Syllabus Music158

 

Instructor: Prof. Edmund Campion (campion@cnmat.berkeley.edu)

 

WHERE: CNMAT, 1750 Arch Street

 

 

Course Description: Basic concepts and techniques of computer-based musical research, composition, and performance. Essentials of digital audio signal processing, musical acoustics and psychoacoustics, sound analysis and synthesis. Works from the computer music repertoire will be examined.

The course will be taught using the MAX/MSP object oriented programming environment. MAX/MSP is a combined control/signal processing software package that runs on the Macintosh PowerPC. The program is installed on thiry-five workstations in the Microcomputing Facility in Wheeler Hall. In addition to MAX/MSP, a number of other programs designed for editing and manipulating soundfiles will be covered.

Though not required, it is highly recommended that interested students purchase their own versions of the MAX and MSP software. Special arrangements are being made with Cycling74 (the developer for MSP and MAX) for student rates. Details will be announced during the first class meetings. Please visit the Cycling74 web site to learn more about the program (http://www.cycling74.com/index.html).

The learning curve associated with MAX/MSP is steep.

The focus of Music158 will be on using the MAX/MSP environment for creating music. There will be bi-weekly lab assignments as well as an expanded final project.

Music 158 students that demonstrate a high level of programming skills will be allowed to move into a special MU158R&D group following the mid-term. People qualifying for MU158R&D will finish out the semester developing MAX/MSP applications involving advanced signal processing. This section of the course will be coordinated by CNMAT's Musical Applications Programmer, Matthew Wright.

THE MUSIC158 WEB SITE:

http://cnmat.CNMAT.Berkeley.EDU/Music158

The site will be updated weekly during the semester and will be accessible to UC students and faculty on or off campus.

Every student enrolled in Music 158 should have an e-mail address. Instructions on how to obtain an e-mail address and how to make good use of the web site will be given in class.

 

SYLLABUS

Music 158 - syllabus

Monday, August 26, Course introduction and overview of of Max/MSP

Friday, August 30. History of electronic music Part One


Monday, Sept. 2, holiday

Wednesday, Sept. 4, LAB BEGINS

Friday, Sept. 6, history of electronic music Part Two

Monday, Sept. 9, UNIT I : Max event based programming
Friday, Sept. 13, UNIT I
Monday, Sept. 16, UNITI
Wednesday Sept. 18, UNIT I ASSIGNMENT DUE IN LAB

Friday, Sept. 20 In-class listening and critique

Monday Sept. 23 , UNIT II INTRODUCTION: MSP signal based programming
Friday, Sept. 27, UNIT II
Monday, Sept. 30, UNIT II
Wednesday, Oct. 2 , UNIT II ASSIGNMENT DUE IN LAB
Friday, Oct. 4, In -class listening and critique

Monday, Oct. 7, UNIT III INTRODUCTION: SPECTRUM/NOISE/FILTERING
Friday, Oct. 11, UNIT III
Monday, Oct 14, UNIT III
Wednesday, Oct. 16, UNIT III ASSIGNMENT DUE IN LAB
Friday, Oct. 18 In-class listening and critique
(last day for undergraduates to drop a class )

Monday, Oct.21, UNIT IV INTRODUCTION: SOUNDFILES AND SAMPLING
Friday, Oct. 25, UNIT IV
Monday, OCT 28, UNIT IV
Wednesday, Oct. 30, UNIT IV ASSIGNMENT DUE IN LAB
Friday, Nov. 1, in-class listening and critique

Monday, Nov. 4, UNIT V INTRODUCTION: SYNTHESIS
Wednesday, Nov. 6, UNIT V
Monday, Nov. 11 (HOLIDAY)
Wednesday, Nov. 13, UNIT V ASSIGNMENT DUE IN LAB
Wednesday, Nov. 13, FINAL PROJECT PROPOSAL DUE IN LAB!!!

Monday, Nov. 18, FINAL PROJECTS APPROVED
Friday, Nov. 22 Final projects
Monday, Nov. 25 Fianl projects
Friday, Nov. 29 (THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY)
Monday, Dec. 2, Final projects
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6 FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATION DAY
THE WHEELER LAB CLOSES ITS DOORS ON THE LAST DAY OF CLASS DEC.6

MUSIC 158 STUDENTS CAN EXTEND WORK ON THEIR FINAL PROJECTS
UNTIL THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19 AT NOON. BUT THERE WILL BE NO LAB FACILITIES BEYOND
DECEMBER 6, 2002.