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Each week Audiocourses.com provides a live chat (live workshop) to the students of each cohort enrolled on a course. These workshops cement a solid spine into the students learning programme in which open and free dialogue takes place,
concerning audio topics of their relevance.
The workshops are without doubt a very popular place to be and enable the isolation
one can feel in distance education to be somewhat quashed. Below is a very brief
example of this weeks dialogue.
[Audiocourses] So how did you find the week? time comsuming?
[student 2] I thought they took a lot longer than i had imagined
[student 1] well I really enjoyed to read and study but I would love to go deeper
[Audiocourses] a good point aik...
[Audiocourses] the depth never seems to end..
[student 2] yeah i enjoyed it too
[Audiocourses] I was impressed with what I have seen so far.
[student 1] Because it's not only about finding answers to the questions but
to understand the context
[student 2] didnt know anything about classical music
[student 1] I do know a lot about classical music
[student 2] i found them quite difficult but interesting
[Audiocourses] Yes it is an interesting area and I would jump at the chance
if you ever get an opportunity to work a clasical job.
[student 1] The questions require an opinion or a taste. There is not always
an exact right or wrong, am I right?
[Audiocourses] AIK, yes to a certain extent you are correct...
[Audiocourses] I guess sometimes you could all present similar ideas, you know
like general room acoustics for example.
[Audiocourses] or the fact that editing a classic peiece will chop the reverb,
etc..
[student 1] Yes but it is still a question of taste what you prefere
[Audiocourses] yes it is
[student 1] or pointing the mics in the right direction
[Audiocourses] certainly with the way it sounds..
[Audiocourses] although if we are working as an "engineer" for somebody,
our taste may not be required..
[student 1] That's true but it is difficult not to have one
[Audiocourses] we may have to be the "slave" in some situations..
and give the producer what they require.
[student 1] You can always come with qualified inputs
[Audiocourses] Of course..
[Audiocourses] Imagine yourself in an environment where you do not like the
music..
[Audiocourses] how do we cope.?
[Audiocourses] Can we still work with not liking the music?
[student 1] I think it is essential to like the musik to get a good result.
It is anyway for me
[Audiocourses] I'm just thinking practically here as say a studio owner..
[Audiocourses] You knowm a band comes along and you do not like the music, do
we turn the work down?
[Audiocourses] Tough call
[student 1] Depends how bad it is
[student 2] lol
[Audiocourses] what you think rico?
[student 1] After listening for a while you might always find something that
keeps you interested
[Audiocourses] aik great point!
[Audiocourses] might just be the texture of the floor tom ;)
[student 2] i think i would have to like the music to be enthusiastic about
it
[student 2] but there are not many types of music i can't tolerate
[Audiocourses] Ben, they both sound like they should be "Producers"
and not engineers lol
[ben_m] hehe
[ben_m] yes, theres a big difference in roles
[student 1] I mind end up as an editor, i love editing
[ben_m] as an engineer you will need to work with material that you don't like
[ben_m] the skills you learn from working with other styles of music is invaluavle
[ben_m] invaluable
[ben_m] think about recording classical for instance
[ben_m] you may not like classical
[ben_m] but the skills you learn may come in handy if you're recording a band
you like and they want to add a string part
[student 1] It is always a challenge to explore new areas
[ben_m] exactly aik
[ben_m] and there are different methods
[ben_m] you wouldn't mic up a dru kit the same way for jazz and rock
[student 1] why not?
[ben_m] well, i'm talking rule of thumb here
[student 1] I mean it sounds sensible but why
[ben_m] jazz kits are usually mic with only a few mics
[ben_m] not close mics on toms etc
[student 2] i would think drums arent as prominant in jazz music
[ben_m] i've often recorded jazz kits with 3 mics
[ben_m] also, you may find that in jazz you'll mix the hi-hat louder than you
would normally
[ben_m] but doing these things you learn to get a jazz sound
[ben_m] and then you may be recording yor favourite band and they ask you to
get a jazz drum sound on a track and you're already there
[ben_m] of course there are times that it is challenging
[ben_m] if you really don't like the music
[ben_m] but you habe to listen to the 'sound' not the music
[ben_m] thats the most important thing
[Audiocourses] very well said
[Audiocourses] that is a "gem" to remember guys "but you habe
to listen to the 'sound' not the music"
[student 1] I guess it is a matter of training to seperate these two things
[ben_m] aik - it will soon come naturally to you
[ben_m] you'll be listening to a jukebox in a pub and you'll start hearing layers
[ben_m] and noticing the compression and reverb settings
[ben_m] and then you'll realise you haven't actually been listening to the music
for the last 5 mins!
[student 1] There is actually not very much music which i can't stand
[student 2] same here
[student 1] I think i do know what you are talking about. I know that in classical
music. I can forget the music and listen to the sound
[Audiocourses] It is a question of approaching it slightly differently.
[Audiocourses] Sometimes a newcomer to engineering feels they may loose something
if they start listening to what they feel they do not like, i.e. taste.
[Audiocourses] This is rubbish though ;)
[Audiocourses] I would encourage you to listen as widely as possile in order
to understand what makes that music unique.
[Audiocourses] What elements give Punk it's "audio label" as ben was
intimating
[Audiocourses] its..
[student 1] but still if you are working with music you will somehow loose the
ability not to hear the sound, as I can't access a theatre without looking how
the light is rigged
[Audiocourses] Personally there is no music I do not like, but there is a lot
of "processing" I do not like.
[student 2] what do u mean by 'processing'?
[Audiocourses] When I listen to sounds (when working and not dancing) I am analysing
everything.
[Audiocourses] I am using "processing" broadly here...
[Audiocourses] so that covers recording and how the recording is treated.
[student 2] aah ok
[Audiocourses] so I may listen to some track by whoever and realy really appreciate
the kick drum sound, yet hate the way the vocal has ben compressed...
[Audiocourses] ben compressed = been compressed (not ben m )
[student 1] can you always hear the use of a compressor
[Audiocourses] Hope so :)
[ben_m] :)
[Audiocourses] Compression is hard to hear when starting to look for it..
[ben_m] more to the point can you hear when a compressor hasn't been used! Thats
easier way to start
[Audiocourses] but trust me... you WILL know it by the end of this course
[ben_m] we will destroy your capability to enjoy music!
[Audiocourses] lol
[ben_m] :)
[student 2] lol
[student 1] sounds good. i would imagine that you need to know i.e. the voice
to hear the compression
[Audiocourses] NO, you need to know what compression does to a sound
[student 1] Thats going to be hard work for you to destroy :)
[student 1] i understand
[student 1] what does compression to a sound?
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