Topic outline

  • Schedule

    Tue 25/10/2022   9:00 – 12:00 – Introduction

    New Interfaces for Musical Expression 

    Open discussion - In what ways computation changes the nature of DMI  -      on the Reading material  - Digital Musical Instruments as Probes: How computation changes the mode-of-being of musical instruments

    • Working with Pure Data
    • Objects, messages, boxes
    • Audio basics (osc~, phasor~, noise~, basic synthesisers - additive subtractive filters envelope AM/FM synth)
    • Exercise Assignment - Beating additive_synth

    Wed 26/10/2022   9:00 – 12:00 – Control and digital audio processing
    • Control objects ( spigot, moses, select, pack/unpack, expressions…)
    • Audio processing (sampling arrays, tabplay~, tabread~, tabwrite~)
    • Exercise Assignment - sampling

    Thr 27/10/2022   9:00 – 12:00 – Digital audio synthesis
    • Computational techniques 
    • Composition methods (Max Mathews, modeling synthesis of musical sounds, compositions)
    • Digital drum set
    • Exercise Assignment - 22- floats - drum - sequencer

    Fri 28/10/2022   9:00 – 12:00 – Polyphonic sampler
    • Sub-process with py~ object
    • Exercise Assignment - complex sampling

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    Tue 01/11/2022   9:00 – 12:00 – Introduction to Physical Interaction Design

    Experiences with instruments? What makes the instrument you play a good instrument? Is there something you are missing?

    Human Computer Interaction applied to musical projects
    Examples, introducing Bela

    Brass instrument

    Percussion instrument

    Lightsaber with Bela


    What tools do we have available?
    Microcontrollers and embedded computers
    Sensors and actuators

    https://learn.bela.io/pin-diagram/

    • Getting started with Bela 

    • Bela 101
    • 
Building our first project and making our first sound
    • 
Familiarising ourselves with the hardware and pin labelling
    • 
Digital output 
LEDs

    • Working with Pure Data and Bela

    • Pure Data recap

    • Patterns of flashing


    • Digital input 
    • Button
    • Receiving feedback: printing
    • Debouncing
    • Simple drum machine
    • Analog input 
    • Potentiometer
    • Handles and buttons, discrete and continuous control
    • Treating analog sensors as audio rate signals
    • Receiving feedback: printing, scope


    • Exercise Assignment -

      Make your own simple audio thing with Bela. Requirements: 1 source of control and audio output.



    Wed 02/11/2022   9:00 – 12:00 – Ergonomics, Sensors and Performativity

    Objectively measuring the quality of a musical instrument? Controllability, variability, intuitivity, ergonomics and performativity.

    Ergonomics and performativity: Jack White's ideas on organizing instruments on a stage.

    Are you making an instrument for various genres, musicians and performances or for a specific use or situation. 

    The challenge of creating an instrument that allows for and benefits from the continuing improvement in the skill of the player.

    Examples:

    Author & Punisher

    Wan-Ting Hsieh


    Variable resistance sensors: 

    • Pressure and light sensors
    • Map and constrain
    • Filtering sensors
    • Using the differential of sensor signal to change its behaviour
    • Controlling physical models
    • Controlling an FM synth with a pot, FSR and button: 
    • Creating abstractions on Bela
    • Scope and look at waveform and FFT of sidebands

    Analog output

    • Fading LEDs in time with an LFO
    • RGB LEDs

    Audio input

    • Connecting Microphones
    • Controlling a Delay effect
    • Using audio as a control signal
    • Feature extraction from audio input


    • Exercise Assignment - Use a microphone (or piezo) to control something in Bela with the input pitch or amplitude.

    Thr 03/11/2022   9:00 – 12:00 – Aesthetics

    Aesthetics? Does an instrument need to look pretty?  Some strange examples. AI-generated images of experimental instruments etc.

    Audio input: piezo discs and karplus strong synthesis
    Building a virtual guitar

    Audio input: microphone capsules and sampling
    Building a sampler


    Capacitive sensing with Bela

    • Conductive materials
    • Reading from capacitive breakout board in Bela

    Introduction to velostat pressure sensors

    • Sensor manufacture
    • Signal treatment
    • Exercise Assignment -  Use a microphone to excite a Karplus Strong string. Be careful with feedback.


    Fri 04/11/2022   9:00 – 12:00 –  FM-Synthesis - Simple PD FX

    Intro: PD and me - Simple FM synth and sequencer

    Different operator structures and FM algorithms

    More complex and strange possibilities of FM - My frequencies are getting out of control - Pure Data sound design workflow


    Example: Autechre - Simmm

    Visible Cloaks - Skyscraper

    • Simple one modulator, one carrier FM.
    • Multiple modulators, one carrier FM.
    • Difference between two modulators modulating one carrier and one modulator modulating the other modulator.

    - A quick look at different ways FM modulators and carriers have been organized in famous synthesizers. (DX-7 front panel etc.)

    • Non-traditional FM - Creating complex harmonic structures for cymbal sound synthesis by doing square wave FM.
    • Basic FX in Pure Data - Using filters to create EQ's, stacked filters for steeper filter curves, using tanh~ and clip~ for saturation.


    • Exercise Assignment -  Make your own 3 operator FM synthesizer patch. 


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    Tue 08/11/2022   9:00 – 12:00 –   Granular Sampling & Synthesis - FFT

    Backup often

    Granular sound file player, granular sampler and more complicated granular FX.

    ~Liv - Arcilla Armorada
    https://www.abstraktreflections.net/releases/liv-linaer-phenoma/

    Example: Lapalux - Gutter Glitter

    Nicolas Collins - Devil's Music B

    https://www.nicolascollins.com/texts/devilsmusichistory.pdf

    On "Devil's Music"

    "I have long assumed the radio to be the world’s cheapest, yet most powerful synthesizer: you can find any sound out there; the only question is, can you find the sound you want when you want it?"

    An idea heard on a lecture by Nicolas Collins (paraphrased)
    "There are great programmers, great musicians and great composers, but sometimes you just get lucky. And it is important to notice when you got lucky and take advantage of that."

    - When a Pure Data patch starts doing something interesting, save it so you can come back to it later. Otherwise that lucky accident might be lost forever.

     

    • Granulating a sound file. 
    • Granulating live input

    • Adding complexity to granular sampling, mapping movement and controls


    •  Exercise Assignment - Create a controllable granular patch with your own sample sound and settings.


    Wed 09/11/2022   9:00 – 12:00 –   Physical modelling - Reverb
    Space and strings

    Pure Data: Back to Karplus Strong and beyond. String synthesis, waveguides and resonance.

    FFT and convolution basics

    Example: Amon Tobin - Mass & Spring

    A lot of early subtractive synthesizers were created for the function of replacing expensive orchestral instruments and by extension, the whole orchestra.

    Ideas related to physical modelling are present early synthesizers and drum machines (TR-808, TR-909 examples on SOS https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/practical-snare-drum-synthesis ), but most commonly physical modelling synthesis refers to Karplus Strong related techniques.

    • Back to Karplus-Strong and beyond.
    • A step further - What is a waveguide?
    • Has anyone ever shouted into a piano?
    • Delay lines become space.
    • FFT - Convolution


    • Exercise Assignment -  Make a reverb. Find a unique set of tunings that sound interesting, try to find an interesting way to organize your waveguide feedback.


    Thr 10/11/2022   9:00 – 12:00 –   Sequencers

    Random or chaotic

    Simple 16-step sequencer, Markov chains and generative algorithms.

    Rie Nakajima: Live performance at Ikon Gallery

    Chaotic pendulum example
    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fK1VmX9mzRw

    While completely analogue, Nakajima's work shows a very interesting perspective on sequencing sound. Mechanical, deterministic, chaotic processes unfolding and sometimes even ultimately breaking down in physical space.

    • Classic 16-step sequencer.

    • Simple Markov Chains
    • Random or chaotic? Deterministic complexity.



    Fri 11/11/2022   9:30 – 16:00 –   Field Trip

    http://dmi.aalto.fi/symposium22/

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    Tue 15/11/2022 9:00 – 12:00 – Project Work / Tutoring
    • Tutoring and project work

    Wed 16/11/2022 9:00 – 12:00 – Project Work / Tutoring
    • Tutoring and project work

    Thr 17/11/2022 9:00 – 12:00 – Project Work / Tutoring
    • Tutoring and project work
    Fri 18/11/2022 9:00 – 12:00 – Project Work / Tutoring
    • Tutoring and project work
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    Tue 22/11/2022 9:00 – 12:00 – Project Work / Tutoring
    • Tutoring and project work

    Wed 23/11/2022 9:00 – 12:00 – Project Work / Tutoring
    • Tutoring and project work

    Thr 24/11/2022 9:00 – 12:00 – Project Work / Tutoring
    • Tutoring and project work
    Fri 25/11/2022 9:00 – 12:00 – Project Work / Tutoring
    • Tutoring and project work
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    Tue 29/11/2022 9:00 – 12:00 – Project Work / Tutoring
    • Tutoring and project work

    Wed 30/11/2022 9:00 – 12:00 – Project Work / Tutoring
    • Tutoring and project work

    Thr 01/12/2022 9:00 – 12:00 – Project Work / Tutoring
    • Tutoring and project work
    Fri 02/12/2022 9:00 – 12:00 – Project Work  Presentations
    • Project presentations




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Materials