Students take 3 modules of 10 credits each, consisting of combinations of 1 compulsory subject and 8 optional subjects, as follows:
Psychoacoustics 2 is a compulsory subject and students choose the remaining 8 subjects from a list of 10 optional subjects. All optional courses must have a minimum of 5 students to continue. Courses will be discontinued if this requirement is not met.
*This subject is compulsory for students taking Composition and/or Composition using MIDI. It is also a pre-requisite for those wishing to take Composition for Mixed Media in the Masters Year. However, students who demonstrate proficiency in this subject may be exempt.
This subject explores topics relating to the physics, physiology and psychology involved in the perception of sound and music. Topics addressed include vibration, sound waves, resonance, spectral analysis, loudness, pitch, timbre, tuning systems, ear response, spatial hearing, room acoustics and scene analysis.
CSound and Synthesis seeks to introduce various mathematical techniques which facilitate insight into the operations involved in digital representation of audio signals and in the digital synthesis of 'musically interesting' tones, combined with an introduction to computer music specification.
CSound was developed specifically to facilitate control of audio and music signals on standard PCs, and features pre-defined functions useful for synthesis and signal processing. The Csound course thus introduces both the background concepts, and the coding techniques requires for effective computer sound sythesis, and computer music.
This course builds upon the Introduction with MIDI course by expanding on the compositional and aesthetic aspects of MIDI audio technology. Examples of both historical and contemporary trends in electroacoustic music are investigated and students are required to delve further into the artistic potential of this field through compositions of their own. Students are also introduced to music notation software.
This course is designed to be a practical module dealing with aspects of sound equipment operation. This module assumes no previous sound engineering experience. It is aimed at working composers and musicians who wish to use studio equipment to realize their own productions. The course content includes console and multi-track operation and also deals with fx processing, micing techniques, mixing, monitoring and mastering.
Topics covered include: Recording equipment; Control Room Signal Flow; Analog & Digital Recording Consoles; Digital Multitrack Recorders; Monitors & Amplifiers; Computer-based Audio Production Systems; Software-based Signal Processing; Automation and Synchronization. Stud Techniques & Music Production topics covered include: recording and production of instruments and vocals; mix engineering and analysis of mixes.
This course aims to improve aural skills, musicianship and theoretical knowledge through practical music exercises. Conducted in the solfège tradition, the areas of rhythm, melody, harmony, form, textures, and stylistic knowledge are developed through skills such as inner hearing, memorisation, dictation, simultaneous playing and singing, score-reading, transposition, and reading from C clefs. In the Masters year, this course builds upon the skills developed at Diploma level, improving aural awareness, musicianship and theoretical knowledge through practical music exercises. Particular emphasis is placed upon memorisation, part-singing and stylistic knowledge.
Taught in a very practical, hands-on manner, the main objectives of this course are to introduce students to the Max/MSP environment, provide a solid grounding in its principles, and enable students to build tools of practical use to them in their work. Students should complete the course as comfortable, fluent users of the software.
The main objective of the course is to motivate students to develop their compositional skills using different technological aids such as sequencers, samplers and notation packages, the emphasis being on using the technology to achieve the expression of an artistic idea.
The course will examine principles of traditional orchestration (i.e. up to the beginning of the 20th Century). The first part of the course will concentrate on the specific characteristics of the four choirs of the orchestra (strings, winds, brass, percussion) as well as examining idiomatic approaches to writing for the specific instruments and combinations within the choirs. The remainder of the course will then focus on scoring for combined choirs and full orchestra.
This courses aims to introduce the student to the world of contemporary and electronic/electroacoustic music. Apart from dealing with the historical development of this field it also offers insights into important conceptual issues of 20th century music and compares the various different approaches taken by the most significant composers. It also provides an account of the development of key technologies in electronic music and recording.
This course looks at devising simple software to manipulate sounds, pictures and MIDI for artistic purposes based on their suitability for use in live performance, public installations or offline production. The module combines a grounding in signal processing theory with exercises in programming some basic techniques using the Processing development environment. The module also introduces the Arduino microcontroller kit as a means for providing a physical computing interface to the real world in artistic scenarios.
This course will develop on topics covered in the Music and Image Technologies course with a focus on film making and the processes involved while continuing to explore the relationship of image, music and sound. The course aim is to introduce participants to the 3 production phases: pre-production, production and post-production. Students learn to exploit more advanced features of Adobe Premiere along with After Effects.
Last updated: Dec 09 2009