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The Technology of Music Production

Approx. 19 hours to complete

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Course Summary

This course teaches you the technology of music production, focusing on digital audio workstation (DAW) software and sound processing tools. You will learn the fundamentals of music production, including composition, arrangement, mixing, and mastering.

Key Learning Points

Learn the ins and outs of digital audio workstation software (DAW)
Master sound processing techniques for recording, mixing, and mastering
Understand the fundamentals of composition, arrangement, and music theory

Job Positions & Salaries of people who have taken this course might have

- USA: $50,000 - $100,000
- India: INR 5,00,000 - INR 15,00,000
- Spain: €18,000 - €40,000
- USA: $50,000 - $100,000
- India: INR 5,00,000 - INR 15,00,000
- Spain: €18,000 - €40,000
- USA: $30,000 - $90,000
- India: INR 2,00,000 - INR 10,00,000
- Spain: €15,000 - €35,000
- USA: $50,000 - $100,000
- India: INR 5,00,000 - INR 15,00,000
- Spain: €18,000 - €40,000
- USA: $30,000 - $90,000
- India: INR 2,00,000 - INR 10,00,000
- Spain: €15,000 - €35,000
- USA: $30,000 - $100,000
- India: INR 1,50,000 - INR 10,00,000
- Spain: €15,000 - €40,000

Learning Outcomes

Understand the technology behind music production
Create high-quality music using digital audio workstation software
Master sound processing techniques to enhance recordings

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

Basic knowledge of music theory
Access to a digital audio workstation software

Course Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Course Format

Self-paced
Video lectures
Hands-on projects

Similar Courses

Introduction to Music Production
Music Production Techniques

Related Education Paths

Notable People in This Field

Junkie XL
Rick Beato

Related Books

Description

Learn about the music production process—including recording, editing, and mixing—and the tools available to you to create contemporary music on your computer.

With the recent introduction of high-quality-low-cost software and hardware, the tools of music production are now available to the masses. Albums are made in bedrooms as well as studios. On the surface this is liberating. Anyone can make an album for the low cost of a couple pieces of gear and a software package. But, if you dig deeper, you will find that it is not so easy. Producing music requires knowledge, dedication, and creativity. Knowledge is where this course comes in. No matter what kind of music you are making, there is a large set of tools that you will need to use. Each lesson of this course will demonstrate a different set of music production tools, loosely following along the music production process of recording, editing, and mixing. We will start with some background on the nature of sound and how we perceive it. We will then examine the components necessary to record audio into a computer, so that you understand the devices that sound must travel through in a music production process. Once recorded, sound must be organized along a timeline, a process known as editing. It allows us to give the impression of perfect performances and create many of the sounds we hear in contemporary music. The contemporary editing tool is the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), a piece of software that stores and organizes all the assets of a musical project. We will focus on the editing tools that are essential in contemporary music production and that all DAWs provide. After editing, sounds must be combined or mixed together, so we look to the mixing board—a very creative place if you know how to use it. We will explore the basic functionality of both hardware and software mixing boards, including volume, pan, mute, solo, busses, inserts, sends, and submixes. The mixing process, however, includes more tools than the mixing board provides on its own. Sound must also be processed, modified from its recorded state to fit the context of the music. We will look at compression, equalization, and delay, and examine the many audio effects that are offshoots of these devices and how they are used in a musical context. In the end, the music production process relies on your creativity. Creativity is a product of the mind and will stay there, unexpressed, until the right tools are used in the right way to share it with the world. If you have an idea in your head, it will take numerous steps, each with an important tool, to reach your audience. You bring the dedication and creativity, and this course will bring you the knowledge to make that happen.

Knowledge

Discuss the nature of sound, how it travels, and its properties
Set up your Digital Audio Workstation, record audio, and utilize basic audio editing techniques such as trimming, fades, and merging
Define the different categories of effects: Dynamic Effects, Delay Effects, and Filter Effects and use them effectively in a recording project
Discuss the role filters play in music synthesis and define how they effect the input signal

Outline

Welcome to The Technology of Music Production
Welcome
A Note From Loudon
Connect with Your Classmates
Course Resources
A Course Certificate
Join the Discussion!
What Are Your Goals for this Course?

Sound and Signal Flow
Lesson Overview
Propagation
Amplitude
Frequency
Visualizing Sound
Connections Overview
Microphone as a Transducer
Microphone Types
Microphone Frequency Response
Microphone Polar Patterns
Microphone Placement
Line Level and Gain Staging
Cables
Interface
Microphone Connection and Gain
Analog to Digital Converter
Pickup Connections
The Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
Join Your Study Group
The Nature of Sound
Microphones & Cables
Signals

The DAW
Lesson Overview
Analog to Digital Conversion
Buffer Size
File Types
Project Folder
Project Checklist
Multitrack
Recording Audio
Zooming
Trimming
Separating and Cutting
Nudging
The Grid
Fades
Cycling
Merging
Naming and Coloring
Markers
Comping
Destructive Editing
MIDI
MIDI Controllers
Software Instruments
MIDI Editing: Velocity
MIDI Editing: Quantization
Common MIDI Recording and Editing Functions
Wrap-up
Creating Your Assignments
Reviewing Your Peers' Assignments
Join Your Study Group
Assignment Example
The DAW
Tracks, Files, and Editing
MIDI

The Mixer
Lesson Overview
The Channel Strip
The Bus Concept
Effects Categories
Inserts
The Submix
Sends
Automation
Wrap-up
Join Your Study Group
The Channel Strip, Effects, and Sends

Dynamic Effects
Lesson Overview
Noise
Distortion
Dynamic Range Manipulation
Dynamic Processors Overview
Dynamic Processor Parameters
Gate
Downward Compressor
Limiter
Wrap-up
Join Your Study Group
Dynamic Range & Dynamic Processors

Filter and Delay Effects
Lesson Overview
The Delay Concept
The Delay Spectrum
Modulated Short Delays
Filters Overview
Mixing EQ
Medium Delay: Slap Back
Long Delay
Reverb
Width in Mixing
Space in Mixing
Join Your Study Group
Delay and Filters

Synthesis
Lesson Overview
Oscillators
Filters
Amplifiers
LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator)
A Language of Timbre
Wrap-up
Join Your Study Group
Oscillators, Filters, and Modulation
Putting It All Together

Summary of User Reviews

This course on technology of music production has received great reviews from learners. It covers a wide range of topics and provides hands-on experience to learners. Many users found the instructors to be knowledgeable and engaging.

Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course

The hands-on experience provided in the course was highly appreciated by many users.

Pros from User Reviews

Covers a wide range of topics related to music production
Provides hands-on experience to learners
Instructors are knowledgeable and engaging
Assignments and quizzes help learners to reinforce their understanding of the concepts

Cons from User Reviews

Some users found the course to be too basic
The course content could have been more organized
The pace of the course may be too slow for some learners
Some users found the course to be too focused on specific software programs

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