Montclair State University

John J. Cali School of Music

MUTC 101: Music and Computer Technology

I (FALL 2019)
Course Information
Course number and title: MUTC 101_02, MUTC 101_06

Pre-requisite: Music major or Music School approval

Class time and day: (MUTC 101-02- Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30 am to 9:45 am)

Class time and day: (MUTC 101-06- Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00 am to 11:15am)

Classroom building and room number: Chapin Hall 122 (Computer Lab)

Instructor
Monte Weber

e-mail: webermo@montclair.edu

office location: n/a

office hours: by appointment only (please allow 48 hours for e-mail response

Course Description
MUTC 101 will explore the many ways that computer technologies enable, shape, inform, and inspire the making of
music. Dividing the semester into 3 large sections, we will cover: (1) recording, signal processing and Digital Audio
Workstation software; (2) synthesis, wave generation, midi and sampling; and (3) music notation software. Each of these
sections will be introduced with lectures on their historical and scientific background, and accompanied by listening
assignments and creative composition projects that utilize each software.


Texts and Materials

Please bring the following equipment to every class:


a. a USB thumb drive (minimum 8GB free);

b. headphones.


The Computer Lab is equipped with workstations that already contain the software necessary for this class. If you
choose to bring your own laptop (pending your instructor’s permission to do so), some applications are available for trial
use for free, and you may choose to install them on your personal machine.

There is no single textbook that encompasses the broad topics we will cover, and information offered in this class is
compiled from multiple books, tutorials, software manuals, etc. Therefore, all relevant information will be covered by your
instructor during class. As an optional suggestion of a supplementary book, we recommend: Rhind-Tutti, Mortimer.
Music Technology From Scratch. Rhinegold Education, 2018. You can purchase it in paperback format or electronic book
format (Kindle link: https://www.amazon.com/Music-Technology-Scratch-Mortimer-Rhind-Tutt-ebook-dp-B006ZOOYU2/
dp/B006ZOOYU2/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid= )

Course policy and evaluation procedures

1. Grading Scale
A ≥ 93% C+ ≥ 77%

A- ≥ 90% C ≥ 73%

B+ ≥ 87% C- ≥ 70%

B ≥ 83% D ≥ 60%

B- ≥ 80% F < 60%

2. Grade Distribution
a. Creative Projects 40%

b. Reports 30%

c. Final Project 20%

d. Quizzes 5%

e. Class Participation/Preparedness 5%

3. Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. Excused absences require a note from the school’s doctor within 48 hours of the
absence, or prior approval from the instructor no less than 24 hours in advance. Each unexcused absence will
lower the final grade by half of one grade letter. Two instances of tardiness constitute one unexcused absence.

Four unexcused absences will result in automatic failure of the course. Note that attendance is not factored
into your final grade as reported on Canvas; it will rather be determined after the end of class meetings by your
instructor, who will combine your Class Participation and any unexcused absence penalty to the previously-
 graded material as to determine your final grade for the course. You will only be allowed to take a make-up
quiz if you have an official excuse for missing it (a doctor’s note or receipt from the Health Center, a required
university function, religious observance, or an extenuating family circumstance); the date and time for a make-
up activity must be coordinated with and approved by your instructor.

4. Assignments
Each assignment will have specific instructions as to what to submit (e.g. mp3 file, session file, weblinks, pdf,
etc.). Assignments are submitted through Canvas. Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due
date. Late assignments may be accepted at your instructor’s discretion within 24 hours of their due date for an
automatic 10% grade reduction. Assignments later than 24 hours after their due date will not be accepted, and
the student will receive a 0 (F) grade. Please be mindful that many of the Creative Assignments will need to be
realized in the Computer Lab; we strongly recommend you to budget your work around times that the
Computer Lab is open and available for use.

5. Class Format and Code of Conduct

This class highly depends on student participation and collaboration. Students are encouraged and expected
to share their questions and observations with their peers and the instructor. No use of electronic equipment
(phones, laptops, cameras, and recording devices included) other than the equipment required by your
instructor will be allowed inside the classroom. Please turn off all your personal devices during class time.
Please refrain from any behavior that might offend or disturb the academic progress of your peers. You are
expected to abide by the MSU Academic Code of Conduct. Cases of suspected misconduct will be referred to
academic administration.

6. Academic Integrity
Students at Montclair State University enjoy significant freedom of artistic expression and are encouraged to
stretch their scholarly and artistic boundaries. However, the University prohibits all forms of academic
dishonesty. For present purposes, “academic dishonesty” is understood as the appropriation and
representation of another’s work as one’s own, whether such appropriation includes all or part of the other’s
work or whether it comprises all or part of what is represented as one’s own work (plagiarism). Appropriate
citation avoids this form of dishonesty. In addition, “academic dishonesty” includes cheating in any form, the
falsification of academic documents of the falsification of works or references for the use in class or other
academic circumstances. Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses and will not be treated lightly.

When such dishonesty is discovered, the consequences to the student can be severe, from academic
probation to expulsion.

7. Special Considerations
Special accommodation will be made to students with any documented disability. Students with disabilities are
requested to present their university accommodation letters to their instructor at the beginning of the semester
so that accommodations can be arranged in a timely manner by the university, the department or the faculty
member, as appropriate. It is incumbent upon the student to know their responsibilities in this regard.

8. Important Dates

September 2: Labor Day Holiday (No Classes)

September 3: Opening Day (No Classes)

September 4: Classes Begin

November 28-December 1: Thanksgiving Holiday (No Classes)

December 18: Meets Friday class schedule

December 19: Classes End, End of Semester (please refer to the University’s official Finals Schedule for your
Final Exam date)









Tentative Schedule (subject to changes as announced by instructor)

Week 1

• Course overview and introduction Syllabus and policies.


Week 2

• Vibration, frequency, electricity.

• How computers store, manipulate, and produce audio Applications of digital audio for music making.

• Data compression.

• READING: Handouts and “How digital audio works” from MSP Tutorial.

• ASSIGNMENT: Listening Report 1.

Week 3

• History of recording technology.

• Microphones and basic miking techniques.

• Digital audio editing in Audacity.

• Recording on phone.

• DUE: Listening Report 1.

• ASSIGNMENT: Creative Tech 1- Make field recordings with phone, transfer them to a hard drive.

Week 4

• DAW (Digital Audio Workstation).

• Intro to Reaper: Tracks and mixer overview.

• Multitrack playback, basic mixing (amplitude levels and panning).

• Editing in Reaper:: Trim, split, crossfades, reverse, pitch-shift etc.

• Start 1-minute beat in class.

• DUE: Creative Tech 1.

• ASSIGNMENT: Creative Tech 2 - Make a 4-track one-minute long beat.

Week 5

• Musique Concrète.

• Soundstage.

• Signal processing: History and listening, stompboxes, rack effects and plugin software.

• ASSIGNMENT: Creative Tech 3a - edit phone recordings in Reaper.

• DUE: Creative Tech 2.

Week 6

• Intro to plugins: EQ, delay, reverb, distortion Filters: LP, HP, BP and Notch - Filter sweeps.

• AURAL SKILLS: Effects.

• DUE: Creative Tech 3a.

• ASSIGNMENT: Listening Report 2: Recording analysis (pointing out the instrumentation, panning, volume,
effects of a well-known song). Creative Tech 3b - use plugins in Musique Concrète piece.

Week 7

• Reaper plugins Cont’d: Compression, Reasynth.

• Mastering: Headroom, master bus, compression, EQ, limiting.

• Rendering in Reaper.

• Synthesis: Oscillators/Wave generator and wave types;

History and synthesizing instruments.

• AURAL SKILLS: Sine, saw, square and pulse waves, and white, pink and brownian noise.

• ASSIGNMENT: Listening Report 3: Identify wave forms, noise types and effects. Creative Tech 3c: Use a virtual
synth in the Musique Concrète piece, mix, master and render.

• DUE: Creative Tech 3b. Listening Report 2.

Week 8

• Synthesis Cont’d: Additive and subtractive synthesis, modulation, amp (ADSR) and filter envelope LFO;

Modular synthesis & VCV Rack;

Percussion and Subtractive/Additive/FM synthesis on pre-built patchers in MaxMSP.

• AURAL SKILLS: Acoustic beating/difference tones

Ring Modulation

Frequency Modulation (FM)

• DUE: Listening Report 3.

Week 9

• Workshop: Troubleshooting and finalizing Musique Concrète pieces. Presentation, listening, feedback and
discussion.

• DUE: Creative Tech 3c. (Anonymous Midterm evaluations - OPTIONAL)

Week 10

• Sequencers and sampling: Demo and history.

• Step sequencers, MIDI Clock and Sync.

• Sequencing in pre-built midi or audio sequencer in Max/MSP.

Week 11

• Engraving: Brief history, example scores.

• Intro to Sibelius.

• Creating instruments, note entry, articulations, dynamics, symbols, lines, cross-staff.

• ASSIGNMENT: Creative Tech 4 - Pick a short piece to engrave.

• FINAL PROJECT PROPOSALS – 5-min presentations.

Week 12

• Transposition, percussion, lyrics, formatting, printing, making parts.

Week 13

• Review and work on engraving project.

• DUE: Creative Tech 3.

Week 14

• Workshop: Work on final project.

FINAL PROJECT DUE DATE TBA