K403/503 - Electronic Studio Resources I - Course Information

Prof. Jeffrey Hass (hassj @ indiana.edu ) | Prof. John Gibson (johgibso @ indiana.edu ) | (remove blanks to copy and paste emails)

• Studio Phone #'s
  MAC 302: 855-6401, MAC 304: 855-3820
  
• Important Web Addresses
  CECM Homepage: http://www.iu.edu/~emusic/
  CECM Server: cecm.music.indiana.edu
  Hass Electronic Textbook: http://www.indiana.edu/%7eemusic/etext/toc.shtml
• Required Text
  none
  
• Supplimental Reserve Reading (most not required for class, but good to use as reference)
  Ballora, Mark. Essentials of Music Technology (2003)
  Chadabe, Joel. Electric Sound: The Past and Promise of Electronic Music
  De Furia, et. al. The MIDI Resource Book
  Dodge, Charles. Computer Music (2nd ed.)
  Huber/Runstein. Modern Recording Techniques
  Pellman, Samuel. An Introduction to the Creation of Electroacoustic Music (1994)
  Roads, Curtis. The Computer Music Tutorial
  Schrader, Barry. Introduction to Electro-Acoustic Music
  Strange, Allen. Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques, and Controls (2nd ed.)
  
• Suggested Reading
  Russcol. The Liberation of Sound
  Schwartz, Elliot. A Listener's Guide to Electronic Music
  Computer Music Journal, Electronic Musician, Keyboard Magazine, EQ Magazine, MIX Magazine
  

  A full list of the CECM Permanent Reserves with many interesting books can be found at: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variations/reserves/k50369mlo.html
  A growing list of 'e-reserve' articles and chapter can be found at: http://ereserves.indiana.edu/eres/coursepage.aspx?cid=5468&page=docs . You will need a password from me to access these.
  You can also search IUCat for "Electronic Music" or "Computer Music" as subjects for a list of IU holdings. Please email us any suggestions for recordings you think the library should acquire if you don't find them.

• Computing Matters
  You will want to buy several types of media for your course work:

• • A USB2 Flash (thumb) drive for additional backup and portability of data (1-2 gigs, or 4 gig if you can afford it), or your own personal USB and/or Firewire hard drive (not a bad idea to have these days). Feel free to ask for advice on these items if you are unsure.
  • Wait on other items until instructed
    
    
• If you have no Macintosh experience, it is strongly recommended that you familiarize yourself with the OS X operating system. One way to do this is to use the Help menu available from the Finder (the menu where your desktop only is showing). There are some very good pages on switching from Windows to Macs (you don't really need to switch, just learn the differences). Try it out in the Music Library so you don't use your limited studio time.
  
• There will be a series of weekly assignments to be completed during assigned times in MAC 304. The assignments are available online. (See the syllabus.) Completion of assignments by due date is an important part of your grade. If you are having difficulty completing your assignment on time, it is your responsibility to contact Prof. Gibson for help and guidance (technical).
• As mentioned in the syllabus, most Tuesday classes will begin with a short content quiz on the week's required reading (this is really for your own protection, so you don't blow up on the major exams--lectures are presented with the assumption you have done all the reading).
  
  
• Grade weights

  Content quizzes (you may drop your lowest score)	10%
  Midterm Exam	20%
  Final Exam	20%
  Final Project	25%
  Tutorial assignments, reading preparation and class/tutorial participation	25%

• Attendance Policy
  Because a large part of the information in this class can only come from hands-on experience and in-class observation, more than two unexcused absences (class or tutorial) or being consistently late will result in a substantially lower grade. If you must know, that will be a half-letter grade for each unexcused absence over two--two latenesses=1 absence. Given the small space, climbing over other students to get to a chair in our small space is pretty disruptive and we usualy have to stop class to wait. Please contact me regarding excused absences in advance, or bring a note from the Student Health Center or non-relative doctor if it was a medical emergency. Also, see the list of religious holidays. Incompletes will only be granted only as per University policy
  
  
• Back up your work!
  Don't trust our hard drives! We've had failures in the past, and it's easy for someone to delete your work by mistake. In addition to Flash Drive, DVD-R and CDR backup, you will have access to the CECM file server. In addition to our local drive, you will have an account on cecm.music.indiana.edu which you can access from anywhere on campus and beyond. Have at least three copies of your work at all times and save in sequential version #'s (i.e. don't back up to the same file name for things like sequences or Pro Tools sessions--using a new version number for each session is the safest).

  Having received this warning, catastrophic loss of materials for assignments or final project is not an acceptable excuse. Again, back up everything redundantly and use new version numbers for each back-up!

• Access to help
  For technical questions, questions about assignments, or to set up individual help, email both Jeffrey Hass and John Gibson (addresses at top of page). We both check our email way too many times a day. We try to provide as much individual help as possible, since we understand this is a difficult subject to master. We ask, however, that you double-check manuals and the readings before contacting us, since either may provide answers to your problem. Don't get into deep trouble before asking for help! That is what we are here for.
   
• Projects Courses
  Due to space limitations, studio time after the K403/503-K404/504 sequence cannot be guaranteed to anyone but Composition Majors. After composition majors, preference is given first to composition minors, followed by others in the Jacobs School of Music, then those outside the School of Music by class seniority.
   
• Enjoy the studio!
  This is a subject that, while it has its frustrating moments, should be enjoyable, rewarding and fun. If you are new to this, it does require a great deal of patience and persistence along the way. Please keep in mind the fact that you are ultimately here to make music, with a little preliminary work to get started. Also keep in mind that we all (even your learned profs.) occasionally make dumb mistakes in the studio, regardless of our prior learned experience. It is normal to feel like a technical moron from time to time, but please remind yourself that you already come to the studio with the most important skills of all, which are those of a well-trained musician and composer. The rest is a piece of cake to develop compared to that. So work at having as much creative fun with your tutorial assgnments and projects.
   
• Studio Responsibilities
  You will be provided with a separate sheet regarding your studio use responsibilities. We above all else ask that you respect the equipment, report all broken equipment or software immediately and use your best judgement in protecting the security of the studio. Guests are not permitted without prior approval and then only for class assignment purposes. In particular, doing work for others using studio equipment (recording, editing recitals, burning CDs, etc.) is strictly forbotten!