audio engineering, technology, and miscellany . . .
I always love to check out new documentaries, so I was especially pleased when Matt McGlynn of RecordingHacks asked if I’d like to take a peek at The Red Legacy – A Documentary on DW Fearn by Soundstrips’ Alain le Kim.
I don’t want to spoil all the details here, though it’s safe to say the documentary has earned a spot in my ever-growing list of classroom resources. For all the details including full text and a video teaser, be sure to click through to the review.
Whether you’re just starting out with audio or an experienced practitioner, some principles are absolute. We may bicker over best practices for microphone placement or the nuances of tube vs. solid state. However, as with everything audio, it’s the fundamentals that are most important. As an educator, I find that one of the most critically important concepts to grasp is that of the signal chain.
As we know, our consoles large and small can readily be dissected into parts of various sizes which makes the physical realm very easy to grasp for most individuals. However, signal flow comes in may shapes an sizes! After all, most students arrive at college today having experienced at least some DAW, meaning they have experimented with signal flow without being introduced to the theory. So, let’s take a really brief look at analog console signal flow and how it relates to the DAWs we use. You may be surprised how much more sense your software makes once you understand its analog brethren.
This is sage advice, so be certain to click through to AudioUndone.com for my complete article and several great tips laid out by David Miles Huber in his newest version of Modern Recording Techniques, 8th Ed.
Understanding The Basics of Analog Signal Flow & How
They Relate to DAW Usage on AudioUndone.com
For MDIA students working in the Pro Tools Mac labs and vocal booths, it can occasionally be tricky to ensure that your system is properly configured. Thankfully, with the release of Pro Tools 11 we can all expect much smoother sailing in the coming year. Yes, we’re just as excited as you are! However, the labs will be running both Pro Tools 10 and 11 for some time now and we know that the constant flow of students in and out of the Mac labs can make consistent configurations tricky. So, your audio professors are here to help!
Please be sure to consult the guides above and ask your peers for help before sending your professors an email for help. Of course, if you’re stuck we’re always available as a resource.
Over the past year I’ve been fortunate to lead two wonderful teams of students in internships between Ohio University’s Media Arts & Studies WOUB Public Media, and I’m pleased to announce that after an award-winning spring semester we will be continuing this.
Needless to say, if you are a Junior or Senior interested in broadcast audio or sound design, are a self-starter, and have previous studio or sound design experience then we want you to join our mini production company to create an all new radio drama (more info).
Curious what’s been created by past production teams? In Spring 2013 our amazing team of students produced The Ransom of Red Chief by O Henry and the results are amazing! We’re particularly pleased as this project won a prestigious First Place award within the Media Arts & Studies Category at the Ohio University Student Expo 2013!
Interested students will work independently and alongside WOUB mentors to recording vocal actors, design and record sound effects, and much more.
For Fall 2013, we’re planning on recording another one of the great works by Beatrix Potter, though pre-production is currently in early stages. Completed radio dramas will be aired not only on WOUB-AM but also published on WOUB.org, providing valuable production credits with a widely respected media outlet.
If you are interested in this unique opportunity, please contact Kyle P. Snyder, Visiting Assistant Professor of Media Arts & Studies, by Wednesday, September 4th at snyderk@ohio.edu. Several positions are currently available including Student Project Manager, all which will be filled on a first come, first served basis so act fast!
For all our fans out there, we hope to be sharing some of progress on in late September. In the meantime, check out The Ransom of Red Chief from Spring 2013
Over the past year I’ve posted frequently about an exciting partnership between Ohio University Media Arts & Studies students which has continued this Spring Semester of 2012 – 2013 and provided an internship / independent study opportunity to complete an exciting audiobook / radio dramas, an ongoing content initiative of the WOUB Public Media.
I’m pleased to report that our amazing team of students have completed production on The Ransom of Red Chief by O Henry and the results are amazing (yes, we have audio)! We’re particularly pleased as this project won a prestigious First Place award within the Media Arts & Studies Category at the Ohio University Student Expo 2013.
Cast & Credits:
Joe Balding as Bill Driscoe
Aaron Deuschle as Red Chief
David Jay Whealey as Ebenezer Dorset
James Euto as Snake Eye
Audio Engineering:
Collin Dewalt
Elaine Hurd
Andrew (AJ) Montesano (Student Project Manager)
Tristan Olson
Brianna Simons
Amy Sullivan
William Truax
Artistic Director:
Karen Chan
Executive Producers:
Kyle P. Snyder and Mark Robinson
Top Left: Elaine Hurd, Kyle P. Snyder, and AJ Montesano accepting the First Place award
at the Ohio University Student Expo 2013. Above: The prize-winning expo display.
With spring break rapidly approaching, registration for summer session courses is currently open at Ohio University with advising season just about to kickoff. I’ve always been a major proponent of summer courses. They give you the opportunity to focus on just a few courses at a time, many which may be electives that focus on a particularly interesting area of research or study that may not be offered again. This summer the School of Media Arts & Studies is offering several interesting courses and I’m very excited to be teaching one of the offerings in second summer session.
I’m particularly excited to be teaching Recording Music on Location in the second summer session. It’s a course that I feel audio students of all levels can benefit from which will include approaches tailored to both modern and classical genres for interested students. The only requirements are a basic understanding of audio (which can always be waived) and a desire to record great audio in often challenging settings (this is required). We’ll be working from the excellent Recording Music on Location by Bruce and Jenny Bartlett and there will be several independent projects that will be enjoyable for students at every level of ability. I don’t know about you but suddenly I’m excited for the summer!
On February 16, 2013 the Central Indiana Section of the Audio Engineering Society hosted the Second Annual Central Indiana Audio Student Workshop. The event was hosted by Section Chair Fallon Stillman, and coordinated by Workshop Advisor Kyle P. Snyder with great assistance from the Executive Board of the Central Indiana Section as well as the faculty and staff of the Indiana University Department of Recording Arts. The Central Indiana Audio Student Workshop 2013 was held on the campus of Indiana University Bloomington, in the Department of Recording Arts studios and related facilities.
Like other regional events, the Central Indiana Audio Student Workshop was modeled like a mini-convention. The goal was to provide an intimate learning environment, open to anyone interested in audio, including local professionals, university students, and high school students. The Workshop provided attendees the opportunity to improve their skills with some of the best in the business, who presented on topics in recording, mixing, live sound, and acoustics.
In planning for the event, Snyder and the Central Indiana AES Executive Committee also wanted to provide the Workshop free of charge, to give students of all means equal access to the audio instruction we were providing. Also, not only did they strive to provide high-quality instruction for free, but wanted to incentivize attendance with useful giveaways from sponsors.
Finally, they wanted to ensure that an acceptable student to teacher ratio was achieved, so that students felt less like they were part of a crowd and more like they were in a small classroom where they could ask questions.
The events pre-registration topped out at over 250, and they saw physical attendance at over 200 including numerous walk-in’s, reaching a group of audio students and professionals from every corner of the state and many from neighboring territories, who were appreciative beyond words. Snyder and his team couldn’t have been more pleased with how the event turned out.
For additional information on the event including sponsors, posters, artwork, schedules, and much more please visit the official event site.
Additionally, the official event report is available for download (pdf).
Press:
In the fall of 2012 I was privileged to lead a group of very skilled Ohio University Media Arts & Studies students in an internship / independent study opportunity to complete several radio dramas, an ongoing content initiative of WOUB Public Media. I couldn’t be more pleased with the results achieved last fall, which is why I’m thrilled to be heading a similar opportunity this spring with an amazing group of MDIA juniors and seniors!
For those not familiar, there was a time, before images graced our televisions (or televisions even sat in our living rooms), that radio dramas were the primary source of entertainment throughout the land.
These dramatic performance included an array of music, sound effects, and dialogue; the actors themselves conveying the writers intent in lieu of visual elements. Today, these dramas are an incredible way to stay connected with our audio heritage as well as a wonderful way to teach audio mixing and editing.
I’m pleased to report that the WOUB internship students have already wrapped up vocal tracking on The Ransom of Red Chief by O Henry and will soon be starting on the music, sound effects, and Foley tracking. They’ve been working tremendously hard, and the results are looking great!
For all my other fans out there, I hope to be sharing some of this great student work with you via WOUB.org in the very near future, and it will also be featured April 11 at the Ohio University Student Expo.
Once production students reach their junior or senior year (at the latest), it’s time to be thinking about ways to best-utilize the summer to prepare to step in to the professional world. Personally, I encourage you not to wait that late but opinions vary. Summers are the perfect time to gain more of that on-the-job experience you’ve been craving throughout the regular semester, and there are countless avenues through which you can pursue this experience.
All that said, it’s that time of year where I’ve been getting numerous questions regarding summer / seasonal / on-campus opportunities, so I thought it might be easiest to write up a comprehensive list which can be shared (and updated). Given my personal expertise, this list focuses largely upon opportunities which cater to various art and music organizations. So, if you’re looking for recording studio, music business, or live sound internships this article will be far less useful. My apologies, it’s just that this specific topic needed some fairly specific explanation. For those areas, just swing past my office, or you can always try a little creative Googling. Of course, to all my audio educator and recording industry friends who are reading this, you’re more than welcome to chime in with suggestions in the comments to make this lengthy list more well-rounded.
Some Brief Advice
Before you head out in search of that perfect job / other opportunity you can expect to need at least three basic things. While you might already be prepared, these seem worth mentioning:
Now, without further ado, all those possibilities!
Ohio University On-Campus Opportunities
Summer / Seasonal Opportunities
When it comes to summer or seasonal opportunities, it pays to plan ahead if you want to land a specific placement. I’m personally a huge proponent of The Banff Centre Work Study programs, as well as the University of Stavanger post-baccalaureate program, and the opportunities offered by the Interlochen Center for the Arts. However, there are countless opportunities available depending upon your interests.
Below, I have focused primarily upon art and music organizations who offer internships or other employment opportunities. These links could become outdated quickly, but you can always start searching again via the organization link . I’ve also included below several lists of festivals and summer programs which can be a handy way to start any search.
Other Employment Resources
If you’re looking for general internships or freelance work, here are a few sites that you should definitely check out.
Hopefully, you’ve found this useful and have made it this far! The process of finding the right opportunity for you can be daunting, however don’t forget that we’re always here to help. If you’d like recommendations on which opportunity might be the best fit, or want to talk all of this out in general, just swing past my office or send me an email.
