This is an introduction to audio synthesis, both in theory and
in practice, using Pd (Pure Data) as a platform. Pd is free and you
can run it on Windows, Linux, or Mac OSX. You can get it at
https://msp.ucsd.edu/software.html
.
There are eight weekly assignments, due Fridays.
The exam (3-6PM, Tuesday, March 17) is a final project presentation. Assignments are worth 10 points apiece and the final is worth 20.
Patches from class will gather on
https://msp.ucsd.edu/syllabi/171.20w/patches/.
- or here is a zip file.
Videos of this year's classes will appear here:
https://msp.ucsd.edu/syllabi/171.20w/movies/.
Videos of lectures, with searchable transcripts, from an earlier
year are avalable on https://pd-la.info/pd-media/miller-puckette-mus171-videos/.
List of topics (about one per week):
Jan. 7-9. Making sinusoids and controlling their amplitudes and
frequencies. Read chapter 1 of the textbook, particularly looking
at the examples at the back of the chapter. These are included in
the Pd distribution (Pure Data/3.audio.examples from the
"Browser....' help menu item).
Homework assignment 1 is due Friday, Jan.
17.
Jan. 14-16. Wavetables (Chapter 2).
Homework assignment 2 is due Friday, Jan.
24.
Jan. 21-23. Control and signal paths (chapter 3).
Homework assignment 3 is due Friday, Jan.
31.
Jan. 28-30. Polyphony and control strategies (chapter 4).
Homework assignment 4 is due Friday, Feb.
7.
Feb. 4-6. Waveshaping, FM, and ring modulation (chapter 5 and a
bit of chapter 6).
Homework assignment 5 is due Friday, Feb.
14.
final project proposals will be due
Feb. 21 along with homework assignment 6.
Feb. 11-13. Delays and delay effects: echos, comb filters,
flangers, pitch shifters (chapter 7).
Homework assignment 6 is due Friday, Feb.
21.
A final project proposal is also
due then.
Feb. 18-20. Filters and filter design (Chapter 8).
Homework assignment 7 is due Friday, Feb.
28.
Feb. 25-27. Patch design strategies: parameter controls,
presets, mixing.
Homework assignment 8 is due Friday, Mar.
6.
Mar. 3-5. Classical waveforms (chapter 10).
Mar. 10-12. Miscellaneous: Fourier analysis and resynthesis (chapter 9), Gem and 3D graphics; audio analysis tools; networking; spooling sounds to/from disk.