Overall, I had an okay experience with the course.
I thought the content, especially the course manual, was well-structured and covered a broad range of topics in audio production. The manual provided a solid foundation in the theoretical aspects of audio, such as the physics of sound and its impact on our lives, as well as the stages of the audio production process. It was interesting and had a logical flow which made it easier to relate concepts to one another. Despite this, I found the course to be more challenging than I expected.
It was challenging because working with audio isn’t as intuitive for me as working with graphics. Unlike visual elements, where I can see changes instantly, with audio, I had to rely on my ears, which made it harder to grasp some concepts.
There was a lot of trial and error involved in completing the assignments. Many times, I had to experiment with different settings in my DAW, hoping to stumble upon the right method. There weren’t many “Aha!” moments either for me in this course. I rarely had those moments of sudden clarity where everything clicked. Instead, most of the time, I felt like I was piecing things together slowly and wasn’t always sure if I fully understood the concepts.
I understand that as an open university student, self-directed learning is a big part of the experience, and sometimes seeking out supplemental material is expected. But in this course, that self-directed learning often felt more like guesswork. Perhaps it would have been more helpful if there more activities with guide questions to help bridge the gap between theory and practice. For instance, activities that encouraged experimentation with different settings, such as adjusting latency during recording or applying various audio effects on tracks, could have provided more hands-on experience. An answer sheet for the guide questions would be helpful too for students in developing their listening skills and vocabulary to describe the quality of the sound they’re hearing. These exercises wouldn’t need to be graded but would offer valuable guided practice and a deeper understanding of the material.
I had set out three goals sometime at the beginning of this course that would help me progress, and help me in creating my final project. I believe the first and most important one was to finish the course manual. This might sound ridiculous to even put down as a goal—of course, completing the manual should be a given. But I knew that if I didn’t set it as a goal, there was a risk that I’d overlook some of the foundational concepts or rush through them. Then, I wouldn’t be able to have the understanding necessary to create my final project. I’m glad that I stuck to this goal, making it all the way to the end of UNIT III.
The second goal was to engage with or at least browse the discussion forums. However, I wasn’t able to do that as much as I had hoped. On the other hand, I found time to browse supplementary materials—which was my third goal— such as YouTube videos and articles about acoustic treatment, recording, REAPER, and audio effects. I set it as the last goal, one that was optional and would be done if I had the time. But, the third goal turned out to be much more feasible to me than the second goal. Unlike the discussion forums, I found the tutorials and resources to be more relevant to my final project, and so I ended up prioritizing them instead. With other coursework to accomplish and personal responsibilities to uphold, I wasn’t able to set aside attention and time for the second goal.
Aside from what I learned in the course manual, I learned some things on my own when I was creating my final project. Some of the things I learned might be very obvious, but these concepts were new to me and they significantly influenced how I approach my work.
Basic Functions of REAPER
I learned how to use some fundamental functions of REAPER, the DAW I used for most of my assignments. While I don’t see myself using it that much, I’m glad to have learned it.
Removing Background Noise
I learned a couple of techniques for reducing background noise in REAPER which involved using ReaGate and ReaFir.
Audio Terminology
While I was learning to apply audio effects, I encountered terms like “muddy” and “boxy”. These terms helped me identify and address issues with audio clarity.
Frequency Ranges of Male and Female Voices
I realized that male and female voices occupy different frequency ranges, which is a crucial consideration in audio editing. Understanding the typical range for female voices helped me in EQ adjustments.
Equalization and Compression
I’ve become more familiar with using equalization and compression. I learned to boost and cut specific frequency ranges to enhance clarity and separation between different audio tracks. I also learned how to use compression to manage the dynamic range of my recordings, ensuring loud sounds are controlled while quieter sounds are brought up to a more consistent level.
I’m glad that I was able to submit the final requirements of this course which are this blog and the final project. Although that doesn’t guarantee that I pass, I feel a great sense of achievement. Regardless of the outcome, I’ve gained some valuable skills and insights that I could apply in future projects whether they be academic, personal or professional.