Sound Prdn: Flying Pro Tools Solo

Cans jacks on 003

When you work on your individual projects, you’ll use headphones to monitor, not speakers. There are two headphone (cans) jacks on the front panel of the 003 controller. The left one is #1, the other #2. Chose either.

Volume “Phones” pot locations for both headphone jacks are shown in the image below. The Monitor pot is for speakers. Don’t forget your friendly “mute” button.

Bottom row of dark grey pots: first two for cans. Top row of light grey
pots: first one is mic input trim for Analog Input 1

Here is the folder hierarchy for your sessions. Let’s say your name is Rick Sashay:

Desktop->Student Sessions->FALL 2012->Rick Sashay->Rick Sashay Work II

Since the workstations are not networked, you will be tied to one particular rig for the duration of your project. Central will spread your session bookings so that there will be fewest people working on each rig.

Do not attempt to move sessions around between workstations. Do not attempt to do work outside of the edit lab and copy it to a Media Arts workstation.

Do not change preferences or attempt to customize anything on the computer. Do remember to have fun.

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Pi Subwoofer Project Part 1

3 Pi Sub, beautifully veneered,
at a trade show.

This is an intro to our subwoofer build project.

We will construct a professional, high quality subwoofer designed by Wayne Parham. It is called the 3 Pi Subwoofer. Read about it here.

The low frequency transducer, a 12" driver, is one of the best pro units, the EminenceLab 12.

The 3Pi Subwoofer gives excellent performance down to and below 20Hz. The cabinet will house a “plate amplifier,” which is an amp built into the speaker box.

In terms of low frequency extension, acoustical output and quality, this sub will be vastly superior to the small one I built for Radio CRA, shown below, left.

Small, budget sub I built for
RadioCRA

You’ll have to do a little reading. Start with the link at the top of this post, then read these below. I am currently searching for more beginner friendly readings. Glean what you can. From the Pi Speakers Forum:

Hoffman’s Iron Law:

http://audioroundtable.com/forum/index.php?t=msg&goto=15489#msg_15489

Vented box:

http://audioroundtable.com/forum/index.php?t=msg&goto=42557#msg_42557
more:
http://www.parts-express.com/resources/home-howtoguide/choose.cfm#choose2
and a few more paragraphs:
http://www.diysubwoofers.org/prt/

We will talk about construction methods later. Here are the plans from a CAD drawing my friend made of Wayne Parham’s design:

Now, our sub won't have fancy veneer. It will sport a utilitarian finish, perhaps Duratex, or truck-bed liner paint. I am thinking it will have wheels so we can roll it into classroom for playbacks and MARS CRC for awesome monitoring.

I have a circle jig and router, to cut precise round holes. We need 2, one for the driver, the other for the port, or vent. I can't cut the plywood sheets easily, however.

Router makes nice holes, fine dust.
Hazardous. We'll do it outside.

Wood dust destroyed living conditions in my apartment while building the little sub. So I am looking into getting our plywood cut by someone else to the above specs. After the sheets are cut, we will use the circle jig and router to remove our appendages...I mean, cut the holes, then glue the box together. I have large clamps to do this. We'll do all that at school and I expect problems, yes.

After dry, some sanding and painting. We are going for performance, not looks. But I'm sure it will look cool to me. More details to follow. Please use the comments section to sign up for the build.

This image shows the awesome construction of the LAB12, for inspiration.
I have already bought Wayne Parham's OEM version of this woofer. It has a provision to mount a cooling plug which removes heat more efficiently, for use in insane applications. You will like it. : )

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Sound Prdn: Work II Acoustic Portrait

Here is the official assignment for Work II. Monitor this thread. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section.

WORK II: ACOUSTIC PORTRAIT: Overview:

Student is required to create a sonic portrait of a very specific subject of his choice. As a cubist painter shows more than one view within the portrait, the student will present the subject from a variety of different perspectives. This requires field recording in different modes, e.g.: interviewing/ambience/discrete sources/walk-throughs; recorded with required variance in microphone perspective. The microphone, representing the listener’s ear, must be placed very specifically and creatively to obtain raw material useful to paint a sonic portrait. Close micing reveals intimate detail and exclusivity. Greater distance adds space and surrounding environmental information, providing location and context.

Just as a painted portrait reveals the subject thoroughly, so should the acoustic portrait.

The student transfers the source recordings to CD, logs, and transfers selected elements into a Pro Tools digital audio workstation for editing. All previously learned rules of editing apply. There will be a requirement of two tracks, one stereo, one mono. Interview and point source recordings must go to a mono track. Ambience and sounds with significant spatial components must go to the stereo track. The student must demonstrate himself to be a good recordist. This requires proper recording in the field with either a stereo or mono microphone as appropriate. Total time: 2-4 minutes. Submission includes: Final edit/mix on a stereo audio CD; Microtrack source recordings on audio CD; Pro Tools session on approved MAD workstation.

Further important details:

Work Two: Acoustic Portrait:

This is an addendum/assignment sheet to the overview given in class this week. Please be aware there are conditions regarding what subjects you can and can not use for your Work. Obtain approval for your subject in class on 11/20/12.

Be certain to record in the appropriate mode for your source material. Stereo or mono, as detailed in class on 11/20.

Get room tone in the field. When you’re through recording an interview, get at least 30s of ambience (matching record level and mic position.) You will use this later to cut in “silence” to space passages – to help maintain cadence. Slate “room tone” just before rolling. This helps you log and dub. N.B.: When you dub the tone, take it several times, including the slate, so you can find it; and since you may need more than 30s worth (though probably not for a project of this short length.) It’s essential to dub room tone at exactly the same level as you dubbed the vox. This makes the room tone as “loud” as the spaces between words. It can then be easily intercut.

Skillfully select mic position. Proper interview vox micing is standard and already detailed. Be sure to use the 635A for interviewing. Remember to minimize or eliminate handling noise, plosives and wind noise. If you get these on your source recordings you must cut them out or face grading penalties. Please do vary mic position when not interviewing, as detailed 11/20. A film composed entirely of close-ups, for example, doesn’t give the viewer enough, yes? Round-out your recordings by placing the mic at various distances from the sound source. This gives the ear perspective. We’ll hear space as well as close-in detail.

Log and mentally edit as per Work One. Have at least 60 minutes of source recording; the mental cut therefore saves data storage space and time. Use an appropriate structure.

Techs:

50-edit minimum, 2-4 minutes final edit mix. Mono, 635A sources go to mono Pro Tools track. Stereo, stereo electret mic, sources go to a stereo Pro Tools Track. The stereo track may serve as a bed for the mono track, if desired. I will look at your Pro Tools session as well as listen to your CD. No late work. Total time: 2-4 minutes. Submission includes: Final edit/mix on a stereo audio CD; Microtrack source recordings on audio CD; Pro Tools session on approved MAD workstation. All work, including subsequent assignments, must be accomplished solo and at the Media Arts Department as detailed.

Do Not Choose:

The following as subjects:

·      Your car

·      Yourself

·      Family member

·      Pet

·      Computer/internet or gaming related

·      “Day in the life of…,” i.e. waking, eating, showering, going, doing routine.

·      NJCU campus

·      Journal Square or transit system

·      Bogus or dramatized subjects

Additionally:

Obtain approval for your subject in class next week. Your due date for this assignment is 12/11/12, 3 weeks, including time for subject selection and approval. Label all materials. Make sure all your sessions are properly booked. Remember this is solo work.

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Garden of the Finzi Continis

I made copies of the assignment, they are at the left computer monitor. The project is due next week.

The bike Foley stereo bounce is located here:
sound drive->student sound->post->post 2012->finzi bike Foley bnc

Import that into a stereo track.

The file is a dual mono WAV, so it imports without conversion. (shift/cmd/I)
The dual mono file will go into a stereo track. Don't place it on 2 mono tracks. Dual mono bounces are native to directly import into PTools. Stereo interleaved for CDs or other final mix outputs.
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Splicing Leader and Trailer

Here's how you splice leader and trailer tape onto your work:

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Sound Production Alert

PLEASE NOTE UPDATE:
The official word as of Tues, 11/6, 9 AM, is that day and night classes have resumed. So both sections of Sound Production will meet. However the night class will be abbreviated because PATH service is not fully restored.

NJCU has officially cancelled night classes as of now until further notice. Here’s the official word:

“Daytime classes at the NJCU Main Campus have resumed as of November 5, 2012.  In recognition of the city-wide curfew, all evening classes scheduled to begin at or after 6:00 PM are cancelled. All other classes scheduled to begin before 6:00 PM may not extend beyond 7:00 PM.  The University will close at 7:00 PM.  This schedule will be followed until further notice.

For further updates please visit the University website at www.njcu.edu.”

 

This makes it unclear as to the situation for Tues Sound Production. Additionally, I have transportation problems, like everyone else. Please keep apprised of developments and monitor this blog. To get notifications for comments on this post, follow these instructions.

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