California State University, Los Angeles
Department of Music

Study Commercial Music in the Heart of the Music Industry

TECHNIQUES OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC
Music 469

Material Covered: This class focuses on composing and arranging with the use of a computer and Midi workstation. Topics will include MIDI basics, synthesizers, computer sequencing, and sampling. The majority of the class will focus on programming music on a Macintosh computer using the Performer sequencing program.

MUS 488 ADVANCED COMPUTER MUSIC:
 

Prerequisite:

MUS 469 (Techniques of Electronic Music), or comparable professional work.

Suggested prerequisite is MUS 486 (Recording Techniques).

Computers

• Mastery of rudimentary computer skills.
• Platforms
• Hardware construction
• Processors, memory and storage
• Data communications protocol
• Operating Systems
• Software installation
• File managemen

• Channelization
• MIDI messages
• SYS EX
• Controller switches and Continuous Controllers
• Remote controls
• Sequencing, editing and virtual mixing
• Advanced use of pan, volume and velocity maps
• Librarian techniques

• Bits and bytes
• Sampling rates, bit resolution, signal noise ratios and memory considerations
• A/D and D/A conversion
• Digital audio cards vs. native processing
• Track and Voice limitations
• Managing takefiles, backup files and Temp files
• Editing digital audio files, regions and playlists
• Importing soundfiles into sequencing programs
• Adjusting tempo, pitch and length
• Digital vs. analog transfer

• Real vs. virtual mixing
• Setting signal levels
• Signal to noise ratios
• Signal processing (effects and dynamic)
• Microphone techniques
• Synchronization, using SMPTE, ADAT Word Clock, MTC and MMC
• Two track, Eight track and virtual track recording
• Recording on DAT, ADAT, and CD

• Macintosh platform (Nubus)
• Digidesign AudioMedia II digital audio sound card
• Mark of the Unicorn MIDI Timepiece II interface/patchbay/sync box (networked)
• Mark of the Unicorn Digital Performer, v2.1 digital audio sequencing software
• Digidesign Sound Designer II, v2.8 digital audio editing software
• Passport Alchemy waveform editing and conversion software
• Data storage: ZIP, JAZ, CD, two hard drives
• Recording: Cassette, DAT, ADAT, CD