Overview
In this unit, you will expand upon the fundamentals of audio recording and mixing to develop skills in the application of sound design techniques in the production of a podcast in response to a brief. You will conduct research in the area of podcast sound design and use these findings to inform the planning stage of your podcast project. Once you define the scope of your podcast project, you will pitch this to your peers. Your project planning will culminate in the creation of a short podcast that contains original sound design elements such as dialogue, music, sound effects and atmospheric layers.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
For entry into this unit, you must have completed 36 credit points in this course.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2023
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Staff reflection
Develop more learning resources for musicians from non-music technology backgrounds.
Staff will continue to develop learning resources for musicians from non music technology backgrounds to assist in their understanding of music technology applied to their discipline.
- Describe music technology fundamentals associated with sampling and signal processing as applicable for the production of a podcast
- Prepare and pitch a concept document and sound design plan in response to a brief for a podcast
- Produce a podcast which demonstrates competent use of music technology fundamentals in recording, sampling, signal processing and sound design.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 30% | |||
| 2 - Presentation - 20% | |||
| 3 - Portfolio - 50% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||
| 5 - Team Work | |||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 30% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Presentation - 20% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Portfolio - 50% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Ableton Live software
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
p.preece@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to Podcasting
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Podcast Planning and Analysis
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Recording and Editing Dialogue
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Working with Sound Effects 1
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Working with Sound Effects 2
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Project Pitching
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Working with Music
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Project Week and Feedback Sessions
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Creating Ambience and Drones
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Automation and Modulation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Mixing Spatial Audio
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Project Week
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Music Tech students require some very specific equipment to facilitate the production requirements of this unit. This unit provides training in performing, recording and mixing music. Because of this, you will need to have access to the following:
- Ableton Live software
- An audio interface
- Your instrument
- A quick stable internet connection (preferable ethernet)
- Microphone or instrument lead
- Studio headphones and your computer / webcam
About Ableton Live
Ableton Live is an industry standard DAW (digital audio workstation) and learning how to use it is extremely beneficial. You will be required to submit Ableton Live sessions as part of your assessments and therefore need to have access to a copy of Ableton software. As the production classes are based on the Ableton software, no other DAWs are acceptable for this unit. A free 90 day full use trial version of the Ableton Live software is available for download from the Ableton Live website (https://www.ableton.com/en/trial/). If you have already used your free trial version, please email the unit coordinator for an extension code.
If you have any questions regarding these requirements, please contact the Unit Coordinator, Patty Preece (p.preece@cqu.edu.au).
1 Written Assessment
Pre-production and planning are essential steps in ensuring your podcast project runs smoothly, is informed by research and meets all project deadlines. In this assessment, you are required to write a plan for the production of a podcast that you will produce for assessment task 3. You will be provided with a script for a podcast that you will need to produce over the duration of the term.
Your podcast plan is broken into two parts: Part A is an analysis of two podcasts and Part B addresses the project administration.
Part A
You are required to listen to two podcasts from the same genre (details provided on Moodle). Your analysis should include:
- A description of the technical attributes of the podcast (relative mix levels, music levels, dialogue quality)
- A description of the structure and how this is informed by the genre (use research to support your argument)
- A description of how music and sound effects are used (use research to support your argument)
Part B
The project administration part of your plan should address the following:
- Production timeline - include major milestones
- Equipment requirements
- Input and output table (for hardware and software connections)
- Software requirements
- Interview software for recording over the internet (if applicable)
- Equipment list
- WHS considerations
- Address how you will receive and implement peer and lecturer feedback
Your final submission will be:
- No more than 1000 words
- 12pt font
- Submitted as a word document
- APA referencing style.
Week 5 Friday (7 Apr 2023) 11:55 pm AEST
Week 7 Friday (28 Apr 2023)
- Demonstrated research on technical attributes of the two podcasts - 30%
- Demonstrated research on genre traits and signifiers as applied - 30%
- Identifies key audio technology and shows evidence of research into current industry trends: 20%
- Clearly identifies a realistic and achievable timeline – 10%
- Lists realistic WHS considerations and ways to avoid hazards - 10%
- Describe music technology fundamentals associated with sampling and signal processing as applicable for the production of a podcast
- Communication
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Presentation
In this assessment, you will expand upon the plan you created in assessment task 1 and develop a project pitch for the podcast that you will produce for assessment task 3. Pitching takes on many forms and is used in the creative industries to secure investment and funding for projects. This assessment task is designed to introduce you to the process of pitching your ideas and concepts to a group. Your project pitch should demonstrate that you understand the project brief and that your final production will be informed by the research you carried out in assessment task 1.
Your objective with this pitch will be to convince the client that you:
- Understand the brief and the creative direction of the podcast
- Understand the podcast landscape and the genre traits for this style of production
- Can produce a product that fulfils the brief.
Your project pitch presentation will be created in presentation software, be no more than 5 minutes in length and will contain both audio and visual content. Your pitch should use this structure:
- An introduction - who are you as a producer
- Where the product sits in the market
- The proposal - how will you respond to the brief
- The product - present audio teaser of your final product (1 minute)
Further submission details will be provided in Moodle.
Week 7 Friday (28 Apr 2023) 11:55 pm AEST
Week 9 Friday (12 May 2023)
- Clear definition of the problem - 15%
- Clear definition of available solutions - 15%
- Demonstrates an understanding of the project brief - 20%
- Competent use of project presentation software - 10%
- The audio example contains excerpts from the final production - 40%
- Prepare and pitch a concept document and sound design plan in response to a brief for a podcast
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Information Technology Competence
3 Portfolio
As a sound engineer, it is important to be able to capture, edit and assemble your podcast audio at a high quality so that it can be disseminated through a multitude of online platforms (Soundcloud, Apple Music, Podbean, Simplecast, Captivate etc.) This assessment will ask you to follow the production plan that you created in assessment 1 to record, edit and assemble a podcast. A script for the podcast will be supplied in Moodle.
You will record any required audio for your podcast using Ableton Live Software and other equipment, including microphones, leads and headphones. The podcast will be at least 10 minutes long and no longer than 12 minutes. It should include:
- An introduction sting with music/sound effects and the title of the podcast
- A narrator's voice
- Music relevant to the content matter
- Music can be recorded by you or sourced through a creative commons license. Any third party content should be referenced in a word document and added to the submission.
- Sound effects and atmospheric sounds relevant to the content matter
- Sound effects can be recorded by you or sourced through a creative commons license
- The recording should be mixed and 'bounced' according to the submission guidelines (see Moodle for details).
Assessment Requirements
Your final graded submission will be the delivery of the final music product. Your submission will include:
- A stereo bounce – ready for mastering. 24 bit 48kHz (submit via Moodle submission portal)
- An Ableton Live Set at the final stage of the mix (submit via link in Moodle)
Submission Requirements
- Do not consolidate any audio files - all edits made should be visible
- Ensure that only one .als file exists in your Ableton Live Project Folder
- Collect all and save your session using the following naming convention: Podcast assessment_YourName
- Compress/zip the top level Ableton Live Project folder
- The Ableton Live Project folder should contain one .als file, a Samples folder and an Exports folder. Your Ableton Live session will not work if there is no Samples folder in your submission. Please check this carefully before you submit.
- Submit the Ableton Live Project folder following the submission guidelines on Moodle
Review/Exam Week Friday (9 June 2023) 11:55 pm AEST
Exam Week Friday (16 June 2023)
- Podcast complies with the requirements of the task – 10%
- Audio edits are applied effectively – 10%
- Dialogue recordings are free from extraneous noise - 20%
- Sound effects are applied effectively - 20%
- Music is applied effectively – 20%
- Mixing: level balance, pan, EQ, compression and effects are implemented effectively – 20%
- Produce a podcast which demonstrates competent use of music technology fundamentals in recording, sampling, signal processing and sound design.
- Communication
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
- Social Innovation
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
