MAS 432-401:
Digital Audio Production
Fall 2012 Assignments
The following links lead
to descriptions of
the exercise and project assignments for the semester.
WRFL Calendar Tutorial Exercise
WRFL Grant Promo Production
WRFL Blockshow Promo Production
WRFL General Promo Production
WRFL Calendar Production
WRFL Calendar Production Schedule
Multitrack Music Recording
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following documents, simply click on the links. They won't
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WRFL Calendar Tutorial Exercise
WRFL Calendar Tutorial Exercise Script
WRFL Calendar Tutorial Exercise Checklist
WRFL Grant Promo Production
WRFL Blockshow Promo Production
WRFL General Promo Production
WRFL Calendar Production
WRFL Calendar Production Schedule
Multitrack Music Recording
WRFL Calendar Tutorial Exercise
This assignment requires you to execute the steps necessary for successful completion of the WRFL Calendar Tutorial Exercise. This exercise is designed to be an introduction to some of the basic concepts, practices, and techniques of audio production in a digital environment, but it also is your trial run at one of the most important roles of this class -- collaborating with JOU 304 to produce a daily three-minute calendar of campus and community events that will air several times daily on WRFL-FM. The exercise will also demonstrate to you the absolutely vital importance of proper file management, not only in a multi-user computing environment, but also internally within the structure of an audio project file.
Here are the essential elements of the tutorial:
- Recording a VO, including microphone set-up and signal level management
- Automating functions within a single track
- Moving around within a sound file, including zooming in and out
- Highlighting, deleting and moving elements of a sound file by various means
- Using file menus to select appropriate tools and indicators
- Normalizing a sound file, and the appropriate uses for normalizing
- Importing sound files to an audio project
- Editing for mistakes, continuity, and time
- Manipulating and moving tracks within an audio project
- Mixing tracks by manipulating signal strength
Beyond the above, here are some general guidelines:
- Remember these three most important aspects of digital audio production: file management, file management, and file management.
- There isn't room for much creativity in this assignment, which makes it all the more important that your production be flawless. The grading criteria are based solely on how well you execute the formula and the manner in which you perform and edit the VO.
This assignment requires you to produce a grant promotional spot for the University of Kentucky student-run FM radio station, WRFL. The station is a non-commercial outlet that emphasizes playing college, or indie, rock plus an extremely wide and very diverse range of music not commonly heard on commercial radio stations, if at all. As a non-commercial station, it solicits underwriting for its programming, which it then acknowledges in the form of spots promoting the sponsor's business or organization.
Here are the essential elements that must be included in your WRFL promotional spot:
- You must produce two spots that are exactly 60 seconds long.
- The spots should have a distinctive musical element and feature your own voiceovers.
- Each member of the production team must contribute the VO to one of the two spots.
- You may use the same music bed for both of the spots.
- You must mention the call letters of the station: WRFL-FM.
- You must use, and not deviate from, the script that is supplied to you.
Beyond the above, here are some general guidelines:
- Be as creative as possible - try to produce something that will capture the listeners' attention and hold it.
- Remember, however, that the VO of the script is the most important element. The message is paramount and must be clearly understood.
- Eliminate regionalisms and dialect from your speech and fully pronounce the letter "W."
- Use music that is appropriate for WRFL - in other words, don't use anything that is remotely mainstream, and under no circumstances use anything that is in the Top 40 or is a commercial radio hit.
- For this assignment, the music should be relatively low-key, generally instrumental, and should not distract from the message.
- Feel free to use digital effects on your tracks, but don't obscure the message.
As the first of the WRFL spot assignments, this one is the most straight-forward and least complex of the assignments. It is meant to simulate a common real-world assignment: the client or sales manager supplies a script and insists on clear-cut, easily understandable message. There isn't room for a tremendous amount of creativity in this assignment, which makes it all the more important that your production be flawless. The grading criteria are based on how well you execute the formula, the appropriateness and effective manipulation of your music choices, and your VO performances. Of course, professional editing and levels management are essential.
WRFL Blockshow Promo Production
This assignment requires you to produce a blockshow promotional spot for the University of Kentucky student-run FM radio station, WRFL. The station is a non-commercial outlet that emphasizes playing college, or indie, rock plus an extremely wide and very diverse range of music not commonly heard on commercial radio stations, if at all. Most of the shows are general format shows that play a variety of music, as well as playbox requirements, but others are blockshows that are devoted to a particular genre of music. Your assignment is to produce a spot that promotes a particular show.
Here are the essential elements that must be included in your WRFL promotional spot:
- You may produce one spot that is exactly 60 seconds long, or
- You may produce two spots that are exactly 30 seconds long.
- There must be some musical element and at least one voiceover (more is better).
- You must mention the call letters of the station: WRFL-FM.
- The spots must include the day and the time of the blockshow.
Beyond the above, here are some general guidelines:
- You must contact the host DJ of the show to get his or her input on the message to be conveyed and the music to be used.
- You must write the script yourself and perform the voiceovers.
- Be as creative as possible - try to produce something that will capture the listeners' attention and hold it.
- Remember, however, that the VO of the script is the most important element. The message is paramount and must be clearly understood.
- Eliminate regionalisms and dialect from your speech and fully pronounce the letter "W."
- Use music that is appropriate for the blockshow - in other words, don't use anything that is remotely mainstream, and under no circumstances use anything that is in the Top 40 or is a commercial radio hit.
- As much as it will cramp your style, don't use any profane or obscene language.
- Feel free to use any of the sound effects from our extensive library of sound effects or from any source you care to use (you can find a lot of good effects in movie sound tracks).
- Feel free to use digital effects on your tracks, but don't obscure the message.
As the second of the WRFL spot assignments, this one employs a medium level of creativity. You get to write the script, but you must incorporate the input of the DJ. The grading criteria are based on creativity and production values.
This assignment requires you to write and produce a general station promotional spot for the University of Kentucky student-run FM radio station, WRFL. The station is a non-commercial outlet that emphasizes playing college, or indie, rock plus an extremely wide and very diverse range of music not commonly heard on commercial radio stations, if at all.
Here are the essential elements that must be included in your WRFL promotional spot:
- You may produce one spot that is exactly 60 seconds long, or
- You may produce two spots that are exactly 30 seconds long.
- There must be some musical element and at least one voiceover (more is better).
- You must mention the call letters of the station: WRFL-FM.
- You must mention the carrier frequency: 88.1.
- You must mention the license area: Lexington (you don't have to mention the state).
Here are some phrases commonly associated with WRFL that you may use if you choose:
- Radio Free Lexington (that's what RFL stands for).
- WRFL - All the way to the left.
- WRFL - The only alternative left
- WRFL - Lexington's high octane alternative
- Revolutions don't happen between commercial breaks.
- College radio now!
Beyond the above, here are some general guidelines:
- Be as creative as possible - try to produce something that will capture the listeners' attention and hold it.
- Eliminate regionalisms and dialect from your speech and fully pronounce the letter "W."
- Use music that is appropriate for WRFL - in other words, don't use anything that is remotely mainstream, and under no circumstances use anything that is in the Top 40 or is a commercial radio hit (unless you plan to poke fun at it or deride it in some way).
- As much as it will cramp your style, don't use any profane or obscene language.
- Feel free to use any of the sound effects from our extensive library of sound effects or from any source you care to use (you can find a lot of good effects in movie sound tracks).
- Feel free to use digital effects on your tracks, but don't obscure the message.
WRFL Calendar Production Schedule
|
September 23 |
David Bratcher |
|
September 30 |
Tawnie Chandler |
|
October 7 |
Phill Heavrin |
|
October 14 |
Kevin McGraw |
|
October 21 |
Drew Pope |
|
October 28 |
David Bratcher |
|
November 5 |
Tawnie Chandler |
|
November 11 |
Phill Heavrin |
|
November 18 |
Kevin McGraw |
|
November 25 |
Drew Pope |
All WRFL Calendar production dates and times are Tuesdays at 3:30 PM and 8:30 PM.