Spark Festival of Electronic Music and Art

The 2006 Spark Festival of Electronic Music and Art is proudly presented by:

Photo (top) by Michael Berkowski

Digital Music Synthesis and Processing Techniques

Music 5592, Spring 2006

Professor Doug Geers geers001@umn.edu 612-624-4303
Teaching Assistant Seth Mulvihill sethmulvihill@gmail.com
Studio Manager Zachary Crockett crock038@umn.edu 612-423-2046
Office Hours
Doug 126 Ferguson 3:45 - 4:45pm Tuesday
9 - 10am Wednesday
Seth 215 / 259 Ferguson Times TBA
Zac 140 Ferguson By appointment

General Overview

This course will explore techniques for composition and performance of music using digital signal processing and synthesis, with an emphasis on real time implementations. Students will create pieces and/or performances using studio technology, including Max/MSP software and a variety of controllers used independently and in conjunction with traditional instruments. Some time will also be devoted to coordinating video with electronic music using Jitter.

From the beginning we will assume that all students have a solid understanding of the materials covered in the first semester of this class sequence, Music 5591, and we will often call upon students to rely on this knowledge. For the majority of the semester, we will use the Max/MSP/Jitter software environment as our primary platform. Other programs will be discussed briefly as appropriate.

Class Meeting Times

The entire class will meet from 1:25-3:25 on Tuesdays. On Thursdays, we will generally split into two lab sections, each meeting for one hour. However, on several occasions the entire class will meet at the same time on Thursdays (usually for just the first hour, but possibly for both.)

Texts

Composing Interactive Music: Techniques and Technologies Using Max (required)
This book is a relatively easy-to-understand introduction to composition using Max, the program that we will focus on this semester. We will have weekly readings and assignments related to this text, and will "work through it" chapter-by-chapter.
Electronic and Computer Music (required)
This book is a history of electronic and computer music. Last semester we read through and discussed the first half of it, and this semester we will continue to the end.
The Computer Music Tutorial (optional)
This book is a virtual encyclopedia of computer music concepts, and was used extensively last semester. We will read seven additional chapters of it this semester, but those who don't own it already may be able to get by using the copy on reserve in the music library.

ALSO RECOMMENDED (periodicals):

Computer Music Journal, Organized Sound, Leonardo, Electronic Musician Magazine. Additional references and links to texts may be placed on the course website.

Other Necessary Materials

Grading

Max/MSP projects: 10-11 at 10 points each (lowest grade will be dropped if eleven happen) = 100 points
Weekly quizzes: 12 at 5 points each (lowest two will be dropped) = 50 points
Participation and attendance of Spark Festival = 20 points
Spark Festival report = 10 points
Attendance / Report on Polashek concert = 10 points
Attendance / Report on NeXT Ens concert = 10 points
Participation / attendance (general) = 30 points
Final project = 60 points
Participation / performance at final concert = 10 points
TOTAL POINTS = 300

NOTE: There is no final exam in this class.

Weekly Assignments

Most weeks you will be asked to read from our textbooks and complete a small project using Max/MSP/Jitter. Occasionally you may be asked to do other things, such as report on events, and work with other software.

Weekly Quizzes

Nearly every Tuesday class will begin with a quiz. No makeup quizzes will be allowed, but if we have more than ten quizzes during the semester, the highest ten grades will be kept and the others dropped.

Attendance

While attendance is not mandatory, every Tuesday class will begin with a quiz, and you will be held responsible for everything that is discussed in class. If a student misses more than three classes, she or he will be advised to drop the class.

Creative Project

Your largest project for the semester will be to create a work in which the use of Max (and/or MSP, Jitter) is central to the creation and/or performance of the piece. This may be an interactive music or art piece, an installation, or other project approved by Doug. After the projects have been turned in, we will present them in a showcase/concert near the end of the semester (time and location TBA.)

Semester Schedule

Date Week # Topics & Assignments
Jan. 17-19 Week 01 Semester overview, introduction to Max and concepts of computer music composition.
Assignment 01: Read Max4-Getting Started, either the hard copy in 215 Ferguson or the PDF file on the computers in Ferguson 215, pp. 1-6, 11-23, 29-50; Complete Max Tutorials #1-11; Read chapter 2 in Computer Music Tutorial (CMT); Read Ch. 10 in Electronic and Computer Music (ECM); Max project #1
Jan. 24-26 Week 02 Quiz #1; Continued study of Max basics; Computer music pioneers.
Assignment 02: Read chapters 1-2 of Composing Interactive Music (CIM); Read Chapter 11 in ECM; Read Chapters 15 and 17 of CMT; Complete Max Tutorials #12-23; Max project #2
Jan. 31 - Feb. 2 Week 03 Quiz #2; Concepts of interactivity; Basics of MIDI and decision-making in Max; Computer music software, 1958-1980.
Assignment 03: Read Introduction, How Digital Audio Works, and How MSP Works from the MSP manual (hard copy in 215 or PDF on computers.); Complete MSP Tutorials #1-6; Read CIM chapter 3; Read ECM Chapter 12; Read CMT chapter 14; Max project #3
Feb. 7-9 Week 04 Quiz #3; Introduction to MSP; Performance instruments/interfaces; "The Microprocessor Revolution."
Assignment 04: Read chapter 4 of CIM; Read ECM Chapter 13; Read CMT chapter 12; Complete MSP Tutorials #7-12; Max project #4.
Feb. 14-16 Week 05 Quiz #4; Continued study of MSP; Program structure and design; Historical development of digital audio; Discussion and plans for Spark Festival.
Assignment 05: Read chapter 5 of CIM; Read ECM Chapter 14; Complete Max Tutorials #24-33. Max project #5
Feb. 21-23 Week 06 Spark Festival, Feb. 16-21. More MSP.
Assignment 06: Participate in management of Spark festival as assigned and attend at least four Spark papers and three Spark concerts; Choose one or more Spark events and write a 3-4 page review, due Feb. 28
Feb. 28 - Mar. 2 Week 07 Quiz #5; Post-Spark discussion; Pitch detection in MSP; Interface design in Max; MIDI details; Parameters of Creative project distributed and discussed.
Assignment 07: Read chapter 6 of CIM; Read ECM Chapter 15; Complete MSP Tutorials #13-20; Max project #6
Mar. 7-9 Week 08 Quiz #6; Using Max to analyze and react to musical features More MSP.
Assignment 08: Read chapter 7 of CIM; Read CMT chapter 18-19; Complete MSP Tutorials #21-26; Max project #7
Mar. 13-17 SPRING BREAK
Mar. 21-23 Week 09 Quiz #7; Algorithmic composition & computer "creativity"; Submission of plans for creative projects; Guest lecture by Matthew Polashek; Polashek concert, Thurs., March 23, 7:30pm Ultan Hall—attendance required.
Assignment 09: Write 3-5 page report on Polashek concert; Complete Max Tutorials 34-39; Read ECM chapters 16-19; Max project #8
Mar. 28-30 Week 10 Quiz #8; More MSP; Historical development of digital music.
Assignment 10: Read chapters 8-10 of CIM; Complete Max Tutorials #40-45; Max project #9
Apr. 4-6 Week 11 Quiz #9; Sound Design, Interactive system design; Further study of Max.
Assignment 11: Read ECM chapters 20-22; Read Jitter Manual pp. x-12
Apr. 11-13 Week 12 Quiz #10; Discussion of final projects-in-progress; Introduction to Jitter.
Assignment 12: Finish creative projects. Attend NeXT Ens concert Saturday, April 21 in Ultan Recital Hall, 7:30pm. Write 3-5 page report on the concert
Apr. 18-19 Week 13 Creative projects due. Critique and discussion part one.
Assignment 13: Complete MSP Tutorials #27-31; Complete Jitter Tutorials #1-15; Max project #10. Attend NeXT Ens lecture and concert on Saturday, April 22 in Ultan Hall (details TBA) and write a 3-5 page report on the event.
Apr. 25-27 Week 14 Quiz #11; Continued study of Jitter. Creative projects critique and discussion, part two.
Assignment 14: Complete Jitter Tutorials #16-30. Max project #11
May 2-4 Week 15 Quiz #12; More Jitter; Preparation for class showcase/concert.
Assignment 15: Prepare for class showcase/concert
May 10-12 Week 16 Class showcase/concert. This will happen 8-10am on Wednesday, May 11 (official class exam time) or another date and time agreed upon by the class

Studios

Students in this class will be allowed to work in both 215 Ferguson and 259 Ferguson. (Note that currently Max/MSP is only installed on two computers in room room 259.) Each room has its own access policy:

  1. You can get access to the main studio (Ferguson 215) by going to the key window at room 100 Ferguson. You exchange your student I.D. for the key, and your I.D. is returned when you return the key. This window is open daily.
  2. 259 Ferguson is a large room with many computers, only some of which will be outfitted with the software we use in class. This room is manned by student monitors and is only open during the hours when monitors are present. This semester's studio hours will soon be posted on the wall outside room 259. Stay tuned for further info on this.

Studio Policies:

  1. No food or drink in the labs.
  2. Lab usage will be first-come, first-serve via schedule at the Studio Reservations website. If this becomes a problem, we will adopt a policy for distributing time evenly among students. Note that some studio time will be blocked out for office hours, maintenance, and special events.
  3. If you cannot make your studio time, please cancel your reservation online! Studio time wasted this way is one of the greatest crimes one could commit while taking this class.
  4. We will use the class email list e-music@umn.edu to share information.
  5. We want you to enjoy the studio—but remember that you are responsible for the equipment and environment while you are there. You must NORMALIZE the studio and CLEAN UP any trash there before you go. Failure to do this will be counted as improper class participation and can decrement your grade.
  6. Whenever you notice a hardware or software problem in the studio, email it this to Doug, Seth, and Zac immediately.

Advice & Tutoring

Please take the opportunity to get assistance from Seth or Doug during their office hours, either one-on-one or in small groups. This personal attention is often the best way to learn how to do something that you find confusing.

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