Continuing Education

Musical instrument development has moved into electronic and digital realms. This beginner-to-intermediate level course will introduce and reinforce concepts in computer music, programming, synthesizers, analog electronics and soldering. Students will be given knobs, sliders and buttons to customize their own hardware device, along with a Daisy Seed (a state-of-the-art audio microcontroller platform). The instruments will be soldered by the students and the basics of microcontroller wiring will be covered. Using the Daisy Seed allows students to test and program their projects using a laptop, and ultimately to use them independent of a computer. Students will program the instruments using Pure Data, a free and open-source visual programming language, which is employed for a wide array of musical applications. Within Pure Data, there are many different instruments that can be created, and students will be encouraged to experiment and push the boundaries of what is possible. Students will complete the course with a custom-made and custom-programmed musical instrument.
Note: Students are required to bring a laptop to each session. The materials fee covers materials, including knobs, sliders, prototyping board and Daisy Seed. Students will also be provided with a pair of headphones to independently test their programs. This course is held on campus at SVA in the Visible Futures Lab, a state-of-the-art rapid prototyping facility and fabrication space.