Lecture Notes and Videos

The course lecture notes are presented, one chapter per session, in the table below. These two files can be added to produce a complete “book.”

  • Cover and table of contents (PDF)
  • References (PDF)

The compete set of notes (all files in the table below), can also be downloaded as a single large file (PDF - 37MB).

SES # TOPICS LECTURE NOTES LECTURE VIDEOS
Part I. Foundations
1 Music and music technology (PDF)  
2 The science and visualization of sound (PDF - 1.5MB)  
Part II. Recording
3 The history of analog audio (PDF - 3.0MB)  
4 Microphones and Radio (PDF - 1.7MB)  
5 Discussion and workshop (PDF - 1.9MB)  
6 Digital audio (PDF - 1.6MB)  
7 Processing audio and the modern recording studio (PDF - 1.7MB)  
8 Musique concrète and electronic music (PDF)  
9 Discussion and workshop (PDF)  
Part III. Interfaces
10 Mechanical automations and innovations (PDF - 3.7MB)  
11 Electronic and electromagnetic instruments (PDF - 1.9MB)  
12 Discussion and workshop (PDF) Video 1
Video 2
13 Modular synthesizers (PDF - 6.0MB) Video
14 Sequencers, rhythm machines, and samplers (PDF - 1.2MB)  
15 Discussion and workshop (PDF - 1.3MB)  
16 Turntables (PDF) Video
17 Live electronics and circuit bending (PDF - 1.7MB)  
18 Discussion and workshop (PDF)  
Part IV. Languages
19 The history of notation and MIDI (PDF - 2.5MB)  
20 The early history of music programming and digital synthesis (PDF - 1.2MB)  
21 Synthesis with code (PDF)  
22 Discussion and workshop (PDF)  
23 Intellectual property and copyright (PDF)  
24-25 Sonic system project presentations (PDF)  

Course Info

As Taught In
Fall 2009
Learning Resource Types
Lecture Videos
Music
Lecture Notes
Projects with Examples