Music 307
Introduction to Computer Music
Winter 2006

Dr. W. Andrew Schloss
Office: MacLaurin A177
Local: 7931 Office Hours: Weds 4:30-5:30 pm or by appointment
email: aschloss at finearts dot uvic dot ca

TA: Adam Tindale
Office: MacLaurin B008
Local: x7929 Office Hours: TBA
email: art at finearts dot uvic dot ca

Classes: MacLaurin B120, B008, and the Laboratory for Extended Media (LEM)
Tues 2:30-4:20 and Fri 2:30-3:20

References: Articles, software and hardware manuals as appropriate.

Texts on Reserve in the library
Electric Sound by Joel Chadabe
Foundations of Computer Music edited by Curtis Roads and John Strawn
The Music Machine edited by Curtis Roads
Twentieth Century Music by H.H. Stuckenschmidt
Computer Music by Charles Dodge and Thomas Jerse (pages 46-58, 80-85, 322-329, and Chapter 2)

Articles on reserve in the library
The Synthesis of Complex Audio Spectra by Means of Frequency Modulation
by John Chowning. In Foundations of Computer Music, pages 6-29

A Tutorial on Digital Sound Synthesis Techniques
by Giovanni De Poli.

Ten Criteria for Evaluating Synthesis Techniques
by David Jaffe

Musicians Make a Standard: The MIDI Phenomenon
by Gareth Loy. In The Music Machine, pages 181-199

The Dysfunctions of MIDI Computer Music Journal 12(1): 19-28. 1988
by F. R. Moore

Communicating with Meaningless Numbers Computer Music Journal 15(4): 74-77
by David Zicarelli

Jean-Claude Risset, foreward to Electroacoustic Music (handed out in class)

Grading:

Labs (5)	40%
Midterm	30%
Final Project	30%

Week 1 Introduction, goals, expectations. A brief history of the Twentieth Century.
Technology vs aesthetics in computer music and contemporary music in general. What is music? What is computer music?
The distinctions have as much to do with aesthetics as with technology/tools. Art vs. Technology as old as the human race.
Music synthesis/analysis. CCRMA and IRCAM. Cahill, Theremin, Moog, Buchla, Mathews, Boulez et alia.
Jan 6 A brief history of Musique concrete. Henry, Schaffer, et alia. Electronic vs. Electroacoustic vs. Computer Music.
LISTENING: Messiaen, Quartet for the End of Time, Oraison Pour Quartout D'Ondes

Week 2 Electronic/Electroacoustic/Computer Music. Non-destructive editing, EDL, what does real-time really mean? The "psychic" editor.
Jan 13 Musical examples of analog vs. digital synthesis.
LISTENING: Cage, Second Construction ("electronic aesthetic" but entirely acoustic)

Week 3 Multitrack digital recording/editing using Pro Tools. Field recording with portable DAT machine and transfer to disk.
Jan 20 Lab 1 Electroacoustic presentations (continue for next several classes). [Due: Ongoing, beginning on Jan 20]
LISTENING: Schaeffer/Henry, Symphonie pour un homme seul; Beatles, Revolution 9, Koonce, Walkabout

Week 4 MIDI protocol, binary and hexadecimalumber number systems.
Analog synthesis, the Buchla synthesizer, VCA, VCO, Ring modulation
READING: Loy's article on MIDI
Jan 27 Lab 2 Musique Concrete using digital techniques [Due: Feb 3]

Week 5 Creating spatial/psychoacoustic effects, Binaural hearing, masking, mp3.
Feb. 3 Altering sound files using DSP plugins.

Week 6 Digital recording chain, Nyquest theory, Aliasing, Compositional Techniques.
Feb 10 Lab 3 Buchla synthesizer [Due: Feb 17]

Week 7 Additive Synthesis, MSP demo. Chowning's FM article.
Feb 17 Overview of synthesis Techniques, Fixed-waveform synthesis, additive, subtractive, Karplus-strong, FM,
Waveshaping, Physical Modeling. Jaffe.

Week 8
Feb 20-24 Reading Break

Week 9 Introduction to MAX (object-oriented programming).
March 3 Computer Music performance videos (Suite from the Seven Wonders, UNI, etc)
Lab 4 FM synthesis, Fourier Analysis, 3D spectra [Due March 24]

Week 10 More Max, using tables, creating your own sequencer using the seq and multi objects.
March 10 Editor/librarians for synthesizers using ystem exclusive data (the "trap-door" of MIDI)

Week 11 Using Pro Tools and Max/MSP to combine MIDI and digital audio, introduction to Detonate, piano roll notation, score following.
March 17

Week 12 Controling digital effects in realtime using MIDI on Yamaha console, also use of Yamaha D50 pitch-to-MIDI converter with MAX.
March 24 MIDTERM: MARCH 21 , TIMELINE of Music Technology
Lab 5 Programming MIDI using Max, creating your own MIDI environments. [Due March 31]

Week 13 Max/MSP continued
March 31 Final Projects [Due: April 17]

Week 14 Review

Final project Due April 17th





Note: for all lab assignments, you must HAND IN A WRITTEN PAGE(s) DESCRIBING YOUR WORK
(Musical materials, tracks, problems (if any), strategy, etc.)
You won't get a grade if there is no writeup!