Music Production and Technology – BSc (Hons)

Audio Electronics 1: Passive Audio is intended to present basic electrical principles as they apply to safety and the audio signal path from microphone to speaker with a focus on passive electronic components.

This module is intended to introduce students to instrument sound production and the fundamentals of recording.

This module aims to ensure the student has a confident working knowledge of fundamental elements of music such as pitch, rhythm, meter, melody and timbre. Students are encouraged through practical tasks to hear, play, read and write a variety of musical motifs which help them relate these concepts and their traditional notation to aspects of DAW architecture.

This module is intended to introduce the fundamentals skills required to successfully operate a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) in a music and audio production environment. This module employs a student-centred problem-based learning approach in which the students work individually and as part of a group to solve increasingly complex DAW tasks. The module content is structured around the recommended learning path required to become a certified DAW software user. A flipped classroom approach will be employed requiring students to engage with the content of the lab lecture before attending. Formative assessment will be used at the beginning of each teaching session to check student knowledge and identify common problem areas to revisit. Practical exercises will focus on reinforcing key concepts through the introduction of common DAW tasks and operations.

In this module, learners will become familiar with underlying acoustic theory and principles concerned with indoor and outdoor spaces. They will learn how to describe the physical attributes of acoustic waves, relate to how sound-waves are graphically represented, and understand the units-of-measurement employed to quantify and denote acoustic-signal parameters. Learners will also have the opportunity to creatively engage with the discipline of acoustics by exploring how everyday sounds may be used as a palette for constructing new and interesting sonic scenes or soundscapes.

This module will explore the properties, characteristics and musical potential of sounds.

Using hardware and software sound producing tools, learners will create and organise sounds into structures and investigate the emotional possibilities of the experience.

Audio Electronics 2: Active Audio is intended to introduce key electrical concepts like impedance and electrical loading as they apply along the audio signal path. The module also includes a greater focus on active components found in preamplifiers, filters and power amplifiers.

This module is intended to expand knowledge of the recording process in the studio.

This module will cover tonality and basic tonal harmony through a variety of aural, vocal and keyboard exercises requiring the student to interpret and realise musical ideas from various forms of notation such as staff notation, piano roll notation.

This module is intended to introduce a systematic approach to arranging and producing commercial music using a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). The project-based learning syllabus is derived from the process of producing a song, and students work collaboratively to experience the role of the producer in a popular music context. Exercises in the weekly Lab lectures and practicals focus on arranging and producing within a DAW. These exercises form the basis for the semester-long group project, and students will keep a reflective learning log to track their progress and further reinforce the arranging and production process employed.

In this module, learners will be introduced to a visual programming language specific to audio development. They will learn about the digitisation of acoustic signals, how these are structured and represented in computer systems, and how these signals may be manipulated using filters. Learners will become familiar with generating digital signals using a variety of synthesis techniques and with concepts such as signal flow. From the knowledge gained in Soundscape Design 1, learners will be accustomed to describing attributes of digital signals using equivalent units-of-measure. Learners will also have the opportunity to experiment with digital sound-assets for generating creative soundscapes.

This module will develop musical awareness through the creation of harmonic, melodic and rhythmic structures. Learners will be required to synchronise and co-operate to develop and agree on approaches to musical material.

This module will review concepts covered in Music 1 & 2 in more detail and examine these concepts in the context of a series of case studies from a variety of eras and genres.

This module develops a range of contemporary interactive music performance skills to engage with live multimedia-based productions.

Experimental performance processes on traditional and electronic instruments, together with performative composition techniques such as timbre-based improvisation and free re-composition are exploited within genre-less collectives for the purposes of developing responsive audio-visual awareness skills when live-scoring for interactive installations.

This module will equip the learner with the knowledge and skills required to operate software designed for visual communication, manipulation and projection mapping. The student will create or select visual elements, these are manipulated (using industry standard software) in response to programmed changes or triggered events and mapped to a projection environment.

The purpose of this module is to introduce students to live sound reinforcement. The module will examine the various components of a small format public address system, including speakers, cables, mixing desks, microphones. Students will deploy these components in suitable environments and spend the semester becoming familiar with the setup procedures and associated considerations. Students will also examine roles within the live sound industry and industry best practice.

This module aims to develop the ability to produce competent mixes from multi-track audio sessions. A key theme will be the comparative analysis between the commercial product and the students’ own work to establish perspective and objective points of reference.

This module introduces students to the purpose and process of creating music for film that supports the onscreen storytelling. Students learn through the analysis of case studies, practical compositional exercises and assignments requiring composition and arrangement of music responding to moving image. The final assessment is a combined assessment with Digital Production 3 and Studio Production 4 in which students combine recorded dialogue, sound effects and musical arrangements in a complete soundtrack for a short piece of film.

This module is intended to introduce the skills associated with various professional roles in the audio post-production industry. The project-based learning syllabus is derived from the process of working with audio for film in which students experience the roles of sound recordist, SFX editor, dialogue editor, music editor, and sound supervisor. Exercises in the weekly Lab lectures and practicals focus on developing the key skills associated with each of these roles. These weekly exercises form the basis for the semester-long integrated project.

This module is intended to familiarise students with the processes and procedures involved in creating an event.

An interactive workshop-style module to assist students in developing their professional identity and to establish a portfolio of their professional practice. Students will have an opportunity to reflect on their strengths and skills, influences, and ambitions within their area of study. They will derive a portfolio representing their work within creative technologies, relevant to their professional identity.

This module focuses on research, information gathering, analysis, conclusion drawing, evaluation, presentation, and discussion of topics.

This module is intended to develop cognate event staging and management skills through the creation of a live event.

Live Sound 3: Front of House & Stage Monitoring is intended to address complex sound reinforcement principles, mixing, routeing and gain staging concepts and establish competence in the operation and installation of Public Address systems for live sound.

In this module, students are encouraged to focus on the roles various instruments play in ensembles, starting with a basic rock or pop band and exploring other additions to this, for example backing vocals, SATB choir or a string section. Analysis of case studies from modern rock and pop as well as some art music examples will be used to illustrate the nature of these roles and various notation formats will be examined (for instance, chord symbols, TAB, Grand staff, string quartet score) and used as appropriate to notate arrangements created in practical exercises and assignments. This module requires students are adept at skills covered in Music modules 1, 2, 3, and 4.

This module will focus on studio-based playing, paying particular attention to rhythmic accuracy, nuanced pitch control, dynamic articulated playing and expressive timbre modulation. Learners will create and record an arrangement of musical material.

This is a project-based module designed to explore the creation of an interactive AV environment. Students will explore the use of audio and visuals in an interactive installation, determine how differing technologies interact and interpret the expected experience of participants. In response students will modify/change interactions and design/curate media for their own installation project.

This module allows learners to produce a professional commercial production in the realm of media/music production.

This module is intended to introduce the fundamentals of game audio from a music and audio production context. The project-based learning syllabus is derived from the process of creating a sound design for a computer game. Students will work collaboratively produce a full sound design for a game. Exercises in the weekly Lab lectures and practicals focus on the fundamental skills required to work in the game audio industry. These exercises form the basis for the semester-long group project, and students will keep a reflective learning log to track their progress.

This module will investigate the emotional possibilities of musical structures and materials. Learners will be invited to create pieces that attempt to achieve particular emotional affects and explore the affordances of sounds in combination.

The learner will explore the use of music in specific contexts (Film, Dance, Song, etc.) to evoke mood and affect emotional reactions, leading to the development of a composition (for performance).

This module is intended to advance audio mixing skills to an industry-standard through further study of the artistry and technical considerations involved. This module will be a collaborative review of the concepts, practices, and tools central to achieving commercial release standard mixes.

This module is intended to introduce key sound design skills in visual media and music production contexts. The inquiry-based learning syllabus builds on existing Digital audio workstation skills and introduces novel frameworks for designing sounds for music and visuals. Exercises in the weekly lab lectures will be structured around sound design questions and potential solutions. The weekly practicals will offer the students the opportunity to develop novel solutions to more complex sound design problems. The final project will provide the opportunity for students to bring these skills together to create a complete sound design for a visual media piece

This module will further equip student students with the necessary networking, design, and visualisation skills used in the creation and execution of a live performance.

Sound Music Computing is intended to engage learners with the open-source prototyping platform Arduino and inform them on how to creatively utilise Arduino and visual programming tool Max to design audio-specific applications that are ergonomic and accessible.

This module informs learners of legal concepts and provide detailed understanding of relevant laws regarding film and audio/ music. This includes broadcast and media regulation and other media laws as they apply to the broadcast and commercial release paradigms.

This module will introduce students to music video production. Introductions to Camera operation, lighting techniques, screen direction and correct procedures in acquiring content for the music video formats will be covered. Students will also be introduced to the craft of editing through basic video editing techniques as well as delivering the final product to professional standards.

This module will develop a set of compositions into a coherent concert show. The focus will be on the presentation of material and the optimisation of the performance for the context. Learners will collaborate to enhance versions of compositions in the context of available resources.

This module represents the culmination of a student’s of undergraduate studies.

The purpose of the module is to allow students to develop one aspect of their degree to a high standard. The capstone project may comprise scholarly and/or practice-based work and the submission may comprise any method suited to the specialism. This may include, but is not limited to, applied research studies, music compositions, music productions, short films/documentaries, radio documentaries/dramas,

scripts, portfolio management and strategy, archival and/or dataset development, and business/industry collaborative projects. Students will be required to maintain a regular reflective logbook and complete a portfolio of submissions throughout the year.

Group Capstone projects may be permitted with acceptance depending on the scope of the project and the allocation of work within the group. Where a group Capstone project is acceptable, the submission methods and grading structure will be determined by the department. The ultimate goal of this module is to allow students to focus on developing their skillset within specific specialist areas while gaining valuable insight into how to manage and deliver projects in an appropriate manner.

This module aims to give students a deeper understanding of the aesthetic, conceptual and technical requirements in the post-production processing of audio, specifically at the stage of mastering for commercial release and file delivery to clients.

This module aims to explore and analyse a variety of new compositional approaches that have evolved in Modern Music. The module will comprise analysis of a variety of articles, compositions, associated pastiche exercises and where possible visits to performances or installations involving sound and music.

Exploration of sensor control, interaction with audio installation technology using networks

This module aims to equip the learner with practical and hands on skills required for working with real-time digital AV networks (recording studios and live sound environments). Students will gain practical experience by setting up, configuring, and troubleshooting IP networks used to carry real-time audio signals within a recording studio and to/from a live venue. Skills are transferrable for stage lighting protocols in a live venue and for broadcast/film.

This module informs Creative Broadcast & Film and Music Production & Technology learners of legal concepts and provide detailed understanding of relevant laws regarding film and audio/ music. This includes copyright, defamation, and contract as they apply to the broadcast and commercial release paradigms.

This module continues from Video production 1 but with a focus on factual programme making around the genre of music. Researching a topic for factual, camera operation and correct procedures in acquiring content for the format will be an essential learning tool in perfecting a narrative for the audience. Students will learn additional researching skills on music topics as well as forming factual narratives through the craft of editing.

This is the capstone module for the events stream. All work completed to this point will be utilised to construct a viable Black Box arena and mount a full-length concert or suite of events in that space.