Audio Production

The Audio Production module is delivered through a series of lectures and practical sessions within one trimester. The material covered in the lectures will be demonstrated and explored via practical exercises and group recording sessions within the Newton Recording Studios.  You will cover up to date recording and music production techniques - essentially everything needed for making great sounding, pro level recordings and finished mixes. The knowledge and experience gained will help provide a very firm foundation and understanding for progression into audio related industries. The weekly lectures will consist of specific in-depth recording topics for the week, followed by practical hands-on studio sessions where you will work on engaging exercises and recording projects. There is a heavy focus on achieving pro level standards in the module.  

In this module you will be introduced to a range of emerging audio technologies while developing your online portfolio and professional skills. As this is a rapidly evolving field the core technologies are reviewed each year, but the focus is on developing your knowledge, understanding and skills around innovations in production and broadcast. Combining hands-on and theoretical approaches, this module is designed to further your cutting-edge skillset while developing your understanding of the cultural and business impacts of emerging audio technologies. You will demonstrate your knowledge and skills through the production of a series of audio-related projects presented via your online portfolio. 

The spatial hearing capabilities of humans are investigated and spatial audio systems including stereo, binaural, transaural, multichannel stereo, ambisonics and wave field synthesis are examined in both theory and practical use. There are opportunities to audition and experiment with different surround sound systems in practical sessions. 

You will explore the core principles and technical terminology used in professional audio broadcast and production environments. This module introduces you to digital audio file formats, delivery methods, and data transfer protocols essential for modern workflows. You’ll gain an understanding of synchronization techniques, including timecode and clocking systems, and learn how to apply current industry standard, e.g. AES, SMPTE, ITU. Through critical listening exercises, you’ll also engage with recognised subjective audio evaluation methods (including BS1116 and ITU-R BS.1534-3), helping you develop a trained ear for high-quality sound. By the end of this module, you’ll be equipped with the foundational knowledge and technical confidence required to understand and configure broadcast and production audio systems to professional standards. 

You will learn the acoustics of sound propagation in enclosed spaces and will learn how to design methods of treating such spaces to achieve a desired acoustic result and the limitations of those methods. An assignment based on the design of a creative space (recording or control room) will tie all these strands together so that you can understand the acoustics, engineering and management required in the successful design of both control rooms and other creative audio environments. 

You will develop theories of timbre analysis, the ways in which musical instruments produce sound, musical synthesis techniques, then undertake software-based musical sound synthesis using both emulative and abstract approaches. Additive, subtractive and modulation synthesis will be studied along with signal processing (effects) design. By the end of this module, you will have built a complex synthesizer and multi-effects unit in software.

This module covers the tools and techniques used in the audio post production process and how to apply these skills in an original and creative way by developing the advanced skills and techniques needed for sound design, dialogue editing, ADR (automatic dialogue replacement) and Foley work. You will also develop a systematic understanding of mixing for 5.1 surround and to apply these in an original and creative way and be able to develop mastering techniques in stereo and 5.1. On completion you should have the skills and techniques needed to produce broadcast-standard output.

In this module you will devise, design and document a small-scale research project.  A mixture of lecture and seminar sessions will be used to introduce the idea of doing research and the methods and theoretical frameworks needed to design a successful project. You will develop your understanding of the importance of interdisciplinary research, and the value of using different methods to elicit different types of data, leading to a well-informed research project proposal and design. You will work in small groups to develop your understanding of a range of research methods. You will be supported by weekly discussion sessions and guest lectures from established researchers.

The aim of the master's project is to carry out, under supervision, an extended individual study into a topic in audio, digital media or acoustics. A large number of topics will be offered to you to choose from or you could undertake a bespoke topic to be agreed between you and your supervisor. Your project will reflect the skills, knowledge and understanding from different areas of the course and will encourage initiative and project management.