M5 — Recording & Audio
Status: Outline. · Weeks: 6–7 · Domain 3: Recording & Audio · Sprint 2: Recorded Sketch (solo)
Purpose
Capture clean audio into the DAW: gain staging, monitoring, comping, and basic editing. Sprint 2 adds your own recorded audio to a short sketch — the third layer of the MIDI-vs-audio arc: combine waveform tracks with MIDI in one mix (routing named in M2, MIDI craft in M3–M4).
Monday lectures: Wk 6 — Recording (interfaces, mic/DI, gain, monitoring) · Wk 7 — Audio editing (comping, warp/flex, fades).
Calendar alignment
| Week | Monday | Wednesday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Oct 5 — Feedback #1 | Oct 7 — Sprint 2 kickoff | Plan |
| 6 | Oct 12 — Recording | Oct 14 — Solo studio | WIP |
| 7 | Oct 19 — Audio editing | Oct 21 — Solo studio finish | Sprint 2 due Oct 25 |
Articles
| # | Title | Type | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Gain Staging for Recording | Concept | Input level, headroom, monitoring without clipping — spirals from Foundations and M2 |
| 02 | Recording Setup | Concept | Interface routing, mic vs. DI, headphone mix, room awareness |
| 03 | Capturing Clean Takes | Process | Multiple takes, noise floor, performance prep |
| 04 | Comping | Concept | A best-of composite from several takes; crossfades between regions |
| 05 | Warp, Flex & Time | Concept | Aligning a performance to the grid; when to fix timing and when to leave it human |
| 06 | Fades & Edits | Concept | Trim, fade in/out, crossfade; cleaning clip boundaries |
| 07 | Sprint 2 Brief — Recorded Sketch | Sprint brief | The ≥30-second spec; recorded + MIDI combination; checklist |
Sprint 2 deliverable — Recorded Sketch
Solo sketch ≥30 seconds built around your own recorded audio (instrument, voice, or found sound). At least one cleanly recorded or comped track with good levels and no clipping; combined with MIDI or other elements; basic edits applied. ✦ Exceeds: comped takes, creative re-amping or processing.
Assessments
- Quick checks and fill-ins per article
- Recording Review — gain, comping, editing basics
Teaching approach
Reuses the clipping/quiet audio, metering, and microphone demos from Foundations; planned new demos show comp-lane selection across takes and a before/after of timing alignment.