21M.380 | Spring 2016 | Undergraduate

Music and Technology: Sound Design

Lecture Notes

This page presents the complete lecture slides as presented in class, plus selected lecture outlines that complement the lecture slides.

Lecture Slides

The complete set of lecture slides are given here compiled in a single file. Within the file, the start of each lecture is bookmarked for ease of direct access. Your PDF viewer should open with the bookmarks index visible, alongside the slides window. 

Important: The slides include links to a set of audio examples and Pd patches, also provided below. For these linked examples to work correctly, you must download and save the lecture slides PDF, audio examples, and Pd patches together in the same directory on your computer, as summarized in the Lecture Slide Instructions (PDF). Also be sure to install Pure Data to run the Pd patches, as directed on the Tools page.

Lecture slides (PDF - 19.4MB)

Audio examples (ZIP - 4.6MB)

Pd patches (GZIP - 4.0MB) from Andy Farnell’s Designing Sound

While viewing the slides on your screen, clicking on any “play button” icon "Play" button icon used in the lecture slides. will launch the associated example.

Selected Lecture Outlines

These outlines summarize main points of the lecture, and include descriptions of in-class activities and supplemental information.

LEC # LECTURE OUTLINES
1 Why and how to design sound? (no outline)
2 The sound design process (PDF)
3 Everyday sound objects (PDF)
4 Introduction to Pure Data (Pd) (PDF)
5 Physics of sound (PDF)
6 Pd programming concepts (PDF)
7 Perception of sound (PDF)
8 Soundwalk (no outline)
9 Shaping sound with Pd (PDF)
10 Digital audio theory (PDF)
11 Sound recording and editing techniques (PDF)
12 Quiz 1; review, preview (no outline)
13 Analysis and requirements specification (PDF)
14 Additive synthesis (PDF)
15 Research and model making (PDF)
16 Waveshaping and wavetable synthesis (PDF)
17 Final project: FP1 student presentations (no outline)
18 Modulation synthesis (AM and FM) (no outline)
19 Method selection and implementation (no outline)
20 Steam train drive-by (no outline)
21 Granular synthesis (PDF)
22 Final project: FP3 student presentations (no outline)
23 Quiz 2; student presentations (no outline)
24 Thunder (PDF)
25 Music synthesizers (PDF)
26 Final project: FP4 presentations (no outline)

Course Info

As Taught In
Spring 2016
Learning Resource Types
Exams with Solutions
Lecture Notes
Projects with Examples
Instructor Insights
Demonstration Audio