104323 - MUSICAL PRODUCTION

Subject type: Mandatory

Coordinator: Rafael Suarez Gómez

Trimester: Second term

Credits: 4

The course is taught in Catalan but various supporting materials (documentaries and articles) will be used in English.

The subject includes the theoretical and practical skills seen in Audio and Sound, Music Creation and Sound Production to consolidate them in the field of music production. We work in both the field of analysis and praxis.

At the end of the course the student must be able to:

1. Use sound recording techniques in a wide range of situations.
2. Use the equalization and compression parameters.
3. Make your own personal study based on DAW and / or Virtual study.
4. Create your own sounds and sound textures for both music and special effects.
5. Create structured and homologable themes of electronic music in any type of style and for any possible recipient of the audiovisual sector.
6. Understand the concepts of rhythm, harmony and melody.
7. Know computer music notation systems.
8. Create a topic with a proper structure.
9. Know the different parts of a musical arrangement.
10. Know the different musical styles and their characteristics.
11. Know how to plan a musical recording.
12. Use sound recording techniques in a wide range of situations.
13. Creatively look for the sound elements needed for your goal and apply creativity.

In addition, the student will also achieve the following learning outcomes:

14. To know the different stages of a musical production and its tools and methodologies.
15. Identify the main aesthetic and stylistic currents of music in audiovisuals.
16. To have tools and analytical resources for an in-depth analysis of sound discourses in musical production, both historical and current.
17. To be able to analyze the role of sound in the audiovisual media beyond strictly technical issues.
 

The course combines theoretical sessions (collective discussion sessions on support materials such as documentaries and articles) with practical sessions. The work methodology is divided into two distinct parts:

- Large group sessions (2 hours per week) where theoretical knowledge is imparted. 

- Practical sessions in small groups (2 hours per week), where activities focus on recording in the studio, editing and mixing.

Attendance at internships is mandatory.

THEORY

BLOCK 1 - History of music production: genres, styles and schools of production

1. The notions of 'musical production' and the various concepts associated with the term 'producer'.

2. A brief tour of the history of music production. 

3. The conflict of labels, genres and musical styles.

4. Production styles and schools.

5. Relationships between technical procedure and sound aesthetics.

BLOCK 2 - Creative tools and resources. Production analysis.

1. Audio production tools. Corrective vs. creative skills.

2. Auditory recognition of the effects and creative processes studied.

3. The musicological perspective of music production.

4. Analysis of productions in the field of recording, film and advertising.

WORK EXPERIENCE

PRACTICE 1 - STRUCTURE AND FORM 

Review of DAW tools: Reason and Protools.

Assembly of a theme with default shape and structure. Work with library materials and samplers.

2 teaching hours. Individual practice not evaluable.

PRACTICE 2 - RHYTHM BASE

Generation of a sampling patch with NNXT in Reason with practice samples 2. 

Creation of a rhythmic base with the generated samples. Optional sequencing / recording using virtual and / or acoustic instruments. 

2 teaching hours + 4-10 hours of independent work. Activity linked to the final work (therefore in group).

PRACTICE 3 - EDITING AND MIXING 

Final editing, cleaning, mixing and mastering of the project.

2 teaching hours + 4-10 hours of independent work. Activity linked to the final work (therefore in group).

Practices 2 and 3 may be required to weigh the final grade of the course.

To do practices 2 and 3 it is essential to have formalized the working group for the final project (this must be communicated to the teacher).

It is necessary to agree on the use of the studies with the teacher of the subject and to manage the reservation (Sermat) in advance.

Activity 1. Creation of a musical structure

Composition of a musical structure based on the resources of a DAW.

Learning outcomes: At the end of the activity the student should be able to:
LO2 Use equalization and compression parameters.
LO4 Create their own sounds and sound textures for both music and special effects.
LO5 Create structured and homologable themes of electronic music in any type of style and for any possible recipient of the audiovisual sector.
LO6 Understand the concepts of rhythm, harmony and melody.
LO7 Know computer music notation systems.
LO8 Create a topic with a suitable structure.

Activity 2. Production on a rhythmic basis

Generation of a sampling patch with NNXT in Reason with practice samples 2. 

Creation of a rhythmic base with the generated samples. Optional sequencing / recording using virtual and / or acoustic instruments.

Learning outcomes: At the end of the activity the student should be able to:
LO5 Create structured and homologable themes of electronic music in any type of style and for any possible recipient of the audiovisual sector.
LO6 Understand the concepts of rhythm, harmony and melody.
LO7 Know computer music notation systems.
LO8 Create a topic with a suitable structure.

Activity 3. Editing and mixing.

Final editing, cleaning, mixing and mastering of the project.

Learning outcomes: At the end of the activity the student should be able to:
LO2 Use equalization and compression parameters.
LO4 Create their own sounds and sound textures for both music and special effects.
LO5 Create structured and homologable themes of electronic music in any type of style and for any possible recipient of the audiovisual sector.
LO6 Understand the concepts of rhythm, harmony and melody.
LO7 Know computer music notation systems.
LO8 Create a topic with a suitable structure.

Activity 4. Reading and class discussion of academic articles on audio production.

The theory of the subject is complemented by a series of academic articles on music production, some of which will be worked on collectively in class.

Learning outcomes: At the end of the activity the student should be able to:
LO14 Understand the different stages of a musical production and its tools and methodologies.
LO15 Identify the main aesthetic and stylistic currents in music in audiovisuals.
LO16 Have tools and analytical resources for an in-depth analysis of sound discourses in musical production, both historical and current.
LO17 Be able to analyze the role of sound in audiovisual media beyond strictly technical issues.

Activity 5. Music production project

Production of a piece of music (including planning, recording, editing and mixing) to choose from:

Free version
Own composition
Instrumental base for given voice track

The project can be considered from any of the tools worked on throughout the degree (DAW, sampling, audio recording ...) but must include at least one audio track and four samples from the sampling exercise (Practice 2). 

This work will be done in groups (the number of students per group must be agreed with the teacher).

Learning outcomes: At the end of the activity the student should be able to:

LO1. Use sound recording techniques in a wide range of situations.
LO2. Use equalization and compression parameters.
LO3. Make your own personal study based on DAW and / or Virtual study.
LO4. Create your own sounds and sound textures for both music and special effects.
LO5. Create structured and homologable themes of electronic music in any type of style and for any possible recipient of the audiovisual sector.
LO6. Understand the concepts of rhythm, harmony and melody.
LO7. Know computer music notation systems.
LO8. Create a theme with a proper structure.
LO9. Know the different parts of a musical arrangement.
LO10. Get to know the different musical styles and their characteristics.
LO11. Know how to plan a music recording.
LO12. Use sound recording techniques in a wide range of situations.
LO13. Creatively look for the sound elements needed for your goal and apply creativity.

Activity 5. Written report.

Each group must submit a written report of the project of the subject. It must be delivered through the eCampus in a format stipulated in the associated document. It will be advised that the structure of the report of the work be analogous to that of the TFG of the degree.

Learning outcomes: At the end of the activity the student should be able to:

LO14. Know the different stages of a music production and its tools and methodologies.
LO15. Identify the main aesthetic and stylistic currents of music in audiovisuals.
LO16. Have analytical tools and resources for an in-depth analysis of sound discourses in music production, both historical and current.
LO17. To be able to analyze the role of sound in the audiovisual media beyond strictly technical issues.

Activity 7. Follow-up tests.

2 tests of theoretical and practical content from online tests.

Activity 8. Final test

Final test of theoretical and practical knowledge.

The subject proposes the evaluation in four blocks: 

Activity 1. Follow-up tests (20%).

Activity 6. Music production project (15%).

Activity 7. Written report of the project (15%).

Activity 8. Final test (50%).

To take the average, you must have passed the final test with more than a 5 out of 10. Those students who obtain a grade lower than 5 will have to take a recovery test. The recovery test is passed with a 5. The remaining marks of the partial tests will be kept. In no case will it be possible to opt for recovery to raise a grade. Partial tests and the project have no recovery.

Grades may be reviewed at a date and place posted by the teacher through the eCampus.

Daley, Dan. 2004. “The Engineers Who Changed Recording.” Sound on Sound Magazine, October. http://www.soundonsound.com/people/engineers-who-changed-recording

Doyle, Peter. 2005. Echo and Reverb: Fabricating Space in Popular Music Recording, 1900-1960. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press.

Katz, Mark. 2010. Capturing Sound: How Technology Has Changed Music. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Théberge, P. 1997. The Sound of Music. Inside Any Sound You Can Imagine: Making Music / Consuming Technology. New England: Wesleyan.

Simons, D. 2004. The Atlantic Story / From Funk to Punk. Inside Studio Stories. London: Backbeat Books

Levitin, DJ 2008. How recordings are made (I) in Audio anecdotes III: Tools, tips and techniques for digital audio (pp. 3-14). Natick: AK Peters 

Gibson, David. 1997. Styles of mix; Visual Representations. Inside The Art of Mixing. A Visual Guide to Recording. Michigan: MixBooks.

Sure, Silvia. 2019. Nostalgia ON: Sounds evocative of the Zeitgest of the eighties. Journal of Sound, Silence, Image and Technology, Núm. 2, Dec 2019.

Cascone, Kim. The Aesthetics of Failure: "Post-Digital" Tendencies in Contemporary Computer Music. Computer Music Journal, Vol. 24, no. 4 (Winter, 2000), pp. 12-18

Cunningham, Mark. 1996. Good Vibrations. A history of record production. London: Sanctuary Productions.

Frith, Simon and Zagorski-Thomas, Simon, editors. 2012. The Art of Recording Production: An Introductory Reader for a New Academic Field. Surrey: Ashgate Publishing.

Moylan, William. 2002. The Art Of Recording: Understanding and Crafting the Mix. Burlington, Massachusetts: Focal Press.

Chanan, Michael. 1995. Repeated Takes: A Short History of Recording and Its Effects on Music. London: Verse.

Roquer, Jordi. 2018. Sound hyperreality in popular music: On the influence of audio production in our sound expectations. Cambridge Scholar Publishing.

Zagorski-Thomas, Simon. 2014. The Musicology of Record Production. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Equality Unit. (2018). Guide to non-sexist use of language. Technocampus