The Art of Vocal Production
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The Art of Vocal Production
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What you'll learn
Discuss the various types of dynamics processing and when to use each and apply equalization to a vocal track to enhance and improve the quality
Define, describe, and apply time based effects and use them to enhance the sound of a vocal track
Compare audio editing techniques, including time based and tempo based
Discuss how technology has changed the music recording industry
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
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- Earn a shareable career certificate
There are 4 modules in this course
This course addresses recorded vocal performances and the technologies used to highlight and support them in modern record production and mixes. Most of us know that vocals serve as the focal point of modern recordings but many do not know the tools used or when the tools are used best in modern record production.
The course begins with simple vocal placement in a mix, where you will also learn the fundamentals of compression and equalization. Youβll further study delays and reverbs before moving to advanced concepts in audio editing, synthetic processing, automatic & graphic pitch correction, time compression, time expansion, flex and elastic audio. Through analysis and/or hands on projects that the students will post for peer review, the student will gain an understanding of the many choices available to modern record producers as they record and mix with a modern tool set. Youβll see, in action, the Vocoder, Auto-Tune, Melodyne, Elastic Audio, Flex Time, VocAlign, tempo based editing and a host of other file modification protocols that are readily available on most Digital Audio Workstations. This course gives students a thorough look at the expanded choices that have risen in the art of vocal production as a result of these modern tools. The goal of the course is to help interested novices understand the recordings they are listening to, performers find an expanded language for their recorded voices and for vocal producers to be able to create musically artistic visualizations using singers as their paintbrushes.
Welcome to The Art of Vocal Production! Here we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your experience.. Then, we will discuss vocal placement within the stereo field and how recording a vocalist multiple times can create various types of listening experiences. You will learn about level, phase, phantom center, panning, balance, equalization and compression concepts used in modern recordings. Your ability to listen to music will be expanded and you will probably never listen to vocals in music the same way ever again once you have been exposed to these simple concepts.
What's included
19 videos6 readings3 assignments2 discussion prompts
19 videosβ’Total 80 minutes
- Singingβ’3 minutes
- Vocal Rangeβ’2 minutes
- Vocal Registersβ’3 minutes
- Voice Typeβ’4 minutes
- Equalization (EQ)β’13 minutes
- Dynamics Processingβ’9 minutes
- Vocal Mix Placementβ’3 minutes
- Vocal Mixing in a DAWβ’4 minutes
- Natural Doublingβ’3 minutes
- Multiple Vocalsβ’1 minute
- A Single Vocal Copiedβ’3 minutes
- Two Vocals in Phantom Centerβ’3 minutes
- Natural Wideningβ’1 minute
- Two Vocals Pannedβ’2 minutes
- Three Vocals Center Pannedβ’4 minutes
- Four Vocals Pannedβ’4 minutes
- Five Vocals Center Panned Cascadedβ’4 minutes
- Six Vocals Center Panned Cascadedβ’3 minutes
- Four Stack Harmonyβ’10 minutes
6 readingsβ’Total 30 minutes
- A Note From Prince Charlesβ’5 minutes
- Download Pro Tools Intro or the FREE Demo Version [Optional]β’5 minutes
- Course Resourcesβ’5 minutes
- Earn A Course Certificateβ’5 minutes
- Connect with Your Classmatesβ’5 minutes
- Module Recapβ’5 minutes
3 assignmentsβ’Total 55 minutes
- Review: The Voiceβ’15 minutes
- Review: Working with the Voiceβ’10 minutes
- Module 1 Quizβ’30 minutes
2 discussion promptsβ’Total 15 minutes
- Meet and Greetβ’5 minutes
- Name That Tuneβ’10 minutes
In this module, we will lean less on the vocalist and more on tools that can be used to change the way we listen to vocals in music. You will now understand how delays and reverbs have been used in the music you love and their relationship to time and tempo. Your desire to try out some of these techniques will be piqued by the time you finish this lesson.
What's included
16 videos1 reading2 assignments1 discussion prompt
16 videosβ’Total 79 minutes
- Introduction to Time Based Effectsβ’2 minutes
- Time Based Effects in a DAWβ’13 minutes
- Introduction to Artificial Wideningβ’3 minutes
- Artificial Widening in a DAWβ’8 minutes
- Introduction to Artificial Doublingβ’1 minute
- Artificial Doubling in a DAWβ’3 minutes
- Introduction to Slapbackβ’1 minute
- Slapback in a DAWβ’3 minutes
- Introduction to Echoβ’2 minutes
- Echo in a DAWβ’9 minutes
- Introduction to Mono and Stereo Delaysβ’2 minutes
- Delays in a DAWβ’8 minutes
- Introduction to Reverbβ’3 minutes
- Reverb in a DAWβ’9 minutes
- More Effectsβ’2 minutes
- And More Effectsβ’10 minutes
1 readingβ’Total 5 minutes
- Module Recapβ’5 minutes
2 assignmentsβ’Total 40 minutes
- Review: Vocal Effectsβ’10 minutes
- Module 2 Quizβ’30 minutes
1 discussion promptβ’Total 10 minutes
- Name That Tuneβ’10 minutes
In this module, the nature of the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) will be demystified and simplified. You will understand time as an absolute concept, time as a relative concept and further grasp the utility of the sample rate and bit depth parameters in your audio software. You will be shown tools that can change a song from a ballad to a dance record and vice versa. Many modern vocal production tools exist in software that might already be on your computer; but if you do not have such tools, you will document the use of these concepts via in-depth analysis of current and emerging music.
What's included
14 videos1 reading2 assignments1 discussion prompt
14 videosβ’Total 69 minutes
- Basic Audio Editingβ’1 minute
- Basic Audio Editing in a DAWβ’4 minutes
- Time Based Audio Editingβ’2 minutes
- Time Based Editing in a DAWβ’9 minutes
- Tempo Based Audio Editingβ’1 minute
- Tempo Based Editing in a DAWβ’5 minutes
- Basic Audio Samplingβ’1 minute
- Audio Sampling in a DAWβ’9 minutes
- Elastic Audioβ’1 minute
- Elastic Audio in a DAWβ’14 minutes
- Flexβ’0 minutes
- Flex in a DAWβ’11 minutes
- ReVoiceβ’1 minute
- ReVoice in a DAWβ’11 minutes
1 readingβ’Total 5 minutes
- Module Recapβ’5 minutes
2 assignmentsβ’Total 40 minutes
- Review: Vocal Editing and Samplingβ’10 minutes
- Module 3 Quizβ’30 minutes
1 discussion promptβ’Total 10 minutes
- Name That Tuneβ’10 minutes
In this module, you will learn some of the industry standard pitch correction and tuning tools. Although you will gain an understanding and appreciation of how easy the job of a vocalist can be when these tools are used, you will also learn that your first lesson in simple performance and placement is still the most potent skill in your art of vocal production arsenal.
What's included
10 videos1 reading2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt
10 videosβ’Total 49 minutes
- Filtersβ’2 minutes
- Four Filters in DAWβ’9 minutes
- Megaphone Effectβ’2 minutes
- Electric Megaphoneβ’2 minutes
- Talkboxβ’12 minutes
- Vocoderβ’10 minutes
- Introduction to Autotuneβ’2 minutes
- Autotune in a DAWβ’6 minutes
- Melodyneβ’2 minutes
- Melodyne in a DAWβ’4 minutes
1 readingβ’Total 7 minutes
- Are you looking for more?β’7 minutes
2 assignmentsβ’Total 40 minutes
- Review: Vocal Performance Modifiersβ’10 minutes
- Module 4 Quizβ’30 minutes
1 peer reviewβ’Total 60 minutes
- [Optional] Final Projectβ’60 minutes
1 discussion promptβ’Total 10 minutes
- Name That Tuneβ’10 minutes
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Berklee
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Reviewed on Feb 6, 2024
This course covered a lot of key points which otherwise remains unexplained while starting off with music production.
Reviewed on Jul 31, 2021
I am glad of having acquire the knowledge of this course. Thank You so much. It's really a help for me.
Reviewed on Aug 31, 2018
Great course. Got almost everything I needed to know. Prof. Prince Charles' teaching is very engaging and fun-yet-informative.
Frequently asked questions
During the course, you will be asked at times to submit recorded examples of your song ideas. In order to do this, you will need your computer's built-in microphone or an external microphone plugged directly into your computer (via built-in ports or an external audio interface), in addition to basic audio recording software, such as Audacity or GarageBand, that will allow you to record yourself and save the recording in MP3 format.
Although working with your own original music is not required of this course, you are welcome to use your compositions and songs for some class work.
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
More questions
Financial aid available,
ΒΉ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.
