Essentially Connor wrote a riff and it was like pretty freakin good. Liam went to Sherwood and met a good vocalist named Jess. We decided we were going to write a song on top of Connor’s riff and then have Jess lay down the vocals.
Role
Drummer
Intention (SMART Goal)
Make an original song.
PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY
Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)
Training Source(s)
Project Timeline
Due January 13th 2023
PRODUCTION – ACTION
The (FILM, SOUND, or GAME Creation)
Skills Commentary
I feel like my double bass was pretty good this time around. I was lowkey rushing in the chorus parts a bit but otherwise this is definitely my best drum tracking session yet.
POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION
21st Century Skills
Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)
I was creative because I created a drum part that incorporated many different styles and approaches.
Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)
I think our group communicated quite well. We were very open about what liked and didn’t like especially in the production.
Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)
We used Garageband for recording and Logic Pro for mixing.
Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)
This project helped me with individual work which will be good for my future.
Reactions to the Final Version
Bobby said the snare should be turned down and that the fills were unnecessary in the bridge (he’s wrong).
Self-Evaluation of Final Version
I really enjoyed making this song. Liam had a great solo and Connor wrote a great riff. I feel very happy with my drum part especially with how it utilizes double bass; something I have been learning a lot more recently. Not everything was perfect with time in the final product but I think overall this song will age quite well for when we created it.
I was the person who spoke into the microphones and I made a project where I tested all of these different microphones for audio quality to see which one was the best/my favorite.
Microphone Audition Podcast
My Favorite Microphone
My favorite microphone was the Sennheiser. It has very crisp audio and I am now looking for a pair of their headphones as well.
Terms and Concepts
Microphones
Dynamic – The sound waves themselves create the electrical signal by moving the membrane diaphragm of the microphone. Very popular and very well known. It is good for the low and middle range, NOT the high range.
Condenser – The membrane has an electrical current that waits for sound. When the sound waves hit it, it responds instantly. They are all over the place, but they need an electrical charge {amplifier} from something {battery}.
Polar Patterns
Omni – Picks sound up from all directions equally. This is used for interviews because it can pick up more than one person, without having to have two separate mics.
Cardioid – Picks up one half of the microphone, also known as a ‘directional mic’. Most sensitive in the front, about 180 degrees. Shaped like a heart.
Bi-directional – ‘Figure of 8’, picks the front and behind of the mic, but the 90-degree angle on both sides does not get picked up.
Transduction – Converts one form of energy to another.
Voltage – An electric force or a potential difference shown in volts.
Phantom Power – Activates the condenser in a microphone. DC powered mostly between 12 and 48 DC voltages.
Sensitivity – Voltage at its known sound level. Can be called by its voltage or decibels. A higher number means more sensitivity, everything is mostly in negatives. Sound pressure.
Frequency Response – The range of sound the microphone can produce and how sensitive it is within the range. You want it nice and flat.
Transient – A variation in current, voltage, or frequency.
Placement – Placement of the microphone is key, depending on the sounds you want, it can just be the distance from you or the instrument from the microphone. This part of the microphone can affect others emotionally in a way to connect with the audience.
Proximity Effect – Decreased sensitivity to low mics, which reduces background noise and vibration and counteracts when used very close to the source.
Output – A place where the sound leaves the system.
Characteristics – This is the Relative Response and Frequency measured in a Hertz graph to show how good or bad the microphone is. This can show the quality of the mic.
Noise Rating – The signal (sound source) to noise ratio measured in decibels (dB). Noise is any sound in the background you don’t want. Electricity vibrates at 60dB so you want the ratio of the signal and noise to be higher than that. Preferably 90dB or higher.
Hardware
Clips – A clip is something that you use to hold a microphone on something {for example – stand }, but, using the wrong kind of clips can affect the performance, make sure it is tight so it has the correct effect.
Stands – This ties in with a clip, this is what the clip will connect to. This keeps the microphone towards the object you want to hear without having to hold it or keep it still.
Windscreen – Something that covers and protects the microphone, mostly a foamy material.
Direct Box – A device used to connect an instrument directly into the audio mixer.
What I Learned and Problems I Solved
I learned how to do the blogs man. Thanks to Connor I realized I can keep stuff from the template to make sure it fits the outline while also adding my own stuff that’s hopefully meaningful and contributive.
I was inside of the sound room and I recorded speaking into different mics to test sound quality.
I learned about the audio quality of different microphones and the history of some of the companies involved. I learned which one I preferred which ended up being the Sennheiser. Overall the experience was pleasant and not to tasking to be honest.
By October 14th, as a part of School of Rock, I will explore drumming. I will do this by using this tutorial. By the end of the thingy I will hopefully have made or recorded a song with them. This will be for session one.
Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)
I created a drum track for the song and I progressed and in my double bass kick skills surprisingly.
Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)
Being able to share and combine ideas with group members to create quality products and material.
Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)
We used GarageBand to record different parts and we used the electric drumset.
Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)
This made me a better drummer and musician. My team work skills have improved immensely. rd
Reactions to the Final Version
Self-Evaluation of Final Version
I think the drum time signature was cool. The concept was pretty fun. There wasn’t a ton of room for experimentation in the first section but that all cleared up in the later parts. I think all my stuffed sounded relatively well planned but some of the fills could’ve been a bit better coordinated. I like the solo at the end for the most part.