Lesson 1: Introduction to Desktop Production Tools

• Music Production Process
• Creating Musical Ideas
• Listening and Analysis
• Recording
• Editing
• Mixing
• Mastering
• Music Production Tools
• Synthesizers
• MIDI Sequencers
• Audio Recorders
• Processors
• Mixers
• Desktop Production Project Plan and Toolset

Lesson 2: Signal Flow

• Analog Audio Signals and Connections
• Digital Audio Signals and Connections
• Signal Flow Between Devices
• Setting Up a Virtual Studio
• MIDI Signal Flow
• Studio Configuration
• Exercise: Configuring Your Studio
• Exercise: Configuring and Testing Reason
• Exercise: Configuring and Testing SONAR
• Discussion: Tell Us About Your Setup
• Assignment: Designing Your Studio

Lesson 3: Introduction to Electronic Music Synthesizers

• What's a Synthesizer?
• Discussion: Shopping for a Synthesizer
• Properties of Sound
• Pitch
• Exercise: The Oscillator--Signal Generation and Pitch
• Timbre
• Exercise: The Synthesizer Filter
• Loudness
• Exercise: The Synthesizer Amplitude Envelope
• Virtual Instruments
• Exercise: Loading a Reason Patch
• Exercise: Loading a SONAR Patch
• Digital Samplers
• Assignment: Electronic Orchestration

Lesson 4: Introduction to MIDI Sequencing: Patterns and Recording in Reason

• MIDI Messages
• Patterns in Music
• Creating Patterns
• Exercise: Entering a Basic Pattern
• Exercise: Adding Accents and Shuffle Feel
• Exercise: Creating Variations
• Building an Arrangement from Patterns
• Exercise: Sequencing Pattern Changes
• Exercise: Converting Patterns to a Sequence
• Exercise: Real-Time Recording in Reason--Playing Against a Drum Track
• Assignment: Reason Sequencing Project

Lesson 5: MIDI Sequencing Continued

• MIDI Sequencing in SONAR
• Exercise: The Transport
• Exercise: The Tracks Window
• MIDI Sequencing in SONAR, Continued
• Exercise: Getting Ready to Record
• How a Sequencer Represents Time
• Exercise: Bars, Beats, and Subdivisions
• Real-Time Recording
• Exercise: Metronome Settings
• Real-Time Recording, Continued
• Exercise: Recording
• Record Modes: A Sequencer Is Not a Tape Recorder
• Exercise: Replace and Overdub
• Exercise: Loop Recording
• Exercise: Step Recording
• Assignment: Final Sequencing Project, Part 1

Lesson 6: Editing MIDI Sequences

• Editing MIDI Sequences
• Exercise: Tempo
• Exercise: Key
• Exercise: Velocity
• Exercise: Velocity Plug-In
• Exercise: Time Delay
• Exercise: Event-Level Editing
• Exercise: Fixing Mistakes
• Exercise: Correcting Timing
• Exercise: Correcting Durations
• Exercise: Correcting Dynamics
• Exercise: Editing Pitch
• Exercise: Cut/Copy/Paste Operations
• Editing in the Arrange Window—The SONAR Tools
• Exercise: Using SONAR's tools
• Exercise: MIDI Mixing and Automation
• Assignment: Final Sequencing Project, Part 2

Lesson 7: Common Mixer Configurations

• Discussion: What Makes for a Good Mix?
• The Reason Mixer
• Exercise: Available Mixer Controls
• The SONAR Mixer
• The Hardware Mixer
• Technical Issues in Mixing
• Aesthetic Issues in Mixing
• Assignment: Mixing in SONAR
• Bounce to Disk
• Exercise: Bouncing MIDI Tracks to Audio Files

Lesson 8: Effects Processing, DSP, and Mixing: Part 1

• Insert Effects
• Exercise: Aux Send and Return Effects in SONAR--Set Up a Reverb Send and Return
• Overview of Effects Types
• Spectrum Processing: Filters
• Exercise: EQing the Piano Track, Part 1
• Spectrum Processing: Filters, Continued
• Exercise: EQing the Piano Track, Part 2
• Spectrum Processing: Filters, Continued
• Exercise: EQing the Piano Track, Part 3
• Spectrum Processing: Filters, Continued
• Assignment: Mix Practice--Adding EQ and Reverb

Lesson 9: Effects Processing: Part 2

• Dynamics Processing
• Exercise: Compressing the Bass Track
• Dynamic Processing, Continued
• Exercise: Gating
• Time-Based Effects
• Exercise: Delay
• Time-Based Effects, Continued
• Exercise: Doubling/Flanging/Chorus
• Reverb
• Exercise: Reverb on the Drums
• Assignment: Mix Practice
• Discussion: When Should You Use Effects?
• Assignment: Final Sequencing Project, Part 3

Lesson 10: Hard-Disk Recording and Editing

• Sampling Concepts
• Overview of Hard-Disk Recording
• Hard-Disk Issues
• Exercise: Bouncing a Mix to Disk
• Non-Destructive Editing
• Exercise: Defining Regions
• Exercise: Editing a Song Form
• Defining Rhythm Loops
• Exercise: Defining Loops
• Exercise: Loops and Song Tempo
• Destructive Editing
• Exercise: Cut/Copy/Paste
• DSP
• Change Gain vs. Normalize
• Exercise: Using the Change Gain and Normalize Commands
• Silence
• Exercise: Using the Remove Silence Command
• Fade In/Out
• Exercise: Using the Fade In/Out Commands
• Discussion
• Assignment: Final Sequencing Project, Part 4

Lesson 11: Preparing Files for Distribution

• Preparing Sequence Files for Distribution
• Exercise: Importing and Exporting Standard MIDI Files with SONAR
• Posting Sequence Files on the Web
• Audio Distribution Formats
• Mastering
• Mastering Tools
• Exercise: Mastering for CD
• Exercise: Mastering for MP3
• Exercise: Practice Mastering
• Audio File Compression Overview
• Making MP3 Files
• Exercise: Making MP3 Files with MusicMatch
• Distributing Audio Files via the Web
• Assignment: Final Sequencing Project--Conclusion

Lesson 12: Final Project Critique and Course Wrap-Up

• Final Project Discussion
• Course Wrap-Up
• Discussion: What Did You Learn about the Music Production Process?
• Discussion: Berklee Project Listening
• Where Do You Go From Here?
• How to Grow Your Basic Setup
• Suggested Additional Reading

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