Introduction to Digital Sound Design TUTORiAL

Sound has always been a significant part of human experience. It shapes and transforms our everyday world. Sounds and music are embedded in almost every aspect of daily life, from communication and artistic expression to commerce, politics, and our social and cultural identities.

This course will provide an overview of the fundamental principles of sound and the factors that determine our audio perception. It will explore techniques of recording, mixing, processing, synthesis, sampling, analysis, and editing of digital audio using freely distributed audio production software for both PC and Mac. Students will also learn an array of sound design and editing techniques for use in film and web-based media, art installations, soundscape creations, or live and internet music performances.

Course Syllabus
Week 1: THE NATURE OF SOUND

Sound
1. The Human Ear
2. The Six Properties of Sound
– Pitch
– Loudness and Amplitude
– Timbre
– Perceived Duration
– Envelope and Articulation
– Spatial Location, Diffusion, Reverberant Environment
3. Timbre and the Overtone Series
4. Music and the Human Condition
5. SOFTWARE Tutorial: Sonic Visualizer
6. Music and the Environment

Week 2: MUSIC TECHNOLOGY – BASICS

Recording
1. Microphones
2. Mixer Basics
3. Digital Audio File Formats
4. Musical Instrument Digital Interface MIDI
5. Digital Audio Effects
6. SOFTWARE Tutorial: Audacity Audio Processing
7. TEST 1

Week 3: MUSIC TECHNOLOGY – SYNTHESIS

1. SOFTWARE Tutorial: Soundation Web-based Digital Audio Workstation
2. Synthesis
– Oscillators
– Filters
– Envelope Generators
– Modulation with LFOs
– Amplitude Modulation
– Frequency Modulation
– Granular Synthesis
– Physical Modeling
3. SOFTWARE Tutorials: Mammut, Hydrogen
4. Sound Project Using Soundation
posted on SoundCloud website

Week 4: CREATIVE STRATEGIES

1. Sonification
2. Sound for Visual Media
3. Mobile Interactions
4. SOFTWARE (Brief Introductions): Max, Pure Data, Kyma, Supercollider, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Avid ProTools
5. TEST 2