Using music technology
A laptop and free software can now do what once needed a whole studio: record, edit, layer and transform sound.
Part of your national curriculum
- Composing: Use music technology appropriately to capture, change and combine sounds
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Use music technology appropriately to capture, change and combine sounds
Key learning points
- • Capturing sound
- • Changing sound
- • Combining sounds
This lesson at a glance
- 22 minutes
- 16 parts to scroll through
- 3 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 16
Visual introductionPicture this
Using music technology
A laptop and free software can now do what once needed a whole studio: record, edit, layer and transform sound.
In a nutshell
Use music technology appropriately to capture, change and combine sounds
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 16
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · Capturing sound
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 16
Learn
Capturing sound
Recording software (a DAW, or digital audio workstation) captures live instruments, voice or samples as audio tracks, or captures MIDI data from a keyboard that can later be changed to any instrument sound.
Reset break
Part 4 of 16
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 16
Learn
Changing sound
Effects such as reverb (adding space), EQ (boosting or cutting frequencies) and compression (evening out volume) let you shape a recorded sound after capturing it, without needing to re-record.
Quick check
Part 6 of 16
Quick check
Part 7 of 16
Reset break
Part 8 of 16
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 16
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Combining sounds
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 16
Learn
Combining sounds
Layering multiple tracks — drums, bass, melody, vocals — builds a full arrangement. Editing tools let you cut, loop and rearrange sections, so a short recorded idea can become a complete structured piece.
Quick check
Part 11 of 16
Reset break
Part 12 of 16
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Challenge round
Part 13 of 16
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Challenge round
Part 14 of 16
Game · Recall cards
What does a DAW allow a musician to do?
Card 1 of 3
Mastery quiz
Part 15 of 16
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Using music technology
3 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. What does a DAW allow a musician to do?
2. What does reverb add to a recorded sound?
3. What does layering tracks allow a composer to do?
Lesson round-up
Part 16 of 16
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
Not sat
Games
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Points this lesson
0
Best run
0 in a row
Luna: 0 out of 3 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?
Ask LunaPart 1 of 16 · Watch & discover
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Use music technology appropriately to capture, change and combine sounds