Interactive Acoustics MUSI 339, Matthew Burtner

Introduction to Computers in Music: Interactive Acoustics, MUSI 339

INTERACTIVE ACOUSTICS
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS IN MUSIC, MUSI339, 2004

Professor Matthew Burtner
mburtner@virginia.edu
http://www.people.virginia.edu/~cmb4f
http://www.burtner.net/

Kevin Parks, TA
kpp9c@virginia.edu

Virginia Center for Computer Music
McIntire Department of Music
University of Virginia
Course website: http://www.people.virginia.edu/~cmb4f/339-04/339.html

Course Information
MUSI 339, Introduction to Computers in Music (3 credits)
Course#93328
Section#001
MUSI 339 Lab (0 credits) Required
Course #93765
Section #002
Maximum Enrollment 25
Class time: Monday and Wednesday, 2-3:15 Rm. B012 Old Cabell Hall
Lab time: Thursday 3-5, Music Library, Old Cabell Hall
Burtner office hours: Tuesday 3-5pm, OCH 201
Parks office hours: by appointment

©2004 Matthew Burtner
www.burtner.net
www.people.virginia.edu/~cmb4f

Course Information • Overview • Materials/Resources • Grading • Syllabus

Course Overview

Music 339 is an introductory course in music technology. Students gain theoretical, practical and historical knowledge of electronic and computer music. An emphasis is placed on creative hands-on experience composing computer music. Theory topics include introductions to acoustics, electricity, digital audio, recording techniques, MIDI, and introductory sound synthesis. Hands-on work will involve recording and soundfile editing, multitrack sound mixing, MIDI, and signal processing. This is primarily a composition course and assignments will emphasize creativity. Quizzes will be given on material covered in class.

Special Focus: Interactive Acoustics

A special focus of this class involves learning to extend the acoustics of live acoustic instruments or objects with computer technology. The computer is a powerful tool for the transformation of acoustic signals. The practice of altering the sound of physical objects using technology is what is meant by interactive acoustics in the context of this class. The skills learned here are the most widely applied compositional techniques of composing computer music. In addition, these techniques can be applied generally in the area of "sound design" in popular and commercial music.

Each student will compose a piece for acoustic instrument and CD in this class. The instrument may be a musical instrument such as a sousaphone (shown above), violin (top of the page) or saxophone (shown below). Or the instrument may be a found object instrument or noise instrument such as car keys, chopsticks, wine glasses, etc. Whatever instrument you choose, it should be something you will play live along with the CD electronics. We will do short assignments in the course of the class that lead to the final project.

©2004 Matthew Burtner
www.burtner.net
www.people.virginia.edu/~cmb4f

Course Information • Overview • Materials/Resources • Grading • Syllabus

MUSI 743> Materials

Required Textbooks (available in the UVa bookstore)


Electronic and Computer Music by Peter Manning	Essentials of Music Technology by Mark Ballora

Example scores in PDF format

S-Trance-S for metasaxophone

S-Morphe-S for singing bowl soprano saxophone page 1 page 2

On reserve in the music library are: "Broken Drum" "Snowprints" and "Incantation S4-X"

Equipment and other course texts:

Other materials:

* 1 Digital Audio Tape (DAT) available at Plan9 on the UVa Corner (if you use the portable DATs)
* CD-Rs for recordings, submitting projects, and data back-ups.

Equipment and other resources:

computers, synthesizers, DAT machines, portable CD-R, manuals, etc are located in the Music Library, in the basement of Old Cabell Hall, available during regular library hours.

*NEW* Sign up library computers, DAT reserves, CD-R reserve. http://presto.music.virginia.edu/VCCM/
you will need to know the name of the computer you want to sign up for (on the hard drive of the computer)
your UVa unix ID to log in
b1k0 password

download the Peak Manual: Peak.pdf
download the SoundHack Manual: SoundHack.pdf
Digital Performer Manual available by every computer in hard copy
You must get a code from Dave Topper in order to check out the DAT or CDR. topper@virginia.edu

Course Information • Overview • Materials/Resources • Grading • Syllabus

MUSI 743> Grading

Attendance and Participation %20

Timely class and lab attendance is required (please don’t be late). Every two unexcused absences will result in a grade lower.
Participation means that you engage with the class as an active presence, joining in discussions, asking questions, etc. Everyone brings something unique to the class so please speak up.

Assignments %40 (timely completion of all assignments is required. Late assignments will be marked down).

Assignment 1: Choose your instrument, record the instrument and edit the results in Peak. Record three different kinds of sounds, approximately 1' of material total. Burn your edited sounds on a CD or upload them to the assingment file server.
due: 9/27
10 %
The assignment will be graded on creativity (choosing interesting instruments and playing techniques), good recording technique, good soundfile editing technique.

Assignment 2: Layer your instrument sounds in Digital Performer. Create a one minute multichannel mix. Bounce the mix to disk and burn it on a CD or upload it to the assingment file server.
due 10/20
10 %
The assignment will be graded on compositional interest, and good multichannel editing technique (be sure to get all the 'clicks' and 'clipping')

Assignment 3: Process your sounds using SoundHack, and the other provided software.
Create a one minute composition using at least three different sounds, mixed in Digital Performer. Be creative and be extreme with the signal processing for this assignment. You may employ "generational signal processing" Bounce the mix to disk and burn it on a CD or upload it to the assignment file server.
due 11/15
10 %
The assignment will be graded on creativity, compelling sound design, and good technique.

Assignment 4: combining audio and MIDI. Add MIDI tracks to your recorded instrument sounds.
Create a one minute composition mixing MIDI and audio. Bounce the mix to disk as an audio file. Burn the piece on a CD or upload it to the assignment file server.
10 %
due 12/6
The assignment will be based on good MIDI editing technique, musicality, and creativity with the X5.

Quizzes %15
There are three Quizzes on 9/27, 10/18, 11/29

Final Project %25
Interactive Acoustics Composition.
The piece should be 2-5 minutes long. It must be performable by you or you may have a friend play it. The piece must have a computer music CD part. The composition must have some form of notated music for the performer. We will discuss notation in more detail but "notation" means "directions for a performer who needs to progress through a musical structure in time."

Final Projects are due 12/15/04. You should submit 1) an audio CD, 2) the instrumental score, 3) a short write-up on the composition about the idea and compositional processes employed.

Course Information • Overview • Materials/Resources • Grading • Syllabus

MUSI 743> Syllabus

Part 1: Acoustics, Recording, Electronic Music, Working with Audio

Wed 9/1 Course Overview, What is computer music?, Introduction to Interactive Acoustics
Fill in VCCM code form.
begin Assignment 1: choose your "instrument(s)" over the weekend. Your instrument may be a traditional musical instrument or a noise making device that you like the sound of. Think carefully and be creative with your choices.
You should develop three distinct playing methods on your instrument. Be creative and try to think of pure sound rather than a preconceived idea of how an instrument *should* sound.

Mon 9/6 Orientation, using the library computers: logging in, where to save files, how to submit assignments, checking out the CDR and DAT, setting up accounts. Overview for everyone on how to use the CDR. Begin recording instruments.

Wed 9/8 Recording your instruments for interactive acoustics

Thur 9/9 More recording of instruments (by the end of this day everyone should have the instruments recorded)

Mon 9/13 Acoustics

Wed 9/15 Introduction to Peak software, History of early electronic music

Thur Lab 9/16 Peak software

Mon 9/20 More on early electronic music and Peak

Wed 9/23 Acoustics review, more on Peak

Mon 9/27
Quiz 1
Assignment 1 due

Wed 9/29 Listening to historical pieces and assignments, discussion of

Part 2: Digital Audio, Multichannel Soundfile Editing, Computer Music

Mon 10/4 Introduction to electricity and digital audio

Wed 10/6 More on digital audio and computer music history

Thur 10/7 setting up a Digital Performer session

Mon 10/11 Reading Holiday.

Wed 10/13: Computer music history, Digital Performer and multichannel soundfile editing, processing sounds in DP

Thur lab 10/14: working with Digital Performer sessions

Mon 10/18
Quiz 2 and history of computer music

Wed 10/20 Assignment 2, due listening to assignments

Thur lab 10/21: No lab

Mon 10/25 Spring Break

Wed 3/27 Spring Break

Part 3: Signal Processing, MIDI, new computer music

Mon 11/1 ICMC, introduction to signal processing and new computer music (Kevin)

Wed 11/3 ICMC, meet in the library SoundHack in library

Thur lab 11/4: Sound Hack

Mon 11/8 signal processing sounds

Wed 11/10 More on signal processing sounds, and making computer music scores

Thur lab 11/11: Sound Hack

Mon 11/15: MIDI theory
Assignment 3 due

Wed 11/17 Using the X5 with Digital Performer, Computer Music and MIDI

Thur lab 11/18: using the X5 with Digital Performer

Mon 11/22 Sequencing MIDI with Digital Performer, History of computer music,

Wed 11/24 Thanksgiving recess

Mon 11/29
Quiz 3

Wed 12/1 MIDI assignments and current directions in computer music

Thur Lab 12/2 how to "bounce MIDI" to audio

Mon 12/6 Interactive Acoustics, final project presentations
Assignment 4due

Wed 12/8: last class: final project presentations

Wed 12/15 All final projects due by 5pm.

Course Information • Overview • Materials/Resources • Grading • Syllabus