COURSE PROJECT

The goal of this course project will be to create an original computer music composition using Csound illustrating the major techniques discussed in class.

PHASE 1

With your group partner, decide on a name for your group (e.g. Fiona Banana, Hootie & The Blowouts, Fleetwood Yak, etc.) and report this name to your instructor by Wednesday, October 8.

Once the groups are established, each musical group will have a private conference board on the CIS Webboard to exchange ideas and designs.

PHASE 2

Design and implement with your partner (at least) three computer music instruments for an upcoming music score. Each instrument should use a different major synthesis techniques discussed in class: additive, subtractive and nonlinear. In addition to illustrating a synthesis algorithm, your instruments should be creative and complex.

You are to hand in the following by Wednesday, October 29:

• A diskette with an orchestra file with the three instrument definitions, and a sample score that plays several notes from each instrument to demonstrate their design. Also on the diskette, include a .wav file for the orchestra/score combination.

• A report that explains the design of all three instruments in detail. This includes a design concept (e.g. what are you modeling or why did you come up with this design), an instrument diagram, and a plot of the frequency spectrum produced by this instrument. If your instrument's frequency spectrum changes throughout its note's duration, you should include several frequency plots to show the change in frequency spectra.

PHASE 3 - due Wednesday, November 26

Choose one musical composition by a famous composer (classical, pop, rock, etc.). Modify markov1.cpp to determine the first-order Markov process for this composition in melody (treble line), harmony (bass line) and rhythm (of the melody and harmony lines). Also modify the program to output a series of new random notes based on this Markov process in Csound format so they can be compiled directly with your orchestra from Phase 2.

Your program should generate a new melody based on the Markov process using one instrument, a new harmony based on the Markov process using a second instrument, and a rhythm (drum) sound using a third instrument. The third instrument (drum) should play once for every beat, with the first beat of every measure being louder than the other beats. Compile and review your musical composition in Csound.

You are to hand in the following by Wednesday, November 26:

• A diskette with your final orchestra files and the score file created by your modified markov1.cpp program. You should also include the modified markov1.cpp program with proper documentation.

• A report that explains the modifications you made to the markov1.cpp program and a brief analysis on how well you think the simulated composition mimics the original composition. Also answer this question: what could you have done in this program (markov1.cpp) to improve the results?

PHASE 4 - due Wednesday, December 3 - Class Presentation

Your group will be given 10 minutes to present a brief overview of your entire project, including the following points:

• A description of each computer music instrument.

• A description of your computer music composition program.

• A fragment of the final produced song using your orchestra and score along with a brief analysis of the results.

You will be graded on many factors, including your overall presentation skills, use of graphics/drawings to help explain your work, answers to questions from your instructor and other students, the level of difficulty of your work with respect to the minimum requirements, and the ability to work together as a group.

IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT OR SETUP BEYOND WHAT IS AVAILABLE IN THE DISTANCE LEARNING CENTER, YOU MUST INFORM YOUR INSTRUCTOR BY TUESDAY, DEC 2 AT 12 NOON TO PROVIDE ENOUGH TIME FOR EQUIPMENT RESERVATIONS.

COURSE INFORMATION | HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
COURSE PROJECT | CS240 HELP DESK