Blog #2 (and #1)

Blog 2

1. Question 1
1. DAW - This stands for Digital Audio Workstation. This is a piece of software that is usually used for recording, mixing, or producing. Some examples of DAWs are Logic, ProTools, Audacity, and Garageband. I’ve found that people who use DAWs usually have a favorite one that they use the majority of the time and are most comfortable with. Some DAWs are more geared towards a specific function. If I were to recommend a DAW to someone, I’d suggest Reaper. It’s essentially free and can be used on Mac or PC.
2. EQ - EQ is short for equalization. It is when you make certain frequencies of a signal louder or quieter. This can be done with software or hardware. For example, I can EQ a recording of a bass drum by making all of the high frequencies quieter since they are typically not the frequencies that define a bass drum’s sound.
3. Mastering - After a recording is mixed, it is often mastered. Mastering includes a few different tasks that help prepare a track or album for publication. Some of these tasks include EQing songs for an album so that they all have a common sonic texture, adding compression and limiting so that tracks sound louder, and preparing different versions of a track so that they sound good on different formats (radio vs. CD vs. streaming).
2. Question 2

After recording a decent amount of musicians while at U of M, I’ve realized that a lot of them expect mixing to be a relatively quick process. A quality mix can take time. I could go ahead and mix someone’s recording session in a day or two, but I know I could create a much better mix if I had a week. I find it difficult to explain sometimes, because they might not be able to hear the room for improvement in a quick mix.  

Blog 1

1. https://soundcloud.com/kyle_katynski/sup

My PAT 202 final project represents my interest in combining my two favorite genres: jazz and electronic.

2. https://youtu.be/tam1XY0HGjY

I would like to do something creative that combines music and visuals. I am open to live action visuals or animation, like this inspiring Sesame Street segment animated by Cathryn Aison and scored by Philip Glass.