Course Syllabus

 

AUDIO FOR CONVERGED MEDIA

Comm 1560 – Section 1

Spring 2015

 

 

 

               

Class Meets:                       TU/TH 1:00 pm – 2:15 pm                 Classroom:      192 – Jennings Building

                                                                                                                 Instructor:       Shawn Denevan

Consultation Hours:          TU/TH Immediately after class                                    

                                                Jennings Room 107                                                       (435) 879-4312 (o)
Shawn.Denevan@Dixie.edu

 

 

 

 

        Required Text:                                Alten, Stanley R. (2013). Audio in Media (10^th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.

 

Required Equipment:                    Headphones – Circumaural (around-the-ear) – available at the Bookstore, or eBay – with 1/8 and ¼ inch plug adapter. Ear buds are not sufficient for this course.

 

        Required Equipment:                    Flash drive or portable hard drive for saving projects.

                                       

 

 

Course Description:          For Communication Majors and other interested students. Develops beginning
audio production skills for radio, television, film, and

online environments, including generating and editing audio for broadcast

stations and new media.

 

Course Objectives:           This course will teach the “how” of audio production; the “why” will follow in advanced courses. The desired outcome is twofold:

                                                            1) Determine the level of interest a student has in pursuing studies in audio.

                                                            2) Train students to be able to perform basic audio tasks in real-world settings.

                                       

                                                Students will develop proficiency in various practical aspects of audio production, including:

• Selecting the appropriate equipment needed for a given production setting.
• Proper set-up and tear-down techniques for basic audio gear.
• Field and studio acquisition of vocal and ambient audio.
• Editing, sweetening, mixing and mastering on digital audio software (Adobe Audition).
• Live audio production for radio and television.

 

 

Class Discussions:           The nature of this class requires serious analysis and discussion of the principles and practices of audio production. For this reason, attendance and punctuality are important, and students cannot do well if they are often absent or late. Please plan your schedules accordingly.  Please turn off all cell phones during class time. If you must take a call, take it outside, and do not return to class.

 

Chapter Quizzes:               Doing the assigned reading is particularly important to your success. This textbook has been carefully assessed as an essential part of learning audio in this class. You will be quizzed regularly on the content. Early or make up quizzes will not be allowed, except under extreme situations.

 

Audio Production:              Audio production projects as individuals or teams will be an important part of your evaluation for this class. Guidelines for each project will be provided before the project is due. Due dates for these projects will also be announced during the semester. Projects will not be accepted late.

Radio Practice:                   You will receive hands on training for being a live Radio DJ. 5 weeks of class will require you to sit in with a DJ and learn and implement some on-air fundamentals. An edited recording will be submitted for your grade. 

 

 

 

Exams:                             Quizzes:                Approx. Biweekly                            Reading/discussions as indicated

                                                Mid-Term Exam:  Oct 13                                   1st Half of Course Material

                                                Final Exam:          Tue Dec 15 1-3pm              2nd Half of Course Material

                                                                                 

CLASS SCHEDULE

 

Wk     Date:        Topics:                            Reading:         Quizzes/Assignments:                     Points:             

1	Aug 24 Aug 26	Sound Acoustics Studio Tour / Adobe 1, 2	1,2 3
2	Sep 1 Sep 3	Consoles / Adobe 3 Recording	6 7	Quiz 1 (1, 2, 3, 6)  /  Project 1	25 / 50
3	Sep 8 Sep 10	Editing / Adobe 4 NO CLASS	21		25 / 50 /
4	Sep 15 Sep 17	Speakers	4	Quiz 2 (7, 21) / Project 2 /	25 / 50 /
5	Sep 22 Sep 24	Mics, Signal Processing	5,9	Quiz 3 (4, 5, 9)  /  Project 3	25 / 50
6	Sep 29 Oct 1	Speech Voice Over	11 12
7	Oct 6 Oct 8			Quiz 4 (11, 12) / Project 4	25 / 50
8	Oct 13 Oct 15	Midterm		Midterm (1,2,3,6,7,21,4,5,9,11,12)	100
9	Oct 20 Oct 22	Studio Production Field Production Sound Design	13 14 15	Radio 1	0
10	Oct 27 Oct 29	Sound FX	16	Quiz 5 (13,14,15)  /  Project 5 / Radio 2	25 / 50 / 50
11	Nov 3 Nov 5	Internet Sound Game Sound	10 19
12	Nov 10 Nov 12	Music Underscore	17	Quiz 6 (10,16,19)  /  Project 6 / Radio 3	25 / 50 / 50
13	Nov 17 Nov 19	Music Recording Music Mixdown	20 24
14	Nov 24 Nov 26	NO CLASS		Quiz 7 (17,20,24) / Project 7 / Radio 4	25 / 50 / 50
15	Dec 1 Dec 3	Production / Mixing Mobile Mixdown / Fin	18,25 22,23
16	Dec 8 Dec 10	Fin    -    Last day of Class		Quiz 8 (18,22,23,25) / Project 8 /Radio 5	25 / 50 / 50
17	Dec 15	(Final : 1-3pm)		13,14,15,16,10,19, 17,20,24,18,25,22,23	100

 

 

 

• GRADING

 

 

1. SCHEDULE OF POINTS: Production Projects (8)                       400 pts.
   • Chapter Quizzes (8) 200 pts.
   • Radio Training (4) 200 pts.
   • Mid-Term Examination 100 pts.
   • Final Examination 100 pts.
   • TOTAL POSSIBLE:   1000 pts.

 

2. CANVAS: The online tool Canvas will be extensively utilized in this class, and knowledge of its operation will be paramount to your success. All tools, audio, video, documented instruction, email conversation, grading, and assignment submission will be down through Canvas. Assignments will only be accepted through Canvas. Communication with the instructor is advisable though Canvas. Most questions can be answered with the content on Canvas, and thus students will be directed there for their inquiries.
3. ADJUSTMENT FOR DIFFICULTY: Your instructor does not grade on the curve; therefore, to guard against the rare possibility of tests being too difficult for all students, grades on tests will be adjusted to insure a median score of 75%. For example, if 100 points are possible and the median score is 70, all students who took the test will receive an additional 5 points. Final grade points will be similarly adjusted.

 

4. PARTICIPATION GRADE: Because this class necessarily involves class discussions and evaluations, attendance and participation are essential to our success. Roll will be taken daily. Participation will be evaluated, and your instructor reserves the right to adjust your final grade by as much as a half-grade, based on your participation rating. The average student will earn a null (0) on participation and will be unaffected.

 

5. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: In order to ensure that the highest standards of academic conduct are promoted and supported at the University, students must adhere to generally accepted standards of academic honesty, including but not limited to, refraining from cheating, plagiarizing, falsification, misrepresentation, and/or inappropriately colluding or collaborating. The University shall consistently hold students accountable for instances of academic dishonesty and apply appropriate consequences.  For more information, see the Student Academic Misconduct section of DSU policy at http://dixie.edu/humanres/polstu.html
6. FINAL GRADES: After any adjustments for difficulty and participation, final grades will be assigned according to the following schedule:
   • 950 + points (95%) A 740 + points (74%) C
   • 900 + points (90%) A- 700 + points (70%) C-­
   • 870 + points (87%) B+ 670 + points (67%) D+
   • 840 + points (84%) B 640 + points (64%) D
   • 800 + points (80%) B- 600 + points (60%) D­-
   • 770 + points (77%) C+ Below 600 points   F

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REGULATIONS

 

 

 

• Exams and Chapter Quizzes: Exams and chapter quizzes must be taken in class on the day they are administered. No make-up quizzes or exams will be given. For this reason, attendance in class on those dates is essential to your success. Carefully reading your assignments is important since you may be quizzed on any material assigned and/or discussed prior to that date.
• Academic Dishonesty: Plagiarism (claiming somebody else's work or ideas as your own), submitting another person's work as your own, and/or cheating on exams will not be tolerated. At best, these will result in a failing grade on the assignment or test involved. More likely, they will result in a failing grade and dismissal from the class. Further information on Dixie State Universities’ policy on academic dishonesty can be found at http://www.dixie.edu/humanres/pol.html
• Accommodation for Disabilities: If you are a student with a medical, psychological, or learning disability or think you might have a disability and would like accommodations, contact the Disability Resource Center (652-7516) in the Student Services Center. The Disability Resource Center will determine eligibility of the student requesting special services and determine the appropriate accommodation related to their disability.
• Office Hour Appointments: As shown on the front page of this syllabus, time is available immediately after class each day for office appointments with students. If you wish to meet during this time, you must make an appointment in advance. If no appointments have been made, the instructor cannot guarantee his availability on any day for which advance appointments have not been made.
• Class Conduct: Students will be expected to show respect for other students. Disruptive or distracting behavior will not be tolerated. Real-world studio environments require a high level of teamwork and accommodation. Also, because food and drink are not allowed around the equipment in studio environments, food and drink (other than water) will not be allowed in class. Dixie State Universities’ policies on student conduct can be found at http://www.dixie.edu/humanres/pol.html
• Classroom expectations: It is the responsibility of an instructor to manage the classroom environment to ensure a good learning climate for all students. This means not talking when the professor is talking, following instructions, and speaking and acting respectfully to the professor and fellow students.  For more details, please see the disruptive behavior policy at: http://www.dixie.edu/humanres/pol.html
• Adjustments to Class Schedule: The instructor reserves the right to alter the class schedule or grading system shown in this syllabus, depending on his assessment of the progress and needs of the individual and collective members of the class. Notification of these changes may be made on Canvas or in Class, thus attendance is encouraged.
• Dmail: Important class and university information will be sent to your Dmail account. This information includes your DSU bill, financial aid/scholarship notices, notification of dropped classes, reminders of important dates and events, and other information critical to your success in this class and at DSU. All DSU students are automatically assigned a Dmail account. If you don't know your user name and password, go to www.dixie.edu and select “Dmail,” for complete instructions. You will be held responsible for information sent to your Dmail email, so please check it often.
• University Approved Absences: Dixie State University Policy explains in detail what needs to happen if you anticipate being absent from class because of a university-sponsored activity (athletic events, club activities, field trips for other classes, etc). Please read this information and follow the instructions carefully!  The policy can be found at: http://www.dixie.edu/humanres/policy/sec5/523.html
• Disability Accommodations: Students with medical, psychological, learning or other disabilities desiring reasonable academic adjustment, accommodations, or auxiliary aids to be successful in this class should contact the Disability Resource Center Coordinator (Baako Wahabu) for eligibility determination. Proper documentation of impairment is required in order to receive services or accommodations. DRC is located in the North Plaza Building. Visit or call 652-7516 to schedule appointment to discuss the process. DRC Coordinator determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.
• Campus Resources: Several campus resources are available to help you succeed.  Check out the links for each one to get more information.
  
  
  431. If you need help understanding the content of your courses, go to the Tutoring Center located on the 4th floor of the Holland Centennial Commons in Room 431. You can visit them online at http://www.dixie.edu/tutoring/
  432. If you need help writing papers, essays, etc go to the Writing Center on the fourth floor of the Holland Centennial Commons in room 421. You can also visit them online at http://dixiewritingcenter.com/
  433. If you need to use a computer to do schoolwork on campus, go to the Smith Computer Center or the Holland Centennial Commons on the second, mezzanine, or third floors.
  434. If you are assigned to take a test in the Testing Center, go to the North Plaza. You can get information on their website at http://www.dixie.edu/testing/
  435. The Library has all kinds of information and resources. Visit the Dixie State University Library on the 2nd, and 3rd floors of the Holland Centennial Commons, or go to the library website at http://library.dixie.edu       

 

 

 

 

Important Days to Remember (2015 Fall)

 

List Schedule

http://dixie.edu/reg/?page=calendar&sid=201540

Apr 13	Fall Registration open to Seniors (90+ credits)
Apr 14	Fall Registration open to Juniors (60+ credits)
Apr 15	Fall Registration open to Sophomores (30+ credits)
Apr 16	Fall Registration open to all students
Jul 15	Fall 2015 Application Deadline For International Students
Aug 17	Faculty Workshops
Aug 17	Courses dropped for non-payment
Aug 17	Tuition & Fees Due
Aug 18-21	Faculty Workshops
Aug 24	Classwork Starts
Aug 27	Last Day for Waitlist
Aug 28	Last Day to Add Without Signature
Sep 1	$50 Late Registration/Payment Fee
Sep 2	Drop/Audit Fee Begins ($10 per class)
Sep 2	Residency Application Deadline
Sep 4	End of 100% Refund Period
Sep 7	Labor Day
Sep 8	Start 50% Refund Period
Sep 14	Pell Grant Census
Sep 14	Last Day for Refund
Sep 14	Last Day to drop without receiving a "W" grade
Sep 18	Last Day to Add/Audit
Oct 1	Associate's degree Graduation Application Deadline - Fall 2015
Oct 14	Mid-Term Grades Due
Oct 15-16	Fall Break
Oct 19	Last Day to Drop Individual Class
Oct 26	Spring and Summer 2016 class schedules available online
Nov 2	Bachelor's degree Graduation Application Deadline - Spring 2016
Nov 13	Last Day for Complete Withdrawal
Nov 16	Spring Registration open to Seniors (90+ credits)
Nov 17	Spring Registration open to Juniors (60+ credits)
Nov 18	Spring Registration open to Sophomores (30+ credits)
Nov 19	Spring Registration Open to All Students
Nov 25-27	Thanksgiving Break
Dec 11	Classwork Ends
Dec 14-18	Final Exams

• Final Exam Schedule