Teaching Audio

[HA_DA_JA]

It looks like I might be doing a small group 4 part session on teaching basic recording a band - Wow where do I start without jumping into the deep end.
Any suggestions on where the beginning might be with kids that have no previous knowledge just a passion or interest in this area?
Cheers
Dale

[Chris H]

In the first session, signal flow from source to mic etc through to speakers, and gain structure are a great place to start. I also think doing a diagram of an expanded waveform illustrating that + pushes the speaker and - pulls so they see how out of phase signals stuff the sound. This also lets the students see how clipping the input stage creates a square wave allowing the speaker cone to sit in one place and overheat and blow. Sort of PA stuff but also important for studio. Along with this give a good idea of safety issues re hearing and electricity...no changing fuses in the back of the amp without pulling out the power chord sort of info, keeping a tidy space so no instruments or mics get pulled over by lose leads laying around. It helps to engage students by building the coarse around recording a band and work the group towards doing a recording of said band so they actually get to do it and not just get talked to.

[mfdu]

what he said.

[heathen]

As an ex audio teacher at an audio schoooool somewhere in Sydney, depends on how much you want to teach them, best place to start is "Transducers" such as microphone types and uses then balanced/unbalanced connections, mic level/line level/instrument level signals (guits and stuff) are also good to get them to understand nice and early.

Then signal flow.

Then levels, extremely important otherwise all they are going to wanna do is see the pretty red lights come on.















.

[rob]

how about starting with "working with people", "developing a relationship", "encouraging a great performance" and what to do when all these concepts go pear-shaped?

R

[wez]

how about starting with "working with people", "developing a relationship", "encouraging a great performance" and what to do when all these concepts go pear-shaped?

R

these are things you can't teach

[jkhuri44]

BEING HONEST!!!

everyone forgets that....

if a take is shit...it needs to be identified in the engineers head, and the delicate motions which are damage control need to be put into play..

ie. dimming lights, suggesting dinner, taking a break, smoking...

or the pep talk..or the encouragement...etc.

its the difference between a badly recorded demo...and a raw recording with heart :-)

[Guest]

How to role a mic lead. The first 'skill' I lean't from a sound guy and the first one I teach. Probably the one of the most useful things to know for getting a job when you're starting out :-)

[Text_Edifice]

how about starting with "working with people", "developing a relationship", "encouraging a great performance" and what to do when all these concepts go pear-shaped?

R

these are things you can't teach

Not true - you just don't teach it the same way as you do technical information.

[tonymite]

I'd say besides Robs point on people skills - ' the human ear ' psycho- acoustics ... then maybe transducers - from mic to speaker.. If you're going to get into signal flow ... try and do a mini-electronics thang real basic - cover how electricity gets to your house etc ... its amaizing how little people know about about one of natures fundamental laws/principals such as electro-magnatism.

Hell - even science can't fully explain it - unless we start talking meta-physics .. and spirits and aether and stargates :P

even the fact that sound is a wave - and fact that AC is an electrical representation of those waves can be overlooked at times.


if that's a bit too ponds institute - i'd say signal flow .. and the order of importance:

ie:

band / performer/ance
room ( ambience )
transducer - mics
pre - miixer
recording medium

and vise verse ...

the ' can't polish turd ' principal.

[astrovic]

from my POV as a learner rather than a teacher, I'd be looking for a 4-session class along the following lines

Class 1: Setting up a session, signal flow/gain structure and DI recording (e.g bass)

Class 2: Recording with microphones (voc, drums, guitar)

Class 3: Mixing Pt 1 - Levels, panning and placement (e.g reverb)

Class 4: Mixing pt 2 - Compression and eq

You'd be barely scratching the surface of each, but by the end of the 4 sessions you'd have been able to set up, track and mix a no-frills basic song from start to scratch, and provide some basic explanation and tips at each step along the way. You don't get mastering, but then not many people do :)

[HA_DA_JA]

Wow thanks for the replies keep them coming.
IT seems like a lot of work to put together, which should be fun. Anyone interseted in being a guest speaker?

[Chris H]

from my POV as a learner rather than a teacher, I'd be looking for a 4-session class along the following lines

Class 1: Setting up a session, signal flow/gain structure and DI recording (e.g bass)

Class 2: Recording with microphones (voc, drums, guitar)

Class 3: Mixing Pt 1 - Levels, panning and placement (e.g reverb)

Class 4: Mixing pt 2 - Compression and eq

You'd be barely scratching the surface of each, but by the end of the 4 sessions you'd have been able to set up, track and mix a no-frills basic song from start to scratch, and provide some basic explanation and tips at each step along the way. You don't get mastering, but then not many people do :)

Not a bad outline for the lesson plans Astro.....I was thinking half the battle is demystifying the process and sorting out some of the mis-information some students would come into the subject with. For example, it's amazing how many people involved in recording think you cant get a big sound out of recording a small amp.

[mfdu]

and try to inspire them. i mean - if you can achieve that, they'll have the energy to continue learning.

definately try to reinforce ethics and behaviours at the same time as techniques. you know "don't call your clients crack-whores" "wash. daily. with soap" - that kind of stuff. invaluable.

c.mfdu

[Chris H]

And don't pick your nose and eat it man!! Find some other was of engaging the students................reminds me of one of the female teachers at the all male school i went to 26 yr old very attractive, she was........used to stand right up against the corner of the front desk, rubbing or scratching her furry triangle against it... all the while maintaining complete oblivion to the obvious distraction to her lesson content she was causing!?!?!?!?

[mfdu]

hot for teacher?

with all the hormones floating around the room, she was probably "suffering" more than you lads!!!!

[astrovic]

from my POV as a learner rather than a teacher, I'd be looking for a 4-session class along the following lines

Class 1: Setting up a session, signal flow/gain structure and DI recording (e.g bass)

Class 2: Recording with microphones (voc, drums, guitar)

Class 3: Mixing Pt 1 - Levels, panning and placement (e.g reverb)

Class 4: Mixing pt 2 - Compression and eq

You'd be barely scratching the surface of each, but by the end of the 4 sessions you'd have been able to set up, track and mix a no-frills basic song from start to scratch, and provide some basic explanation and tips at each step along the way. You don't get mastering, but then not many people do :)

Not a bad outline for the lesson plans Astro.....I was thinking half the battle is demystifying the process and sorting out some of the mis-information some students would come into the subject with. For example, it's amazing how many people involved in recording think you cant get a big sound out of recording a small amp.

I know what you mean about de-mystifying - with all the misleading crap floating around, you practically need to start the first session with a Zen-style "clear your mind of everything you think you know..." meditation!

[Chinagraf]

While setting up please teach them the importance of running mic leads in a neat and orderly fashion so it's easy to trace any problems with one and replace it without creating a ball of spaghetti.
After the recording please teach them how to roll up a mic lead up properly.
I'm always surprised by how many people that have done 'courses' don't know how to roll a lead correctly.

[rob]

i got my first "real" job at the uni of adelaide electronic music studios on the basis of demonstrating that i knew how to wind up a mic lead.

In the classes i taught rolling up mic leads was lesson one...vital knowledge in shared facility with up to fourty different people using it. Also a good ice breaker on day one.

Rob

[heathen]

Yep mic leads, hmmmm probably my first lesson also.

[Kris]

Multi pin lighting looms for me. 14 years old. Roll 'em out, measure 'em, roll 'em back up.

Although when I was 17 at a *ahem* sound course *ahem* the first thing we were taught was how to roll a mic lead. I was amazed how many guys just couldn't get the hang of it.

[graemeh]

Ask them one at a time what they expect to learn from the course - then you'll be able to get some idea of what they already know and thus where to start.

Also this way you'll get an insight into their individual personalities and be able to tailor your teaching to fit.

Good luck!

[Chinagraf]

[quote="Kris"]
Although when I was 17 at a *ahem* sound course *ahem* the first thing we were taught was how to roll a mic lead. I was amazed how many guys just couldn't get the hang of it.[/quote]

Nothing wrong with sound courses that actually teach something, but there are a few out there claiming to be "sound courses" (hence my inverted commas) that teach bugger all.
Teaching them about mono compatability is worth mentioning too. Not so much in rawk an rowel, but in the club/dancefloor world mono still reigns supreme.

[tonymite]

[quote="Chinagraf"][quote="Kris"]
Although when I was 17 at a *ahem* sound course *ahem* the first thing we were taught was how to roll a mic lead. I was amazed how many guys just couldn't get the hang of it.[/quote]

Nothing wrong with sound courses that actually teach something, but there are a few out there claiming to be "sound courses" (hence my inverted commas) that teach bugger all.
Teaching them about mono compatability is worth mentioning too. Not so much in rawk an rowel, but in the club/dancefloor world mono still reigns supreme.[/quote]

i think in this day and age, If you really want an education in Audio and be amongst the action - you need to study abroad:

http://www.pondsinstitute.co.uk/

i wonder if there's a Nashville equivalent ??

[Kurt]

Beautiful skin is very important...

[tonymite]

[quote="rob"]how about starting with "working with people", "developing a relationship", "encouraging a great performance" and what to do when all these concepts go pear-shaped?

R[/quote]

People ?? there actually any left ??

[Thirteen]

And please remind them that in the world of virtual instruments, sample libraries and keyboard workstations, to please please please NOT record everything in stereo. Trying to mix something that has stereo bass, stereo kick drum and everything other sound in glorious superwide Korg/Roland/Kurzweil stereo is no fun.