Music Technology

JonnyMcNamee

Hi guys,
I know there's a thread on course advice but its kind of outdated. I'm hopefully going to put down Music Technology and History as a joint honors degree as number one on my C.A.O and I'm just wondering has anyone got any advice on the courses? The old thread said the Music Technology was slow-paced and I'm kind of wary that I'll get bored of the course! I love music and am really excited about getting the chance to work in the studio as I've been to many home studios and recorded things and loved it! But on the thread, people also said that studio time is very limited?how are people finding the course now? If someone could please shed some light on my worries that'd be great also, how did people find the history course? is it hard to achieve good marks? Also, is first year a big step up from Leaving Cert. as in the amount you have to read and the length and number of essays you have to write?
Cheers for any replies in advance

Norrdeth

As far as I know, it's not all studio recording.
There's theory, maths, computer programming,
signal processing and synthesis thrown in the mix.
So it might seem slow from a studio rat point of view.

Much more of an all round course really, hopefully I can find someone to answer this thread properly, but as for now that's all I know at the moment.
(BMus Grad)

XxMCRxBabyxX

I can't help with the music tech but I can with history. I'll start by saying that I got an E in my LC history mock and a D in the actual exam but between first year and second year I only ever got under 60% once in all my essays and exams. History I'd completely different in third level. You have to evaluate things yourself a lot more and it's not all learning off names and dates.

First year essays ranged from about 500 to 1500 words going up a bit more in second year. you'll have more to write in first year (every 2/3 week iirc) but bigger essays in second (only 2 per sem). There is a lot of reading as well, and it's not the same type as in the LC.

The course is good but there are some modules that drag a little in first year. You do get a choice of modules to study in second and third year which makes it more interesting though.

JonnyMcNamee

That's kind of what I expected the answer to be for Music Tech. As a self confessed 'studio rat' I'm kind of relishing the fact that I'll get to learn more about how music works and the science/maths behind as it will help me understand music recording/engineering (I hope ) Thanks for the reply and if you know anyone with a deeper understanding of the course, perhaps a Music Technology student, and get them to give their two cents that'd be great! Thanks!

JonnyMcNamee

XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »

I can't help with the music tech but I can with history. I'll start by saying that I got an E in my LC history mock and a D in the actual exam but between first year and second year I only ever got under 60% once in all my essays and exams. History I'd completely different in third level. You have to evaluate things yourself a lot more and it's not all learning off names and dates.

First year essays ranged from about 500 to 1500 words going up a bit more in second year. you'll have more to write in first year (every 2/3 week iirc) but bigger essays in second (only 2 per sem). There is a lot of reading as well, and it's not the same type as in the LC.

The course is good but there are some modules that drag a little in first year. You do get a choice of modules to study in second and third year which makes it more interesting though.

Thank god for the self evaluation side of it. Names and dates really aren't my strong point What modules did you choose and what did you think of them?

XxMCRxBabyxX

JonnyMcNamee wrote: »

XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »

I can't help with the music tech but I can with history. I'll start by saying that I got an E in my LC history mock and a D in the actual exam but between first year and second year I only ever got under 60% once in all my essays and exams. History I'd completely different in third level. You have to evaluate things yourself a lot more and it's not all learning off names and dates.

First year essays ranged from about 500 to 1500 words going up a bit more in second year. you'll have more to write in first year (every 2/3 week iirc) but bigger essays in second (only 2 per sem). There is a lot of reading as well, and it's not the same type as in the LC.

The course is good but there are some modules that drag a little in first year. You do get a choice of modules to study in second and third year which makes it more interesting though.

Thank god for the self evaluation side of it. Names and dates really aren't my strong point What modules did you choose and what did you think of them?

Oh it is so much better than the LC imo. It's what real history is!

I did History of Medicine and Baroque Art last year. They were both really interesting and the lecturers had totally different approaches to teaching. The med lecturer was a lovely woman but very meek and boring at times. I enjoyed the essay approach though and loved the subject matter.

Baroque was a bit more interactive and was in some ways more like school. You had to pay attention, had a test on the paintings and also a book review as well as the final essay. I didn't do as well in the module because of the approach but that is my fault! I know people who did LC art and said that that the module was quite similar to the LC history of art.

I'm on work placement this year but I'm thinking of doing the idea of history and history of the roman empire next year.

Aurongroove

MA Computer music graduate here.


Yeah the studio only features in two modules. Recording Techniques (basically a guide to the studio) and Recording project (use the studio to record an EP/LP)

The other modules include acoustics, Composition and very heavily: Programming & Synthesis. most of the module are manageable but if you want a challenge pick the programming ones; they're rock hard.

JonnyMcNamee

Aurongroove wrote: »

MA Computer music graduate here.


Yeah the studio only features in two modules. Recording Techniques (basically a guide to the studio) and Recording project (use the studio to record an EP/LP)

The other modules include acoustics, Composition and very heavily: Programming & Synthesis. most of the module are manageable but if you want a challenge pick the programming ones; they're rock hard.

Thanks for the reply which modules did you pick and how did you find them? is there much theory and maths involved? whats so tough about the programming? Thanks:D

Aurongroove

you're basically learning a programming language. if you dilly dally or don't study or practice when you should you'll fall behind and catching up will be very difficult.
I picked a nice enough spread of modules. The studio ones I chose because I was already pretty decent I wanted something I could get a decent grade in in case the programming ones went tits up. other then that there was a theory heavy 'acoustics and psychoacoustics' and a composition based 'Electroacoustic composition'
'interactive systems' sounded interesting but by the time I came round I had already chosen 60 credits.

the programming ones I chose was Software sound synthesis, and Audio programming 1 (these module names may not be accurate) I didn't do Audio programming 2 because I found it a little too daunting, so I took the easy way out(for me personally) and did recording project

Rafcam

I'm a current Music Tech student. We get 1 hour of lecture time in the recording studio per week but can book the studio whenever it's free. There is very little learning about using the studio but there's loads of theory.

Had a composition module last semester that a good few in my class struggled with because the hadn't studied music in secondary school. Also had computer programming last semester and I found it impossibly hard! Apart from a small few people in my class, pretty much everyone really struggled with this module.

I would suggest that you read up on the modules you would be studying and know what will be doing for the next 3 years because four or five people have dropped out of the course so far. If you have any more questions, let me know