Reflective Learning Diary
Introduction
The aim of this Reflective Learning Diary is for the following:
· Keep a record of the work I undertake on my placements
· Note any existing skills I develop, or new skills I learn
· Identify areas that I would like to improve upon
Work Placement: Recording session Atlantics at The Music Mill Studio, Newton Abbot
| Date: | |
| Hours worked: | 8 hours (9am-5pm) |
| Tasks completed: | · Setting up a recording session · Making the musicians feel comfortable in their environment · Create a rough mix of the recorded session · Overdubs and additional track overlays were necessary |
| Reflection: | Being my first time within a recording environment I was quite nervous of what was to be expected of me, I felt it gave me a very good insight to how a recording of a professional band should be done and done in a professional manner. I also learnt that there are a lot of social skills required to ensure that the recording was to be successful and done in a relaxed environment. |
End of placement evaluation
| The achievement of which I am proudest is: | Helping on the tape operating functions, I felt that I was able to put into place some of the skills that I had learnt form my classes in college with a good amount of knowledge and confidence. |
| The thing I found most surprising was: | The speed in which everything was done, being only use to recording amateur’s within the college such as, how many times it would take to get a clean vocal recording there would be a element of time wasting when trying to record students in the college, but this was not the case with the band here, they were very organised and structured. |
| The area I found most challenging was: | Understanding the mixing console and watching Digby work his way around the mixer, trying to absorb his actions and what he was doing at any given time I found to be very challenging and understanding what he was doing also. |
| The area I would like to improve is: | Gaining a better understanding of instrument placement within a stereo mix when recording a band, I would like to improve on this as when watching Digby using the pan methods to given each instrument its own place within a mix I learned it is something that I must improve on with my future and personal mixes. |
| An example of when I worked in a team was: | Setting up the musician’s equipment within the live room and ensuring that the microphone placements were to a standard that was usable within the control room and not any hindrance to the band members this was done with communication from the live room and with the control room. |
| An example of when I used my knowledge was: | Setting up volume levels into the mixer I was able to do this with great understanding from the skills and knowledge I had attained from the course so far, elements such as overloading the console and making sure 48 volt phantom power was supplied to condenser microphones. |
| An example of when I solved a problem was: | When we were getting bad signal flow to the desk from a certain microphone I followed a procedure of checking for faults with the leads, mixer, connections and eventually found the problem to be a faulty microphone. |
| An example of when I was given responsibility was: | I was asked by the producer of the session (Digby) to operate the tape recorder and to ensure that I had tracks enabled and ready when the band were ready to record |
| Other comments: | Before the placement, I had worked out that I could fit the time commitment into my academic timetable, but I hadn’t realised that it would be emotionally tiring as well as physically tiring. I have been able to apply some of the things I have learnt in classes, which I have really enjoyed, and I my self-confidence has improved. |
