Students

MMCC8038 – The Art of Recording

2026 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Fereydoun Pelarek
fereydoun.pelarek@mq.edu.au
Contact via via email
10HA 191 hub
by appointment via email
Course admin support
Jon Burtt
jon.burtt@mq.edu.au
Contact via via email
10HA 191 hub
by appointment via email
Technical Support
David Manna
david.manna@mq.edu.au
Contact via via email
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. These are explored through projects implementing essential audio production skills.

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 Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Recording Task 30% No 04/09/2026 Individual Yes Open
Case Study Report 30% No 18/09/2026 Individual Yes Open
Creative Project 40% No 06/11/2026 Individual Yes Open

Recording Task

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 04/09/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Students will produce a creative audio work of 2 minutes duration using Protools. The recorded work needs to be based around the voice.
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.

Case Study Report

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 18/09/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Students submit a case study report that explores an innovative audio work, its cultural context, and the recording techniques used. 1250 word +/- 10%, APA7 referencing.
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.

Creative Project

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 52 hours
Due: 06/11/2026
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Students develop a creative recorded work applying unit production skills.
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.

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
  • Academic Success 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.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Classes start in week 2.

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 connect.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/

Academic Success

Academic Success 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 the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk. 

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 2026.02 of the Handbook