Project 1 Term 1: Performance Evaluation

What aspects of your role during the development of your performance project so far, do you think have worked well, and why? Give details.

My role in the development of my group’s performance project was to make the lyrics and the melody which allowed the song to come together and for the group to be able to see what chords are played at the same time as the lyrics. This helped us play in time and to tell when the chorus or per chorus was coming in.

What aspects of your role during the development of your performance so far do you think worked less well, and why? Give details.

I think that I could have spent more time on the lyrics and melody to make it sound better. I think that me and my group could have also been more confident because that would have made it easier to make the song quicker and give our opinions instead of holding them back and waiting for each other to say something to help. If we had spent more time speaking about our song and what we wanted it to sound like then we could have done it quicker and made it better.

How effective do you think other members of your production group have been during the development of your performance project so far? Please give details.

I think the other members of my group have been effective in the development of our performance project. We all worked together and helped each other when one of us forgot our chords or lyrics. We could have been more confident and my group and I could have spoken more about what we wanted it to sound like and what else we could have added.I think we could have worked better together and worked more as a group instead of being not confident in our ideas and holding them back from each other.

Considering your responses above, what changes do you plan to make for the rest of this project?

The changes I would like to make for the rest of this project is to spend more time on my lyrics and melodies and go through them with the group to make it better. I will also change how long we take on each song and how much detail and effort I could put into it. I will also speak my opinions and not hold them back from the group.

Performance Week 6

20th October 2020

In week 6 of performance I practiced and performed in front of the group.

I was really nervous about performed and making sure it all sounded good and that my group would all play in time and that the microphone would be load enough to pick up my voice.

We also gave feedback on the other groups so that all of us could improve:

	Poppy’s Group	Ellie’s Group	My Group Feedback
Positive Things	-Everyone stayed in time -Lyrics were powerful	-Lyrics were powerful and have a good story -In time -Catchy melody and lyrics	-Good melody -Catchy lyrics and melody -Stayed in time
Development	-Variation	-Could have a bass guitar	-Harmonies -Remember lyrics by heart -Mic technique -Be confident -Microphone technique

Our performance recording:

One of my pieces of feedback is to learn microphone technique which could be better. I moved around a lot because I was nervous whereas I need to direct my voice into the microphone and also learn the lyrics so that all the sound goes into the mic and not done to what I am looking at.

MIDI Week 6

21st October 2020

In week 6 of MIDI I finished making the 3 project ideas and handed them in.

I ended up doing:

-Urban-streetwear Advert

-Sports Program Introduction

-Movie Trailer – Horror

I then wrote a bit about what I used and why I used them and how they go with the theme I had chosen.

Urban-streetwear Advert:

-I used a drum machine to add sound effects to make the project more upbeat and exciting.

-I also used a synth which made it sound interesting and exciting which would make the listener interesting in whatever is being shown.

-I used upbeat sounds and instruments because a streetwear advert needs to be interesting and intriguing so the listener is interested in what is happening and what they are seeing with the music.

Sports Program Introduction:

-I used synths to make the project sound more interesting so that if you was watching it then you would know that the sports program is starting.

-I used an arcade attack bass sound to give the project something that make it different to other sports programs.

-I also used an ultrabeat drum machine to make the background and beat stand out.

-I used a sound that fades out at the end to show the end of the song and to show that the program would be starting.

Movie Trailer – Horror:

-I used eerie sounds to create suspense and to interest the listener into what is happening.

-I also used bells and rain because they are scary and give the project more suspense.

-I used scary and creepy sounds to show it’s a horror movie trailer so that the listener knows what the movie would be about and what type of movie it is.

My ideas:

Recording Week 6

19th October 2020

In week 6 of recording I was able to tell the difference between a dynamic and a condenser microphone.

Unidirectional Microphone:

– Less Feedback

-Can focus on one direction of sound

Omnidirectional Microphone:

-Pick up noise from all around

-Isn’t focused on one noise

Cardioid is a type of pick up pattern ( polar pattern ).

In the recording studios I used a RODE NT1A microphone which is a condenser mic suitable for vocals and acoustic instruments. It has a large diaphragm and have a cardioid polar pattern.

We also learnt about some other mics that there are in the studio such as:

-AKG C1000S

This can be cardioid, hypercardioid and supercardioid. It needs phantom power ( 48 volts ) because it is a condenser and can use a battery but the battery can die.

-AKG D40

This is a cardioid polar pattern mic and is a clip-on dynamic microphone for drum toms.

-AKG C430

This is a cardioid polar pattern mic, it is a small diaphragm condenser mic and is suitable for acoustic instruments and drum overheads.

-RODE NT2A

This can be cardioid, omnidirectional and bidirectional. It is a large diaphragm condenser suitable for vocals and acoustic instruments. This is normally around £400.

Recording History

The First Microphone

The first microphone was invented as a telephone transmitter by Alexander Bell in 1876. This was not very practical because it was a liquid device. A needle would vibrate and move the the water and send waves to make sound. In 1886 Thomas Alva Edison invented the first practical carbon microphone.

In 1933, the ceramic or crystal microphone was invented by Astatic Corporation when C.M Chorpening and F.H Woodworth found that they could make a microphone out of Rochelle salts or piezoelectric crystals. When the sound waves struck these crystals they vibrated and created an electrical current.

The “Paleophone”

A lightweight armature is fixed to the center of the face of a vibrating membrane. The paleophone uses a stylus linked to a diaphragm which was made to ride the groove or on the ridge so that the stylus would be moved back and forth in order to record the vibrations. It would then transmit these vibrations to the connected diaphragm, and the diaphragm would transmit these vibrations to the air and produce original sound. This was made in 1877 by Charles Cross.

The Phonograph

The Phonograph was made to record sounds and then replay the sound. The receiver consisted of a tin foil wrapped cylinder and a very thin membrane, called a diaphragm, attached to a needle. Sound waves were directed into the diaphragm, making them vibrate. The amplified vibrations played back the recorded sounds. This was made in 1877 by Thomas Edison.

Recording Studio Research

The History Of Recording

Microphone and Sound:

-The first microphone was made by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1827 which was said to have looked like this:

-Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville invented the “phonautograph” which recorded sound patterns on paper in 1859, this made it so the sound could be seen but not repeated back through sound.

-The “Paleophone” was invented to make Scott’s recordings playable so that other people can hear them. This was invented by Charles Cros in 1877.

-The first actual microphone was invented in 1877 by Emile Berliner.

-In 1878 Bell’s telephone used Berliner’s microphone.

The Phonograph was invented by Thomas Edison in 1878.

-The Theatrophone (Stereo telephone) was invented in 1881 by Clement Ader. This allowed people to listen to music and performances from different areas in Europe.

-The first jukebox was invented in 1889 on November 23rd by Louis Glass and William Arnold.

-The Gramophone disc was invented in 1895 by Emile Berliner and Eldridge Johnson. The play speed is 78.26 RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) which is a measure of rotation frequency.

-The magnetic recorder was invented in 1898 by Valdemar Poulsen. He also has prototyped magnetic wire, tape and disc recorders.

-The cone speaker was also made in 1898 by Sir Oliver Lodge.

-In 1906, the first voice and music broadcast was made by Reginald Fessenden. On Christmas eve Fessenden and his assistants presented from Brant Rock station which was the first broadcast by radio.

-The Victrola was invented also in 1906 by Victor Talking Machine Company.

-The first licenced radio was made in 1920, KDKA Pittsburgh.

-The first sound for movies was made in 1926 by Western Electric.

-The first commercial tape recorder was made by Fritz Pfleumer in 1928.

-The car radio was invented in 1930 by Bill Lear, Howard Gates and Paul Galvin. They called it “The Motorola”.

-In 1934 Acetate discs were now used to make records.

-1937, PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) was invented by Alec Reeves.

-Also in 1937 the first FM radio station was made.

-1939, The first film with stereo sound and the first television broadcasts were made.

-V-discs were made in 1942 to provide music for soldiers and in 1944 the V-discs were released on vinyl to minimise breakage.

-1945, The first American tape recorder was made.

-In 1948, Long playing discs and 45 RPM (One Song Per Side) discs were made.

-In 1951, multi-track tape recorders were made by Ampex, Philips, and others.

-Stereo records were made in 1953 by Emory Cook.

-The first overdubbing multitrack (laying new audio over existing material) was made in 1956.

-The first console with finger faders was made in 1960 by Tom Dowd.

-The compact cassette was made in 1962 by Philips.

-The 8-track cartridge was made in 1965 by Bill Lear.

-The CD (compact disc) was made in 1982 by Sony and Philips.

-MIDI 1.0 was made in 1983 by Dave Smith.

-The DAT (Digital Audio Tape) was made in 1987.

-Autotune was made in 1997.

-The mp3 was made in 1988.

-iPods and iTunes were made in 2001 by Apple.

Recording Week 4 & 5

11th October 2020

In week 4 half of the group didn’t have to come in because each half was coming in on different days to learn about how t power up and down a studio properly.

In week 5 I learnt about the difference between dynamic microphones and a condenser microphone.

Dynamic Microphones:

-Has a magnet and a coil inside

-Is cheaper

-Stronger diaphragm

-Does not move as freely as the other microphone

Condenser Microphone:

-More sensitive

-Diaphragm is weak

-Need phantom power (48 volts) to power which you can get from a pre-amp.

-Diaphragm is thinner

-Used for sounds that are sensitive such as podcasts.

We also learnt that the microphones use in the studio are made by Shure.

MIDI Week 4 & 5

7th October 2020

In week 4 we had a task to create a piece of music that went with a genre we choose. I choose country and used country instruments like the acoustic guitar, bass, drums and other instruments.

Then a few people showed their songs and what they had made and we said what we lied and would change to make it fit more into the style they had chosen.

MIDI Week 5

13th October 2020

In week 5, our task was to create a piece of music/idea about 2 genres, we had to put them together.

I choose blues and pop, I used instruments from both genres and made the song upbeat. I used instruments such as electric guitar, bass guitar and other instruments like electronic keyboard.

We than listened to a few of the people in my sessions work and said what was good and what could be changed.

Performance Week 4 & 5

6th October 2020

This week we put the lyrics of the verse and chorus into the song with the instruments and also started making the structure of the song.

We made sure everybody knew what chords they had to play and when to play all together and when only certain instruments where being played.

We than played the song a few times and made sure we liked it.

Performance Week 5

13th October 2020

In week 5 I made a 2nd verse and we ran through it in the group. We use the lyrics with the instruments and also added bass and drums to the song.

We added a pre-chorus and recorded the song on one of our phones so that we could look back at it and see what could be better.

We also started to try and think of harmonies that we could do to make it sound better.

The Song Structure:

-Verse – EGCD x4

-Pre-Chorus – CGED x1 CGEDD7D x1

-Chorus -EGCD x4

-Bridge – EGCD x1

-2nd Verse – EGCD x4

-Pre-Chorus -CGED x1 CGEDD7D x1

-Chorus – EGCD x4

-Solo

-Pre-Chorus – CGED x1 CGEDD7D x1

-Chorus -EGCD x4

-Chorus – EGCD x4

In the solo the drums, electric guitar and acoustic guitar are playing only.

Performance Week 2 & 3

22nd September 2020

In week 2 of performance I set my personal target for the lesson to create the start of a verse with my group.

In the lesson we came up with chords for the electric guitar and the piano and the acoustic guitar.

I them started to find the melody of the song so that in the next session I could make some lyrics.

Performance Week 3

29th September 2020

In performance week 3 I started to plan out the melody and how I would like the song to sound.

In the session my group started playing the song all together and we also found a verse and a chorus for the song that sounded good.

I also learnt that about some of the other types of song structures such as:

-AB = Verse, Chorus

-ABC = Verse, Chorus, Bridge

AB could also be Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Chorus

AB usually has 2/3 verses, this was very popular in the 1960s

ABC can also be Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus