MUSTC222 Spring Class Info
Our textbook is Modern Recording Techniques by David Miles Huber
Here is the syllabus for the class in PDF format
PowerPoint Presentations
Week 1: Introductions, syllabus distribution and review, course registration, corrections, and additions. A review of Air Pressure/Sound Pressure. A review of Electricity and Magnetism.
Week 2: History of magnetic recording, Tape head design and function. High frequency bias discussed. Head gap and its relation to high frequency response. Tape handling guidelines.
Week 2b: Tape path and speed, Head alignment, and Splicing discussed
Week 3: Hard Drives are introduced from the perspective of the magnetic data head. Technology advances are discussed, including Magneto-resistive heads and increased areal density. Sampling and the Nyquist theorem. Aliasing is explored in time and frequency domains.
Week 4: The topic of digital recording continues. A discussion of digital interfaces, file types and codecs. Computer hardware and software reviewed; different computer and other digital systems are compared.
Week 6: Amplifiers. From vacuum tubes to transistors. Properties and specificationsTypes of amplifiers.
Week 7: Speakers and Monitoring. How Drivers Work, Driver Anatomy. Impedance, mechanical and electric. Types of speakers. Matching speakers to power amps.
Resource References
IBM's Giant Magnetoresistive Head
Aliasing Demonstration Applet
Lectures on Quantum Physics
The Scientist and Engineer's Guide to Digital Signal Processing
Principles of Digital Audio
When Elephants Dance
Kevin Kelly's New York Times Article
Valdemar Poulsen - Inventor of Magnetic Recording
White Paper on Demagnetizing Tape Heads
Deutsche Welle: Radio Training Centre
HyperPhysics
Index of 3M "SoundTalk" Bulletins
History of Electronic Music
Tape Heads - An Introduction
Magnetic Tape Storage and Handling
Recording Technology History
Tape Time Chart
MUSTC 221 Winter Class Info
Our textbook is Modern Recording Techniques by David Miles Huber
Here is the syllabus for the class in PDF format
PowerPoint Presentations
Week 1: Introductions, syllabus distribution, course registration corrections and additions. An overview of analog console use in the modern recording studio. Split vs. inline design considerations. Input, output, monitoring, and mixdown functions are clarified and related to specific sections of the standard mixing console.
Week 5: Dynamics Processors
Week 7: Effects Processors
MUSTC220Fall Class Info
Our textbook is Modern Recording Techniques by David Miles Huber
Here is the syllabus for the class in PDF format
PowerPoint Presentations
Week 1: A brief overview of the class and how it fits into the various degree options. The recording chain as a process and a business.
Week 2: An introduction to acoustics. An analysis of sound. Wave propagation theory as it relates to sound. Waveform terminology including pitch vs. frequency and loudness vs. amplitude. The threshold of hearing vs. the threshold of pain andthe biology of the human hearing system..
Week 3: Start where we left off last week, then: the harmonic overtone system including the fundamental, overtones, partials, inharmonic tones and their relationship to timbre. Sound envelopes and interior dynamics including attack, decay, sustain, and release.
Week 4: Measuring the loudness levels using the decibel scale. Metering systems including R.M.S. and peak. Direction perception and the binaural effect, the beating effect, the masking effect, and the Doppler effect.l
Week 5: The Fletcher Munson curves, the Eyring equations, studio acoustics and basic studio construction considerations. Single wall, staggered studs, and double wall techniques. Standing waves and how to avoid them. Near-field vs. far-field monitoring. The 85 decibel monitoring standard.
Week 6: Introduction to electricity and electronics in theory and practice. What electricity is and how it works. Resistance, voltage, current, watts, and impedance as it relates to audio. Alternating vs. direct current, Ohm's Law and it's applications.
Week 7: Introduction to microphones by tracing their history and development. Carbon microphone, ceramic microphone, and crystal microphone designs lead into modern microphone designs like ribbons and moving coils.
Week 8: More recent microphone technology is introduced with condenser and various pressure zone designs. Polarity response patterns, impedance, and specifications will be covered. Specialized microphone designs including parabolic, shotgun, and surveillance applications.
Week 9: Stereo microphone techniques vs. multi-track techniques. Stereo microphone placement configurations including A/B, M/S, and X/Y. Multi-microphone set ups, phase cancellation, and the three to one rule. Close vs. distant placements and the multi-track studio session vs. the live sound reinforcement venue.
Week 11: Review for Final
Resource References
PC Audio Optimization
How To Get Great Drum Sounds From Your Home Studio
Record Production.com
Rane Technical Library
Shure Technical Library
Audio Transformer Explanation
Good description of balanced lines
Great illustration of propagation
All your base are belong to us
Crown Mic White Papers
Jack Endino
Jack Endino's NW Recording Studio Search Engine
International standards unit relationship diagram - must see!
Rane Note 110: Sound System Interconnections
Rane Note 102: Analog I/O standards
Steve Macatee's AES paper on grounding
AES TECHNICAL COUNCIL Multichannel surround sound systems
and operations Document AESTD1001.1.01-10
Google.com Search Engine
Pro Sound Web
Syn-Aud-Con
PC Music Guru
MusicPlayer.com
Rane Pro Audio Reference
Rocket Network Virtual Studios
Adobe Atmosphere VR Worlds
Northwest CyberArtist Newsletter Archive
Recommended Books
Behind the Glass by Howard Massey
Profiting from Your Music and Sound Project Studio by Jeffrey Fisher
Confessions of a Record Producer by Moses Avalon
