PHY 203 Syllabus

Lebanon Valley College, Department of Music
PHY 203 Musical Acoustics, Fall 2009

Instructor: Dr. Hill
Office: 113 Blair Music Office Complex
Telephone: 867-6285 Office, 761-1626 Home
Email: hill@lvc.edu

Class Time: TTH 2:00-3:20pm
Classroom: Studio B, Blair 228
Class Website: http://lvcphy203.wordpress.com
COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will help you understand and apply principles of acoustics and construction for designing effective recording spaces. Acoustical properties, issues, products, and solutions will be examined and applied, culminating in two major facility designs. 3 credits.

TEXTBOOKS (recommended for your reference)

  • Master Handbook of Acoustics, 5th ed. Everest
  • Building a Recording Studio, Cooper
  • Sound Studio Construction on a Budget, Everest
  • How to Build a Small Budget Recording Studio From Scratch, Everest
  • Recording Studio Design, Newell
  • Acoustic Design for the Home Studio, Gallagher

COURSE GOALS

At the end of this course you will be able to:

  1. Apply basic properties of room acoustics in order to assess existing and potential issues in a recording facility (or other type of room where acoustics are important).
  2. Have a knowledge base of various products and solutions for treating specific problems in a space.
  3. Design an effective recording facility with two main criteria: treatment of interior space and proper construction for isolation from exterior noise.

OVERALL NOTES TO KEEP IN MIND

  1. There will be two major design projects completed during the course of the semester. Details will be given in class. Other tasks related to designing studios will be given throughout the semester.
  2. The class website provides all assignment and syllabus information with updates. Use the following URL: http://lvcphy203.wordpress.com.
  3. Before you submit anything, make sure it conforms to the MRT Guidelines and Format posted on the MRT Backstage web site. All submissions must be word processed–no handwritten documents except as indicated.
  4. Students are responsible for all information and requirements contained in this syllabus, regardless of whether verbal reminders are provided in class.
  5. You can have two absences from class without penalty in case you get sick or something along the way. After that you’ll lose 100 pts per day due to the fact that we do lots of demos and explanations in class and you cannot catch up easily. It’ll be hard on you to miss out.
  6. A word about email addresses. I will always use your LVC account. If you use an off-campus provider, then have your LVC mail forwarded to that account.You must check it regularly as this is the method I use to contact individuals as well as the entire class.
  7. If you have a physical, medical, psychological, or learning disability that is going to impact your attendance or require accommodation, please let me know. In order to ensure that your learning needs are appropriately met, you will need to provide documentation of your disability or medical condition to the Director of Disability Services in Humanities 206-D, 867-6071. The Office of Disability Services will then provide a letter of verification of disability that describes the accommodations needed for this class.
  8. Academic dishonesty: It is expected that you act professionally in all aspects of college life; this includes maintaining your integrity and honesty. Any occurrences of cheating, plagiarism, theft of intellectual or physical property, etc. will be dealt with in accordance with college policy as stated in the student handbook and college catalog. I especially frown on those who think that “cracked” software is a cool thing. Someday you need a viable industry in which to work, but if people steal software, then professionals cannot afford to produce the tools you need. Don’t steal software, music, anything, or else you have no right to become a professional in this industry.

GRADING

Grading will be based on the following criteria:

  • Two major design projects will largely constitute the final grade
  • Involvement in various tasks throughout the semester are necessary to build the resources needed for completion of the projects, so lack of attention to these will adversely affect your grade in a major way.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Week 1: 8/25, 8/27

  • Questions and goals for designing effective recording spaces, fundamental acoustics.

Week 2: 9/1, 9/3

  • First project criteria: Treating an existing room.
    • What’s happening in your room? How to start analyzing what you need.
    • Low frequency issues: calculating room modes, low freq absorption options & products. Reflections/ray traces, absorption, diffusion, impulse response, reverberation, modes
    • Note: bring laptops Thursday

Week 3: 9/8, 9/10

  • Mid-High frequency issues: Absorption, diffusion, options and products.
  • So what do you do with all these options?
  • Design our first room.
  • Bring laptops this week

Week 4: 9/15, 9/17

  • Review first practice designs.
  • Might there be any problem rooms in Blair? Let’s go find out.

Week 5: 9/22, 9/24

  • Work on Blair room plans.

Week 6: 9/29, 10/1

  • Teams work on designs in class.
  • Bring mostly finished designs for discussion with instructor.
  • Bring questions and issues for class to discuss.
  • What’s happening in this space? Acoustic measurements and tools.

Week 7: 10/6, 10/8

  • First project design showcase

Week 8: 10/13, 10/15

  • Tuesday
    • FALL BREAK
  • Thursday
    • Second project criteria: Building/renovating a facility with need for isolation

Week 9: 10/20, 10/22

  • Isolation issues: Noise criteria; transmission loss; construction techniques: walls, floors, ceilings, windows, floating rooms

Week 10: 10/27, 10/29

  • Isolation techniques: materials & construction
  • THURSDAY – NO CLASS

Week 11: 11/3, 11/5

  • Room geometry, layout, monitoring

Week 12: 11/10, 11/11

  • Pulling it all together
  • Some real examples
  • Final project design work

Week 13: 11/17, 11/19

  • Final project design work

Week 14: 11/24, 11/26

  • Tuesday
    • Final project design work
  • Thursday
    • THANKSGIVING

Week 15: 12/1, 12/3

  • Teams work on designs in class.
  • Bring mostly finished designs for discussion with instructor.
  • Bring questions and issues for class to discuss.

Finals Week

  • Final Design Showcase

This schedule is subject to change depending on class progress.

Posted by B Hill
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