First Year Projects

Digital Audio Fundamentals - Acoustics Fundamentals - Audio Software Development - Audio Electronics - Sound Recording
- Live Sound Reinforcement

Digital Audio Fundamentals

This module was all about the nature of digital signals and how they are captured and processed. Areas covered included topics like international standards, lossy & lossless compression, filtering, quantization, modulations, ADC sampling, signal analysis etc.
Both theoretical and practical tasks were done in the development of these skills, including time in the university labs using equipment to get hands on with some of these processes such as sampling and conversion.

Coursework involved taking analysis of the acoustic differences between 3 musical instruments. This involved activities such as measuring the rooms frequency response, calculating the estimated reverb time, research into materials of instruments & strings. Done in collaboration with Acoustics Fundamentals Module.

As well as this, an exam was taken on the topics learnt throughout the module.

Grade Achieved - 83%

Audio Software Development

In this module I developed skills in C++, learning all about how to develop audio applications.
Programming concepts covered included: 
Functions, conditional statements, loops, arrays, references & pointers, headers & structures, classes & object oriented programming, inheritance & polymorphism, libraries and how to write efficient code.

Coursework involved creating a program that could have a sound file inputted into it, to then apply a range of effects to, including gain, EQ, panning, reversal amongst others. These would be achieved using object oriented programming and classes.

Grade Achieved - 73%

Live Sound Reinforcement

In this module we learnt all about the how to set up a PA system and how to use mixing desks. The most important factor of this was signal chain and how to determine what could possibly go wrong in a system.
Analogue equipment was used to learn mixing and patching during a live event. Half of this module was spent on analogue system before transitioning into digital equipment.
Digital desks involved learning the use of protocols for audio with digital audio networking.
The desks used during these were the MIDAS X32.

The coursework included on this were 15 minute timed setups of a PA system for a front of house and a monitor speaker, with inserts and making the system safe by ringing it out with a graphical EQ.

As well as this, a report was made on the equipment that would be required to rig a permanent 100 person venue for a wedding or similar sort of event. This required the use of arrayCalc to figure out the angles of all speakers needed, as well as the specifications of the speakers including impedance and power required.

Grade Achieved - 65%

Acoustics Fundamentals

This module covered the basics of psycho-acoustics whilst implementing practical and technical skills to enhance knowledge and skills when it comes to areas such as musical instruments, signal analysis and room acoustics analysis.
Areas done here covered topics such as: the decibel, sound waves, propagation, Fourier, room modes, reverberation, masking & loudness, etc.

Coursework involved taking analysis of the acoustic differences between 3 musical instruments. This involved activities such as measuring the rooms frequency response, calculating the estimated reverb time, research into materials of instruments & strings. Done in collaboration with Digital Audio Fundamentals Module.
All analysis was done via MATLAB, which was taught alongside this module.
Other coursework included critical analysis of psycho-acoustic research papers.

Grade Achieved - 70%

Audio Electronics

This module helped to develop my understanding of the fundamentals of audio electronics by teaching different aspects of equipment and the theory behind them. Areas such as transistors, op-amps, Kirchhoff's laws, impedance, EQ's & crossovers, and microphones were covered.

The coursework consisted of building a microphone based on instructions provided, requiring the assembly and calculations of all parts needed.

Grade Achieved - 65%

Sound Recording

This module involved key skills with recording and mixing, exploring different techniques and methods to use in a studio environment using a range of digital and analog equipment.
It involved recording 4 separate pieces : One was done in a group and was a recording of a band that involved electric & bass guitar, vocals and drums; Another involved a spoken vocal recording of a poem or piece of literature ; a solo piano recording using a variety of techniques and ranges ; and the final one included a recording a solo string instrumentalist (violinist).
All of these had to be edited and mixed using Pro Tools, which we were provided training on weekly throughout the course of the module, and continue to be into the second year.

Tracks: 
Noone Knows - Queens of the Stone Age (Cover)
Solo Piano Recording
Solo Violin Recording
Solo Vocal Recording
https://on.soundcloud.com/JhwP9

Grade Achieved - 69%