COURSE OUTLINE + SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS

I: Introduction, Acoustics, and Recording

2/22

Overview of Topics + Syllabus, Discussion of Electronic Music + Listening | SLIDES

Homework: Complete TIMARA Start-of-Semester Action Items (complete steps 1 and 2a)

Read “What is Electronic Music?” by Thom Holmes from Electronic and Experimental Music: Pioneers in Technology and Composition

Listen to Racing Through, Racing Unseen by Natasha Barrett. Program notes here.

As you listen to this work, consider the following questions (not being graded, just for yourself):

What sounds do you hear in this work? What techniques does it seem were used to create these sounds (microphones, computer, instruments, etc.)? Do these sounds evoke (a) location(s) or place(s)? How is the work organized; how does it change over time?

2/24 Sound Terminology Review, Acoustics | SLIDES

HW: Read Introduction to Acoustics: Waves and Sound (disregard the mathematics!)

Watch this short video on how the ear works (disregard technical names, just understand the system as a whole)

Listen to “Dripsody” by Hugh LeCaine and “One Minute” by Ryoji Ikeda

How do these pieces activate the ears? What techniques does it seem were used to create these sounds (microphones, computer, instruments, etc.)? How is the work organized; how does it change over time (or how is it structured)?

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3/1 NOT MEETING DURING CLASS TIME

3/3 NOT MEETING DURING CLASS TIME

>> VIDEO DEMONSTRATION OF USING PORTABLE RECORDER <<

HW: After class, check out a portable recorder from the Gear Depot.

Using that recorder, please record the following sounds over the weekend.

RECORDER SCAVENGER HUNT SOUND LIST

2 periodic sounds (pitched sounds)

2 aperiodic sounds (noisy sounds)

1 close sound (near to the mics)

1 faraway sound (far from the mics)

2 moving sounds (source/mics changing location during recording)

2 ‘what the…’ AKA ‘guess the source’ sounds

Transfer the recorded files (should be 10 (at least)) to your computer, and upload to a folder with your name to the class Box folder named “Recorder Scavenger Hunt (Due March 8th)”.

Read “Some Sound Observations” by Pauline Oliveros, from Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music

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II: Single-Track Editing, Digital Audio Theory, and Electronic Music History I

3/8 Sound Terminology Review, Acoustics, Cont., Microphones + Recording | SLIDES

HW: Read “Chapter 1: Microphones” by Bobby Owsinski, from The Recording Engineer’s Handbook, and “Some Sound Observations” by Pauline Oliveros, from Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music (if you hadn’t already)

Listen to “Plåtmås” by Hanna Hartman and “I am sitting in a room” by Alvin Lucier (listen to first ~5 minutes, then seek around afterwards)

If you haven’t, please complete the Recorder Scavenger Hunt (see above)

3/10 ocenaudio I: Basic Editing, Importing, Exporting | SLIDES

Download the ocenaudio Help Sheet here. No specific work with ocenaudio, but please have it downloaded and functioning on your personal machine! You should feel comfortable with BASICS.1 and BASICS.2.

HW: Read “Early Electronic Music in Europe” by Thom Holmes from Electronic and Experimental Music: Pioneers in Technology and Composition

Listen to Étude aux Chemins de Fer by Pierre Schaeffer and Gesang Der Juenglinge (Excerpt) by Karlheinz Stockhausen.

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3/15 History of Electronic Music I: Musique Concrète from 1940s to the Present, ocenaudio II: More Advanced Editing, Volume, Pitch-Shifting | SLIDES

HW: Read “How Digital Audio Works” from the Max v7.3.5 Documentation. First half should be review (“Complex tones” is interesting!), important bit is from “Digital representation of sound” up until “Advantages of digital audio” (no need to read this).

Also check out the How Digital Audio Works Help Sheet

3/17 Digital Audio Theory: Sample Rate, Bit Depth, File Types | SLIDES

TSwift_SamplingRate+BitDepthDemos.zip

HW: Finish Project 1 (due on Monday)

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III: Multi-Track Editing, Digital Signal Processing, and Composition

3/21 — Project 1 Due (9pm)

3/22 Review Composition 1: Sound Collage

HW: Download and install REAPER. Download the REAPER Help Sheet here.

3/24 Review Composition 1: Sound Collage (if needed), REAPER I: Basic Editing, Importing, Exporting | SLIDES

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3/29 Quiz 1, REAPER II: Basics Review, Automation, Advanced Techniques

3/31 NO CLASS

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🌞🌷 SPRING BREAK 🌸🌻

4/12 DSP Effects I: Time Domain Effects (Delay/Echo, Stereo Imaging, Reverb, Modulation Effects) | SLIDES

HW: Review and explore REAPER plug-ins in Audio Effects HELP SHEET (Audio Effects I)

Listen to Robert Normandeau’s Jeu (excerpt) (try with headphones!) and Steve Reich’s Violin Fase OR Steve Reich’s Piano Fase

4/14 DSP Effects II: Dynamics, Equalization/Filtering, Spectral Analysis and Effects, and beyond…, Introduce Composition 2: Timbre Clouds

HW: Start Composition 2: Timbre Clouds

Read Steve Reich’s Music as a Gradual Process and Brian Eno’s Ambient Music (both very short)

Listen to Donato Wharton’s Puget Sound and whatever you’d like of Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works 85-92

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IV: Synthesis, MIDI and Virtual Instruments, Mixing, and Electronic Music History II

4/19 Discussion of Ambient Music, Effects Lab, Spectral Effects with SPEAR | SLIDES

4/21 Sound Walk OR Rain Plan: Introduction to Soundscape Composition

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4/25 — Project 2 Due (9pm)

4/26 Review Composition 2

HW: Watch György Ligeti’s Artikulation. Here is a key for the symbols you see. Will talk about in more detail what exactly is going on next class. Listen for R2-D2!

Listen to Bye Bye Butterfly by Pauline Oliveros

Read selections from “Principles of Analog Synthesis and Voltage Control” by Thom Holmes (first 12 pages, for the most part, are review. Read 236-245)

4/28 Review Composition 2, cont., Synthesis Theory + Synthesizers

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5/3 Synthesis Theory + Synthesizers, cont., Introduce Composition 3: Process + Pulse | SLIDES

5/5 Sequencers + MIDI | SLIDES

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V: Advanced Topics, Sound Design, and Final Project

5/9 — Final Project Proposal Due (9pm) (details here, scroll down)

5/10 Individual 3-minute meetings during class-time:

11:00 So
11:03 Maggie
11:06 Sophia
11:09 Gwyneth
11:12 Matteo
11:18 Noah
11:21 Katie
11:24 Yipeng
11:27 Ilana
11:30 Dora
11:36 Johnum
11:39 Sydney
11:42 Ben
11:45 Justin
11:48 Aman
11:54 Phoebe
11:47 Faith
12:00 Laura
12:03 WD
12:06 Alicia

5/12 — Project 3 Due (11am)

5/12 Listen to Project 3 Selections, Quiz II Review | SLIDES (for Quiz II)

HW: Study for Quiz II

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5/17 Quiz II: Audio Effects, Synthesis, MIDI, Elektronische Musik History, Mixing Workshop (found here)

HW: Mini-Mix Assignment (SUBMIT HERE)

5/19 Listen to Mini-Mixes, In-Class Demonstration of Mixers, Audio Interfaces, and Live Sound Workshop

HW: Finish Final Project

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5/24 — Final Project Due (11am)

5/24 Final Project Presentations Part I

Ilana, Noah, Yipeng, So, Maggie, Johnum, Matteo, Phoebe, Justin, Alicia

5/26 Final Project Presentations Part II

Gwyneth, Sophia, Laura, Dora, Sydney, Ben, Faith, WD, Katie, Aman

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5/31 6/2 \ Reading Period (Class Not Meeting)