2011/12 A2 Music Tech

Original post by Rosiegsm

Interesting, I fear mine will turn out like that.

So would you advise doing the markers on the first beat of every bar?

Either way I'm going to finish it and see how it sounds as it's 60% done.

Reply 64

Rayman1

if you don't use tempo tracking will your mark for Cars fall significantly?

Reply 65

The two places in the mark scheme that it hits are:

Rhythm 6-7 (out of 8) "A rhythmically accurate , but mechanical sequence"
Style and Creativity 2 (out of 4) "Some inconsistencies in the application of tempo shaping"

When tempo tracking you need to set it to 'Ramp' rather than 'Jump' so the changes are smooth.

Reply 66

A2 Music Tech Logbook e version (blank).doc119.8KB

These might be useful.

AS Music Tech Logbook e version (blank).doc90.1KB

Reply 67

Original post by Fingersmith

Out of interest, how can examiners tell that you've tempo tracked Cars? The BPM does change slightly over time, but I wouldn't be able to tell unless you put the track next to a metronome.

Also, there are quite a few sections of cars which stay in time for a fair while, but a complex drum fill every now seems to be where the tempo changes a bit again.

Reply 68

The first obvious thing is the length of the track. They would also regularly compare to the original. Mostly it's about the 'feel' and whether or not it is mechanical.

Reply 69

Original post by Fingersmith

The first obvious thing is the length of the track. They would also regularly compare to the original. Mostly it's about the 'feel' and whether or not it is mechanical.

Alright, thanks :smile:

Also, over time I notice little features of cars which are harder to spot - I always wonder whether the examiner would notice it I added them to my own sequence. Do the examiners get 'guidelines' with little features of cars, such as drum rim sounds or volume automation here and there to look out for? Or is it up to the examiner if they notice these things or not?

Reply 70

The top examiners get together for three days and go through the set pieces with some examples that have already been sent in (or from their own centers if they're teachers). The decide on the 'extras' that everyone should have noticed (esp. in A2 it's supposed to be an aural stimulus) and either penalize missing ones if they were really obvious or reward in style if they were more obscure. The tiny details that you have to agonize over are neither here nor there but probably make the piece sound more authentic. Then they meet with the team leaders and train them in marking to that standard. Then all of them meet with the rest of the examiners in teams, and pass that marking standard on.

The marking is also sampled regularly during the marking period to keep all the examiners marking to the same spec.

Theoretically.

Reply 71

Original post by Fingersmith

That's quite interesting, thanks again!

On Cars, it's quite obvious that the Polymoog sound seems to be the main 'synth' sound. I am trying to crack it and emulate it as best I can - do you think if I did that then it would put me at an advantage in some of the marking sections?

Also, I've always wondered how reliable getting a remark (of the coursework) is. Does the mark usually stay the same, have there been cases of the mark going up considerably etc?

Reply 72

That seems to be a rather contentious issues atm. Last year, as far as I can make out from talking to other music tech teachers around the country, most remarks stayed exactly the same! A few years ago, I had quite a few remarked and some of them dropped by a grade. We actually went to appeal on that one and the marks were substantially improved and some went up a grade. (I later found out that that remarking examiner was removed from marking.) Usually I will only ask for a remark (after seeing the paper) if the student is at the top end of a Grade, as dropping a few points wont usually lose a grade but adding a few points could gain one.

Reply 73

The year I did AS, which was when Shopping was the sequence, the marks seemed hideously low all around. Granted, some people got A's & B's but a lot of people got D's and E's for what was generally good work. Obviously I'm not an examiner so take that with a pinch of salt.

Reply 74

Original post by Fingersmith

Having trouble hearing the sounds/timbre of the two bass synths you have indicated in your score. Any hint as to what they are and the differences between them?

Reply 75

Original post by jackf1337

I always wonder how much the mark would change if the new examiner (for remarking) was given a blank booklet for marking and your original CD, rather than seeing what the previous examiner wrote.

Safest thing to do is to get your coursework as best as possible in the time that's left.

Reply 76

Original post by jackf1337

Having trouble hearing the sounds/timbre of the two bass synths you have indicated in your score. Any hint as to what they are and the differences between them?

The single line one is more bass guitary; the one in fifths is another gnarly synth - some of my more sharp eared (and more youthful students can hear a seventh harmonic in it as well. BTW I've just spotted (while marking my guys stuff) another error in the score. Bar 41-44 shouldn't have S1 in it - too much copy and pasting :biggrin:

Original post by adamjay

Good suggestion. All my remarks last year came back simply ticked in green and the same mark given.

Reply 77

Original post by Fingersmith

Good suggestion. All my remarks last year came back simply ticked in green and the same mark given.

So to clarify, there is a 'guitary' synth as well as a bass guitar and gnarly synth? Explains why it sounds so fat!
I've got my bass guitar sounding huge. I think there's a lot of vintage style (read: heavy) compression across the track, without it sounding lifeless. Difficult to explain.
I must admit I'm struggling to hear the 7th, but I'll keep listening.
Thanks for the heads up on the correction!
Are we marked on how accurate the vocal line is to the original?

RE: remarks, that's typical lazy exam board for you

Reply 78