Computer Music (syllabus for MUSC 216)

Brian Evans
029 Computer Center, 3-1621
evans@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu

• The Handbook of Acoustic Ecology, Barry Truax, Editor
• An Introduction to the Creation of Electroacoustic Music, Samuel Pellman.
• Csound Manual, Barry Vercoe.

Optional texts:

• Sound Designer II Manual (excerpts)
• Turbosynth Manual (excerpts)
• Lemur/LemurEdit/Soundhack documentation

1. Introduction and fundamentals (2 weeks)

   Electronic Classroom logistics

   Physics & psychophysics of sound

   • physical dimensions
   • musical dimensions
   • the non-linearity of perception

   The electrical analog of sound

   • input/output transducers
   • the analog studio (VCAs, VCOs, etc)

   The digital representation of sound

   • the sampling theorem
   • quantization
   • aliasing/foldover

   What is sound/noise/music?

   ---

2. Digital audio/Simple composition (2 weeks)

   Tape techniques/musique concrete

   • tape loops
   • cutting and splicing (pasting w/crossfade)
   • speed change
   • direction change
   • tape delay

   Effects processing

   • reverb
   • dynamic compression/expansion
   • filtering/equalization
   • time compression/expansion
   • pitch shifting

   An introduction to musical form

   • Repetition and contrast
   • Two part structure
   • Sonata form
   • Song form (rounded binary)

   ---

3. Sound analysis/synthesis (3 1/2 weeks)

   Signal analysis/synthesis

   • Fourier analysis
   • Additive synthesis
   • M-Q analysis/resynthesis

   Instrument design

   • dynamic spectra
   • effect driven modelling
   • cause driven modelling

   Musical form (continued)

   • Structural strategies
   • Development
   • Applications of temporal proportion

   ---

4. Software synthesis with Csound (3 weeks)

   Csound syntax and control structures

   • the orchestra file
   • the score file
   • unit generators
   • oscillators
   • envelopes

   The Boulanger Csound Tutorials

   Synthesis techniques

   • Additive/subtractive
   • Amplitude modulation/ring modulation
   • Frequency modulation

   The Csound Anthology

   • Risset's Catalog of Computer Synthesized Sounds
   • Chowning FM and timbral morphing

   ---

5. Electro-acoustic music composition (3 1/2 weeks)

   Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)

   • the digital piano roll
   • sequencers
   • notation packages
   • the MIDI file

   Algorithmic composition

   • data to musical parameters

   Data sonification

   • data as sonic events
   • data as signals

   Various Composers

   • Harvey, Nancarrow, Dodge, Tenny, Hiller, Xenakis, etc...

   Review

Grading

10% Project I, 5% Project II, 5% Csound assignments, 15% Final Project

20% Mid-Term

25% Final

10% listening tests (2 @ 5% each)

10% Miscellaenous (homework, quizzes, class participation)