Foundations of Music Technology

Foundations of Music Technology explores the core concepts of music technology and its uses as a mechanism to facilitate musicianship in a way that is accessible to all students--from the musician with limited technology skills to the technology expert with little knowledge in music notation. The text uses a free, customized software application for Mac or PC in order to demonstrate fundamental concepts of music technology germane to all professional applications like recording, synthesis, digital notation, MIDI, automating effects, acoustics, and more. With the concepts grasped using this "software-independent" approach, students can then transfer those learned skills over to the software of their choice.

V.J. Manzo (PhD Temple University, M.M. New York University) is Assistant Professor of Music Technology and Cognition at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). He is a composer and guitarist with research interests in theory and composition, artificial intelligence, interactive music systems, and music cognition. V.J. is the Oxford University Press author of the books MAX/MSP/Jitter for Music on developing software-based interactive music systems and coauthor of Interactive Composition: Strategies Using Ableton Live and Max for Live. For more information, visit his website vjmanzo.com.

Table of Contents

Forward

Introduction
The FMT Software
Acknowledgments

1. Properties of Sound

Overview
What is Sound?
Frequencies
Timbre
The Harmonic Series and Timbre
Our Hearing Range
Spectrogram Analysis
Combining Timbres
Chapter Summary
Key Concepts
Key Terms

2. Audio

Overview
Before We Begin
The Signal Path
Microphones
Keeping a Uniform Signal
Impedence
Cables
XLR Cables
Balanced and Unbalanced Signals
Balanced ¼-inch Tip, Ring, and Sleeve (TRS) Cables
Unbalanced Tip and Sleeve (TS) Cables
Other Cables
Mixers
Audio Interfaces
Higher Sampling Rates
Compressed Audio
Bit Depth and Sampling Rate
Audio Interface I/Os
Digital Audio Workstations
Speakers and Amplifiers
Microphone Types and Basic Placement
Microphone Placement
Panning
Other Microphones and Techniques
Chapter Summary
Key Concepts
Key Terms

3. Audio Editing Software

Overview
Basic DAW Functions
Recording & Editing
Gain Levels
Importing Audio
Overdubbing and Preventing Feedback
Loop-based DAWs
Chapter Summary
Key Terms

4. Synthesis

Overview
Waveforms
Additive Synthesis
Envelopes and ADSR curves
Physical Modeling
Combining Waves
Phase
Multiplying Waves
Ring Modulation
AM Synthesis
FM Synthesis
Subtractive Synthesis
Sample-based Synthesis
Granular Synthesis
Chapter Summary
Key Concepts
Key Terms

5. MIDI

Overview
Before MIDI
The MIDI Protocol
Note On and Note Off Messages
MIDI Programs
Controller Messages
MIDI Channels
Piano Roll
Sampling
Other Protocols
Chapter Summary
Key Concepts
Key Terms

6. Digital Notation

Overview
Basic Notation Application Functions
Note Entry
Importing MIDI Files
Chapter Summary
Key Concepts
Key Terms

7. Sequencing MIDI

Overview
Basic Setup
The Live Browser
Max for Live
Plug-Ins Device Browser
Other Menus
Places
Adding Book Content
Working in Live
Arrangement View
MIDI and Audio Tracks
MIDI
MIDI Pitch Editor
MIDI Velocity Editor
Loops
Adding Tracks
Inserting A New MIDI Clip
Recording with a MIDI keyboard or the Computer MIDI Keyboard
Changing Tempo
Exporting rendered audio
Chapter Summary
Key Concepts
Key Terms

8. Acoustics

Overview
The Hearing Process
Room Acoustics
Resonance
Sound Systems
Phase Cancellation
Psychoacoustics
Loudness
Chapter Summary
Key Concepts
Key Terms

9. Effects

Overview
Gain and Distortion
Tone Shaping Controls in Effects
Gate
Compression
Effects and Performance
Output Gains in Effects
Limiting
EQ
Delay
Reverb
Chorus
Flanger
Effects Chain
Effects in DAWs
Automation
Chapter Summary
Key Concepts
Key Terms

10. Sequencing and Performing with Audio

Overview
Session View
Recording and Editing Clips
Recording Audio
Audio Channels
Adding Effects
Key and MIDI Mapping
Record to the Arrangement View
Chapter Summary
Key Concepts
Key Terms

11. Technology in Performance

Overview
Old Venues with a New Twist
A Little History: Electroacoustic Music
Interacting with Music Through Technology
Film, Television, Video Games, Multimedia, and the Studio
Interactive Music
Interactive Music Systems
Further Possibilities
Chapter Summary
Key Concepts
Key Terms

12. Technology in Education

Overview
Technology-based Musical Instruments
Interactive Music Systems
Adaptive Instruments
Mapping Controls to Musical Concepts
Educational Considerations
Interactive Music System Design and Implementations
Informal Music Learning through Technology
Chapter Summary
Key Concepts
Key Terms

13. Technology in Composition

Overview
Algorithmic Composition
Early American Algorithmic Composition: David Cope
Algorithmic Cycle
Rule-Based Algorithmic Composition
Data-driven Algorithmic Composition
Issues of Authorship
Algorithmic Composition Methods
Software and Tools
Pre-composed Loop and Pattern Software
Sound Manipulation
Composer of Algorithms and Algorithmic Composition
Chapter Summary
Key Concepts
Key Terms

14. Introduction to Music Programming

Overview
Introduction: Programming Languages
Introduction to Max
The Max Window
Help Patchers
Arguments
Separating Items in a Message
Numbers: integers and floating points
Aligning
Commenting
Inspector
Generating Music
The RAT Patch: Creating Random Atonal Trash
Synthesizing MIDI numbers
Adding Timing
Slider Patch
Rat Patch 2
MIDI Input
Chapter Summary
Key Concepts
Key Terms