Music 250A

This lab and project-based course explores how we can physically interact with real-time electronic sound in the prospect of making musical interfaces and instruments. Students learn to use sensors, circuits, embedded computers, communication protocols, sound processing, and digital fabrication. Advanced topics include real-time media, embedded systems for audio, haptics, sound synthesis using physical model analogs, and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) theory and practice. Course culminates in musical performance with or exhibition of completed design projects.

Topics include:

• Sound synthesis (i.e., waveshape, additive, subtractive, AM, FM, sample-based, granular, physical modeling, etc.)
• Sound processing/audio effects (i.e., modulation, flanging, phasing, chorus, echo, reverb, pitch shift, vocoder, wah/filtering, etc.)
• The Faust programming language
• Microcontrollers programming
• Embedded systems for real-time audio DSP (i.e., bare-metal audio systems for ultra-low latency, etc.)
• Fundamentals of electronics, sensors, and prototyping
• Computer Assisted Design (CAD) and digital fabrication (3D printing and laser cutting)
• Digital lutherie and musical interface design
• Haptics