This course is offered only in the Spring semester. This is the Spring
2008 syllabus.
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 11:00-11:50
1.02.06 ARTS
Instructor: Dr. David Heuser
Office: 3.02.20
Office Phone: 458-5321
email: david.heuser@utsa.edu
Office hours: Monday 1-2pm; Tuesday 2-3pm; Wednesday 3-4pm, Thursday 2:30-3:30pm or by appointment
Course Web Page: http://music.utsa.edu/electron/MUS3123.htm
Required Materials:
Recommended Textbooks (all on reserve) – There will be required readings from most of these books.
Course Description:
Introduction to Synthesizers and Music is designed, on a practical
level, to cover the equipment
in the UTSA Electronic Studio.
The course will also cover some of the technical/theoretical
aspects of electronic music so that students can adapt lessons learned here to
other studios, different situations and the equipment of the future .Technical
knowledge covered will include acoustics, synthesis, digital audio,
Goals of the Course:
After successfully completing this course, the student should:
Grading and course policies:
Your grade will be determined by the following:
* up to three unannounced listening quizzes may be given on listening days (Fridays). For each failure on a quiz, your listening exam grade will be reduced by 10% (i.e. each quiz will remove 2% of the 20% the listening exams are worth).
Course Policies:
Attendance and punctuality are essential to this course. You cannot learn how to use the equipment in the studio without being in class, and hands on practice beyond class time (i.e. homework) will be impossible without the information covered in class. In addition, because we have no textbook, class notes will be essential to pass the exams. If a student is absent more than 8 times for any reason during the semester, I may, at my discretion, assign a final grade of F for the course. Two tardies will equal one absence; being late by more than 15 minutes will count as an absence.
Due to my inability to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate excuses, I choose not to deal with excuses for ordinary absences. Absences are expected to be legitimate (why would you not come to class if you were able?). The only exception to this policy would be a case of prolonged forced absence, such as would be caused by a serious injury requiring hospitalization, or the like. In these cases, documentation is required (of course); otherwise, I do not wish to be shown doctor's notes, letters from funeral directors or mechanic's bills.
Make-up
Work: Students are expected to make up all work missed. If you are absent, it is your
responsibility to get the notes from a classmate. Do not make my office your first stop
when you are trying to find out what you missed in class. I am willing to
meet with you and discuss the course material only after you have taken
appropriate steps to get caught up on your own. Although I do my best to be as
available as possible to assist students in the studio when they have technical
problems, I will not be as quick to aid students whose problems were covered in
classes they missed. Generally extra handouts are placed to the left of
blackboard so that you may retrieve them on your own. It is the student's
responsibility to find out what handouts, assignments, and announcements were
made for class time they missed.
Make up exams for scheduled exams will be allowed only if notice is given prior to the scheduled time.
Studio meetings: Twice during the semester I will schedule time to meet with you so that you can show me what you have learned. You will be graded on these meetings. I am available at other times to meet you in the studio to help you and answer your questions; please see me to arrange any meetings. (See above on make-up work, however.)
Class Deportment: Students are expected to assist in maintaining a classroom environment that is conducive to learning. To assure all students have the opportunity to gain from time spent in class, students are prohibited from engaging in any form of distraction. Inappropriate behavior in the classroom shall result, minimally, in a request to leave the class. Examples of inappropriate behavior include the use of cellular phones or beepers, eating in the classroom, prolonged chattering, excessive tardiness, sleeping, and overt inattentiveness.
Cheating: Cheating in any
form will not be tolerated. All
infractions will be reported to Student Judicial Affairs and prosecuted to the
maximum extent allowed by the university. Except for group projects, any work
you hand in is expected to be your work and your work only; claiming someone
else’s work as your own is cheating.
Communication: If you need to contact me, there are a number of ways to do it. I am usually in my office, and will often be available to see students outside of posted office hours. If my door is closed, please check the schedule next to my door before knocking to make sure you are not interrupting a lesson or lunch. You can also reach me via my office phone and email, which are listed above and on the web (http://music.utsa.edu/Faculty/heuser/index.html). Emails should be courteous and formal, with proper spelling, capitalization, etc., and with a subject line that clearly states the purpose of the message. Ambiguous subject lines may result in an email being deleted as suspected spam. All Music Department faculty also have mailboxes located in the music office (3.01.58). If you would like to put something in my mailbox, give it to the office staff and ask them to place it there. If you have a concern, problem, question, issue or whatever, the best thing you can do is talk to me about it. Stay in touch!
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Week 1, January 14, 16, 18 |
Introduction. What is electronic music? Historical overview. Acoustics, Psychoacoustics Reading for 1/18: On history: http://music.utsa.edu/comp/history.htm |
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January 21 – no class |
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day |
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Week 2, January 23, 25 |
Acoustics, Psychoacoustics continued |
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Interesting Sound
homework due Wednesday, 1/23 Reading for 1/23: Levitin This is Your Brain on Music pp. 67-69 Dodge/Jerse Computer Music pp. 25-38, 42-44, 46-59 Additional resource on acoustics: http://www.indiana.edu/%7eemusic/etext/acoustics/chapter1_intro.shtml |
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Week 3, January 28, 30, February 1 |
Getting Around the Studio: Mixing Board and Routing |
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Homework: Acoustics due Monday 1/28
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Week 4, February 4, 6, 8 |
Digital Audio, ProTools |
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Group Project 1 due
Monday, 2/4 Reading for 2/4: Dodge/Jerse
Computer music: Chapter 3 (pp.
62-71); http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eemusic/etext/digital_audio/chapter5_sample.shtml http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eemusic/etext/digital_audio/chapter5_nyquist.shtml http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eemusic/etext/digital_audio/chapter5_rate.shtml http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eemusic/etext/digital_audio/chapter5_rate2.shtml http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eemusic/etext/digital_audio/chapter5_quantize.shtml http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eemusic/etext/digital_audio/chapter5_quantize2.shtml Reading for 2/8: http://music.utsa.edu/comp/GettingStartedwithProTools.htm http://music.utsa.edu/comp/ProToolsQuickPrimer.htm Additional resource on digital audio: Additional modules at |
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Week 5, February 11, 13, 15 |
Digital Audio continued, ProTools, Composition part 1 |
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Homework: Digital Audio due Wednesday 2/13 Individual Project 1 due Friday 2/15 |
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Week 6, February 18, 20, 22 |
Quiz 1, Monday, February 18: Acoustics and Digital
Audio |
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Listening due Wednesday this week! No class on Friday 2/22 |
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Week 7, February 25, 27, 29 |
Individual Meetings: Wednesday and Friday |
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On Monday & Wednesday we will not met as a class. Rather, everyone will have a 10 minute meeting with me to demonstrate their ability to use the studio (mixing board, routing, Pro Tools), and to discuss their Projects Individual Project 2 due Monday 2/25 Friday: regular class |
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Week 8, March 3, 5, 7 |
Listening Exam No. 1, Monday, March 5, 2007 |
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Composition part 2, Catch-up |
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Week 9, March 10, 12, 14 |
SMPTE, Video scoring |
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Individual Project 3 due Monday 3/10 |
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Spring Break - March 17-21 |
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Week 10, March 24, 26, 28 |
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Note: March 25 is the last day for most students to drop a class. |
Homework: Video Scoring due Friday 3/28 Homework: MIDI due Friday 3/28 Reading for 3/24: Williams/Webster Experiencing Music Technology pp. 216-228 Additional resource on http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eemusic/etext/MIDI/chapter3_MIDI.shtml
(note there are 14 pages to this chapter; navigation is at the bottom of the
page) http://music.utsa.edu/comp/DPflotsam&jetsam.htm |
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Week 11, March 31, April 2, 4 |
Synthesis; K2000 Synthesizer |
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Individual Project 4 due Friday 4/4 Additional resource on filters: http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eemusic/etext/synthesis/chapter4_filters.shtml (2 pages); Additional resource on waveforms: http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eemusic/etext/synthesis/chapter4_waveforms.shtml (2 pages) Reading for 4/2: On K2000: http://music.utsa.edu/comp/k2disc.htm http://music.utsa.edu/comp/k2editor.htm Reading for the listening: Chadabe Electric Sound p. 77 (2nd half of page on Reich’s It’s Gonna Rain, which is similar to Come Out) |
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Week 12, April 7, 9, 11 |
K2000 continued; Controllers |
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It is suggested you begin work on Final Projects no later than this week. Homework: Synthesis due Wednesday 4/9 Homework: Controllers due Friday 4/11 Reading for 4/7: On K2000: http://music.utsa.edu/comp/controll.htm |
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Week 13, April 14, 16, 18 |
Other software: Reason, Max-MSP Quiz 2, Wednesday April 16: |
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Williams/Webster Experiencing
Music Technology pp. 308-309 |
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Week 14, April 21, 23, 25 |
Individual Meetings |
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On Monday & Wednesday we will not met as a class.
Rather, everyone will have a 10 minute meeting with me to demonstrate their ability
to use the studio (mixing board, routing, Pro Tools), and to discuss their
Final Projects. You MUST begin work
(i.e. have some audio) on your final project by your meeting time this week. Friday: regular class |
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Week 15, April 28, 30 |
Review, Work on Final Projects |
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Final Projects Due Wednesday, April 28 at class time |
Final: Monday, May 5, 1:30-4:15
pm - Listening Exam No. 2 and Final Projects to be performed
Copyright © 1998,
Revised - January 2008
Email any problems, questions or requests about this page to david.heuser@utsa.edu
URL: http://music.utsa.edu/electron/MUS3123.htm