Sound Recording (Non-Thesis) (M.Mus.) (60 credits)
Offered by: Music (Schulich School of Music)
Degree: Master of Music
Program credit weight: 60
Program Description
The M.Mus. in Sound Recording; Non-Thesis program is a course-based, professional training program designed for musicians who wish to develop the skills required in the music recording and media industries. It is based on the German Tonmeister program and offers extensive, hands-on opportunities to record a broad spectrum of solo recitals, large opera, and symphonic repertoire with soloists and choirs, as well as complex jazz band and pop idioms.
Students are admitted to the M.Mus. in Sound Recording; Non-Thesis may be required to successfully complete one or more undergraduate course(s) before the beginning of the Master's program.
Required Courses (60 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUSR 629D1 | Technical Ear Training. | 2 |
Technical Ear Training. Terms offered: Fall 2025 This course will, through a sequence of specific auditory exercises, develop and improve students' aural sensitivity to small changes in sound quality. Students train to identify spectral variables in sound, develop stable reference of sound quality and learn about spectral characteristics of musical instruments. | ||
| MUSR 629D2 | Technical Ear Training. | 2 |
Technical Ear Training. Terms offered: Winter 2026 See MUSR 629D1 for description. | ||
| MUSR 631D1 | Advanced Technical Ear Training. | 2 |
Advanced Technical Ear Training. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Identification and quantification of spatial parameters of sound image, nonlinear and transient distortion audibility, identification of coherent and incoherent noise, sound source identification in complex textures, sound enhancement and reconstruction. Instruction focused on acoustic and electroacoustic measurements is included throughout the year, as an exploration of the bridge between objective measure and subjective impressions of various acoustic spaces and electronic equipment. | ||
| MUSR 631D2 | Advanced Technical Ear Training. | 2 |
Advanced Technical Ear Training. Terms offered: Winter 2026 See MUSR 631D1 for description. | ||
| MUSR 667 | Digital Studio Technology. | 3 |
Digital Studio Technology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Technical and operational characteristics of different digital recording systems currently employed by the recording industry. | ||
| MUSR 668 | Digital/Analog Audio Editing. | 3 |
Digital/Analog Audio Editing. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Using analog and digital record/playback equipment, students learn, through practice, the art of replacing, patching, rebalancing, reconstructing, or generally speaking, improving recorded music through editing. Teaching will include cut and splice editing, disk-based editing, and editing by transfer and mixing. | ||
| MUSR 669D1 | Topics: Classical Music Recording. | 1.5 |
Topics: Classical Music Recording. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Issues involving classical music recording. Topics may include: analysis of performance styles, acoustics of concert halls, production of music videos, seminars with recording producers, tonmeisters, classical music in multimedia, and others. | ||
| MUSR 669D2 | Topics: Classical Music Recording. | 1.5 |
Topics: Classical Music Recording. Terms offered: Winter 2026 See MUSP 669D1 for description. | ||
| MUSR 670D1 | Recording Theory and Practice 1. | 5 |
Recording Theory and Practice 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Theoretical and practice study of recording equipment, procedures and techniques. Recording sessions and live stereo recording, using the recording studio, concert hall and portable equipment for on-location recording. Also included will be an introduction to the areas of radio drama, broadcast recording and radio commercials. | ||
| MUSR 670D2 | Recording Theory and Practice 1. | 5 |
Recording Theory and Practice 1. Terms offered: Winter 2026 See MUSR 670D1 for description. | ||
| MUSR 671D1 | Recording Theory and Practice 2. | 5 |
Recording Theory and Practice 2. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Emphasis on multi-track recording theory and practice. The course will also concentrate on expanded multi-track procedures: signal processing, overdubbing, mixing, editing, and producing. | ||
| MUSR 671D2 | Recording Theory and Practice 2. | 5 |
Recording Theory and Practice 2. Terms offered: Winter 2026 See MUSR 671D1 for description. | ||
| MUSR 672D1 | Analysis of Recordings. | 3 |
Analysis of Recordings. Terms offered: Fall 2025 The analysis of recording engineering, production, performance, aesthetics and technical quality of selected recordings. | ||
| MUSR 672D2 | Analysis of Recordings. | 3 |
Analysis of Recordings. Terms offered: Winter 2026 See MUSR 672D1 for description. | ||
| MUSR 677D1 | Audio for Video Post-Production. | 3 |
Audio for Video Post-Production. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Theoretical study includes historical analysis of sound for image, audio post-production process for film and video, aesthetic and technical considerations in sound design, time code and synchronization, and final mix formats. Practical skills include field recording, sound library management, sound design, dialog, effects and music editing, and final mix process. | ||
| MUSR 677D2 | Audio for Video Post-Production. | 3 |
Audio for Video Post-Production. Terms offered: Winter 2026 See MUSR 677D1 for description. | ||
| MUSR 678 | Advanced Digital Editing and Post-Production. | 2 |
Advanced Digital Editing and Post-Production. Terms offered: Winter 2026 This course covers advanced concepts and techniques of audio post-production using digital workstations. Students practise the assembly of raw material into a complete final product through editing, signal processing, mixing, sound restoration and pre-mastering. | ||
| MUSR 691 | Mastering and Restoration. | 3 |
Mastering and Restoration. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Advanced practices in mastering and remastering of recorded music. Emphasis on digitizing and restoration (“clean-up") of ageing analog sources, print-through correction, and the assembling/mastering/finalizing of new recordings utilizing various techniques. Specific topics include archiving/preservation/metadata, analog tape transfer including alignment/azimuth and record bias, 78rpm disc transfers including stylus choice/speed correction and playback curve selection. Instruction is included in equalization and dynamic range control processes as they relate specifically to the mastering process. | ||
| MUSR 692 | Music Production Workshop. | 3 |
Music Production Workshop. Terms offered: Winter 2026 The Seminar aims at giving Music Performance and Sound Recording students the tools to becoming better recording artists, performers and recording engineers in today’s music scene. It will help them acquire skills and abilities as well as develop an informed judgement about recorded music performances and the recorded sound. | ||
| MUSR 695 | Techniques of Immersive Sound. | 3 |
Techniques of Immersive Sound. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Theory and practice of immersive sound. Exploration of advanced tools and techniques applied in three-dimensional recording and reproduction of music. Topics are chosen each year to reflect key areas of emerging knowledge and applications in 3D audio. Learning is based on application of interdisciplinary components from music, acoustics, signal processing, auditory perception, virtual reality, and multimedia. | ||