FALL 07 * DT 202-1 * ASSIGNMENTS

Question? email laetitia.

Assignments A for September 5:

• Look at 4 or 5 of the Max-MSP videos of various artists using Max-MSP/Jitter. Comment next week on what you found interesting (or not).
• Make sure you order the parts from the shopping list, if you have not done so in class, and bring $5.00 for the parts ordered by Laetitia.
• Start looking for some old USB controllers, keyboards, mouse, joysticks... (for later)
• Look for sound toys, battery operated radio, wires... (don't bring all to class, but start collecting!)

Assignment B for September 12:

• Review some of the digital audio basics we covered in class by reading the MAX-MSP Tutorial, pages13-29 ( "How digital audio works" is the title of the chapter__not the title of the document). It can be found in the Applications -> MaxMSP -> maxmsp456Doc folder-> MSP tutorial.
• Continue working on the patch you made in class.
• Check all the patches presented last week(found in the "16C /Sonami / Class 1" folder , which you can see once you mount Pearl) and make your own patch (by modifying which ever patch struck your fancy). Your patch has to produce some sounds! Note: Copy the folder onto the Desktop you are working on, it will run more smoothly- Make sure you then save your patch into your own folder in the 16C/Sonami/Students folder. If you are getting too frustrated... do not worry, but keep track of what you do not understand so I can address it in class ( or email me beforehand if you want to work on it during the week

Assignment C for September 19

• Review the patches we covered in class and do exercices we may discuss in class.
• Start going through the Max-MSP tutorials (in documentation folder)
• Among all the patches we covered, choose one and modify it to your likings (if we covered abstractions, create abstractions so you can make multiple instances of that patch, if we did not get to do that, do not worry about it, just paste and copy it).
• Think of how you want to control this patch with external switches (we will hack the mouse / game controller next week)
• Bring a USB controller of some kind (mouse, game controller) which you can hack

Assignment D for September 26

• Review the patches we covered in class and do exercices we may discuss in class.
• Finish going through the Max-MSP tutorials.
• Prepare /finish the patch you made in class on the 19th for control with the hacked USB controller (make sure you bring a USB mouse or USB game controller to class)

Assignment E for October 3rd.

• Choose one patch that you have been working on (additive synthesis / sampler ....) and continue working on it (for example save that patch as an abstraction (with inlets and outlets) and add several instances of that patch in one main patch - Access the inlets and outlets from the main patch and control them with your interface: keys but, hopefully based on the class from Sept 26, you were able to hack the mouse and add some simple switches to your patch (for now these can just be bare wires - we will add switches / potentiometers next week). "Perform" that patch in class (do not worry, it does not have to be a masterpiece!!! actually, it should not be a masterpiece..) Questions?? please email me.

Assignment F for October 24th

• Review basic digital audio and basic concepts of electronic circuits from class hand outs for test next week!

Assignment G for November 7th

• Make sure your analog circuits is soldered to perform in class.
• Start thinking about your final projects

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Possible Assignments for later:

• CHeck ALL the MAx-MSP tutorials (1 to 31 in Max-MSP/Documentation/Tutorials ) and come back to class with questions (it sounds like a lot, but we have already gone thru most of them.... ) By "checking" I mean: turn it on, control it, get a sense of what is going on, what objects are used. The idea is to know what is possible... Once you get a sense of what is most interesting to you, you can start concentrating on the particulars, but you first need to know the landscape.
• Use the patch you have been working on the two previous weeks:

option 1 * Object and sounds: Rig an object with switches, connect the switches to the salvaged USB controller. When manipulated the object should trigger and/or modify sounds. (Think of the narrative created between sound and object)

option 2 * Body, voice & sounds: Rig some switches (could be just one switch) on your body and connect them to the salvaged USB controller. Select a text and or song and trigger the sounds while reading the text. Note that you could use the live sampling patch and sample/playback your voice while you read...

 

Assignment E:

• Read the Intro to Electronics section of the photocopy hand out.
• Start building some of the oscillators circuits from Nic Collins's schematics distributed in class- if you can't wait.
• MAke / play / REcord some SOUNDS!

 

Assignment F

• Not much... continue working on your patches -
• Make sure you read the intro to Electronics, I passed along a couple of weeks ago
• Read the article on Interfaces by Joe Paradiso

Assignment G:

• Finish your circuit so you can solder it on the 25th. (add more complexity to it: light sensors, more oscillators, think of how you would like to play it: the interface)
• Make sure you read the hand outs on electronics.

Assignment X

Collect and/or record sounds and create a short audio self-portrait with the MAX foley player. (Check the free sound fx link's page to find sound effects)

Assignment X

Using the transformer/piezo circuit we built in class, burn some sounds on a CD and resonnate an object (paper, cans....). Again, think of the relationship between sound and object discussed in class.

Assignment X Elaborate on the addititive synthesis patch so we can all jam in class next week.

Assignment X Build a small patch in Max-MSP which will take data from one computer and send data to another. We can then connect all the computers in the lab in a jamming network.