Sound Engineering and Music Production BSc(Hons)

You will be introduced to the core concepts, theory and practical principles involved in producing, engineering and mixing popular music. You will gain practical experience in an analogue/digital recording studio, developing your ability to record and overdub a variety of sources. For the mix stage of the production process, you will then review the fundamental approaches and techniques involved in effectively processing these signals.

This module aims to provide you with an overview of the technologies found in a modern audio recording environment. The module will introduce you to audio principles such as signals, acoustics, hearing, basic electronics and digital audio. These principles will be used to develop an understanding of audio technologies found in music production, such as studio spaces, microphones, mixing desks, amplifiers, audio processors and speaker systems.

This module introduces you to the live music production industry. You will learn how to use a wide range of equipment and practical use of a wide range of equipment and practical skills for live sound reinforcement. Practical experience of live music production will be gained in a purpose-built environment using analogue mixing consoles, a Public Address (PA) system and range of outboard equipment. You will develop the ability to engineer live music events individually and as part of a team. You will also develop an awareness of the legislation surrounding, and professional practices involved in, live music production.

This module focuses on broadening your horizons by exploring cutting edge research and career opportunities in the context of Music Technology / Production and Audio Engineering whilst developing core transferrable skills that prepare you for gainful employment and entrepreneurship. The first half of the module focuses on developing your skills in the research and communication of ideas both verbally and in written form. It also raises awareness of current research interests and the state of the art in Music Technology/Production and Audio Engineering. The second half of the module explores professional and personal development in the music industry via a group business simulation project.

This module explores radio programme making, broadcasting technologies, communication theory, and the legal frameworks surrounding the production of broadcast material. Working both individually and in teams, you will plan, produce, present, and evaluate a range of audio content that has been created for a specific target audience and purpose.

You will be introduced to advanced concepts, theory and practical use of a broad range of equipment used for recording, editing and mixing sound. You will gain practical experience of sound recording in analogue/digital recording studios, in a concert hall and on location. Your ability to edit multitrack audio using advanced post production techniques will be developed, as will the skills required to capture accurate stereo and multichannel recordings in a concert hall environment.

This module will develop your production analysis and critical listening skills. You will explore ways in which to analyse music productions, investigate differences in sound quality between common studio processors and refine your critical listening and appreciation of music production sonic signatures. The module will explore the affordances of production techniques and equipment and investigate how they helped shaped the music production process.

This module will provide a strong understanding of methods for creating, processing and integrating audio into games. You will be able to apply these techniques to a variety of simulated games environments. Generative techniques will be applied to produce music tracks, sound effects associated with objects within games and environmental sound (such as water, wind etc). You will also gain understanding of software commonly used in this area.

In this module you will use the research skills you have already aquired to undertake a music/audio technology focused research project in a small group. Each group will be assigned an academic supervisor who will help you refine and develop your research skills, leading to successful project completion. In the first half of the module, you will select from several project areas determined by your supervisor to create an individual research project proposal. In the second half of the module you will chose one idea to take forward. You will then be expected to work together to progress your project, with each team member having a specific role. Learning will be by the application and development of skills and material previously encountered, researching new material, and developing new skills. This will be augmented by a series of lectures on topics to help develop your research and teamwork skills.

In this module you will build on the Live Music Production Module, broadening out to cover a range of systems and roles undertaken in live events. You will explore digital consoles in detail, focussing on monitor, front of house and broadcast mixing. You will also look at PA system design, developing skills in the application of line array and point source systems. The module also focusses on systems used in live events, with digital audio networks, video and lighting systems all explored in detail. Broadcast streaming systems will also be explored, resulting in you streaming your own event at the end of the module.

The module provides you with the opportunity to undertake a substantial project from a suitable objective to a satisfactory conclusion. It can be based on any of the subject areas of your course, or a combination of subject areas. It will extend your intellectual abilities, enable you to apply and increase your knowledge in a chosen field and allow you to demonstrate your enhanced capabilities in related area.

You will produce a portfolio of three music productions showcasing your skills over various genres through research and practice. It will extend your knowledge of music production by encouraging you to research seminal and cutting-edge music producers' work and apply this research to your productions. Throughout the module, you will be given the opportunity to present work that is in progress and receive support and guidance from your tutor(s), peers, and industry professionals.

As well as focusing on mastering for peak normalised and loudness normalised environments, you will study advanced concepts, theory and practice of recording and mixing. Whilst considering these processes from a historical context, you will review approaches and techniques at the forefront of modern music production, nurturing individual styles at the same time as emphasising professional sonic standards.

This module focuses on the development and evaluation of New Interfaces for Musical Expression / Production (NIMEP). This is achieved by a presenting and critiquing a range of existing commercially available interface paradigms, input devices and academic literature. By exploring cutting edge technological developments, you will consider future interaction paradigms for audio engineering and music production. Following on from this, core principles of prototyping with a visual programming language, user-centred design and evaluation are considered. This background underpins the development and evaluation of a new interface for musical expression/production.