A Model for Teaching Master-Level Audio Production: “COLA”

Abstract

Audio production in the recording studio has evolved considerably since 1878 when Edison patented the phonograph, the first commercially successful invention to record and reproduce sound. According to Millard (2005) Edison's focus was actually on creating a sound recording device that could be used in business as an early dictation machine and primarily, "... in terms of a device to save incoming phone calls ... the first attempt to make a telephone answering machine" (p. 27). The level of sophistication of audio production in the early days can best be described as rudimentary due to the limitations of the fledgling technology. Production was also constrained because sound recording was a new process that was just being developed and no one had written the "how-to" book yet. However, in time, the role of the record producer changed to more effectively controlling the process of recording as a prelude to controlling the product itself. As technology advanced, the science and art of audio production also advanced. Today's contemporary recording process now employs an amazing repertoire of technology that controls an extraordinary array of audio elements. Consequently, the landscape of audio production has grown to a highly sophisticated skill set that allows a producer to exert a far greater influence on the musical and technical aspects of the final audio product. The primary agent of change in the control of the production process has been technological advancement. New technologies have made it possible for audio producers to edit and manipulate recorded sound in a manner that varies from incredibly authentic reproductions of the original sounds to final recordings that no longer bear recognizable antecedence to the original performances, depending on the selected actions of the producer. The capabilities of the modern producer seem almost limitless in the face of digital editing techniques, carefully controlled and applied signal processing, and software "plug-in" technologies that allow an array of recording "apps" to modify sound in ways never before thought possible. In addition to the technology-driven changes in the audio production process, today's audio producer is confronted with many other challenges that require skills beyond operating the customary studio equipment and procedures usually thought of as basic to the audio production craft. Studio production is much more than manipulating technology, although that set of skills can come in very handy when producing a serious project. The purpose of this paper is to describe the other skills necessary to complement technical ones in the process of professional audio production. I have named the instructional model for teaching these skills: COLA. It is an acronym for the four main areas of focus of audio production: Communication, Organization, Leadership, and Analysis/Evaluation. Increasing production student skills in these four areas helps students achieve a circumspect view of the overall and integrated demands of being a music producer.