Brief summary of activity
This is a practical activity to introduce participants to sound engineering skills.
Aim of the activity
To be able to perform the basic tasks of a technician in a broadcasting studio
Expected Outcomes
At the end of the activity, learners will know:
- The basic skills of a technician
- Basic technical work involved in broadcasting
Experience and skills required
A sound engineer should work with the participants in an one to one basis.
Infrastructure, setting, resources
An accessible studio.
Facilities for editing
Length
1 hour per participant.
Material
CDs or mp3 player, recordings for editing.
How the activity should take place
The participants will describe something (e.g. an early morning situation) without words just using audio material (e.g. soundscapes, other material sources like CDs, internet pools etc.) and the advanced tools for audio editing. The goal is to become familiar with the technical tools of editing hardware and software. This can be complemented with the handout Digital Editing and Sound Quality and Audacity shortcuts if using a Mac operating system.
The results will be listened to, evaluated and discussed by the trainer and the participants.
During the feedback round the specifics of sound work should also be profiled.
The participants will practise using a mixing console / radio desk, different players and microphones. This will involve becoming familiar with level meters and various controls on a mixing console: faders, mixing and finding the right balance between them.
The participants will practise for half an hour without a break the basic technical skills required for working in a broadcasting studio (e.g. radio mixing songs, learning the correct order of a technician’s priorities, etc.). A feedback round and an evaluation will follow.
Recommended max. number of participants and trainees to trainers ratio
1 to 1
Risk and possible adaptation
Just keep in mind that Vision Impaired/blind participants and trainees with learning difficulties might require longer training sessions.
Requirements for participants
If digital editing is included in the activity, participants will need computer skills.
Analysis and evaluation
Do participants understand:
- The basic skills of a technician?
- Basic technical work involved in broadcasting?
Scheduling
Any time during training