Of Sound and Vision

Week 1
1/3 Introduction to Max
> patches | reading | addendum
Week 2
1/9 Minimalism and the History of Techno
> patches | reading
1/10 Basics of Synthesis
> patches | reading
Week 3
1/16 Sound and Our Environment
> patches | reading
1/17 Aesthetics of Noise
> patches | reading | addendum
Week 4
1/23 Introduction to Jitter
> patches | reading | addendum
1/24 History of Visual Music, "Synaesthesia in Art"
> patches | reading | addendum
Week 5
1/30 History of Circuit-Bending and the Aesthetics of Failure
> patches | reading | addendum
1/31 Alternate Interfaces
> patches
Week 6
2/6 Getting more from your data
> patches
2/7 Work day
Week 7
2/13 Final crit
1/16 Sound and Our Environment

1-minute performances
Informal critique on performances and discussion of challenges in assignment

Listening exercises:
  • Erik Satie - Trois Gymnopédies
  • John Cage - Music for Amplified Toy Pianos and Cartridge Music
  • Pierre Schaeffer - L'Oiseau Rai
  • Hafler Trio - 'Blanket' Level Approach #3 from Brain Song
  • Chris Watson - Vatnajökull from Weather Report
  • Alvin Lucier - Sferics
  • Taku Sugimoto - Dot (73) from Live in Australia
  • Toshinaru Nakamura + Sachiko M - Do #3 from Do
Discuss reading + listening exercises

Recording / Playing Back:
  • Sfplay~ / Sfrecord~
  • Buffer~ / Record~
  • Play~ / Groove~ / Wave~
Tricks + Techniques:
  • paste replace
  • show / hide on lock
  • tidying up patch cords
  • segmented patchcords
  • Max Toolbox
  Assignment:
Find a sound from your surroundings, and record it by any means necessary, then find a way to convert it to 16-bit, 44Khz .aiff or .wav and bring it to class.
  Reading:
Luigi Russolo - The Art of Noises: Futurist Manifesto

Varese - The Liberation of Sound

Jacques Attali - Listening from Noise: The Political Economy of Music

Paul Hegarty - First from Noise / Music: A History