DAW Audio Composition Project

Summary

Over the course of this month I wanted to create a fun beat with some tropical vibes. I used a lot of reverberated light synths to give the production an uplifting feel. I also mixed this beat incredibly well. It’s sounding good on every sound system that I have played it on. AirPods, Bose noise canceling headphones, Sport XL speaker, monitoring speakers, built in mac speakers, gaming headsets, and my Alexa.

Audio File Formats and Definitions

AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format): stores standard CD-quality audio; similar to WAV (Higher Quality)

WAV (Waveform Audio File Format): CD audio; can be saved with different sampling and bit rates; similar to AIFF (Higher Quality)

MP3 (Audio File): Used to store audiobooks and music on a hard drive; Close to CD-quality sound; the higher quality sound comes from higher bit rates which also take up more storage space

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface): music data: notes played, when notes are played, how long each note is played, and the velocity of each note played; used to be able to exchange and use information between software and hardware programs; no actual audio data

All the audio file format information is found at: fileinfo.com

Logic Tracks

My Composition

Melatonin and Trap Drums

What I Learned & Problems I Solved

Listening on different sound systems can highlight certain frequencies that were less audible on other systems. This can be both a benefit and a detriment to my mix. For example, the snare was a little bit too loud when listening on AirPods. This is because AirPods have a lot more mid range frequency than some other headphones. Listening on other sound systems allowed me troubleshoot and make my mix sound better. In conclusion, a mix can sound flawless on one sounds system, while it only sounds okay on another. This is why it’s important to listen on multiple.

SMART Goal Project TEMPLATE

SUMMARY

Over the course of the month I have drastically improved my melodies. I took a fairly bland beat of mine and spiced it up with my new skill.

Role

Musician, Technician

Intention (SMART Goal)

My Goal this month is to create a song using my new found knowledge of C major/ A minor chord progressions from last month to improve my melody creation by May 27th.

PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY

Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)

Ocean Beats https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXrDJIpt-3giDMdwiBJvPvg

Training Source(s)

SMART Goal Schedule

After school when I have little to no homework. I will focus on improving my piano melodies and creating something with these new skills.

PRODUCTION

SMART Goal Starting Point Evidence

SMART Goal Ending Point Evidence

POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION

Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)

I found that instead of filming the my evidence on my phone I can just bounce it as an Mp3 on my computer. This is a much easier process and sounds much better.

Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)

Logic Pro X and a MIDI Keyboard.

Reactions to the Final Version

Coming Soon

Self-Evaluation of Final Version

I feel as though, over the course of this month my ability to create melodies has improved tremendously. At the start of this process It would take me roughly 30 minutes to come up with a good melody but know, I can just sit down and play on the first try.

Editor

Aydin Prindle.