Things you will need for this topic:
- Headphones - you will also be learning about listening 'comfort' and what Db (decibels) are and how this affects your ability to hear. You will also learn that listening to sound that is too loud is damaging to your hearing.
- Free Applications for both MacOS, Windows and iOS: Sonic Pi, Audacity and GarageBand.
- Understanding where your audio comes from on your computer and how to control this. See this tutorial for MacOS and this one for Windows.
- If you have a MacBook, I recommend that you will install GarageBand and the loops that come with it. Go to the Mac Store here. [You will need to do this at home as well as school, as the files are huge]. This will be to play with the tracks and the elements fo tracks you make such as bass-lines, melodies and, in some cases, harmonies.
- If you have an iPad at home, you can install GarageBand on this to be able to edit the music you will be making either at home or in school - importing all your sounds from Google Drive. This is free and great to use. See this for support.
1. Earphones or headphones.
Earphones and headphones are not always the same. There are types that will be better for different jobs.
Apple earphones are great for listening to vocals or podcasts/ Youtube tutorials. They are not good, though, for low or bass-heavy music - the things you will be hearing in this topic. The reason is, that the low-sounding parts to the music you will be making, needs a 'seal' on, in or around the ear to be able to hear this.
Apple earphones, while a great product due to the build quality, rarely makes the 'seal' within the ear canal for us to hear the low sounds. They also allow sound from outside to 'bleed' past the earphones into your ears. This means that the outside sound mixes with the music you are creating and you hear an inaccurate piece of music.
These two things combined, means that, the hard plastic earphones last a long time but are not good for creating music on your device.
Try this link to see the range of cheap earphones available in Thailand from Lazada.
2. Apps.
| MacOS | Windows | iOS (optional depending on progress) |
|---|---|---|
| This is Audacity 2.3.1 or MacOS | This is Audacity 2.3.1 for Windows | |
| This GarageBand for MacOS |
