Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Electronic Music 3 focuses on the final touches necessary to achieve a professional audio product. In addition, special topics of current interest will be presented. Group production teams are given tasks to solve at computer workstations. Analysis of film scores will coalesce with skills acquired from assignment parameters.
 

The material in this course will be distributed in lectures, demonstrations, discussions, and small group activities, augmented occasionally with a guest lecture, field trip, and video presentation. Students are encouraged to share excerpts of original music created during lab, and prosper from the interaction and supportive critique that transpires after exposure to the classroom environment. Recurring lab time is scheduled to allow students a chance to improve skills and complete audio assignments. Individual styles emerge as collaborative teams engage in 'problem solving' tasks centered around the lab workstation.
 

• Discussion of related products on the market.
• Playback and critique of audio assignments.
• Presentations of lab applications and compositional instructions.
• Student/instructor lectures.

Criteria for grading, lab rules & specific details will be established at the beginning of the course. Grades and competency will be determined according to student ability to display knowledge of specific computer software, complete work by assigned deadlines, creativity, participation in critiques, and an evaluation of each project according to specific objectives. Laboratory assignments must be presented in an audio format. Examinations will be administered as needed.
 

• Exhibit proficiency on a digital sequencer. Be able to track, overdub, solo, loop, punch, step record, quantize, transpose, program change, and stack voices. Demonstrate ability to use automated functions and digital editing capabilities.
• Apply compositional tools offered in presentations.
• Acquire a basic knowledge of copyright protection. Create a copyright lead sheet" of original song or music score.
• Compose and arrange a sophisticated music production using a digital workstation.
• Demonstrate mixing capabilities when recording assignments to an audio format.
• Apply MIDI concepts to map out signal routing schemes. Alter parameters inside MIDI hardware devices to communicate properly in a MIDI network.
• Identify each controller associated with an analog mixer. Utilize effects processors to enhance productions.
• Become acquainted with a digital mixer synchronized to a computer workstation.
• Operate a hybrid workstation to master finished projects to CD.
• Record live instruments with a microphone to a sampler or digital recorder. Manipulate and edit recorded sound bytes. Assign samples to a music keyboard.
• Develop ability to critical listen to music productions from a technical and artistic perspective.
• Decipher the meanings of terms and jargon commonly used in periodicals and operation manuals.