COURSE TITLE: COM 3270-100 Audio Production

 

TERM: Spring 2005, Thursdays, 6:10-8:50 PM

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This hands-on workshop will introduce students to the fundamentals of analog and digital audio production as is pertains to recording studios. Students will be required to produce one Final Project utilizing the available audio production hardware – microphones, mixers, and multi-track recorder. There will be a Recoding Analysis project and a list of audio vocabulary terms to learn. A final examination will assess the students’ knowledge of the recording process.

 

TEXTBOOKS (optional):

 

McIan, P. & Wichman, L. (1994). The Musician’s Guide to Home Recording. Amsco Publications. ISBN: 0.8256.1378.7

 

McIan, P. (1996). Using Your Portable Studio. Amsco Publications.

ISBN: 0.8256.1437.6

 

INSTRUCTOR: Mark A. Hauck, (on campus) ext. 97888, (off campus) 610.519.7888, cell phone 610.772.0972, or e-mail mark.hauck@villanova.edu

 

HOMEPAGE: http://www.homepage.villanova.edu/mark.hauck/

 

OFFICE HOURS: MTW 1-2

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY: The instructor should be notified in advance of any planned or emergency absence or lateness from regular class activities. Failure to notify the instructor will be considered an unexcused absence.  An accumulation of unexcused absences and/or chronic lateness will result in points being deducted from your final grade. Verifiable documentation will be required if a student misses a scheduled recording session as producer and/or tech crew.

 

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND GRADING POLICY: see the VU Student Handbook 2003-2004 from pp. 66-70 for description of what is expected of students.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES NOTICE: It is the policy of the University to make reasonable academic accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are a student with a disability please contact the instructor after class or during office hours and make arrangements to register with the Learning Support Office by contacting 610-519-5636 or nancy.mott@villanova.edu as soon as possible. Registration is needed in order to receive accommodations.

 

 

 

GRADING PROCEDURE: The students’ grades will be based on the following:

 

Attendance/Class Participation              = 50 pts.          20%    

Recording Analysis Project                               = 50 pts.          20%    

Final Project                                                     = 100 pts.        40%

Final Exam                                                       = 50 pts.          20%

 

GRADING SCALE (%): A = 95-100; A- = 90-94; B+ = 87-89; B = 83-86; B- = 80-82;

C+ = 77-79; C = 73-76; C- = 70-72; D+ = 67-69; D = 63-66; D- = 60-62; F = below

 

 

STUDENT EXPECTATIONS:  Students will be required to actively monitor their VU email accounts on a regular basis for class updates and supplemental material notices to be posted on my webpage. Since the entire class does not meet on a regular basis after week 3, this is the only means to effectively communicate. Students are also expected to stay up on course requirements throughout the semester. No extra reminders will be given after initial announcements, so point deductions will occur if deadlines are missed.

 

In-Studio Producers: see instructor’s homepage for requirements.

 

DIY Studio Producers: same as above.

 

DIY Live Performance Producers: Specifications TBA

 

Students acting as performers in the studio must be properly rehearsed and prepared during their assigned recording session.. It is suggested that students with amplifiers and extra equipment, etc. arrive at the studio no later than ˝ hour prior to the beginning of class.

 

Students will be expected to complete all assignments and submit them per the instructor’s directions.

 

Please note that it will be necessary to schedule some in-studio recording sessions during Fridays or weekends, pending availability.

 

 

COURSE SCHEDULE    Spring 2005

 

WEEK 1 (1/20)   Course overview. Discussion of the recording process in pop music. Samples of past student projects will be heard.

 

WEEK 2 (1/27)  Homework 1 assignment review. Homework assignment 2 discussed.

 

WEEK 3 (2/3) Recording hardware demo for In-Studio option students.

 

 

Weeks 4-14 (2/10-5/5)  During these weeks, in-studio option students will produce their Final Projects and serve as tech crew. The in-studio Final Project production schedule will be posted after week 2 on the instructor’s homepage.

 

Week 7 (3/3/05)  All students will pick up their Recording Analysis CDs in the TV studio during the regular class time.

 

Finals Week, Thurs, May 12, location TBA –We will listen to all Final Projects at this time.

 

IMPORTANT DUE DATES (students report to TV studio to submit assignments)

 

ALL STUDENTS: Homework 1 due 1/27/05. Homework 2 due 3/3/05 .

Recording Analysis projects due 5/5/05. Final Exams due 5/12/05.

 

DIY STUDIO PRODUCERS: Project proposal 2/3/05. Basic Final Project Tracks due 3/3/05. Final Projects due 5/5/05

 

DIY LIVE PRODUCERS: Project proposal due 2/3/05. Final Projects due 5/5/05.

 

IN-STUDIO PRODUCERS: Project proposal due 2/3/05. Final Projects due 5/12/05