MUCP 5690: Topics in Electroacoustic
Music

Physical Modeling of Acoustic Sound
and Space

Instructor: Jon
Christopher Nelson, jon.nelson@unt.edu, 940-369-7531

Time and Location:
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30-10:50 AM, Music 2009

Office Hours:
email contact is fastest, other meetings arranged as per student requests

OBJECTIVES:

Physical Modeling of Acoustic Sound and Space will focus on
computer music modeling techniques and their application in computer music
composition. The students will demonstrate their understanding of the materials
through both programming assignments and the completion of a final project
which can either consist of a significant original composition utilizing
extensive physical modeling techniques (stereo or multi-channel, fixed media or
real-time interactive) or more extensive programming/software development. Throughout
the course we will work together to develop a variety of shared software tools
that can be utilized in future compositional and research endeavors.

GRADING:

Final course grades will be determined according to the
following formula:

• 60%
  class participation (attendance, class discussion, assignments, tests)
• 40%
  final composition project

ATTENDANCE/CLASSROOM COURTESY:

Attendance is expected and factors into the class
participation component of the grade. Out of courtesy to others, please make
every effort to arrive at class on time. If you must miss a class, it is your
responsibility to find out about any missed materials. More than two unexcused
absences will result in the final grade being docked one full letter grade.

CLASS PARTICIPATION:

Students are expected to come to class prepared, having read the
required readings and prepared assignments. Assignments listed for a class date
must be completed BEFORE the class begins. Participation in classroom
discussion will be a primary factor for demonstrating class preparation.
Assignments may include, but will not be limited to quizzes, programming assignments
(Csound, MAX/MSP, Tassman, PD, Modalys, Supercollider, etc.),audio production
exercises, and listening. Students will post assignments at
http://www.music.unt.edu/comp/jcnelson/PhysMod

FINAL PROJECT:

The final project will consist of one of the following: 1) an
electroacoustic composition of 8-12 minutes duration that makes extensive use
of physical modeling techniques and exhibits pristine audio production
technique as well as a carefully wrought formal structure or 2) a programming
project to develop a suite of software tools for physical modeling as per
instructor approval. Though intended primarily as individual projects,
individuals may also propose a group project for instructor consideration and
approval.

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

P. R. Cook. Real
Sound Synthesis for Interactive Applications. Natick, Massachusetts:
Peters, A K, Limited, 2002.

Media (CD-R, DVD-R, flash drives, HDs) for data backup and
storage

OPTIONAL READINGS TAKEN FROM:

R. Boulanger,
ed., in
The Csound Book. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2000. (on reserve
in the library behind the Music Circulation Desk)

C. Roads, the
Computer Music Tutorial. 
Cambridge, Massachusetts: 
The MIT Press, 1996. (on reserve in the library behind the Music
Circulation Desk)

J. O. Smith, Physical
Audio Signal Processing. December 2008 ed., Stanford, California: W3K
publishing, 2008. THIS BOOK IS STILL IN PROGRESS AND CAN BE FOUND ONLINE AT: http://www.dsprelated.com/dspbooks/pasp/

SUPPLEMENTAL BIBLIOGRAPHY:

J. M. Adrien, “The Missing Link: Modal Synthesis,” in
Representations of Musical Signals (G.
De Poli, A. Piccialli, and C. Roads, eds.), pp.269-298, Cambridge,
Massachusetts:  The MIT Press,
1991.

G. Bennett and X. Rodet, “Synthesis of the Singing
Voice,” in Current Directions in Computer
Music Research (M. Mathews and J. Pierce, eds.), pp. 19-44, Cambridge,
Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1989.

M. Clarke, “FOF and FOG Synthesis in Csound,” in The Csound Book (R. Boulanger, ed.),
pp. 293-306, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2000.

P. R. Cook. Real
Sound Synthesis for Interactive Applications. Natick, Massachusetts:
Peters, A K, Limited, 2002.

J. M. Comajuncosas, “Analog Dreams: Modeling
Commercial Synthesizers,” in The Csound
Book (R. Boulanger, ed.), CD-ROM chapter 20, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The
MIT Press, 2000.

J. M. Comajuncosas, “Physical Models of Strings and
Plates Using Simplified Mass-String Method,” in The Csound Book (R. Boulanger, ed.), CD-ROM chapter 21, Cambridge,
Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2000.

A. Farnell, Designing
Sound. London, England: Applied Scientific Press, 2006.

J. L. Florens and C. Cadoz, “The Physical Model:
Modeling and Simulating the Instrument Universe,” in Representations of Musical Signals (G.
De Poli, A. Piccialli, and C. Roads, eds.), pp.227-268, Cambridge,
Massachusetts:  The MIT Press,
1991.

B. Gold and N. Morgan. Speech and Audio Signal Processing. New York, New York: John Wiley
& Sons Inc., 2000.

E. Lyon, “An Introduction to Reverberation Design
with Csound,” in The Csound Book (R.
Boulanger, ed.), pp. 467-482, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2000.

H. Mikelson, Implementing the Gardner Reverbs in
Csound,” in The Csound Book (R.
Boulanger, ed.), pp. 483-492, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2000.

H. Mikelson, Mathematical Modeling with Csound: From
Waveguides to Chaos,” in The Csound Book (R.
Boulanger, ed.), pp. 369-388, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2000.

H. Mikelson, Modeling A Multieffects Processor in
Csound,” in The Csound Book (R.
Boulanger, ed.), pp. 207-222, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2000.

H. Mikelson, Modeling Classic Electronic Keyboards in
Csound,” in The Csound Book (R.
Boulanger, ed.), pp. 207-222, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2000.

E. R. Miranda, “Three Modeling Approaches to
Instrument Design,” in The Csound Book (R.
Boulanger, ed.), CD-ROM chapter 27, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press,
2000.

C. Roads, the
Computer Music Tutorial. 
Cambridge, Massachusetts: 
The MIT Press, 1996.

X. Serra, “Musical Sound Modeling with Sinusoids Plus
Noise,” in Musical Signal
Processing (C. Roads, S. T. Pope, A. Piccialli, and G. De Poli, eds.),
pp.91-122, Exton, PA:  Swets &
Zeitlinger Publishers, 1997.

J. O Smith, “Acoustic Modeling Using Digital
Waveguides,” in Musical Signal
Processing (C. Roads, S. T. Pope, A. Piccialli, and G. De Poli, eds.),
pp.221-264, Exton, PA:  Swets &
Zeitlinger Publishers, 1997.

J. O. Smith, Physical
Audio Signal Processing. December 2008 ed., Stanford, California: W3K
publishing, 2008.

J. O. Smith, ``Principles of digital waveguide models of musical instruments,'' in Applications of Digital
Signal Processing to Audio and Acoustics (M. Kahrs and K. Brandenburg, eds.),
pp. 417-466, Boston/Dordrecht/London: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998.

J. Sundberg, “Synthesis of Singing by Rule,” in Current Directions in Computer Music
Research (M. Mathews and J. Pierce, eds.), pp. 45-56, Cambridge,
Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1989.

J. Sundberg, “Synthesizing Singing,” in Representations of Musical Signals (G.
De Poli, A. Piccialli, and C. Roads, eds.), pp.299-320, Cambridge,
Massachusetts:  The MIT Press,
1991.

L. Trautmann and R. Rabenstein. Digital Sound Synthesis by Physical Modeling Using the Functional
Transformation Method. New York, New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum
Publishers, 2003.

J. Wawrzynek, ``A VLSI approach to sound synthesis,''
in Current Directions in Computer Music
Research (M. Mathews and J. Pierce, eds.), pp. 113-148, Cambridge, Massachusetts:
MIT Press, 1989.

A more comprehensive bibliography with more than 500
physical modeling citations can be found at Julius Smith’s web site: https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~jos/pasp/Bibliography.html

CHEATING AND ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

(from http://www.unt.edu/policy/UNT_Policy/volume3/18_1_11.html

1) Academic dishonesty - cheating. The term “cheating”
includes, but is not limited to:

(a)  use of any unauthorized assistance in
taking quizzes, tests, or examinations;

(b)  dependence upon the aid of sources beyond
those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports,
solving problems, or carrying out other assignments;

(c)  the acquisition, without permission, of
tests, notes or other academic material belonging to a faculty or staff member
of the university;

(d)  dual submission of a paper or project, or
resubmission of a paper or project to a different class without express
permission from the instructor(s).

(e)  any other act designed to give a student
an unfair advantage.

2) Academic dishonesty – plagiarism. The term “plagiarism”
includes, but is not limited to:

(a)  the knowing or negligent use by paraphrase
or direct quotation of the published or unpublished work of another person
without full and clear acknowledgement and

(b)  the knowing or negligent unacknowledged
use of materials prepared by another person or by an agency engaged in the
selling of term papers or other academic materials.

ADA:

(from http://www.unt.edu/policy/UNT_Policy/volume2/6_8_3.html)

It is the policy of the University
of North Texas not to discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion,
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qualifying disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in its
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