Audio Production Blog

DSU Audio and Animation Spotlight on Monday

2012-04-27T10:15:00.002-07:00

We are excited to be hosting a screening on Monday to showcase the work of DSU audio and animation students! Animation Professor Giles Timms started the event last year, and he invited audio students to join in on the fun this year. We will be watching animations and music videos, giving away door prizes, and voting for best in show. The good times will continue after the screening downtown at The Stadium. Don't miss it!!

Student produces a cover song and video

2012-04-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

One of our Audio students, Nathan Fields, produced a really great cover song in the studio. This is what he wrote about the project:

"Here’s another product of a few hours spent in the studio with Andrew, this time with Austin Donley on guitar, and me doing a little bass work. I’d say I’m really pleased with how it turned out. This is probably one of the biggest mixes I’ve ever done, so I tried quite a few new things out, and got some sweet results. I definitely got a lot of the kinks that I had in the last one ironed out in this one. So, enjoy our cover of “Not Over You” by Gavin DeGraw!"

Producing Interviews in "Audio for Video" class

2012-03-27T12:53:00.001-07:00

Our "Audio for Video" class is working on a video project that will show current and prospective Digital Arts and Design students at DSU how to seek out internships and start on a path to their careers. As a part of this project, we are interviewing recent graduates of DSU to learn about their internship experiences and the positive impact that it had on their education.

Last week, we interviewed recent DSU alumni, Courtney Schlimgen and Jerad Schlobohm. Not only did the interviewees lend us some great insight into the internship process, but it also gave us a chance to work on our production skills: capturing sound, setting up lighting, and framing shots. There is a lot of work still to complete, but we are already excited about our final product that we aim to complete by the end of the year.

Spring Studio Projects: Jake Killoran

2012-03-18T19:19:00.002-07:00

One of our soon-to-be program graduates, Jake Killoran, has been spending a lot of time on projects in the studio this semester, bringing in musicians, recording some of his own tracks, and refining his Pro Tools skills. One of his stand-out songs this year is his cinematic acoustic track, "RunAway". Let's hope that we start hearing his work in an upcoming Hollywood blockbuster soon! You can listen to Jake's track below, and here all of his recent work on his SoundCloud page.

RunAway - JakeKilloran by hitmanforhire

Live Videos Created from Music Event

2012-03-11T17:37:00.000-07:00

When our campus live music organization, DSU Live, hosted a recent event, they not only brought in some exciting live bands, but they also captured it on video from multiple angles. Student Luke Arens set up a camera angle from high above the bands, while also shooting handheld footage from ground level along with student Nathan Fields, and advisor Nathan Edwards. Student Paul Schipper captured the audio and complied all of the footage, ultimately creating a series of highly-professional live videos.

The three bands who played the showcase included "I, Apparatus", "Victor Shores", and "No Parking on the Bridge". Check out a song from Victor Shores above, and also visit Paul's YouTube page for many more videos from the event and elsewhere.

Students Perform at "Tips for Talent"

2012-02-18T15:38:00.000-08:00

Ethan Shafer

For the second year in a row, students took to the stage on February 15th in the Trojan Center cafeteria for our second annual "Tips for Talent" event! The event, hosted by DSU Live and the campus Diversity club, is meant to show off the musical talents of DSU students while raising money for charity. Just a few of the many performers are pictured in this post.

Amanda Welbig

This year, we made over $150 in a 90-minute timespan that will be donated to a local food pantry. Equally exciting was the amount of great talent that took the stage, which included many of music instructor Sandy Champion's students from her private lessons. The event garnered such positive feedback that we are hoping to host another one before the end of the semester. Congrats to all of the performers, and thank you to all of the students and faculty for their generous donations!

Billy Hofer

Tasha Draven

Audio Student Performs at Mochavino

2012-02-03T09:56:00.000-08:00

We were excited to see DSU audio production student Mike Rugg play an acoustic show at Mochavino, which featured some fantastic cover songs from bands such as Radiohead and Tears for Fears. A great crowd of students came out to check out the show.

Mike also performed recently at Myxers coffee shop on campus. Check out his performance of Someday You Will be Loved by Death Cab for Cutie:

The video was filmed by Luke Arens and edited by Paul Schipper.

Bands Rock the Underground in January

2012-01-29T20:46:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, DSU Live hosted three intense rock bands from areas of North and South Dakota. These bands included I, Apparatus, Victor Shores, and No Parking on the Bridge. In addition to hosting the performance, the students are working on producing a 4-camera HD video shoot. Student Luke Arens set up a shot from a unique angle in the rafters and was able to control the camera via an ethernet connection to his laptop.

Fans at the show were impressed by the non-stop energy from the bands. Despite playing music from a similar genre, each group had a unique sound to keep the intensity high throughout the evening. It was an exciting first showcase of the semester!

Dust of War trailer debuts

2012-01-12T13:30:00.000-08:00

During Summer 2011, the movie Dust of War was filmed near western South Dakota. The film features several big screen veterans including Tony Todd, who has played roles in a number of films and television productions, and Doug Jones, who has also played a number of roles including that of "Pan" in the film, Pan's Labrynth.

Several DSU students assisted on the production crew of this film, including audio production student Mitch Williams, and digital arts students Carrie Aus and Donna Rice. The DSU theatre instructor, Kelly MacLeod, was also a key member of the production crew.

The film is set for release within the next several months, and the trailer was just recently debuted. We are hugely excited to have a connection with what looks to be a phenomenal movie production.

Funk Musicians Record at DSU

2011-12-19T20:59:00.000-08:00

Audio Student Tyler Steele found a great way to kick off the holiday break by recording a group of musicians from the University of South Dakota called 'Olde Funk Riot'. In order to capture the entire band live, they set up in the adjacent auditorium, utilizing a drum shield and the hallways to create separation between the instrumentalists. With Tyler bringing out his tracking and mixing skills, the project is sure to produce some fantastic results!

Digital Arts Students Premiere Video

2011-11-19T13:44:00.001-08:00

Digital Arts and Design students Luke Arens and Paul Schipper made their big video debut this week, when they showed a 5-minute video presentation at the annual Scholarship Banquet, with an attendance of upwards of 400 people. The video was created as a part of Paul and Luke's university-related internship, which challenges them to create promotional material for the DSU Alumni Foundation.

The video featured DSU alumni and donors who stressed the importance of supporting current and future students through scholarships. It also featured students who discussed the benefits of their scholarships.

The response to the presentation was overwhelmingly positive, and the students will continue to work with the Foundation in order to continue creating their engaging presentation materials.

'DSU Live' brings huge talent to campus

2011-10-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy month for members of our campus live music organization, 'DSU Live', which includes many of the university's Audio Production Program members. In addition to DJ'ing a huge Halloween Dance hosted by the Student Activities Board, the group has hosted some really exciting musical acts during October:

The premiere band showcase of the semester featured Sioux Falls area band, Avian Sunrise, with The Broken Resolve. We treated this as our big event to show the campus and community the kind of great shows that we are able to bring to DSU. The bands were a lot of fun and both played stellar sets. The Broken Resolve has an uptempo pop-rock sound, while Avian Sunrise has a piano-driven sound with a strong emotional core. The DSU Live crew was very on top of things, and they impressed the band members with their quickness and efficiency.

More pics can be seen in the flickr gallery. The group also had the pleasure of hosting an acoustic show in the 'Myxers' coffee shop in the campus Trojan Center. Our first show of this kind featured a hugely talented singer-songwriter, Audri Vargas. Her amazing vocal skills made it clear why she was a top 50 finalist in American Idol several years ago. DSU student Austin Donley kicked off the night. There was an excellent turnout and a very positive response that helped to ensure that DSU Live will be hosting more events of this kind very soon! Check out Audri's cover of Taylor Swift's song, 'Mean':

Student Creates New Electronic Music

2011-09-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

DSU Students have been hard at work this semester in our Recording Sessions class. One student in particular, Kristen Cooper, has been keeping a blog showing off her latest work. She has been using a portable field recorder to capture and edit sound effects for a video game project being produced in the Gaming department. Additionally, she has been practicing her skills using the software program, Reason, and recently finished a song titled, "Nightmare Moon Remix Rhapsody": Nightmare Moon Remix Rhapsody by Cooper Production

As mentioned above, she has also been capturing many sound effects and editing them in Pro Tools for the video game. She was requested to gather effects related to burning, trash cans, and howling winds. Here's the latest from what she's been working on:

Latest tracks by Cooper Production

I'm excited to see where this and the other Recording Sessions projects will lead this semester!

DSU Live has a HUGE start!

2011-09-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

As students have been getting back to work in their classes this semester, the campus music organization, DSU Live, has been off to a really strong start. The opening "GO! Karaoke" event packed the Underground and gave students the opportunity to sing their hearts out on stage. It was also a great opportunity to show off the updates to the Underground which includes brand new LED stage lighting! DSU Live also worked hard to promote themselves during the annual Activities Fair.

Above, you see founding member Matt Lyon posing with organization advisor, Nathan Edwards. Also helping out were student members Tyler Steele, Bruce Schulz, Paul Schipper, and faculty advisor, Sandy Champion. Check out all of the upcoming events at the brand new DSU Live website: www.dsulive.com!

Students visit for Digital Art Camp at DSU

2011-07-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

During July 2011, students visited Dakota State to spend a week at camp learning about the various elements of the digital arts arena. In the Audio Production section, there were two really great students in class: Sara and Megan. We went through the entire recording process, including recording vocals, instruments, MIDI drums, and the skills and nuance required to create a great mix.

Most of the week was spent reverse-engineering a song (in other words, creating a cover) by Martina McBride. It was sung with great skill by DSU faculty member, Tracy Pardy. Instruments and backing vocals were added, and the track turned out sounding fantastic! It was a really fun week.

Here’s the video that the students helped put together, complete with the song:

Digital Art Camp 2011: Audio Production from Nathan Edwards on Vimeo.

Students Create Promotional Videos

2011-05-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

This semester's Audio for Video class took on a project that required them to choose a topic related to the university and create a 2-5 minute promotional video on that topic. Every element of the video was to be produced from scratch, including the narration, interviews, video editing, and audio design. The goal was not only to challenge students to work as a team and create a cohesive final product, but also to benefit various groups or clubs within the university by providing them with promotional materials.
The following video on Gaming Club is by Audio Production students Carrie Aus, Braderious Martin, and Mitchell Williams. More videos to come!

Students host 2011 Battle of the Bands

2011-04-03T20:26:00.001-07:00

The student group, DSU Live, is an organization with members from many majors, including some from our Audio Production program. Just over a week ago, the group hosted their annual Battle of the Bands in the student union venue, The Underground.

The group hosted an excellent show that could not be described as anything less than a big success. We hosted five very talented bands from the area whose names were: Blood of the Ancients, Amos Slade, The Dashing North, Top Shelf Stank, and The Broken Resolve.

Thanks to the hard work of our students, the show went very smoothly and sounded excellent. We also raised money for Colleges Against Cancer! Enjoy these fantastic pictures by DSU student Denise Livingston:

Students Create Audio from Hollywood Films

2011-03-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

In this semester's Audio for Video class, Audio Production students have been working hard on a project that requires them to completely replace the audio track of popular movies. This project has revealed how sound plays such an essential role in setting the tone of a scene and bringing the viewer into that world. The students did everything from finding appropriate background music, to using creative sounds and audio effects. The results were very impressive!

Here's a clip from Wall-E with sound replacement designed by Jake Killoran and Brad Martin:

Here's another great clip with sound created by Carrie Aus and Jordan Lindgren:

Audio Production Instructor Releases Album

2011-02-20T14:37:00.000-08:00

DSU Instructor, Nathan Edwards, has just released his new album, "New Season" in both digital and CD format. He describes the album on his website:

"The seasons always seem to have a dramatic effect on my songwriting. It was only after compiling my recordings from the past several years that I realized I would have "Sunshine", "Cold Winter", and "Song for a Summer Day" together on an album.

These tracks have been through many different re-writes and recordings, and it sometimes makes me cringe a little to listen to the early takes. Even so, I have worked them to the point where I am proud of what it has all led up to and I can finally put the past several years into this completed album... a "retrospective" of sorts. Some of it was recorded in our South Dakota home, some back in our apartment in northern Illinois, and other bits and pieces were thrown in along the way."

You can check it out now at: http://nathanedwards.bandcamp.com

The Global Game Jam Winners!

2011-02-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

Many students at DSU spent a near-sleepless weekend participating in the Global Game Jam: A challenge to create an entire computer game in only a single weekend. Two upper-level audio production students, Kristen Cooper and Mitch Williams, worked on sound design for the winning game, "Ballistic Boatin' Beavers Blasting Belligerent Bums". We are introduced to the game by being told, "You play as a beaver whose home has been destroyed by Dam-nation."

Although they didn't have the opportunity to have all of their sound effects and music programmed into the game, the team impressed the judges with its fast-paced action and fun bluegrass vibe. Congrats to Kristen and Mitch and all of the other participants on a successful weekend!

You can download the game here!

Students Produce Music using Reason Software

2011-01-25T21:47:00.000-08:00

This semester, the DSU Audio Production program introduced a brand new class: MIDI (The Musical Instrument Digital Interface) Production. Students are learning to sequence electronic music using a software program called Reason. These advanced-level students will be given a lot of creative flexibility to incorporate unique musical and production-based ideas.

One of the students, Jacob Ritzman, is well-versed in using Reason and has posted much of his excellent work online. There are several samples below, and you can also visit his YouTube channel for more tracks. I'm looking forward to hearing a lot of creative new work this semester.

Recording Harp in the Studio

2011-01-18T20:05:00.000-08:00

Paul and Dan working on Mic Placement

Student Paul Schipper provided us with a truly unique opportunity last week by bringing a harpist to record. Anna Vorhes is a highly accomplished musician who plays with the Northwest Iowa Symphony Orechestra, as well as the Sioux City and South Dakota Symphonies. She performed three pieces while Paul worked hard at the mixing desk. We utilized a fairly elaborate microphone setup, which included eight mics at various locations throughout the hall.

We received very positive feedback from the session and I’m very excited that we are getting such unique talent to test our recording skills with. Kudos to Paul for such a fantastic project!

Student Blog - Assortment of Audio

2010-12-13T20:14:00.000-08:00

Audio Production Student, Jordan Lindgren, has been keeping a great personal blog about his experiences with recording and live sound. He has been involved with both local music production and working as a crew member for national touring acts. Jordan is a perfect example of the kind of talent and passion for audio production that we are proud to have here at DSU. Here's a great video he made from a recording session earlier this year:

Cleaning up Vinyl at the "Transfer Station"

2010-12-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

Professor Dan Mortenson, shown above, is hard at work in the studio cleaning up some vinyl records. Along with our control room and tracking room, we also have a transfer station that can assist in digitizing your vinyl, VHS tapes and cassettes. We are always looking for new ways to add usefulness to the studio and benefit students and the university. Additionally, students are given assignments that deal with learning to transfer audio and created a cleaned-up "re-master" that sounds beautifully restored in digital form.

Turning a Speaker into a Microphone

2010-12-02T12:31:00.000-08:00

What happens when you connect an XLR cable to a speaker and plug it into a mixer or mic pre-amp? It simply becomes a microphone! As a fun project, we took an old speaker from a cabinet and did just that. The best use that I've heard of for this type of microphone is its use on a kick drum to capture the extended low-end. These are sometimes referred to as a "sub-kick". We are hoping to find a more professional way to mount the speaker, but for now we have something usable to work with. It will be interesting to see the results when Paul tests it on a drum kit this weekend. Here's what we made: