Lloyd RB Music Technology

For the EP I have produced a chill, ambient/jazz-like composition in Logic Pro X using MIDI instruments, mostly provided by the program:  https://soundcloud.com/lloy2-908796191/powder This is a style I am drawn to and usually alright at making. The piece is made in a way so that it could be a backing track for a song, which is why there is no principal instrument or melody. In mixing it I took into account factors including levels, range, the stereo field, dynamics, and effects/automation to get the best mix possible. Levels were generally organised according to relevance in the mix; for instance, the 'Jittery Pulses' synth is the quietest sound as its parts are more of a background element than something to be paid attention to. This lets the listener know what to pay attention to more and less. This rule doesn't strictly apply when mixing though; the second Wide Suitcase Electric Piano is turned up fairly loud, to accommodate for the way it quickly pans around th...

For this unit we have been put into groups and will be creating an EP in each of our groups. I am with Alex and Harvey. This EP will be released on SoundCloud, Spotify and iTunes as these are the most prominent music streaming services so would get the most exposure. Here is a list of the projects that will be created for our EP. It includes the roles we'll be taking on each project. The roles assigned were picked based on our skills and familiarities; we all have different strengths as artists so we tried to select accordingly. Jazz Producer, Mixer, Engineer: Alex Rap Producer, Mixer, Engineer: Alex Lo-fi Producer: Lloyd Engineer: Alex Mixer: Harvey R'n'B Producer, Mixer, Engineer: Me Afroswing Producer, Mixer, Engineer: Harvey We have also listed our main musical influences, and the principal thing about them that inspires us. This gave us some extent of focus for the project and mutual understanding of what interests us individually. I listened to al...

For tasks 2, 3 and 4, I was put into a group with classmates Cameron and Alex and it was our job to set up and manage a live sound venue for a performance in the college. Planning Before setting up we had a planning meeting wherein we discussed things like what instruments we needed to provide for, how to provide for them (eg. mics), and timings. The sheet on which we roughly outlined tech was unfortunately lost, but it was a simple enough setup to not be completely necessary and we did get by based on memory. Really we should have created an online document with something like Google Docs or Word Online, which would have been much more secure and also easy to modify on the go for everyone. I organised all the backing tracks we were provided with into one folder and ordered them according to the set list. The laptop this was on was connected to the Qu-24 mixing console, which everything else went through, by a mini jack-to-jack cable. Setting Up This step took the longest. Where ...

For Task 1 we were asked to create a specification of audio equipment for a particular band in a particular venue; in this case, The Rolling Stones are performing in the Roundhouse near Camden. -- All equipment listed is top-of-the-range. I have generally sought out durable equipment, as the touring nature of the act necessitates portability and sturdiness in the face of a higher risk of potential damage to equipment. All the pics obviously will have stands provided as well. The supply of each item is the amount needed for the act, plus one extra as backup. For example, the Rolling Stones have three vocalists and so there are four vocal microphones included. For vocals, the Shure SM58 is often the go-to choice but I opted for the Sennheiser e935 due to reasons listed above as well as it being a more modern model. The Marshall JCM 25/50 2555X Silver Jubilee Reissue amp is known for its accurate tones. The Shure Beta52A has a very sturdy design which is ideal for the...

Unit 35, Task 4 To demonstrate a combination of patching and sampling skills, I have created a short project featuring both. Synthesis The first patch I created implements frequency modulation. The waveform is asymmetrical which is what lends it its stilted character. Having a high release lets you properly hear everything going on for a sustained period of time after keys are let go of. The combination of the settings come together to produce a sound that 'charges up' when keys are held, followed by a sound of silence that remains until the keys are let go at which point there is a slow burst of energy. I feel that 8 voices was a nice compromise between detailed texture and a light, airy feel. The second patch is monophonic. It has a thick and heavy feeling, partially because it is comprised of 32 voices. There is a moderate amount of glide which allows the legato bass to sound more naturalistic. Cutoff is geared towards the lower end to emphasise bass fr...

Editing Functions Oscillator - Device which generates physical or digital waveforms. Amplifier - Increases amplitude of a wave. Filter - A range of attenuated frequencies. Envelope Generator - Creates an ADSR envelope: Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release. LFO - Low-frequency oscillator, which uses inaudible frequencies below 20Hz to alter the sound. Modulation - Continuous automation of a function, eg. tremolo. Patch-bay - Connects the sound of two rooms in a studio setting. This also applies to multiple DAWs. Preset - Settings that come with the synthesiser already. Monophonic/Polyphonic - The amount of voices are played at the same time per note on a synthesiser, eg. 16 voices. Monophonic is just one voice. Parameter Select - The choice of parameters that can be manipulated on a synthesiser. Parameter Change - Manipulation of parameters in order to shape a sound. Waveform Editing Acoustic theory of waveforms - All ‘sound’ is just our brain’s interpretation of...