Monday we were supposed to have our written assessment, but instead we went over the equipment we should be getting for a home studio. A lot of what was said was just numbers, but after looking them up, it makes a lot more sense. I'm most likely going to be getting Reason, so the Digidesign MBox isn't going to help me at all. But what sounds like a good combination of gear is the Behringer ADA8000 as a mic preamp and the RME Fireface 800 as an interface. Once I get the money, I'll start planning out my buying schedule. But, until then, I'll keep doing research on it.

Tuesday's lab, Andy and I chose to do the mono mix out of the board. I did most of the prep work, and we made it through with minimal problems. We used both distressors, both Milennias, the PCM91, and the SPX90. So, we used all but five cables or so. One thing we need to figure out is why all of our board mixes are so loud. That's one thing we may neede to ask in the near future. The tracking for this song is much better than the songs by Apparently Nothing. I sort of wish we knew who performed this song. Their drum tracks are much more even, so strip silencing them was much easier to do. We also moved a lot of the electronic drums around, so they weren't so imposing to the rest of the mix.

Wednesday we had our assessment that was originally scheduled for Monday. The first two questions I had no problems answering. The first question was in regards to phase and the Haas trick. The second was about monitors, correct room treatment, and the repercussions of incorrect treatment. The third question was asking about what Izhaki believes are the four objectives for recording engineers. They are to capture the mood of a piece, mostly by knowing what the mood of the piece is supposed to be. Another key element is to balance the piece correctly. The kick is much more important in a heavy rock song than a folk song. The third objective is definition, which is achieved through EQs and other processors. And, of course, interest needs to be captured.If the piece varies dynamically, instrumentally, and time-wise, it will be a much more interesting piece to listen to. The fourth question was about Izhaki's five different mixing domains that all mixing engineers have to work in. And, they are time, frequency, level, stereo, and depth. Time, because the tracks being mixed have a beginning, middle, and end. Frequency, because different instruments reside in different frequencies, and some of the frequencies of certain instruments need to be attenuated or amplified. Level, because the amount of that instrument that is played is always important when in relation to other instruments. Stereo, because the positioning of each of the instruments from left to right is important to how they will be heard and interpreted. Depth is important for the same reasons the stereo image is important. Putting drums right up front isn't a smart move as everything else will pale in comparison. I should have separated out my study techniques, though, because I was using acronyms to remember them, but I was getting all of acronyms mixed up. There was the mixing objectives (MBDI), the domains (FTLSD), the things to consider when mixing (SEMEL), and others. I'll have to separate them out better for myself next time.