option for composing is a MIDI keyboard instrument. Having basic keyboard skills helps in composition as well as learning music theory. Also, many other instruments, drums included, are easily mapped to the notes on a keyboard. A two octave keyboard is sufficient for most applications. MIDI keyboards can have the standard 5-pin DIN connection or USB connection. A good example of a MIDI keyboard:

The M-Audio KeyRig 25 (Estimated Price $80.00)- Turn your Mac or PC into a mobile keyboard workstation. Featuring a compact 25-note USB MIDI keyboard and the award-winning Key Rig software for the PC, KeyRig 25 makes it easy to compose and perform computer-based music anywhere you want. Play Key Rigs virtual instrument sounds, or audition loops and compose songs with Pro Tools MPowered,Ableton Live Lite (included) or other music-creation programs. The keyboard also provides an easy way to harness the power of Apple GarageBands virtual instrument collection on your Mac. It connects via a single USB cable andworks instantly with computers running Windows XP or Mac OS X.

Microphone (XLR) Cable A three pin, XLR cable is needed to connected a standard microphone to your audio device. Just about any manufacturer will provide a decent microphone cable, though the less expensive cables sometimes sacrifice construction quality. It is advised to purchase at least a mid-level XLR cable to ensure trouble free use. The following cable is suitable for most uses:

Horizon mic cable (Estimated Price $10.00)- This quality cable uses two 24 gauge bare copper center conductors and a serve shield for quiet operation. The outer jacket is an ultra flexible matte PVC compound and durable as well. The Horizon brand XLRs are constructed with performance in mind. The connectors are available in standard nickel finish or in a black finish for that non-reflective look on stage LZB Series.

Desktop Mic Stand

Youll need this necessary accessory to hold your microphone. A desktop microphone stand is a good choice for many who want a more compact setup. A standard boom microphone stand may also be desirable for recording a variety of instruments in different environments. A desktop microphone stand with a boom arm is shown below:

NEW POSI-LOK MINI BOOM MIC STAND CAST BASE DESKTOP (Estimated Price $12.00)-Great or announcements, paging, dispatch, narration or court house uses. In addition this stand is great for miking a bass drum and bass or guitar amp cabinets. Brand New in Factory Box, Posi-lock clutch system, Black power coat Finish. Description: Stand/Boom combo with black finish 6" Black weighted base and a 7" Boom Features Posi-Lok clutch system locks in any position.

Microphone Each student will need a microphone to record audio from different sources (ie voice, guitar, wind instruments, etc). While dynamic microphones are used and appropriate in many different situations in the studio and in live sound, students should own and be familiar with condenser microphone operation. Condenser microphones require an external 48 volt power supply from the audio interface they are connected to. (Please make sure your audio interface has XLR microphone preamplifiers with 48v capability on at least one channel). There are many quality condenser microphones that are priced in the same range as dynamic microphones. A good option for many of our students is listed below:

The Studio Projects B1 condenser microphone (Estimated price $98.00) - is a large diaphragm cardioid microphone in a pressure-gradient transducer employing high quality transformerless design and extremely low noise. Studio Projects B1 will enhance any professional or project studio application at an unbelievable low price. As a result of uncompromising dedication and today's advanced production abilities, Studio Projects has broken the barrier of quality vs price for today's recording studio environment. *Registered students are eligible for academic pricing with participating retailers. For more information please contact a student advisor.

Recommended (NOT REQUIRED) Text:

Mastering Audio: The Art and Science by Bob Katz Publisher: Focal Press 2002. ISBN-10: 0240805453

Getting Into Digital Recording by Paul D. Lehrman Publisher: Hal Leonard 1996. ISBN-10: 0793559472

The Science of Sound by Thomas Rossing, 3rd Ed. Publisher: Addison Wesley 2002. ISBN-10: 0805385657

ONLINE LEARNING SUPPORT For technical support, students may contact support@mu-ed.com. You can also contact your professor and/or student advisor for any course related questions. COURSE CALENDAR WEEKLY CLASS SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS: (Please note that all Assigned Readings are from Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, unless otherwise specifically stated.)
Class Topic & Reading Assignments Homework Assignments

WEEK 1

Intro to Mastering, Digital Audio Basics, Defining the Homework decibel Questions Readings selected from Mastering Audio by Bob Katz and Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook Short Essay Week 1 PDF

dB and Logs Refresher PDF Two audio mastering videos

Mastering, Monitoring, and File Formats

Homework questions

WEEK 2

Readings selected from Mastering Audio by Bob Katz CD comparison Essay Week 2 PDF File Formats PDF Two audio file format videos Equalization and Audio Perception Readings selected from Mastering Audio by Bob Katz

WEEK 3

Week 3 PDF Earientation PDF Two EQ videos

Homework questions EQ project

Noise Reduction and Other Processing Readings selected from Mastering Audio by Bob Katz Quality control project Week 4 PDF Two noise reduction technique videos Dynamics I WEEK 5 Homework Readings selected from Mastering Audio by Bob Katz questions Week 5 PDF Two compression parameter videos Dynamics II WEEK 6 Readings selected from Mastering Audio by Bob Katz MID-TERM (WEEK 6) Week 6 PDF Parallel compression tutorial video Study for midterm

WEEK 4

Mid-Term Exam
Dynamics III Compression Project

WEEK 7

Readings selected from Mastering Audio by Bob Katz Week 7 PDF

Two audio mastering signal chain videos

Depth and Dimension in Mixing and Mastering WEEK 8 Readings selected from Mastering Audio by Bob Katz Homework Questions Week 8 PDF Path to audio mastering video Word-length, Dithering, Advanced Digital Audio Theory Readings selected from Mastering Audio by Bob Katz Dither/Truncation Project Week 9 PDF Two digital audio theory videos Digital Jitter WEEKS 10 Readings selected from Mastering Audio by Bob Katz Final Project Assigned Week 10 PDF Radio Ready Masters Readings selected from Mastering Audio by Bob Katz WEEK 11 Week 11 PDF Digital audio theory, audio vs. digital videos WEEK 12 Course Survey

WEEK 9

Final Projects due