LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students will explore simple electronic circuits which make up the various components of an analog synthesizer, and combine them in a portable, battery-powered, sound-making instrument. There will be a final presentation on the last day of the workshop where students will present their instruments and teach others how to play them.
Credits: 3
Schedule: 13.12.2021 - 17.12.2021
Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):
Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Ian Holzer, Antti Ikonen
Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):
CEFR level (valid for whole curriculum period):
Language of instruction and studies (applies in this implementation):
Teaching language: English. Languages of study attainment: English
CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD
Content
valid for whole curriculum period:
In this course we will explore simple electronic circuits which make up the various components of an analog synthesizer, including:
- Voltage Controlled Oscillators
- Voltage Controlled Filters
- Generative Sequencers
- Envelope Generators
- Voltage Controlled Amplifiers
- Mixers
- Distortions
- Microphone Inputs
You will have a chance to build some of these various circuits yourself, explore ways of controlling them, and combine them in unique and personalized sound-making instrument that is portable, has its own loudspeaker, and can be powered by 9V batteries.
There will be a final presentation on the last day of the workshop where students will present their instruments and teach others how to play them.
You are required to bring a wooden enclosure of some kind to build you instrument. Please locate this before the course begins! Cigar or wine-bottle boxes work very well if you find one large enough. You can also ask the Aalto Fablab to help you construct one using the laser cutter. The lid of this box should not be more than 5mm thick. The size of your box should be at least 20cm x 15cm x 6cm, and preferably larger if you want more interface controls or a larger speaker.
If you want a larger speaker than the 8-10cm ones I will provide, please salvage one from an old boombox, clock radio, or hi-fi system. The bigger the speaker, the louder and lower in tone it will create. Make sure it fits inside your box, however.
You can see images and videos from previous versions of this workshop here:
http://macumbista.net/?page_id=1187
Assessment Methods and Criteria
valid for whole curriculum period:
During this workshop, students will create an electronic sound instrument over 5 days of 7 hours each. 80% presence required.
Workload
valid for whole curriculum period:
During this workshop, students will create an electronic sound instrument over 5 days of 7 hours each.
DETAILS
Study Material
valid for whole curriculum period:
RECOMMENDED TEXTS
Most of these are available from the Media Lab library, and will be reserved for our use during the course.
Collins, Nicolas: Handmade Electronic Music: The Art of Hardware Hacking (Second Edition). Routeledge, 2009.
Mims, Forrest M. III: Engineer s Mini Notebook Vol I: Timer, OpAmp & Optoelectronic Circuits & Projects. Master Publishing, 2004.
Mims, Forrest M. III: Engineer s Mini Notebook Vol III: Electronic
Sensor Circuits & Projects. Master Publishing, 2004.
Mims, Forrest M. III: Engineer s Mini Notebook Vol IV: Electronic Formulas, Symbols & Circuits. Master Publishing, 2004.
Williams, Elliot. Logic Noise. https://hackaday.com/tag/logic-noise/
Wilson, Ray. Make: Analog Synthesizers. Maker Media, Inc, 2013.
Substitutes for Courses
valid for whole curriculum period:
Prerequisites
valid for whole curriculum period:
FURTHER INFORMATION
Further Information
valid for whole curriculum period:
Teaching Period:
2020-2021 Autumn II
2021-2022 Autumn II
Course Homepage: https://mycourses.aalto.fi/course/search.php?search=DOM-E5071
Registration for Courses: Sisu replaces Oodi on 9 August, 2021. Priority order to courses is according to the order of priority decided by the Academic committee for School of Arts, Design and Architecture: https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/registering-to-courses-and-the-order-of-priority-in-aalto-arts
max 12
In Weboodi, at the latest one week before the course starts.
The order of priority for admitting students to courses at Aalto ARTS 1.1.2018 onwards (approved by The Committee of Arts, Design and Architecture on 10.10.2017)
The order of priority is as follows:
- students for whom the course is compulsory for their major/programme and who have scheduled it for the current academic year in their personal study plan (HOPS);
- exchange students for whom the course is a part of his/her officially approved learning agreement and scheduled to be taken during the current semester;
- students for whom the course is compulsory for their major/programme and who have not completed it yet;
- students, for whom the course is part of his/her major s or programme s alternative studies and has been scheduled in the student's PSP (HOPS) for the current academic year
- students, for whom the course is part of his/her major s or programme s alternative studies and who have not completed the requisite number of credits for alternative studies yet;
- students for whom the course is compulsory for their minor;
- students, for whom the course is part of his/her minor subject s alternative studies and who have not completed the requisite number of credits for alternative studies yet;
- students who have applied for the course through a student mobility scheme (internal mobility within Aalto University, flexible study right (JOO) studies etc.);
- other students.
Courses that are intended to be multidisciplinary (e.g. UWAS courses) may apply an order of priority based on the learning outcomes of the course, while bearing in mind the university obligation of enabling students to complete their degrees within the normative duration of study set for the degree. The order of priority does not apply to courses organised by the Centre for General Studies or doctoral courses.
This decision on the order of priority does not influence the right of the teacher to define prerequisites for the course.