DXARTS 460: Digital Sound

Mon/Thur: 9.40-12.20 Raitt 117

Instructor -Nicolás Varchausky varchaus@u.washington.edu
Office hours - please email for an appointment

Syllabus | Schedule & Homework | Reading/Listening List | Student Projects | Resources

SCHEDULE AND HOMEWORK

Weekly readings and listenings are listed below on the schedule. Please come to class prepared to discuss the materials listed on the corresponding day. Additional references will be made in class which you're encouraged to pursue on your own if you choose.

The four major assignments are listed here, and will be elaborated on in class (due dates listed on the schedule below):

FOUR STUDIO PROJECTS FOR THE QUARTER

1) Draw a line of sound. Explore the relations between sounds, similarities and differences, articulation and flow, analogies and contrasts. (30 to 60 seconds)

Methods available: Cut, Paste, Reverse, Amplitude Enveloping. Use a minimum of 10 sounds. Duration: (30-60 seconds)

2) Build a wall of sound. Explore texture, grain, clusters, bandwidth, density, homogeneity and heterogeneity. (30 to 60 seconds)

3) Create a polyphony of 3 voices. (30 to 60 seconds)

4) Final Assignment: Create a conversation of points, lines, curves and walls (3 minutes). A-B-A' form.

Global forms as defined by the combination of local structures. Transitions between structures/movements is a point of focus.

Static/State - constant criteria of selection (ex. timbre constant), fixed density of events. Creating a state, we are "here".

Dynamic/Process - changing criteria of selection, variable density of events. We are being carried to another point.

Static processes are informed through the transitions (dynamic processes).

Elements extracted from the Stockhausen reading:

Processes of aleration
Degree of alteration
Density of alteration
Logic of the flow (expected/unexpected)
Interval of entry / Chronometric density (density shifts over time)
Degree of information
Vertical density
Node of attack

SCHEDULE (subject to change througout the quarter)

WEEK 1- Basic Acoustics / Listening exercises / Editors

Listening: Objets Exposes (P.Schaeffer); Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco (J.Harvey); Alma de las orquestas (P.DiLiscia)

Reading: Chapter 1 & 2 from The Cambridge Companion to Electronic Music + Chapter 2 from Essentials of Music Technology by Mark Ballora

Mon July 27

Note Chart
Basic Acoustics
Frequency - Pitch - Notes

Tue July 28
Audacity Tutorial

Audacity Quick-Guide

Lab:
Click here to download samples.

Exercise 1: order the following 8 sounds by frequency content and mix them one after the other
Exercise 2: order the following 8 sounds by pitch content and mix them one after the other and mix them one after the other
Exercise 3: order the following 8 sounds by note content and mix them one after the other
Exercise 4: Draw each sound once

Wed July 29
Amplitude / Loudness / Dynamics

Listening: Studie 2 (K. Stockhausen), Artikulation (Ligeti)
Score for Artikulation is here, Cvalda (Bjork)

Thurs July 30
Set out Assignment 1
Score the first 40 seconds of Cvalda by Björk
Exercise 4: find 8 sounds and order them by amplitude and mix them one after the other
Exercise 5: now order them by their dynamic envelope and mix them one after the other
Assignment 1: draw a line of sound

WEEK 2- Digital Audio Basics / Multitracks / Timbre

Reading: Chapter 12 from The Cambridge Companion to Electronic Music, Chapter 9 from Essentials of Music Technology by Mark Ballora; 3 Listening modes (M.Chion)

Mon Aug 3
Critique Assignment 1

Tues Aug 4
Spectrum - Timbre - Orchestration

Wed Aug 5
Digital Audio Basics
Ardour Tutorial

Thurs Aug 6
Reading: Ballora, Digital Audio

Set out Assignment 2.
Lab: 1. Design 3 progressions
Assignment 2: use the 3 progressions you designed to create a short piece with 3 layers where each one of them follows one of the progressions.

WEEK 3- Computer Music / Synthesis Techniques / FX / Mics

Reading: Approaches to spatialisation (Malham); Spatial Listening (P.DiLiscia)

Listening: Mikrophonie I (K.Stockhausen); Metastasis (I.Xenakis); UOM (J.Pampin); Ex Voto #3 (N.Varchausky)

Mon Aug 10
Critique Assignment 2

Tues Aug 11
Mics + Recording Techniques
Filters
Ardour Demo -- Download Cheat Sheet

Weds Aug 12
Reverbs
Analysis Op.10 A.Webern
READING: Kirn - Microphones

Thurs Aug 13
Set out Final Assignment
Lab: 1. take one of the progressions from last assignment and create one musical gesture following it (10 seconds max); 2. Use the same progression to design a single sound (5 seconds max)

WEEK 4- Algorithmic Composition / Final

Mon Aug 17
Final Assignment follow up
SC Intro

Tues Aug 18
SC / Listening
Lab / Q&A

Weds Aug 19
SC / Listening
Lab / Q&A

Th Aug 20
Final Critique