In order for us to listen to music and access streaming services, the sounds we hear need to be captured and edited for listening. This is where the process of recording and editing music is so important!

Signal vs Sound

When we hear sounds from a car driving past, or someone speaking to us throughout the day, we are hearing what is called sound. Sound is simply energy that is being pushed through the air causing vibrations that our ears perceive as sound. When a sound wave moves quickly up and down (positive and negative), we hear this as a high pitch or a higher sound (similar to someone with a higher pitched voice). When a sound wave moves slower up and down (positive and negative), we hear this as a lower pitch or a lower sound.

For us to capture this sound and re-produce it we need to record the music using a number of different components and pieces of equipment. Lets watch the following video to learn a little bit about recording equipment.

In order for us to capture and record music, the sound we hear needs to be transformed into signal. This is due to computers working with data and signal, rather than sound. We do this by using a microphone and/or whats called a recording interface!

In short, to record music you will generally need the following pieces of equipment

You could simply use your mobile phone to get started.

iPhones come with a recording/sampling program called Garageband as well as a voice memo program that allows you to simply press record and capture any ideas for songs or riffs you might have!

Android phones come standard with a voice recording program and you can also access other recording programs through the google app store.

This weeks interactive composition tasks:

During class, you will be required to record a set of sounds or instruments into your DAW and turn this into a piece of music containing an introduction, verse and chorus sections that must go for between 8 and 16 bars each.

You will use your laptop to record the sounds either using a voice recording program on your laptop, or BandLab. 

No phones are to be used!

The sounds you record could be from a standard musical instrument, or could be other objects creating sound that you could possibly use for your short composition (could be the sound of a bin lid closing to use as a percussive sound for example).

You will then use these sound/instrument recordings, along with loops and samples to create your composition.

You must include:

2x recorded instruments or sounds

2x loops including a drum loop

Your song must be recorded using a click track/metronome

Your song must contain a melody/riff of some sort

Once you have completed the composition, you need to bounce the track and upload it to google classroom using the assignment titled "recorded sounds composition".