Critical Listening 2

Course Authors: Dan Thompson

Critical Listening 1, developed the ability to hear and identify the key features of a well balanced, artful, and professional-sounding mix. Critical Listening 2 continues this process of opening your ears to gain a heightened level of music listening and awareness, while expanding your production palette and vocabulary.

In this course, you'll learn how to identify various instruments across different genres—such as classical, big band, world music, and electronica— as well as instruments from around the world, including Latin America, the Caribbean, Brazil, India, and the Middle East. The course will examine the ranges of these instruments and their key mix frequencies, in addition to panning and mix concepts and sound stages.

Critical Listening 2 also provides an in-depth exploration of natural and artificial reverb, delay, and compression settings, and their effect on mixes and what we hear. You will study advanced sonic stamp, with in-depth comparisons of microphones, mic pre-amps, and amplifiers, as well as stereo mic configurations. Throughout the course, you will analyze professional recordings and strengthen your listening skills through advanced audio ear training drills.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Identify a wide range of instruments from around the world and across genres
• Identify instrument ranges and key mix frequencies
• Recognize various instruments' use within both traditional and current popular music tracks, as well as how they might fit into your own productions and mixes
• Understand specific effects settings for reverb, delay, and compression, including decay, delay, and pre-delay times, threshold, ratio, attack, release, and stereo compression
• Hear the effect of sonic stamp: the impact that microphone and even mic-preamp choices have on the music and instruments you record

What You Should Know

• Course Outline / Syllabus
• Requirements for Critical Listening 2

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