Basic Electro acoustics I

Fall 2007

 

Terry Pender – tmp17@columbia.edu

Jeff Snyder – jos2101@columbia.edu

 

This class will deal with the building blocks needed to create interactive music and installations.  We will use Cycling 74s Max/Msp/Jitter to illustrate various methods of synthesis, interactivity, digital signal processing, and algorithmic composition.  Along the way we will discuss the relevant digital audio fundamentals, listen to compositions that incorporate the techniques presented in class, and discuss the ear, psycho-acoustics, and the way that we hear and reproduce sound.

 

The grades will be based on the projects and homework presented in class.

 

Week 1 – 9/04 - Tuesday - Intro to CMC, tools, equipment.

Review of MIDI. Build simple MIDI generator in MAX/MSP.

 

    9/06 - Thursday – Basic Digital Audio Theory. Using Amadeus (Audio Editor).

                           Using buffers in MSP. Build a simple sample player in MSP.

 

Week 2 – 9/11  - Tuesday – Basic synthesis: Additive, AM, FM, Ring.

                           A look at Samplers and synthesizers in Reason.

 

    9/13 - Thursday – Playing moving images in Jitter.

 

Week 3 – 9/18 - Tuesday – Basic Synthesis: Waveshaping and granular synthesis.

             

    9/20 - Thursday – Basic Synthesis  - Plucked String, physical models.

 

Week 4 – 9/25 - Tuesday – Basic DSP: Delays, echo, doubling.

 

9/27 - Thursday – Basic DSP: Filters and Equalization.

 

Week 5 – 10/02 - Tuesday – Mid-Term Project Discussion, Mid Term due on 10/23/07.       

               

    10/04 - Thursday – Tuning and Temperment

 

Week 6 – 10/09 - Tuesday – Basic DSP: reverb, room simulation.

               

    10/11 - Thursday – Basic DSP: Intro to the FFT.

 

Week 7 – 10/16 - Tuesday – Psychoacoustics – Basic perception of sound.

               

    10/18 - Thursday – Mixing in Digital Performer.

 

Week 8 – 10/23 - Tuesday –  Mid-Term Project Due

    10/25 - Thursday – Algorithmic Composition part 1: Deterministic.

 

Week 9 – 10/30 - Tuesday – Live Performance: External Controllers part 1.

                             Keyboard controls, Wacom Tablet.

 

    11/01 - Thursday - Algorithmic Composition part 2:  Probabilistic.

 

Week 10 – 11/06 - Tuesday – Election Day - holiday.

                  11/08 - Thursday – Psychoacoustics ­– time & timbre.

 

Week 11 – 11/13 – Tuesday – Basic DSP: Filters, part 2 – moving filters.

      11/15 - Thursday - Interactivity: Real-time signal processing part 1.

 

Week 12 – 11/20 - Tuesday - Live Performance: External Controllers part 2,

                   MIDI foot pedals, Peavey Controller.             

 

11/22 - Thursday – Thanksgiving Day – no class.

 

Week 13 – 11/27 - Tuesday – Interactivity: Real-time signal processing part 2.

11/29 - Thursday –

 

Week 14 – 12/04 - Tuesday – Interactivity: algorithmic control.

12/06 - Thursday – Catch up day.

 

Final Presentations – 12/11 -Tuesday  – In Class Presentations of Final Projects.