COURSE OUTLINE + SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS

I: Introduction, Acoustics, and Recording

9/1

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

Homework: Complete TIMARA Start-of-Semester Action Items (scroll down, complete steps 1-4)

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?

9/3

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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9/8

Sound Terminology Review, Acoustics, cont. | SLIDES

HW: Read “Chapter 1: Microphones” by Bobby Owsinski, from The Recording Engineer’s Handbook

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)

9/10

Microphones, Recording | SLIDES

>> VIDEO DEMONSTRATION OF USING PORTABLE RECORDER <<

Lab: Demo’ing recording using a portable recorder and saving sound to a computer

HW: After class, Group 1: 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.

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

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

9/15

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! Additionally, no need to send me your recordings, just have them available.

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.

9/17

History of Electronic Music I: Musique Concrète from 1940s to the Present | SLIDES

HW: Read The Art of Noise by Luigi Russolo

Listen to “Unsound Objects” by Jonty Harrison and “Rozart Mix” by John Cage

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9/22

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

9/24

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

9/28 — Project 1 Due (9pm)

9/29

Review Composition 1: Sound Collage

10/1

Review Composition 1: Sound Collage, REAPER I: Basic Editing, Importing, Exporting | SLIDES

Download the REAPER Help Sheet here.

HW: Review for Quiz I (will be take home, distributed over the weekend, and open notes)

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10/5 — Quiz 1 Due (9pm)

10/6

REAPER II: Basics Review, Automation, Advanced Techniques

HW: Get more familiar with REAPER

10/8

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+II)

Read Steve Reich’s Music as a Gradual Process and Brian Eno’s Ambient Music

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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10/13

DSP Effects II: Frequency Domain Effects (Dynamics, Equalization/Filtering, Spectral Analysis and Effects, and beyond…) | SLIDES

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

10/15

Introduction to Soundscape Composition I, DSP Effects Part III (Spectral Effects with SPEAR, Soundhack, and friends) | SLIDES

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

10/19 — Project 2 Due (9pm)

10/20

Introduction to Soundscape Composition II (Finishing Up), Review Composition 2: Timbre Clouds | (see previous SLIDES)

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)

10/22

Soundwalk (meeting in-person, if you’d like):

Meet at the Tappan Bandstand (center of Tappan) at 1:30PM, weather permitted. Bring a pencil/pen, sheet of paper, and a hard surface to write on (that you can walk with), such as a folder.

Synthesis Theory + Synthesizers (Video Lecture) | SLIDES

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10/27

Review Composition 2: Timbre Clouds, Introduce Composition 3 + MIDI | SLIDES

10/29 🎃

Final Review of Composition 2, Process + Pulse Procedures

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11/3

In-class meetings, as needed

11/4— Project 3 Due (9pm)

11/5

Review Project 3, Getting Ready for Final Project

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V: Advanced Topics, Sound Design, and Final Project

11/9 — Final Project Proposal Due (9pm) (details here, scroll down)

11/10

Individual 5-minute meetings during class-time:

Xander: 1:30PM
Hannah: 1:35PM
Gabriel: 1:40PM
Cy: 1:45
Will: 1:50
Jeremy: 1:55
Jhay: 2:00PM
Joy: 2:05PM
Evans: 2:10PM
Sol: 2:15PM
Eoin: 2:20PM
Tony: 2:25PM
Luke: 2:30PM

11/12

Prepping for Quiz II: Synthesizer History + Quiz II Review | SLIDES

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11/17

Quiz II: Digital Audio Effects, Synthesis, MIDI, Elektronische Musik History, Mini-Mix Assignments (found here) | VIDEO

11/19

Audio Coding Workshop (download Max here) | Mini-Theremin Patch

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11/24

Listen to Mini-Mix Assignments, Final Project Check-In

🍂 ### FALL BREAK (-> Remote) ### 🍂

12/1 — Final Project Due (11am)

Final Project Presentations I

Joy, Evans, Sol, Will, Gabriel, Eoin, Hannah

12/3

Final Project Presentations II

Jeremy, Tony, Cy, Luke, Jhay, Xander

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8 10 15 \ Reading Period (Class Not Meeting)