Advanced Music Programming, Synthesis and Live Electronics 1

Display Schedule

Code Completion Credits Range Language Instruction Semester
101PMHP1 credit 3 2 lecture hours (45 min) of instruction per week, 1 exercise hours (45 min) of instruction per week, 48 to 63 hours of self-study English, Czech winter

Subject guarantor

Name of lecturer(s)

Miroslav TÓTH

Department

The subject provides Composition Department

Contents

Practically oriented instruction in composition skills in the environment of contemporary music technology is focused primarily on digital sound transformation, control of virtual musical instruments, basic concepts of musician-technology interaction, and sound mixing in a DAW environment. Familiarity with digital sound shaping tools is used to develop compositional imagination and skills in situations where the source of musical sound is not an acoustic signal source. The student will be introduced to advanced methods of sound composition, synthesis, sound post-production, mixing, music programming in the MAX environment, and mastering, all primarily from the perspective of practical skills that a music composer should possess today. The exercises take into account the realization of the students' own creative projects and may have overlaps into the field of incidental and film music and various intermedia forms of contemporary art.

Learning outcomes

Significantly developed ability to use the sound/music studio as a musical instrument from a composer's point of view. Production of music using the acquired knowledge in the field of music and technology.

Prerequisites and other requirements

Students should be familiar with the technological fundamentals of sound recording, electroacoustic music and sound post-production, including an orientation to the computer and recording studio environment from the perspective of a composer/sound artist/sound designer.

Literature

DAW [software]. (PRO TOOLS [software]. [Accessed 2 December 2019]. Available from: https://www.avid.com/pro-tools. LOGIC, LIVE)

MAX [software]. [Accessed 2 December 2019]. Available from: https://cycling74.com.

SYROVÝ, Václav. Technické základy elektroakustické hudby: Určeno pro posl. fak. hudební a fak. filmové a televizní. 2., přeprac. vyd. Praha: SPN, 1990. 159 s.

SYROVÝ, Václav. Hudební akustika. 2., dopl. vyd. Akustická knihovna Zvukového studia Hudební fakulty AMU. V Praze: Akademie múzických umění, 2008. ISBN 978-80-7331-127-8.

LOY, D. Gareth. Musimathics: the mathematical foundations of music. Volume 1. Cambridge: MIT Press, c2006. ISBN 0-262-12282-0. Dostupné také z: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/fy0710/2005051090.html.

ROADS, Curtis. Composing electronic music: a new aesthetic. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015. xxvii. 480 s. ISBN 978-0-19-537324-0.

HOLMES, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture. London: Routledge, 4th ed., 2012. 568 s. ISBN 978-0415896368.

PUCKETTE, Miller. The theory and technique of electronic music. New Jersey: World Scientific Publishing Company, 2007. 348 s. ISBN 978-9812700773.

Evaluation methods and criteria

Credit awarded on the basis of regular attendance and a well-crafted compositional output.

Minimum attendance required: 90%

Active participation in the practical implementation of the entire project with completion at the last class of the semester.

Note

The course develops practical skills in modular synthesis: using utility modules, synchronizing with MIDI/DAW, basic sound types (basses, plucks, pads), routing into a recording environment, and improvisation & live performance. The aim is for students to gain confidence in creating and reproducing patches, to effectively integrate modular systems with external instruments, to quickly design useful sounds for composition and performance, and ultimately to present a short finished composition accompanied by a patch sheet and a description of the creative process.

Modular ergonomics and workflow. Module layout (voice vs. utility), cable management, patch sheets, predictability vs. improvisation, fast repatching.

Utility modules in detail (attenuators, mixers, VCAs). Attenuverters, mults, multiples, buffered vs. passive, mixers (with/without panning), VCAs.

Basics of synchronization and MIDI/CV conversion. MIDI-to-CV, clock-to-CV, pitch bend/velocity mapping, USB MIDI, latency, MIDI–CV converters.

Basic sound constructions: basses, plucks, pads. Envelopes for transients, filtering for bass sounds, sub‑oscillation layers, subtle chorus/phasing for pads.

Basics of routing audio to and from a DAW. Line vs. instrument level, audio interfaces, stereo pairing, monitoring, latency compensation.

Basics of improvisation and live performance. Cues and signals, simple structures, safe experimentation, live‑tweak techniques, working with real‑time effects.

Mini‑project: simple composition and presentation. Project planning, timeline, gear selection, basic mixing, feedback.

Literature: PATCH & TWEAK: Exploring Modular Synthesis by Kim Bjørn and Chris Meyer, published by Bjooks in 2018.

Further information

Course may be repeated

Schedule for winter semester 2025/2026:

06:00–08:0008:00–10:0010:00–12:0012:00–14:0014:00–16:0016:00–18:0018:00–20:0020:00–22:0022:00–24:00
Mon
Tue
room LIC-019
LAB 019
(Liechtenstein Palace)
TÓTH M.
10:30–12:00
(parallel1)
Wed
Thu
Fri
Date Day Time Tutor Location Notes No. of paralel
Tue 10:30–12:00 Miroslav TÓTH LAB 019
Liechtenstein Palace		 parallel1

Schedule for summer semester 2025/2026:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

The subject is a part of the following study plans