2011/12 A2 Music Tech

The coursework was supposed to be with the examiner by 15th May!

I don't know of any rules prohibiting publishing your work.

hi there, can someone tell me (quote me too) on what stuff i need to look up and know about for section a of the exam thanks

Section A is partly practical, partly theoretical.

You are given a CD with various audio/MIDI tracks on it which you have to put into Cubase/Logic. There may be some errors which you have to identify by comparing to the score or there may be some recording flaws that need to be corrected. When you have done these you do an audio mix down at each point You may have to do some processing and ultimately you put these tracks together and do a final mix - balanced, panned, processed etc. Along the way you will be asked theoretical questions about what you are doing like explaining filtering or gating. You then burn your audio mixes to CD (this is done outside the exam time) which is how your production is marked.

Section B is a longer written response to a choice of two topics related to the history of Music Technology - Synthesis, microphones, effects, recording digital vs analogue etc.

Section A is partly practical, partly theoretical.

You are given a CD with various audio/MIDI tracks on it which you have to put into Cubase/Logic. There may be some errors which you have to identify by comparing to the score or there may be some recording flaws that need to be corrected. When you have done these you do an audio mix down at each point You may have to do some processing and ultimately you put these tracks together and do a final mix - balanced, panned, processed etc. Along the way you will be asked theoretical questions about what you are doing like explaining filtering or gating. You then burn your audio mixes to CD (this is done outside the exam time) which is how your production is marked.

Section B is a longer written response to a choice of two topics related to the history of Music Technology - Synthesis, microphones, effects, recording digital vs analogue etc.

so theyve already asked electric guitar , microphones,

actually could you like make a list here of what we should know for the exam? it will be highly helpful for everyone

Yea, I meant question 4 not section B.

...er, that was it! The exam has only been running for two years and there is only one example question text book out there, so everyone's guessing.

2010:
EITHER
* (a) The digital sampler has transformed the sonic palette available to musicians and producers by allowing any sound to be incorporated into a recording with accurate control. Describe what a sampler is and how sampling technology has developed from the 1980s to the present day. You should refer to technical specifications of sampling equipment in your answer.
OR
* (b) Without the invention of the electric guitar, rock music would probably not exist as we recognise it. Describe the features found on an electric guitar and give a technical explanation of how an electric guitar works.

2011:
EITHER
*(a) Reverberation has been used to enhance music since the birth of recording. Describe the different techniques and technologies that have been used to apply reverberation to recordings from the 1920s to the present day.
OR
*(b) Microphones have been used since the late 1800s to record sound. Describe what a microphone does. Explain how a dynamic microphone and a condenser microphone function and identify the benefits of each type.

This is the Edexcel site that has the old papers and the mark schemes so you can see what kind of 'buzzwords' get marks. Top tip - throw lots of words in; if the buzzword is there it gets a mark.
http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gce/gce08/music/tech/Pages/default.aspx

Yes, analogue to digital conversion is one of the sample questions in the text book. The practical task is all about manipulating samples and MIDI as well as mixing so you're supposed to know about all of it.

So with sampling you're going back to Musique Concrete - recording random noises on tape and then cutting them up and splicing them together into strange soundscapes, tapeloops etc. Back then they could even turn them backwards. Obviously that's all much easier with a computer but the idea of manipulating sound by changing its physical charactristics goes back to " The theoretical underpinnings of the aesthetic were developed by Pierre Schaeffer, beginning in the early 1940s." (Wiki) Microphones go right back to the invention of the telephone in the late C19th, electronic instruments to Leon Theremin in 1928 etc. It could be any technology that has been used for making music in the last 120 years.

Fingersmith, do you know whether examiners have to listen to your coursework on speakers, or are they allowed to wear headphones?

so theyve already asked electric guitar , microphones,

actually could you like make a list here of what we should know for the exam? it will be highly helpful for everyone

The following is a list of the topics that questions will be drawn from:

Development of:
-Synthesisers
-Electric guitars and amplification
-Samplers and drum machines
-Use of effects units and processors across time
-Development of recording media including multi-track recording

Digital recording including an awareness of:
-Computer-based recording (including knowledge of typical software packages)
-Hard disk/standalone recorders
-Computer-hosted virtual instruments/effects
-The impact of MIDI on recording and performing
-Use of the internet as a resource and for communication between artists
-The context of all the above and the impact of technology on producers, engineers and artists

anyone else using sound on sound to get their notes for the 16 mark essay?

anyone else using sound on sound to get their notes for the 16 mark essay?

Is that the music tech magazine? Is there any way to find them online?