Foundations of Music Technology

Chapter Resources

Chapter 1: Properties of Sound

Links
Audio Frequency
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_frequency
Timbre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbre
Spectrogram
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrogram
Auditory Masking
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auditory_masking
Sound Masking
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_masking
Loudness
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness
Decibels
http://www.axiomaudio.com/understandingdb

Car Engine Singing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRXwWbo_mX0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGEqlNU30Tg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aArSn4IhHI

Singing Plates
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYoxOJDrZzw

Polyphonic Overtone Singing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC9Qh709gas

Chapter 2: Audio

Links
Cable types
http://tweakheadz.com/all-about-cables/
Impedance
http://tweakheadz.com/impedance-for-musicians/ http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan03/articles/impedanceworkshop.asp http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/site/214c5c52432bc79b/

Line Level
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_level
TRS Connections
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phone_connector_%28audio%29
Microphone
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphone
Microphone Placement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphone_practice
Phantom Power
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_power
Electric Guitar Pickups
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickup_%28music_technology%29
Sound Systems
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_reinforcement_system

Links to Advanced Topics
Balanced Audio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanced_audio_connector
Nyquist Rate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyquist_rate
Practicality of Larger Sample Rates (192k, etc.)
http://tweakheadz.com/16-bit-vs-24-bit-audio/

Chapter 3: Audio Editing Software

Chapter 4: Synthesis

Links to Media
Listen to the two audio files below representing a voice message created by synthesizing the spectral qualities of the human voice, versus a method of sampling an actual human being saying words, and then piecing those samples together to make a coherent phrase.
Speech Synthesis (additive)
Speech Sampling (concatenative)
The text: Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice message system. 6 2 2 1 6 8 5 4 4 is not available. At the tone, please record your message.

Links to Books
Refining Sound: A Practical Guide to Synthesis and Synthesizers, by Brian K. Shepard
http://www.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780199922963/

Chapter 5: MIDI

Chapter 6: Digital Notation

Links
Finale
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finale_%28software%29
Sibelius
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibelius_%28software%29
Noteflight
www.noteflight.com
MuseScore
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musescore
LilyPond
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LilyPond
Various Notation Software
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_scorewriters

Links to Media
MIDI File

Chapter 7: Sequencing MIDI

Links:
Ableton Live Suite
http://www.ableton.com
Live Chapter Examples: 1 & 2

Remember

Info View provides a brief description of whatever your mouse is hovering over and can be hidden or revealed by pressing the “?” key
The Live Device Browser allows you to see all of the effects, instruments, and utilities available for use within Live’s library
Your Preferences for Live can be adjusted by using the key command ⌘+, (Mac) or ctrl+,(Windows)
Live project files are called sets
The Arrangement and Session views may be toggled using the tab key
Add MIDI or Audio tracks by choosing Create from the top menu
MIDI is a system for representing musical things like pitch, volume, and timbre with numbers
Show/hide Detail View using the arrow at the bottom right of the program screen or by choosing View from the top menu and selecting Detail>Show
Loops and other media files in Live are called clips
Enter the Clip View be double clicking on a clip
Clicking on the circular headphone icon will allow you to preview the MIDI and audio data in Live
The small button labeled Fold located above the headphone Preview button will hide rows that do not contain MIDI clips
To resize the duration of a note, click on the edge of a MIDI bar so that your cursor turns into a bracket, then click and drag while holding the mouse down
Toggle Snap to Grid use the key command ⌘+4 (Mac) or ctrl+4 (Windows)
Press the b key to toggle Draw Mode
The length of the clip and depends upon the position of the Loop Start and Loop End points in the Clip View
The track mixer section contains volume, pan, activator and other elements related to the track
To create a new track, choose Create from the topmost menu and select Insert MIDI or Audio Track
To use your computer keyboard as a MIDI controller, go to Options from the top menu and check Computer MIDI Keyboard
Arm a track for recording by selecting the Arm Arrangement Recording switch in the Mixer section of the track
The Status Bar is shown at the bottom left of the screen
Press the F9 key to begin playback/recording or click the Global Record Button in the transport dock at the top of the screen
Enable the Metronome by clicking the Metronome button at the top right of the screen (shown as two small circles
Quantization can be used to nudge MIDI notes to the nearest bar
The Global Quantization button is located at the right of the Metronome. Additionally, ctrl +clicking (Mac) or right-clicking (Windows) in the Track Display or Clip View will also allow you to adjust the beat grid
Click the TAP button repeatedly at the tempo of your choosing to impose that tempo value on your session or simply adjust the numerical value in the Tempo box.
Use the key command ⌘+r (Mac) or ctrl+r (Windows) to rename anything in Live that can be renamed such as clips, tracks, and so on
Click File>Export Audio/Video… to render the entire set as an uncompressed audio file
Highlighting a region in the Arrangement View prior to selecting the Export option will allow only the highlighted region to be rendered

Chapter 8: Acoustics

Books
Principles of Digital Audio, by Ken Pohlmann
https://www.mcgraw-hill.co.uk/html/0071663460.html

Chapter 9: Effects

Chapter 10: Sequencing and Performing with Audio

Links:
Ableton Live Suite
http://www.ableton.com

Remember

Switch to Session View from the top View menu, the Selector icon at the top right, or by pressing the tab key
Session View takes the traditional functions of a typical DAW and turns it into a performable musical instrument
The cells for each track in Session View are known as Clip Slots
Press the Play button triangle at the left of part of each Clip Slot to play the clip in that slot
Press any of the Stop button squares on a track that is currently playing to stop the clip from playing
Use the square at the button right labeled Stop Clips to stop all audio clips from playing
A horizontal row of clips in Session View is called a scene
In Session View, when a track is armed for recording, the appearance of the empty clip slots change from square clip stop buttons to circular record buttons
The more channels your audio device has, the more tracks you can record simultaneously
Overdubbing is when you record a track and then record another part “on top of it”
Use headphones while recording so that the sound of the other tracks in your set are not accidentally captured by the microphone
A description of each parameter within a given effect is viewable from the Info View box at the bottom left of the program when you hover your mouse over a parameter knob
You will hear more or less of the effect by changing the Dry/Wet parameter knob
The buttons marked Key and MIDI allow you to map Live control buttons, sliders, and knobs to computer keys and MIDI controls
Some of the computer keys are mapped to other things when Computer MIDI Keyboard is enabled
Refer to the MIDI Sync tab in the Preferences menu to configure your MIDI controller
If a device, such as an effect or an instrument, is unseen, exit the Map Mode and select the track containing that device. Then, renter Map Mode
Click the Stop button at the top of the screen twice to reset the playback position to 1.1.1
Click the Arrangement Record Button to record a Session View performance to the Arrangement View

Chapter 11: Technology in Performance

Examples of Music Performance Software

Ableton Live

http://www.ableton.com

Reason

https://www.propellerheads.se/products/reason/

Native Instruments

http://www.native-instruments.com

IK Multimedia

http://www.ikmultimedia.com

UVI Workstation

http://www.uvi.net

Mainstage

http://www.apple.com/mainstage

Max/MSP/Jitter

http://www.cycling74.com

Chapter 12: Technology in Education

Links
“The Other 80%” Studies
http://musiccreativity.org/research.html
Technology Institute for Music Education
http://www.ti-me.org
Association for Technology in Music Instruction
http://www.atmimusic.com/

Luke Dubois

http://www.lukedubois.com

Hindsight is Always 20/20

http://hindsightisalways2020.net/

Suicide Box

http://www.bureauit.org/decade/projects.html

Examples of Music Education Software

Smart Music

http://www.smartmusic.com/

MusicTheory.net

http://www.musictheory.net/

Music Tech Teacher (Karen Garrett)

http://www.musictechteacher.com

Free Music Tech Curriculum

http://musiced.presonus.com/learning-center/music-creation

mustech.net

http://www.mustech.net

Synthtopia

http://www.synthtopia.com

KVR Audio

http://www.kvraudio.com

Electronic Musician

http://www.emusician.com

Vintage Synth Explorer

http://www.vintagesynth.com

Chapter 13: Technology in Composition

Links
Musikalisches Würfelspiel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musikalisches_W%C3%BCrfelspiel

David Cope

http://artsites.ucsc.edu/faculty/cope/

Markov Chains

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markov_chain

Arvo Pärt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arvo_P%C3%A4rt

Examples of Music Composition Software

Ableton Live

http://www.ableton.com

Finale

http://www.finalemusic.com

Sibelius

http://www.avid.com/US/products/sibelius

Logic X

https://www.apple.com/logic-pro

Soundation

http://soundation.com

MusicStudio (app for iOS)

http://www.xewton.com/musicstudio/overview

Pro Tools

http://www.avid.com/US/products/pro-tools-software/

GarageBand

https://www.apple.com/mac/garageband/

Studio One

http://http://www.presonus.com/products/studio-one/

Mixcraft

http://www.acoustica.com/mixcraft

Secret Composer

http://www.secretcomposer.com

Noteflight

http://www.noteflight.com

Notion

www.notionmusic.com

Max/MSP/Jitter

http://www.cycling74.com

Chapter 14: Introduction to Music Programming

Links
Cycling ’74 Max/MSP/Jitter
http://cycling74.com/
Cycling ’74 Projects
http://cycling74.com/project/
Max for Live
http://cycling74.com/products/maxforlive/
Pure Data
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure_Data
CSound
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Csound
SuperCollider
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SuperCollider
ChucK
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChucK

Max Key Commands:

New Patcher: ⌘+n (Mac) or ctrl+n(Windows)
Save Patcher: ⌘+s (Mac) or ctrl+s (Windows)
Zoom In: ⌘+= (Mac) or ctrl+= (Windows)
Zoom Out: ⌘+- (Mac) or ctrl+- (Windows)
Copy:⌘+c (Mac) or ctrl+c (Windows)
Paste: ⌘+v (Mac) or ctrl+v (Windows)
New Object Box: n
Button object: b
Toggle Lock & Edit Modes:⌘+e (Mac) or ctrl+e (Windows)
Message object: m
Max window:⌘+m (Mac) or ctrl+m (Windows)
Help: alt/option then click an object
Number (integer) object: i
Flonum (floating point number) object: f
Align:⌘+y (Mac) or ctrl+shift+a (Windows)
Comment: c
Inspector: ⌘+i (Mac) or ctrl+e (Windows) with the object highlighted
Toggle: t

New Objects Learned:

button
print
message
number
flonum
comment
random
makenote
noteout
metro
toggle
slider
tempo
notein
pgmout
ctlin
bendin

Remember:

A document in Max is referred to as a patcher or a patch.
You can copy an object by holding the alt/option key and dragging an object.
You can resize an object by holding your mouse over the bottom right of the object until your mouse shows two arrows at an angle, and dragging while holding the mouse button down.
Segmented Patch Cords is an option that causes a patch cord to be created when you click on the outlet of an object.
With Segmented Patch Cords selected, if you click on an object's outlet, the patch cord will follow your mouse until you connect it to another object's inlet or press the esc key.
Patch cords always connect from outlets to inlets and never the other way around.
The filename extension “.maxpat” is given to all Max patches.
To avoid a Stack Overflow, make sure objects are not feeding data back into themselves.
The Max window shows important messages and useful debugging information in case of errors.
Open Help by holding the alt/option key down and clicking on an object.
To find out more information about an object, click on the Open Reference link within the object’s Help file.
Arguments are parameters that can be set for an object that relate somehow to the types of data that object handles.
The number box truncates decimal point values completely. It does not round numbers up or down at all.
It is important to be as descriptive as possible when commenting your patch.
To change properties about an object, go to the Inspector.
User interface (UI) objects can be used to control numbers more easily than the number boxes alone.
Make patches foolproof by putting in default arguments and limits to restrict the range of numbers to known or desired values.
Reuse working parts of patches whenever possible.
Use number boxes after every user interface (UI) object and other objects where the actual numbers you are working with are unclear.
Message boxes can be used like button to trigger events in some cases.
Assign MIDI instruments to separate channels so their data doesn’t interface with each other.

Additional Tutorials:
Tutorials are available from within the Max application by clicking Help from the top menu.

Select Max Help from the Help menu and read:

The Basic Activities of Making Patches
Tips and Shortcuts
Tutorial Zero Video
Hello — Creating objects and connections

Bang! — The bang message
Numbers and Lists — Types of data in Max
Metro and Toggle — Creating automatic actions
Basics — Getting MIDI input and output

Foundations of Music Technology

on Oxford University Press publisher website

FMT Software

For Mac and Windows

FMT Source Code

Installation Instructions:

Troubleshooting FMT Installation:

On a Mac:

On Windows:

If the standalone versions above still don't work for you:

If running the source in Max is not possible for you:

Chapter Examples

Video Walkthrough of Each Lesson in FMT