Music Technology Workbook

Music Technology Workbook

by Paul Middleton, Steven Gurevitz
Released April 2013
Publisher(s): Focal Press
ISBN: 9781136125652

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Book description

This practical music technology workbook enables students and teachers to get the best possible results with the available equipment. The workbook provides step-by-step activities for classroom-based and independent project work, covering the skills and techniques used in modern music production. All are related to specific areas of the GCSE, AS/A2 and BTEC curricula. The activities are supplemented with basic concepts, hints and tips on techniques, productions skills and system optimisation to give students the best possible chance of passing or improving their grade.

The book is includes screenshots throughout from a variety of software including Cubasis, Cubase SX, Logic and Reason, though all activities are software- and platform-independent.

Table of contents

  1. Front Cover
  2. Half Title
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. Acknowledgements
  7. Chapter 1 - Introduction
    1. Technology
    2. Overview of software featured in this book
  8. Chapter 2 - Listening and Creative Skills
    1. Approach to creating music
    2. Listening skills
    3. Creating a tune
    4. The keyboard
    5. Octaves
    6. Harmony
    7. Chords
    8. Bass notes
    9. Scales
    10. Song structure
    11. Keyboard and instrument skills
    12. Playing in time
  9. Chapter 3 - MIDI Introduction
    1. Understanding how MIDI works
    2. MIDI connections
    3. MIDI ports
    4. Simple MIDI connections
    5. USB and Firewire
    6. MIDI channels
    7. Assigning MIDI channels
    8. Using MIDI with a computer
    9. Following a MIDI note
    10. Different types of MIDI messages
    11. Panic messages
    12. MIDI controllers
    13. Sound sources
    14. General MIDI
  10. Chapter 4 - MIDI Sequencer Basics
    1. What is a MIDI sequencer?
    2. The Arrange window
    3. Routing MIDI data
    4. Transport controls
    5. Arranging MIDI data
    6. Tools
    7. Quantize
    8. Different types of edit windows
  11. Chapter 5 - MIDI Sequencing Exercises
    1. Exercise 5.1Initial set-up
    2. Exercise 5.2 First recording
    3. Exercise 5.3 Cutting parts
    4. Exercise 5.4 Looping and copying
    5. Exercise 5.5 Using the graphic editor
    6. Exercise 5.6 Quantizing MIDI information
    7. Exercise 5.7 Editing velocity
    8. Exercise 5.8 Pitch bend
    9. Exercise 5.9 Creating and editing controller data
    10. Exercise 5.10 Program change
    11. Exercise 5.11 Creating a drum beat
    12. Fig. 5.11.9 – Tools.
    13. Exercise 5.12 Step time recording
    14. Exercise 5.13 Changing the time signature
    15. Exercise 5.14 Changing the tempo
    16. Exercise 5.15 Displaying MIDI on a score
  12. Chapter 6 - MIDI Sequencing Projects
    1. Project 6.1 Ground bass
    2. Project 6.2 Blues
    3. Project 6.3 Dance
    4. Project 6.4 Reggae
  13. Chapter 7 - Audio
    1. The recording process
    2. Different types of recording environments and set-ups
    3. Studio personnel
    4. Audio equipment
  14. Chapter 8 - Digital Recording
    1. Basic sound theory
    2. Recording sound
    3. Analogue or digital
    4. Audio file management
    5. Hard disk performance
    6. Digital audio file formats
    7. Stereo sound
    8. Mono or stereo
  15. Chapter 9 - Microphones
    1. Different types of microphones
    2. Microphone polar patterns
    3. Microphone placement
    4. Stereo microphone techniques
  16. Chapter 10 - The Mixing Desk
    1. Input channels
    2. Bus outputs
    3. Master section
  17. Chapter 11 - Audio Exercises
    1. Exercise 11.1 Connecting a microphone
    2. Exercise 11.2 Connecting a sound source
    3. Exercise 11.3 Routing and monitoring
    4. Exercise 11.4 Routing a signal to a multitrack
    5. Exercise 11.5 Setting up a foldback mix
    6. Exercise 11.6 Recording and overdubbing
    7. Exercise 11.7 Adding reverb
    8. Exercise 11.8 Editing audio
    9. Exercise 11.9 Mixing
    10. Exercise 11.10 Creating a CD
  18. Chapter 12 - Audio Projects
    1. Project 12.1 Live stereo recording
    2. Project 12.2 Multitrack recording
  19. Glossary
  20. Index

Product information

  • Title: Music Technology Workbook
  • Author(s): Paul Middleton, Steven Gurevitz
  • Release date: April 2013
  • Publisher(s): Focal Press
  • ISBN: 9781136125652