Introduction to MIDI and Computer Music: Lecture Slides

Lecture Slides

Here are links to the PowerPoint slides I've been showing when I talk to you about some topic. These should help you review for the quizzes.

When you click on a link, you'll download the PowerPoint file to your computer. It's possible that the computer will act confused and ask you whether you want to find an application or just save the file. Choose to save the file. This works on any computer than has PowerPoint, running either Mac OS or Windows. The slides are available only inside the IU network or over an IU dialup line.

After opening a PowerPoint file, view the slide show by choosing Slide Show from the View menu on Mac OS X, or View Show from the Slide Show menu on Windows XP. While viewing the slide show, use these keyboard commands to move around.

Press the space bar to advance to the next slide, or to the next animation element on the current slide.
To go back one step, press the 'p' (for "previous") key.
Press the escape key (upper left corner of the keyboard) to quit the presentation.

NOTE: If all you do is open the file and print the slides, you will not get the full effect of the animations, which may be confusing.

Quiz 1

Basic MIDI
Just the basics
MIDI Setup
Ways to set up the hardware for a complete MIDI system star network
Sequencer Quantization
A technique for cleaning up the rhythm of sequencer tracks
Local Control
A tricky aspect of setting up a MIDI system containing MIDI devices and a computer sequencer
MIDI Low-level
MIDI data transmission, types of MIDI message, channel voice messages
Controllers
About MIDI control change messages

Quiz 2

Analog Synthesis
Basic synthesizer architecture
Acoustics
Sound waves and their propagation; amplitude, intensity, loudness, decibels; frequency and pitch; timbre, constructive and destructive interference; resonance, formants
Sampling
Sampler terminology
Digital Audio
Analog-to-digital conversion; digital audio terminology
Audio Effects: EQ
Audio Effects: Delay