Course detail
Electronic Musical Instruments
FEKT-BPC-HELAcad. year: 2024/2025
The course focuses on analog, hybrid and digital methods of sound signal synthesis, analog and digital communication interfaces in musical electronics, principles and structure of electronic musical instruments, samplers, sequencers, effects and other musical electronics and their individual parts. Laboratory exercises are focused on working with hardware and software virtual analog synthesizers, samplers and other types of electronic musical instruments. The computer exercises are focused on the principles of sound signal synthesis in NI Reaktor and Matlab. Part of the laboratory exercises is the realization of your own synthesizer in the Reaktor program.
Language of instruction
Number of ECTS credits
Mode of study
Guarantor
Department
Entry knowledge
Rules for evaluation and completion of the course
Evaluation of study results follows the Rules for Studies and Examinations of BUT and the Dean's Regulation complementing the Rules for Studies and Examinations of BUT. Up to 24 points is awarded for independent work in laboratory exercises and up to 16 points for designing own synthesizer in the Reaktor software. Up to 60 points are given for the final written examination and it is necessary to get at least 30 points for its successful completion.
Credit is awarded for completing all laboratory exercises, participating in graded computer exercises and obtaining a minimum number of points for design of own synthesizer in the Reaktor software. The minimal scope of the elaboration of particular laboratory exercises and minimum points for a design of own synthesizer are specified by a regulation issued by the guarantor of the course and updated for every academic year. Other forms of checked instruction are specified by a regulation issued by the guarantor of the course and updated for every academic year.
Aims
- explain basic analog and digital methods audio signals synthesis,
- describe hardware and data transfer of analog and digital communication interface in musical electronics
- describe the structure of the analog modelling instrument and sampler
- explain the principle of the keyboard of electronic musical instrument, wind and string controllers and special control elements,
- design the structure of the digital electronic musical instrument for the given method of synthesis
- implement a software electronic music instrument using function blocks
Study aids
Prerequisites and corequisites
Basic literature
Russ, M., Sound Synthesis and Sampling. Focsal Press, 1996. ISBN 0-240-51429-7 (EN)
SHEPARD, Brian K. Refining sound: a practical guide to synthesis and synthesizers. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013, xxv, 237 stran. ISBN 978-0199922963 (CS)
Sýkora, R., Krutílek, F., Včelař, J., Elektronické hudební nástroje a jejich obvody. SNTL, Praha, 1981. (CS)
Recommended reading
Elearning
Classification of course in study plans
Type of course unit
Lecture
Teacher / Lecturer
Syllabus
- Analog sound synthesis: additive synthesis, subtractive synthesis, historical musical instruments, principles of generators and filters for analog synthesis, modulation and shaping methods.
- Analog synthesizers: control signals and circuits, fixed structure synthesizers, modular synthesizers.
- Hybrid musical instruments: digital circuits used in hybrid syntheses, digital function generators, sequencers, drum and bass synthesizers.
- Digital sound synthesis: wavetable methods, modification of pitch and length, granular synthesis, physical and analog modeling.
- Digital realization of analog sound syntheses: digital function generators, generation of band-limited signals, filters for subtractive synthesis, modulation methods, waveshapers.
- Digital musical instruments: multi-timbral instruments, standard instrument structures, sampler, digital sequencer.
- Communication interfaces in musical instruments: MIDI interface - hradware interface, channel and system data, MIDI 2.0 protocol and OSC.
- Musical instrument controllers: digital instrument keyboard, control and sensing elements, MIDI controllers.
- Electric guitars and guitar effects: electric guitars, string pickups, guitar amps and combos and their modeling, guitar effects.
- Musical audio effects: 3D space of audio signal and its modification, effects using delay line, vocoder, spectral methods.
- Computers and music: history of the use of computers in music production, computer-aided music, PC audio generation and processing, application interfaces for MIDI and real-time audio.
- Bastl Instruments excursion.
Exercise in computer lab
Teacher / Lecturer
Syllabus
- Introduction to NI Reaktor, additive synthesis
- Subtractive and nonlinear synthesis
- Using synthesizer controls
- Digital syntheses
- Digital syntheses
- Independent work in NI Reaktor
- Generating basic periodic waveforms
- Use of filters for audio synthesis
- Nonlinear methods of audio signal synthesis
- Synthesizer controls
- Simple synthesizers in Matlab
- Synthesizer implementation in Matlab Audio Toolbox
Laboratory exercise
Teacher / Lecturer
Syllabus
- Modular synthesizer Eurorack
- Virtual analog synthesizer
- Hardware sampler
- Software sampler
- Multi-Timbre MIDI Expanders
- Synchronization of MIDI devices
Elearning