Lastly, the Rhythm & Harmonics section helps you to learn or improve your ability to distinguish between scale types, chord qualities, intervals, rhythmic patterns and BPMs. The Dynamics and Effects section includes a “Volume Mix Unit” where you can manipulate faders to get the volumes of multiple sounds to fit the target mix relationships a “Compressor Attack Unit” that includes training to identify attack times in milliseconds, and a “Reverb Intensity Unit” which calls on you to adjust reverb intensity to the target in a mix. The compressor in Studio Ears 2.0 can help you learn to identify and match attack times. In the former, you listen to changes and choose the correct frequency, and in the latter, you get your hands on an in-app EQ and make the right adjustments for yourself. The Frequency Training section has two modules: the “Frequency Quiz Unit” and the “Equalizer Control Unit”. The aural tests are further broken up into three categories: “Frequency Training”, “Dynamics and Effects” and “Rhythm & Harmonics”. The Studio Ears app has three sections: “ Know Your Frequencies” (pretty self-explanatory), “ Theory” (even for non-musicians, critical listening is not just about hearing levels and frequencies, but hearing pitch/timbre, rhythm and harmony!) and “ Tools” (which includes a handy BPM Tapper, Sine Tone Generator and a Metronome.) The goal of Studio Ears 2 is to “help you train your ears to improve your music mixing and mastering skills”, and “get decent practice in rhythm and harmonics.” With the app, you can get your hands onto a compact graphic equalizer or compressor, and adjust them to make your own mix match a target mix, listening closely to help maximize your score. I have personally used is software to teach my classes at The New England School of Communications, and have seen great success with my students. Tutorial videos on installing and using these apps can be found on the Auricula site. This App can be downloaded to your iOS device, Andriod and your Mac or PC, and the cost for all three of these licenses is just $14.99. The third mode is “Manual”, in which you are presented with a change in sound, and then have to adjust the proper controls to emulate the sonic property of the original.Īuricula is designed to help you improve your ability to identify changes in eight areas: Gain, Compression, Stereo Imaging, Time Delay, Distortion and Noise, Reverb, and last but not least, Timbre, by boosting or attenuating critical frequencies in 10 or 30-band mode. The second, “Relative Comparisons”, presents you with a sonic change, and asks you to determine whether a specific parameter has been increased, decreased or gone unaltered. The first is “Absolute Identification” which gives you a finite number of choices and prompts you to select the exact answer. The flexible, minimalist interface of Auricula’s “Improve Your Listening Skills” plugin. We’ll take a closer look at three of the best programs on the market and compare what they have to offer: With this kind deliberate practice, you can more quickly and effectively improve your craft and your main instruments as an engineer: Namely, your ears, and your ability to listen.įortunately, in the last five years a tremendous amount of software development has been made for the purposes of professional ear training. But that doesn’t mean that well-designed drills shouldn’t serve a major role improving your abilities. And you could also argue that best place to improve at any sport is out onto the field. It’s easy to argue that the hands-on-experience of mixing real recordings is the best teacher. Once again, conscious effort has strengthened my unconscious “intuition”. Now, when I’m mixing, I’m feeling the music and experiencing it more closely than ever. In short, my instincts have become stronger, much like my solo’ing skills on bass improved after transcribing so many of the greats. Working with these drills on a weekly basis reminds me of what sonic real-estate we have to work with and today, I feel I am much more in-tune with my room, my speakers and my auditory system. I have personally become a much better mixer since I began teaching critical listening 4 years ago. Much like professional musicians, who often transcribe great solos with the hope that in time, that conscious effort will lead to improvements that creep out unconsciously in their playing, engineers can use intentional critical listening drills to dramatically improve their instincts and skills. For most engineers, the ultimate goal is to be able to “feel” their way through a mix, and to do their work in a completely natural and intuitive way.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |