Digital Music Production

Course Description

Technologies and techniques for the production of recorded music using computers. Practical application of digital audio production software for recording, editing, mixing, and digital signal processing, and for control of MIDI synthesizers. Investigation of new ideas in computer-aided composition. Work will include lectures/demonstrations, analysis of recorded music, production exercises, and some original composition or arranging.

Course Requirements

• Informed and active participation in at least 90% of the class sessions.
• Timely completion of short exercises in recording, production, and composition of computer music, as assigned.
• Completion of a midterm composition or arrangement of computer music or audio/music production, as assigned.
• Completion of a final composition or arrangement of computer music or audio/music production, as assigned.

Course Topics

• Principles of Digital Audio
• Microphones and Recording Techniques
• Studio Editing and Mixing Techniques
• Digital Audio Signal Processing
• Digital Audio Music Synthesis
• MIDI Software Protocol
• Professional Sound/Music Software
• Elementary Principles of Musical Form
• Computer Music Composition Techniques
• Use of Computers in Performance

Resources

The Mac Room (4th floor) is available during class time and during selected lab and homework times to be determined.

The Pre-Production Lab (6th floor) and its four adjacent suites are outfitted for audio editing and MIDI composition, and are available during selected homework times to be determined.

Practice rooms (8th floor) will be available for recording sessions during selected times to be determined.

A variety of microphones and instruments are available to you for checkout from the Equipment Room (6th floor) for recording.

Some listenings for this class are available online as streamed audio files, which you can access via the internet from the Mac Room, the Library (2nd floor), or any other internet-accessible computer.

Communication

For additional consultation with the professor, you can make an appointment for office hours by speaking with the professor before or after class. You can also contact the professor by email.

For announcements or questions to/from your classmates, it is suggested that you use (and check regularly) the class NoteBoard.

There is a class email address, which addresses all registered students and the professor. This email is moderated by (i.e., must be approved and forwarded by) the professor, and thus should generally be used only for information that will definitely be of interest to all in the class, and that you want to be sure they receive. The NoteBoard is generally a less obtrusive way to provide information to colleagues in the class, but of course there's no way to know exactly when and by whom a NoteBoard post will be read.

Assignments are posted online for the next class session.

Final Exam

July 30, Wednesday, 11:10-13:00, TSM Pre-Production Lab.

Regarding Academic Integrity:

Collaboration between students in this course is strongly encouraged. Students are urged to exchange ideas, opinions, and information constantly, and to help each other with the composition of their technical/creative projects. However, plagiarism of any kind is in direct violation of University policy on Academic Honesty, and penalties for plagiarism can be severe. In this class you will be expected to attribute due credit to the originator of any ideas, words, or music that you incorporate into your own work.