Bulk download: Download Zip archive of all papers from this conference
Students on traditional work experience in the music and audio industry are typically on the lowest rung of the ladder, often working as runners in studios and on film locations, or as general stage crew in live events. It can be weeks, months or sometimes years before junior members of staff are able to take positions of responsibility by actually mixing sound or music for an audience (especially a paying audience). The short nature of many work experience opportunities often leaves students in a shadowing role or even an observation role, and on longer term placements, many are still placed into low level positions. This paper describes how guided work experience opportunities in music recording, live sound and sound for picture can get students working under the direct supervision of experienced mentors, and get hands-on production experience of mixing or systems engineering, i.e. an opportunity to ‘drive the bus’ or ‘fly the plane’.
Click to purchase paper as a non-member or login as an AES member. If your company or school subscribes to the E-Library then switch to the institutional version. If you are not an AES member and would like to subscribe to the E-Library then Join the AES!
This paper costs $33 for non-members and is free for AES members and E-Library subscribers.
Start a discussion about this paper!
Three years ago a dramatic shift in our delivery of AVID Pro Tools workshops occurred, we started to team teach the four two day workshops scheduled for our first term second year undergraduates. The results were self evident from the first session. The two of us were able to begin to challenge some of the preconceptions of software workshop delivery, as well as enable a greater understanding of the role of sound in moving image projects. We attempted to depart from preconceptions that delivery should follow the rigid format of learning each tool in the box with one acceptable way of using it and measurement of successful learning through ‘complete’ knowledge of a software suite. Instead we moved towards learning fewer tools but with more space for experimentation and room to make mistakes. After all, education forums are the one place where this is acceptable and in our experience it has proven valuable. Better student understanding, more developed assessment work and a highly engaged cohort have resulted. This is, however, just the beginning; we are still developing our approaches and hope to further refine all aspects of the delivery in these workshops for the future.
Click to purchase paper as a non-member or login as an AES member. If your company or school subscribes to the E-Library then switch to the institutional version. If you are not an AES member and would like to subscribe to the E-Library then Join the AES!
This paper costs $33 for non-members and is free for AES members and E-Library subscribers.
Start a discussion about this paper!
In this work, we describe the experiences, challenges and outcomes from the delivery of a module entitled Audio Technology for Games, delivered at a UK university. The module is at level 5 of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ) and has been integrated within a BSc (Hons) Computer Game Development degree programme since 2008. As such, the module is taught to students with little to no experience of audio engineering and requires them to rapidly develop a range of technical audio skills, workflows and processes that are then to be integrated within a game and software environment. In this paper, we provide a reflective and critical discussion of the syllabus and teaching processes adopted during the module, which includes analysis of student performance and perception of the module. Crucially, we demonstrate the module is effective at having the desired impact of equipping non-audio students with the required skills and understanding so that they recognise processes, tools and techniques and understand roles of audio engineers, sound designers and musical directors in the games industry.
Click to purchase paper as a non-member or login as an AES member. If your company or school subscribes to the E-Library then switch to the institutional version. If you are not an AES member and would like to subscribe to the E-Library then Join the AES!
This paper costs $33 for non-members and is free for AES members and E-Library subscribers.
Start a discussion about this paper!
Learning signal processing techniques forms a vital part of any audio student’s education, as these skills have applications both in the artistic and technical fields. However, students in audio or music production programmes often have little or no knowledge of the intrinsic technical or mathematical theories behind many signal processing techniques. The various options available for teaching signal processing are compared in this paper, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. Drawing on teaching experience on the Music Technology degree course at the University of the West of Scotland, the paper concludes that a combination of graphical and code-based approaches best facilitates the progression of students’ signal processing knowledge.
Click to purchase paper as a non-member or login as an AES member. If your company or school subscribes to the E-Library then switch to the institutional version. If you are not an AES member and would like to subscribe to the E-Library then Join the AES!
This paper costs $33 for non-members and is free for AES members and E-Library subscribers.
Start a discussion about this paper!
The growth of the UK games industry highlights similar growth in the pursuit of game and interactive audio as both a career path and an academic pursuit. A number of UK institutions are now moving to develop specific degree content in these subject areas. This paper proposes the incorporation of an industry centric accreditation body for game audio education. Current trends in course accreditation are considered and the merits of pursuing accreditation are discussed. It is suggested that an industry accreditation body would aid the development of a responsive game audio curriculum, help ensure consistently relevant education, and would maximise the employability of game audio graduates in a competitive job sector.
Click to purchase paper as a non-member or login as an AES member. If your company or school subscribes to the E-Library then switch to the institutional version. If you are not an AES member and would like to subscribe to the E-Library then Join the AES!
This paper costs $33 for non-members and is free for AES members and E-Library subscribers.
Start a discussion about this paper!
Many students enrolling in audio engineering programs are not fully aware of the importance of math and science for audio professionals. As a result, several undergraduates are intimidated by their coursework as they learn to support their creative endeavors with a technical background. Audio instructors, faced with these challenges, must find a way to actively engage and support these students in order for them to be successful in their future courses and career. I will demonstrate that introducing math and science through practical audio problems, students can better understand and acquire this level of knowledge.
Click to purchase paper as a non-member or login as an AES member. If your company or school subscribes to the E-Library then switch to the institutional version. If you are not an AES member and would like to subscribe to the E-Library then Join the AES!
This paper costs $33 for non-members and is free for AES members and E-Library subscribers.
Start a discussion about this paper!
Since the inception of formal audio training, about 70 years ago, the audio industry has undergone enormous change. The range and style of audio educational courses now available is staggering. This paper poses a number of questions which it might be pertinent for educators and trainers to ask themselves, including the relative importance of education and training, the merits and disadvantages of university-based courses, links with the audio industry, and course content. It expresses some views of the author, and so is intended to be thought provoking, rather than a definitive description of what any particular course should be.
Click to purchase paper as a non-member or login as an AES member. If your company or school subscribes to the E-Library then switch to the institutional version. If you are not an AES member and would like to subscribe to the E-Library then Join the AES!
This paper costs $33 for non-members and is free for AES members and E-Library subscribers.
Start a discussion about this paper!
There is a requirement for Music Technology and Audio Engineering students to understand theoretical concepts along with acquiring practical experience in areas covering electroacoustic devices, room acoustics and measurement techniques. Traditionally, room acoustics is taught under an assumption of a high level of mathematical knowledge by the student, however, in this paper, an alternative, integrated practical approach to teaching is presented covering these discipline areas which has led to enhanced cross-curricular skills, improved student experience and increased learner attainment. The aim was to develop students’ higher-level cognitive domain skills through active experiential learning. The students captured room impulse responses and assessed their subjective qualities within a convolution reverb and from an acoustical analysis platform. Results show a general preference to experiential learning and an integrated cross-curricular approach within undergraduate study.
Click to purchase paper as a non-member or login as an AES member. If your company or school subscribes to the E-Library then switch to the institutional version. If you are not an AES member and would like to subscribe to the E-Library then Join the AES!
This paper costs $33 for non-members and is free for AES members and E-Library subscribers.
Start a discussion about this paper!
The appreciation of the basic relationship between loudspeaker cabinet design and driver Thiele Small parameters is essential for an understanding of the low frequency performance of a given loudspeaker system. Ideally, a pedagogical methodology for this function would include design, model, build and evaluate, allowing the student to gain experience in the creation and modeling of a solution. The build and evaluation phase supports the learning opportunity by verifying the validity of the emulation exercise. When cabinet design is only a small part of a complete curriculum, teaching can be hindered by the physical limitations of construction. The barriers presented by the construction and cost of building prototypes being prohibitive. This results in the teaching of the principles of loudspeaker functionality being restricted to theoretical explanation supported by the testing of existing loudspeaker units. An approach has been developed that utilises an adaptable loudspeaker cabinet. The cabinet is a fixed size with an interchangeable tuning panel that is bolted in place. This allows devices such as ports and ducts to be proposed and added to the design for evaluation and testing whilst retaining the majority of the cabinet structure. From a time and cost perspective, this has offered considerable advantages over an option of a complete cabinet fabrication and has improved the teaching methodology for the subject.
Click to purchase paper as a non-member or login as an AES member. If your company or school subscribes to the E-Library then switch to the institutional version. If you are not an AES member and would like to subscribe to the E-Library then Join the AES!
This paper costs $33 for non-members and is free for AES members and E-Library subscribers.
Start a discussion about this paper!
Networked Music Performance (NMP) allows musicians to work collaboratively at a distance, however several major technical challenges are faced when working this way. These include latency and reduced audio quality. There are many practical uses for NMP within music and audio education, including delivery of courses, instrumental tuition and remote recording sessions. The University of the Highlands and Islands and Glasgow Caledonian University use NMP in music and audio technology courses. Case studies are presented, and challenges of working in this way highlighted. Students find time management and communication challenging, rather than more technical aspects of collaboration.
Click to purchase paper as a non-member or login as an AES member. If your company or school subscribes to the E-Library then switch to the institutional version. If you are not an AES member and would like to subscribe to the E-Library then Join the AES!
This paper costs $33 for non-members and is free for AES members and E-Library subscribers.
Start a discussion about this paper!
