2011/12 A2 Music Tech

Edexcel goes by the belief that every song is 3 minutes. Can't say for certain on the A2 but certainly at AS it will lose marks if it's under 2'30". No penalty for being overlong except pissing off the examiner; they get paid per paper, not by time :tongue:

However in A2 you have a brief and keeping to the brief is on the mark scheme. The brief says 3 mins so you need to try to get close.

Yes, sources of all samples should be listed (standard professional practice). I would also try to make one or two of your own (dead easy, just whack a condenser into Cubase/Logic and say something radical).

Reply 123

Rayman1

Yeah I recorded my own version of a chant I heard on YouTube about Nick Clegg

Reply 124

Original post by Fingersmith

For Dynamic processing:
Compressor - give the threshold, ratio and make-up (gain/output)
Gate - threshold

For EQ give the Frequencies and gain of any cuts or boosts that you made - usually a bass shelf cut, a high shelf boost and maybe a mid range boost to change the tone. Put in the Q value if you have adjusted it.

A small? screen print of the EQ graph is more helpful than a list of numbers.

For FX: Type of reverb/delay and mix ratio

I've posted Word versions of the logbooks either in this thread or one of the other Music Tech threads which you might find useful

On that post... What do you write in the level box?
And does the order of which I write the tracks matter at all?
I may include some print screens of my compressors/EQ's etc. but I've used 20 tracks so definitely not for all of them :P
Also, would you draw the pan line in on the panning box? I use sliders on mine so it's harder to estimate where to write it. Could I just say ''R25" or "C" or "L100" etc?

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 125

Adrian Hare

Original post by jackf1337

On that post... What do you write in the level box?
And does the order of which I write the tracks matter at all?
I may include some print screens of my compressors/EQ's etc. but I've used 20 tracks so definitely not for all of them :P
Also, would you draw the pan line in on the panning box? I use sliders on mine so it's harder to estimate where to write it. Could I just say ''R25" or "C" or "L100" etc?

I get my students to write a fader level e.g. -6dB, 1.3dB etc etc.

Write the main levels for your compressors e.g. T: -14dB R: 4:1 A: 10ms R: 25ms etc etc.

As for panning just give a good indication of where the tracks lie in the stereo field.

Remember: the Logbook is there to help gain you credit for your coursework tasks that may not be evident from the track alone. The examiner also gets to look at your mix decisions to see whether what they can hear as over-compression actually IS over-compression for example.

Hope this helps.

Reply 126

(wont let me rep you again yet.)

Esp. the last bit. If you claim to have done some compression or timbre editing and the examiner can't hear anything that contradicts that, they have to give you the benefit of the doubt. So claim marks for all your good work.

Good luck to everyone.

Reply 127

Would you consider it mandatory to put in the settings of the compressor?

Reply 128

Yes. If your processing is done well it shouldn't be audible, so you need to tell the examiner that you've done it. If what he can hear doesn't contradict what you say he must take your word for it. Just threshold, ratio and makeup values needed.

Reply 129

Stryder402

10

any help with the log books? i need to fill out the as and a2 log book, pretty stumped with the 20 marks in the as book, and idk what to write really, any help will be appreciated!

anyone have like a model answer log book, like obviously every one has different settings which would be changed.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 130

XMaramena

22

Oh boy. AMTV (AS Retake) is done. Did my AS Multitrack this afternoon - Call Me Maybe. A2 Multitrack (Price Tag - Jessie J) is sounding good. A few off notes on the vocal line, but that shouldn't affect my mark. All that's left now is to sew my hackers together (I did "stems" for each scene) and just do a few tweaks on echo beach.

Is it just me, or does the exam this time seem incredibly easy? "Copy and paste this for 8 bars. Now go and have a cup of tea and see what mark you get".

I remember AS being really hard remember all the bios about the artists...

Reply 131

Rayman1

Original post by XMaramena

Oh boy. AMTV (AS Retake) is done. Did my AS Multitrack this afternoon - Call Me Maybe. A2 Multitrack (Price Tag - Jessie J) is sounding good. A few off notes on the vocal line, but that shouldn't affect my mark. All that's left now is to sew my hackers together (I did "stems" for each scene) and just do a few tweaks on echo beach.

Is it just me, or does the exam this time seem incredibly easy? "Copy and paste this for 8 bars. Now go and have a cup of tea and see what mark you get".

I remember AS being really hard remember all the bios about the artists...

what makes you say this? have you seen some of the exam questions?

/

one more logbook question, i've used over 50 tracks in my composition and they all have at least one effect on them so should i just write all the effects instead of saying "i used eq for my kicks, compression and reverb for my snares" etc ?

its also 4:15 seconds do you think i'll get marked down, i don't really want to take anything out..

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 132

What are the rules regarding uploading pending coursework to sites such as SoundCloud and YouTube?

Reply 133

adamjay

Original post by jackf1337

What are the rules regarding uploading pending coursework to sites such as SoundCloud and YouTube?

I haven't ever heard of anyone being tracked down over uploading their coursework to the internet, but I've never seen any written rule in any of the literature for the course available on the Edexcel site.

That said, I would upload it a bit after the deadline, a week at least just in case anyone tries to plagiarize your c/wk.

Reply 134

Original post by adamjay

I haven't ever heard of anyone being tracked down over uploading their coursework to the internet, but I've never seen any written rule in any of the literature for the course available on the Edexcel site.

That said, I would upload it a bit after the deadline, a week at least just in case anyone tries to plagiarize your c/wk.

Interesting. I know for a fact you're not supposed to upload your work during the coursework writing period but I'm not sure what the deal is between 15th May (deadline day) and results day

Reply 135

Harrimusic

6

Hey guys!

Completely stuck for the 16 marker in the exam and i've started to panic, ITS ONLY 2 WEEKS AWAY!

not really sure what i need to know, or how to learn all this information. my teacher is useless and just tells me to google everything which really isn't helpful.

any help would be fab

THANKS!

Reply 136

Original post by Rayman1

what makes you say this? have you seen some of the exam questions?

/

one more logbook question, i've used over 50 tracks in my composition and they all have at least one effect on them so should i just write all the effects instead of saying "i used eq for my kicks, compression and reverb for my snares" etc ?

its also 4:15 seconds do you think i'll get marked down, i don't really want to take anything out..

Too late for the logbook question I guess.

The brief was 3 mins so you might lose a mark in 'response to brief' If it was the Hackers one then maybe more 'cos in video the timing is crucial.

Original post by jackf1337

What are the rules regarding uploading pending coursework to sites such as SoundCloud and YouTube?

It breaches controlled conditions i.e. your work must stay totally secure, even from you, throughout the writing period...

Original post by jackf1337

Interesting. I know for a fact you're not supposed to upload your work during the coursework writing period but I'm not sure what the deal is between 15th May (deadline day) and results day

...but as far as I know, nobody's checking. Your teacher signs to say that your work has been kept secure.

Original post by Harrimusic

Hey guys!

Completely stuck for the 16 marker in the exam and i've started to panic, ITS ONLY 2 WEEKS AWAY!

not really sure what i need to know, or how to learn all this information. my teacher is useless and just tells me to google everything which really isn't helpful.

any help would be fab

THANKS!

Although the published list of bands is not exclusive, there haven't been any questions in the last three years that haven't been on the list. Check out this post http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1871203 and look for Branwen's notes - bloody brilliant (in a Welsh accent). Give her some rep. There are also some other links on there which are very useful.

Good luck to everyone.

Reply 137