(compMus1) Assignment: Creative Project 2

MuMet 140: Creative Project 2, Multitrack Concrete Music Due: 2/27

(Download pdf of project assignment file)

Overview

Building on your knowledge of sample processing learned in project 1, create a two-minute work of concrete music using recorded sounds. You may use sounds from Project 1, sounds from online libraries, sample CDs in Bracken (Education Resources Desk), and/or recorded sounds of your own choosing. Use Peak, SoundHack, and ThOnk to process your samples, and Digital Performer to assemble your piece. You may use your first project as the basis for this project, but you will want to create (or re-create) splices and mixes in Digital Performer. You may use plugins whose function you understand in both Peak and DP.

Once again, work in a gestural style, where development and variation of source material is important. Use DP like a tape deck, with time rulers set to “real time,” and tempo set to quarter = 60.

For pieces of this length, form still doesn’t really need to be much of a concern. Almost anything that works moment to moment will work for a two minutes. Take advantage of the multitrack capabilities of DP to create layers of activity. Slow moving background material (derived from the same source material used for gestures at any given point) can help to define a section as much as fast moving foreground gestures.

Requirements:

• Length must be at least two minutes. Try not to go much longer than two minutes. Bloat will not help your grade.
• As in your first project, use at three different sound source types, i.e., three different sounds of dishes breaking is one sound type (breaking dishes). You would still need two other types of sounds.
• Keep your files organized! Keep copies of original and Peak-processed files in subfolders of your DP folder for backup purposes. DP audio files will be imported to the audio files folder of your project. (Use easy to understand file names.)
• The finished project should be primarily gesture-based (Some repeated patterns are ok, especially repeated gestures with variations, but don’t use DP loops set to repeat 50 times. Again, I’m not against loop-based music. I just want you to learn how to manipulate sound, and looping reduces how much you have to manipulate.)
• Title your work.

You will be graded on the following:

1. Creativity in manipulating your sound material, particularly with regard to creating gestures and motives.
2. Diversity of sound material, and required number of sound sources.
3. Use of DP to automate mix parameters (Pan, Level, and plugin parameters).
4. Meeting the required length (2 minutes; definitely not shorter; probably not much longer)
5. Overall sound quality, which includes:
   – proper amplitude levels (no clipping, maximize peak signal to noise ratio)
   – quality of edits (no pops or clicks!!!!)
   – no distortion due to overloading of plugins or other editing errors
6. Organization of files.
7. Following the turn-in procedure.

Turn-in Procedure:

• Name your DP project folder with your name and the number “2” – “project” will be added to the name. (kothman2 project)
• Your project folder should also contain any Peak/SoundHack/Th0nk (P/S/T) files you created (including original source material). Using sub-folders is highly recommended. These subfolders for source and P/S/T-processed files can be at the level below yourname2 project folder.
• Turn in your project folder via my directory on the server. Login with your username and password, and then choose to connect to UsersMT1. Look for my directory (kkothman). Open my public folder, and copy your project folder to my Drop Box. (Drag your folder icon to my Drop Box icon and release the mouse; you will be warned that you do not have permission to view the result of your operation; proceed, and your folder will be copied.)
• Use Toast Lite, or Toast with Jam, to burn an AUDIO CD with your finished project as the only track. You’ll have to import the dual mono mix files output from DP into Peak, and save as an aif file.
• Label the CD with your name, title of piece, and duration (min:sec). You can use a Sharpie and write neatly on the disc. Please do not use paper adhesive labels.
• Turn in the Audio CD in a rectangular CD case. No case cover is necessary.