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Alexa Cooper
What WAS that?!
Sound is something that those of us who are fortunate enough to experience, do so nearly every single moment of existence. Now, I pose the question, how often do we stop and think about HOW this incredible phenomena occurs? If you're one who has been drawn to Audio Engineering or perhaps medical school, sure, you may already have some knowledge. For those who have not, which is quite a large number, this may be a mystery that has not once crossed the conscious mind. I, for one, knew nothing in-depth about the physics of how we interpret and perceive sound.
That is, until I was beautifully aligned with Recording Connection. Just beyond one week of classes and I could not be more pleased with how much I am learning. The first chapter is on Sound and Hearing; the Physics of Sound. Sound interesting? It is.
Similar to entering the world of any new paradigm, one will learn that there is so much more to Audio Engineering than meets the....ear. I won't go into the complexities, but I will say that we have an incredbile body that functions in ways that blow my mind. We are so fortunate. Learning about how molecules transfer energy to one another has me looking at common [sound] interactions in a whole new way. Every single sound that you hear is moving through the air in a precise sequence to make it's way to your ear, then on to your brain for you to pick up on. Imagine being able to visibly see all those individual sound waves interacting with one another all around you! How cool is that!
On top of learning all of this incredible information, I've been spending a lot of time in an actual professional recording studio! This week, I was in the studio for nearly 20 hours. Observing, participating and learning about what an audio engineer does on a day to day basis. I have excellent rapport with the engineer at Blue Light Studio, so I am welcomed into the studio any time that I desire to pick up on some extra knowledge and experience! Which for someone who has a thirst for learning and growing like me, that is a very special opportunity.
The first day, we recorded a woman singing and playing guitar. After a few takes, we then added some kick, snare drum, tambourine, and glockenspiel to give the song a nice indie sound. The artist was looking for something raw and great sounding. She was definitely pleased with the outcome and I was thouroughly impressed with the ideas presented and applied by Kaj (the engineer). While Kaj mixed and mastered the tracks he explained what he was doing. I found the concepts to be very simple to understand, there is just a lot to remember! I am confident that I will catch on very quickly and be gracefully mixing great tracks soon!
The next day, a client had recorded his own tracks on garage band and came into the studio to re-amp the sound. I would have never thought to send the audio out of an amp directly into a microphone to create a more full sound! What a great and simple concept! By the time all the tracks were re-amped the song sounded completely different. It was an entirely different song!
On the last day I was in the studio this week, we did a lot of Mixing and Mastering. The singer on the tracks came in to review the vocals and hear the final rendition. I will say again that I am very impressed with Kaj and his ability to pick up on subtleties. He notices the most miniscule details within the sound and brings them to an expression of sounding impeccable. I am grateful to be learning with him.
I am so looking forward to and excited about all that I will be learning through the Recording Connection program. So far I feel I have learned SO MUCH! A big THANK YOU to all of the people involved with RRF who make this possible and of course to Blue Light Studio.
I am now on my way back to the studio for my fourth day! Can't wait to see what the day has in store!
