Semester Schedule

January 10 Week 1-1

Intro to sound design and T369

"Extinct" sounds

January 12 Week 1-2

Read: Sonnenschein's Sound Design (will be abbreviated "SD") Preface & Intro; Nick Peck article

Foley introduction & junk band performances

January 17 Week 2-1

Read: SD 3-4; "Sound Effects" article

Foley rehearsal
Foley design for videos by Albert Hwang: YouTube and Podia

January 19 Week 2-2

Due: Foley performance (assignment #1)

January 24 Week 3-1

Read: Pro Tools 8 PDF documentation (abbreviated "PT8") chapters 2; 18-19

Recording Chain I: microphones, connections, preamps & A/D conversion

Nyquist-Shannon Theorem:
When sampling a signal, the sampling frequency must be greater than twice the input signal frequency in order to be able to reconstruct the original perfectly from the sampled version.
The theorem was first formulated by Harry Nyquist in 1928; formally proven by Claude E. Shannon in 1949

Watch this with the SOUND OFF!!! Rango video game trailer Find one object to create a sound effect in this trailer and bring it to our next class meeting.

January 26 Week 3-2

Read: SD 1, 7-8

Recording Chain II: DAW, media, Pro Tools recording

Creating a "sound map" with "The Matrix" (available at IUCAT: original & collector's edition)

January 31 Week 4-1

Mobile recording demo (see links on class Resources page)

Due: Assignment 2 sound map (milestone #1)

February 2 Week 4-2

Mobile recording II

February 7 Week 5-1

Read: PT8 22-27

Pro Tools I: editing

Due: Assignment 2 SFX recordings (milestone #2)

February 9 Week 5-2

Read: PT8 37; DigiRack Plug-Ins Guide

Pro Tools II: EQ & DSP
Making sense of compression ratios

February 14 Week 6-1

Read: PT8 40-43; Ben Burtt article

Pro Tools III: mixing
What is a "master fader"?

February 16 Week 6-2

Read: PT8 48

Pro Tools IV: misc. techniques

Due: Assignment 2 edited SFX (milestone#3)

February 21 Week 7-1

Assignment #2 working critique (REQUIRED for group a)

February 23 Week 7-2

Assignment #2 working critique (REQUIRED for group b)

February 28 Week 8-1

Open lab day

March 1 Week 8-2

Due: Assignment 2

March 6 Week 9-1

Read: Wrightson article ; López notes

R.M. Schafer on John Cage
Soundscape composition
Acoustic ecology

March 8 Week 9-2

Read: Pierre Schaeffer; Brian Eno (PDF also at Oncourse/Resources)

Objet sonore
Ambient music
Equal-loudness: Fletcher-Munson Curves; Equal-loudness Contour; Equal-loudness chart

March 12-16 Spring Break

No classes; enjoy your break!

March 20 Week 10-1

Lab day to work on soundscape projects

Due: sound map for your "real" OR imaginary soundscape
(upload before class begins to Oncourse > Assignments 2> A3 (Soundscape) Sound Maps)

March 22 Week 10-2

Assignment #3 working critique (REQUIRED for group b)

March 27 Week 11-1

Assignment #3 working critique (REQUIRED for group a)

March 29 Week 11-2

Due: "real" OR imaginary soundscape

April 3 Week 12-1

Sound synthesis I

Assignment #4 intro

Bob Moog documentary part I & part II

Due: Proposal for assignment #5 (open topic—see Grading)

April 5 Week 12-2

Sound synthesis II: composite and layered sounds

Other synth toys:
CFXR
TAL-Noisemaker
YMCK Magical 8Bit Plug

Due: Sound map for assignment #4

April 10 Week 13-1

Read: SD 9; videogame sound history; Simpson's article

Sound design for contemporary games & technology: There's a glitch in the Matrix
Adobe Flash intro

Super Mario Brothers with next gen sounds

April 12 Week 13-2

Assignment #4 working critique (REQUIRED for group a)
Review final project progress

April 17 Week 14-1

Assignment #4 working critique (REQUIRED for group b)
Review final project progress

April 19 Week 14-2

Due: Assignment #4

April 24 Week 15-1

Assignment #5 working critique (REQUIRED for group b)

April 26 Week 15-2

Assignment #5 working critique (REQUIRED for group a)

May 1 Finals Week

Due at 2:45 pm: Assignment #5
We will meet during the final exam period for a final critique: 2:45-4:45, Tuesday, May 1