Lesson Plan: Recording Lab
At this point in the course, the students will have been exposed to course content regarding microphone placement, signal routing, metering, gain staging and monitor mixing. This lesson will build on that information, bringing them together in the practice of recording audio – picking up audio from a source using multiple microphones and capturing these signals to media.
Goals
To develop a practical understanding of how to perform a multi-track audio recording session
Skills to be gained
Students will be able to:
- Route and monitor signals (from source, through soundboard, to media)
- Arm system for recording
- Capture audio to media
- Monitor playback
Rationale
In effort to bring a new learner to appreciate the confluence of processes that inform audio recording, experiential education is a valuable teaching method. To understand and employ the various facets of the tasks involved, situated learning in an authentic studio setting is fundamental.
Teacher preparation
Necessary materials: recording studio laboratory (with separate control and tracking rooms) and musical performer
- Must have a tracking room with microphones set-up for a multi-track recording session
- Must schedule performer ahead of time to serve as example
- Print blank mixing board info/tracking sheets
Procedures
1: Introduction
Instructor will demonstrate steps for recording while band plays a song:
- Monitoring signals for capture (from source, through soundboard, to media)
- Recording signal routing on board information/reference sheet
- Preparing system for recording
- Capturing audio
- Monitoring playback
2: Do it
Students will be divided into groups of 2-4 (depending on class size). The first group of learners will practice steps for recordings a new song from the performer:
- Monitoring signals for capture (from source, through soundboard, to media)
- Recording signal routing on board information/reference sheet
- Preparing system for recording
- Capturing audio
- Monitoring playback
3: What Happened
The first group of learners will elaborate on their experience in a conversation with the other students who were observing. They’ll explore their reactions, challenges, questions, and feelings as well as themes, problems, and issues that arose. Questions will include: What did you learn about recording a multi-track session? What was the most challenging part?
Additionally, students will also elaborate on their reflections by writing a reflective essay (see Assessment below).
* Steps 2 and 3 will be repeated until all of the groups have an opportunity to practice recording a song performed by the musician.
4: What’s Important
The session will culminate in a class conversation that aims to distill the major components of the lesson. Areas of attention could include:
- Troubleshooting – How were problems identified and fixed?
- Signal levels – Examining signal routing and gain staging from mic to recording media.
- Mic selection – Exploring how microphone selection affects the sound it’s picking up.
- Mic placement – Maneuvering microphone placement intentionally to affect the texture of the sound it’s picking up.
- Critical Listening – Bringing the students’ attention to using the studio monitors as a tool to help inform mic placement.
- Overdubbing – Looking at playback as it informs ‘Overdubbing’, the next section of the course.
- Mixing – Framing playback as it informs ‘Mixdown’, the section of the course following ‘Overdubbing’.
- Communication – Reflecting on group communications with the performer in the tracking room as part of the process. Reflecting on how the group members interacted in the control room. Discuss the role of the recording engineer to make an environment conducive to creative expression.
5. So What/Now What
Students will identify their ‘takeaways’ from the lesson as part of a take-home reflective essay (see Assessment below). Students will be asked to begin the process of planning for the microphone selection and placement component of their group project. Students will move forward with independent recording session projects (See Assessment below).
Assessment
This lesson is part of a project during which student groups will eventually record and mix a song in the Recording Studio Laboratory under the mentorship of the Studio Assistants and the Instructor. There will be graded assessments of understanding at various stages in the process (assignments include: Band Selection, Room/Mic Setup Design, Initial Audio Capture/Rough Mix, 1st Draft of Mixdown, & Final Draft of Mixdown). Along with graded assignments, student group assessment will also occur through the use of interactive critique of recorded works by the Instructor, Studio Assistants, as well as class participation.
Regarding assessments for this lesson, specifically:
- Class conversation during the lesson (i.e. What Happened and What’s Important) will inform a general class assessment.
- Individual reflection essays with inform personal assessment. Students will be asked to describe their personal experience of the lesson in a short essay format. This will help to give each student more time to process and reflect upon the experience and the privacy to ask individual questions that will be used to inform further instruction. Additionally, students will be asked about how they will use the lesson to help them plan ahead for their group's project. Prompts should include items like: What are questions you have about the process of multi-track capture? What of today’s lesson still doesn’t make sense? What did groups of students do differently? How will the lesson today help inform how you plan your session?
Reflection:
How did the lesson go?
What worked well?
What didn’t work well? What can be done better next time?
What is the feedback from the students?
Any surprises?