Course Information
Class: Mon+Wed 10:30-12:20pm
Labs/Office Hours: Mon 3:40-5:30pm + Thu 2:00-3:50pm, CCRMA Max Lab
Location: CCRMA Classroom (the Knoll)
Required Textbook: Ge Wang. Artful Design: Technology in Search of the
Sublime. Stanford University Press, 2018. (Available in the Stanford Bookstore)
Prerequisite: prior programming experience
Course Summary
This lab and project-based course explores how we can physically interact with real-time electronic sound. Students learn to use and design sensors, circuits, embedded computers, communication protocols and sound synthesis. Advanced topics include real-time media, 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
Assignments
There will be assignments every week until week 5 after which students will be able to focus on final projects. Assignments are due the following week on Wednesday before class. Late days are not allowed.
Grading
- Assignments: 50%
- Final project: 50%
Schedule
Week 1
Jan. 6: Intro + Overview of the Field of New Interfaces for Musical Expression
Resources
Jan. 8: Sound Synthesis Basics in Faust
Resources
- Lecture 2 starter codes
- Faust Website
- Faust Web IDE
- Faust Quick Start
- Faust Manual
- Faust Libraries Documentation
- Faust Tutorials
- Faust Examples
- Faust Kadenze Course
Lab/Assignment: Faust Basics and Digital Musical Instrument + read chapter 1 of Artful Design -- Technology in Search of the Sublime
Week 2
Jan. 13: Introduction to Embedded Audio Processing, and Embedded Systems for Music + More Faust
Resources
Jan. 15: Lab Kits and Embedded Audio DSP With Faust on the Teensy
Jan. 18: Faust Fest @ CCRMA
Lab/Assignment: Embedded Audio DSP with Faust and the Teensy + read chapter 5 of Artful Design -- Technology in Search of the Sublime
Week 3
Jan. 20: Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
Jan. 22: Sensors, Electronics Basics, Microcontrollers and Hybrid Instruments
Resources
Lab/Assignment: Sensors and Physical Interface Design
Week 4
Jan. 27: Guest lecture by Roger Linn
Jan. 29: Guest lecture by Ge Wang
Lab/Assignment: "Hybrid" Instruments
Week 5
Feb. 3: Introduction to SolidWorks I + more Faust/audio processing (parallel sessions)
Feb. 5: Introduction to SolidWorks II + more Faust/audio processing (parallel sessions)
Feb. 8: Workshop: Running DSP algorithms on hardware using Faust and Elk Audio OS
Lab/Assignment: Prototyping in SolidWorks
Week 6
Feb. 10: Final Projects Brainstorm
Feb. 12: Digital Fabrication + Advanced Sound Synthesis
Lab/Assignment: Digital Fabrication
Week 7
Feb. 17: Presidents' Day
Feb. 19: Critical Feedback Session on Final Projects + Lab 6 Milestone Due + Final Project Milestone I Due
Feb. 21: Lab 6 Due
Week 8
Feb. 24: From Breadboards to Perforated Circuit Boards: Finalizing Your Circuitry + Synthesizing Sound on the Teensy + Haptic Feedback and NIME
Feb. 26: Critical Feedback Session on Final Projects + Final Project Milestone II Due
Week 9:
Mar. 2: Critical Feedback Session with Roger Linn and Ge Wang
Mar. 4: Critical Feedback Session + Final Project Milestone III Due
Week 10
Mar. 9: Last Class -- Final Checks on Final Projects
Mar. 11: Final presentations on the CCRMA stage (evening)
Support/Resources
- Canvas: https://canvas.stanford.edu
- Stanford Product Realization Lab (PRL)
- Faust Website: https://faust.grame.fr
- Faust Kadenze Course: https://www.kadenze.com/courses/real-time-audio-signal-processing-in-faust/info
- Teensy Website: https://www.pjrc.com/teensy
- faust2teensy tutorial: https://faust.grame.fr/doc/tutorials/index.html#dsp-on-the-teensy-with-faust