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Unit outline_

MUSC3603: Advanced Digital Music Techniques

Semester 2, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit is an advanced exploration of digital sound and music in creative and multimedia contexts. It is a subject in which students are expected to make sophisticated use of sound creation and manipulation tools in pursuit of their own musical ideas. Students will undertake creative projects as a means to learning. An ability to read music at a basic level and an understanding of fundamental musical terminology is an advantage in this unit of study.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Analysis, History and Cultural Studies
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
MUSC2653 or CMPN1013 or MUED1002
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Alexis Weaver, alexis.weaver@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Damian Barbeler, damian.barbeler@sydney.edu.au
Alison Cole, alison.cole@sydney.edu.au
Practitioner(s) Olivia Regueira Garcia, olivia.regueiragarcia@sydney.edu.au
The census date for this unit availability is 2 September 2024
Type Description Weight Due Length
Participation Participation/Contribution/Attendance
The student engages actively in tasks, discussions and creative activities.
15% Ongoing Assessed throughout Semester
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO6 LO5
Assignment Creative Assignment 2: Choose your own Adventure
Creative Work and Process Diary
25% STUVAC
Due date: 08 Nov 2024 at 23:59
5-10 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO5 LO6
Presentation Innovations in Production Land: Group Presentation
Multi-Media Group Presentation In Class
10% Week 04
Due date: 18 Aug 2024 at 23:59
10-12 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO2
Assignment Creative Assignment 1: Psychedelic Remix
Composition and written task
20% Week 05
Due date: 30 Aug 2024 at 23:59
3 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO3 LO5 LO6
Assignment Technical Task: Fix the Mix
Mixing Task and Process Diary
30% Week 09
Due date: 27 Sep 2024 at 23:59
Depends on the option chosen
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO4 LO5 LO6

Assessment summary

Innovations in Production Land: Group In-Class Presentation: Group in-class presentation. Present a case study featuring recent groundbreaking and/or high-end sound-related production technique, creative approach, workflow or technology. The work could be a song, installation or album etc, from any genre. The case study must be from the last 10 years.  Demonstrate technical information, use diagrams and images, and practical examples in a DAW or live performance.

Creative Assignment 1 - Psychedelic Remix: Create an inventive, exploratory, “Psychedelic” Remix or Mashup focused primarily around an unusual short audio sample. Include a variety of musical/sound layers. The sample should be short: ideally 10 seconds or less. Create a process diary (1000 words equivalent) explaining your artistic vision, research and work flow, showing screenshots of typical examples of your working in the DAW of your choice.

Technical Task: Fix the Mix: Choose one of the given audio file sets and fix the arrangement and mixing. Use your knowledge of mixing, arranging, physics of sound and artistic vision to create a finished, broadcast-standard product. Accompany with a process diary as per the first assignment.

Creative Assignment 2: Choose Your Own Adventure: Create a digital artwork of your own devising. Present this in “studio” form and in some form in the live SHOWCASE presentation at the end of Semester. Online reflection must be prepared like other assignments.

Participation/Attendance/Contribution – In-class participation including: group creative tasks in class, class discussion contribution, group presentations and general active creative, thoughtful reflection and contribution.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on the MUSC3603 Canvas site.

Assessment criteria

The following assessment criteria are used for Composing and Documenting of work in this unit of study:

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85-100

Demonstrates high level of initiative in researching technical methods. Compelling, elegant artistic vision.  Sophisticated critical analysis of own creative work; high level engagement with quality production, sound sources and considered workflows and drafting. Innovative composing: music expressed with originality and precision. A sophisticated application of creative and technical methods; engaging musicality and underlying understanding of communication with an audience. Final products are highly professional and of a professional broadcast standard. Documentation is informative and gives deep insights into creative and other processes. Supporting documentation of workings are detailed and relevant. A strong personal ‘voice’ apparent in the musical expression.

Distinction

75 - 84

Demonstrates initiative in research and technical methods. Clear artistic vision. Good critical analysis of own creative work; engagement with quality production, bespoke sound sources and regular drafting. Well crafted composing: music expressed with emotion and conviction. Careful application of methods with musicality and underlying understanding of communication with an audience. Final products are near professional and of a near broadcast standard. Documentation is informative and gives insights into creative and other processes. A sense of an emerging personal ‘voice’ apparent in the musical expression.

Credit

65 - 74

Some independent research into technical methods. Artistic vision is present but not full focused. Reflection on own creative work; clear and mostly well made production. Thoughtful composing: music expressed solidly though lacking genuine emotion. Demonstration of methods learned in class, good and possibly inconsistent musicality. Good craft with some sense of communication with an audience. Final products are clean and transparent with certain inconsistencies in production standard. Documentation is informative without being genuinely insightful. Competent reproduction of established styles or genres.

Pass

50 - 64

Work meets basic requirements of research, composing, structure and musical presentation. Mixing is well presented but rudimentary with moments of poor clarity or disfunctional sound quality. Heavy relliance on pre-existing loops. Tendency to reproduction of models rather than invention and adaptation. Inconsistency in mixing and sound sources are largely drawn from libraries rather than being bespoke. Documentation is brief and not giving a full impression of the creative process.

Fail

0 - 49

Work may fail for any or all of the following reasons: incomplete or missing compositions; large sections of music incomplete or cut and paste from other artist’s work without any creative adaptation on the part of the student. Unbalanced mixing, or lack of mixing so that the music is muddy and difficult to hear. Lack of genuine engagement with the creative process. Lack of application of techniques from class. No artistic vision. Absent of very brief and superficial documentation with no screenshots of working.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late penalties will be applied in accordance with section 7a of the University of Sydney "Assessment Proceedures 2011".

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Lecture: Introduction, Course Structure and Approach, Revision of fundamentals of sound and sound production. Tutorial: Intro to group assignment and Creative Task 1. Group Listening Task: Revision of Mixing References. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2
Week 02 Exploring idiosyncratic production as a departure point for wider production techniques. Developing and "defending" high quality, idiosyncratic content. Creativity and Inspiration. Tutorial: Group listening task. Sign-ups for group presentations. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 03 Mixing Strategies, Filtering and Workflows. DAW mixing case study. Tutorial: Practical Group Mixing Exercise. Feedback on student drafts. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 04 Lecture: Alison Cole: How do you realise concept into reality? Professional case studies of interesting/pioneering production techniques and workflows. Tutorial: Group Presentations x 3. Group Listening Task. Introduction of 2nd assignment. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Week 05 Lecture: Survey of high-end hardware and software. Tutorial: Group Presentations x 3. Feedback on student drafts. Showcase discussion. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 06 Lecture: Damian Barbeler: Mixing Techniques and Examples. Imaging, Listening, Mixing. Tutorial: Group Presentations x 3. Introduction final assignment and showcase. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO6
Week 07 Lecture: Damian Barbeler: Mixing Techniques and Examples. Imaging, Listening, Mixing. Tutorial: Group Presentations x 3. Showcase preparation. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 08 Lecture: Alison Cole: Exploring the effects of compression in different plugins. Extended mixing techniques and workflow tips. Case studies in multi-art and interactive work. Tutorial: Showcase preparation. Final group presentations. Student feedback on drafts. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6
Week 09 Further Mixing techniques. Tutorial: Showcase preparation. Student feedback on final assignment. Roving feedback from Olivia Regueira. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 10 No lecture this week. Working on showcase. Feedback on student drafts of final works, overview of mixing techniques. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 11 Feedback on student drafts of final works, mixing techniques. SHOWCASE at Conservatorium. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 12 Lecture: Mastering and levelling – how to ready your work for streaming and release. Tutorial: Group and individual feedback on student drafts of final works. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO5
Week 13 1:1 Feedback – booked drop-in sessions. Final task due STUVAC. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: Students are expected to attend a minimum of 90% of timetabled activities for a unit of study, unless granted exemption by the Dean, Head of School or professor most concerned. The Dean, Head of School or professor most concerned may determine that a student fails a unit of study because of inadequate attendance. Alternatively, at their discretion, they may set additional assessment items where attendance is lower than 90%.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Understand the development of a variety of electronic music instruments and effects across the twentieth and twenty first centuries in a wide variety of genres.
  • LO2. Employ digital music terminology and relate such terminology to real-world professional audio scenarios.
  • LO3. Learn creative production workflows including using virtual instruments, step sequencers, digital samplers, drum machines and mixers in an applied workflow.
  • LO4. Learn advanced strategies for mixing, eqing and spectral analysis, to improve clarity of overall tracks, as well as for experimentation and innovation.
  • LO5. Document the creative process and report on your chosen workflow and influences to demonstrate your understanding of prior work.
  • LO6. Make informed choices when selecting sound synthesis, audio effects and other digital methods in the creation of new work.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

In S2, 2024, the Unit will incorporate multiple guest lecturers from a variety of disciplines to give students a broader understanding of the production landscape. Process and participation are more heavily weighted to encourage students to reflect on their creative workflows in real-time.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.