Dr. Christopher Frye

MUSIC 263
INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC TECHNOLOGY
COURSE OUTLINE

1. Standards
   1. MENC national standards in the arts
   2. TI:ME standards and strategies for Music Education and other resources:
   • "Experiencing Music Technology" D. Williams and P. Webster, Thompson/Schirmer
   • "Teaching Music with Technology" T. Rudolph, GIA
   • "Sound Reinforcement Handbook" Davis and Jones, Yamaha
2. History (part 1)
   1. . Early experiments with electronic sounds
      • Edison Phonograph(1880)
      • Cahill Telharmonium (1906)
      • Theramin (1920)
      • Trautonium (1930)
   2. Electronic organs, etc.
      • Hammond (1935)
      • Ondes Martenot (1928)
   3. Musique Concrete and tape techniques (1950s)
      • Experiments with optical sound tracks for film
      • Pierre Scheaffer/Pierre Henry-Paris
      • Otto Luening, and Vladimir Ussachevsky/Milton Babbit and Roger Sessions-Columbia-Princeton
   4. Vacuum tube technology and the development of transistor technology (1960s)
3. Physical properties of sound
   1. Sound wave
      • Sine, sawtooth, triangle and square waves
      • Frequency
      • Amplitude
      • Timbre/Overtones
4. Basic audio production
   1. Amplifiers, preamplifiers, mixers, and speakers
   2. Phonographs (huh, what?)
   3. CD Players
   4. Recorders
      • Analog (Reel to reel and Cassette)
      • DAT recorders
      • CD recorders
      • Portable "Flash RAM" recorders
      • HD recorders
      • Multitrack Digital Recorders
   5. Microphones
      • Impedance
      • Applications
      • Microphone types
   6. Cables and connectors
   7. Effects (reverb, delay, chorus, etc)
5. History (part 2)
   1. The beginning of synthesizers
      • RCA Electronic synthesizer
      • Commercial synthesizers (1960s)
      • Technology explosion and the invention of the microchip (1970s)
   2. Modular Analog synthesizers
      • Moog
      • Oberheim
      • Buchla
      • Arp
   3. Digital technology and synthesizers (1980s)
      • Polyphonic Keyboards
      • Programmable Synths
      • FM synthesis, Wave Table and other types of digital synthesis
   4. Computers and synthesizers
      • MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) 1983
      • Computer software development
      • The Tapeless recording studio/Workstations
        • New England Digital Synclavier
        • Fairlight Computer Instrument
6. Digital vs. Analog Synthesizers
   1. Analog vs. digital synthesis
   2. Arp 2600-Analog
   3. Yamaha DX 7-Digital
   4. Sampling
      • Emu Emulator (1982) "Oh yeah!!!"
      • Sampling Rate/resolution
      • Looping
7. Synthesis, MIDI and computers
   1. Computer platforms
   2. Design and set up a computer/MIDI station
   3. MIDI/audio interfaces
   4. Software
   5. Keyboards and alternative controllers
   • Yamaha WX7 MIDI wind controller
   • Akai Electronic wind and valve instruments
   • DrumKat MIDI percussion controller
   • Max Mathew's Radio Baton
   • Buchla Lightning
8. MIDI applications
   1. Sequencing and processing
      • Cubase
      • MOTU Digital Performer
      • Using standard MIDI files (smf)
      • Logic
      • Garageband and Band in a Box
      • Max/MSP
   2. Notation
      • Sibelius
      • Finale
      • Novation, etc.
   3. Music Instruction, Drill and accompaniment applications
      • Practica Musica
      • Macgamut
      • Band in a Box
      • Smart Music
      • Alfred Theory series
      • Online Instruction opportunities
9. Multimedia and Online Media
   1. iTunes, iMovie, iPhoto, etc.
   2. Web/Internet topics
      • Internet/Intranet, LANs, etc.
      • HTML, Java, XML
      • sound, graphics, audio formats, etc.
      • Web editors
10. Digital sound recording and processing
    1. ProTools
    2. Reason
    3. Virtual Synths/Instruments
    4. DSP applications
       • Soundhack
       • Mammoth
       • Grain Generator Granulation
       • Metasynth
       • Csound
    
    

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