Students

MMCC8038 – The Art of Recording

2023 – Session 2, Online-scheduled-weekday

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor, lecturer and tutor
Denis Crowdy
denis.crowdy@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
10HA, 193G
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MCrInd or MMediaComm
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit examines recorded sound and its relation to society. Areas of investigation include changes in technology and cultural context, expectations of fidelity, remote and field recording issues and practice, production values, media and distribution, recording ethics and relevant legal issues.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: evaluate the history of recorded sound and technology.
  • ULO2: analyse scholarship on recording and its relationship to society.
  • ULO3: investigate changes in technology use in the field of sound recording.
  • ULO4: implement essential production skills to accompany theoretical exploration.
  • ULO5: synthesize recording strategies to explore relationships between sound and society.

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty  

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.    

This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Personal recording set-up 15% No 23:55 25/08/2023
Exegesis 25% No 23:55 03/11/2023
Production portfolio 25% No 23:55 03/11/2023
Reading summaries 35% No Fridays, 23:55, Weeks 3, 7, 9

Personal recording set-up

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 23:55 25/08/2023
Weighting: 15%

 

Establish a simple but effective and practical home recording or portable solution based on the advice and information presented in the first three weeks. Document this process, and complete a series of guided recorded tasks.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • investigate changes in technology use in the field of sound recording.
  • implement essential production skills to accompany theoretical exploration.

Exegesis

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 23:55 03/11/2023
Weighting: 25%

 

Students will submit a report which describes their production research and clearly outlines how they have translated that research into practice to inform their approach to producing the recordings. This report should include critical analyses of the 3 case studies used as models, a description of the recording process undertaken (with technical details), and a reflection on the strengths and weaknesses of the final result. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • evaluate the history of recorded sound and technology.
  • analyse scholarship on recording and its relationship to society.
  • investigate changes in technology use in the field of sound recording.
  • implement essential production skills to accompany theoretical exploration.

Production portfolio

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 37 hours
Due: 23:55 03/11/2023
Weighting: 25%

 

A final recorded portfolio containing completed recorded works based on production research. Submission via iLearn. Final stereo mixdowns are to be uploaded to iLearn. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • implement essential production skills to accompany theoretical exploration.
  • synthesize recording strategies to explore relationships between sound and society.

Reading summaries

Assessment Type 1: Summary
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Fridays, 23:55, Weeks 3, 7, 9
Weighting: 35%

 

A series of readings are presented throughout the course, and students are to write critical summaries of a selection of these readings. These will be assessed starting in week 3 on an ongoing basis.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • evaluate the history of recorded sound and technology.
  • analyse scholarship on recording and its relationship to society.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Classes start in week 2.

See iLearn for the most recent information on resources and software.

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2023.01R of the Handbook