Software

WaveForm Free: https://www.tracktion.com/products/waveform-free

Weekly Slides

Weekly Slides (updated link) For Brooklyn College students only. Login with your Brooklyn College credentials to view on OneDrive.

Textbook Open Educational Material (zero cost)

(Textbook will be made available close to the start of the semester)

Cover

List of Weekly Readings

Reading 1: What is Sound? 

Hass, Jeffrey. “Chapter One: Acoustics: Sound.” Educational. Introduction to Computer Music An Electronic Textbook, 2025. https://cmtext.com/acoustics/chapter1_sound.php.

Reading 2: Wave shapes and spectral content

Hass, Jeffrey. “Chapter One: Acoustics: Wave Shape and Spectral Content.” Educational. Introduction to Computer Music An Electronic Textbook, 2025. https://cmtext.com/acoustics/chapter1_shape.php.

Reading 3: Rhythm and Tempo

Complete Lesson 11 “Note Duration” and Lesson 12 “Measures and Time Signature” of in MusicTheory.Net. Free links provided below, no app purchase necessary. (Creative Commons License CC BY 4.0)

Musictheory.Net. “Lesson 11: Note Duration.” Educational. 2025 2000. https://www.musictheory.net/lessons/11.

Musictheory.Net. “Lesson 12: Measures and Time Signature.” Educational. 2025 2000. https://www.musictheory.net/lessons/12.

Reading 4: Digital Audio
Samples and Sampling,” “Nyquist Frequency,” and “Sample Rates”

Hass, Jeffrey. “Chapter 5: Digital Audio; Sampling.” Educational. Introduction to Computer Music An Electronic Textbook, 2025. https://cmtext.com/digital_audio/chapter5_sample.php.

Reading 5: Signal Processing (Effects)

Hass, Jeffrey. “Chapter Two: Studio Gear: Signal Processing.” Educational. Introduction to Computer Music An Electronic Textbook, 2025. https://cmtext.com/studio/chapter2_effects.php.

Interactive DSP Patches

Reading 6: MIDI Hardware and Data

Read the pages “ MIDI History and Overview,” “MIDI Hardware,” and “MIDI Data Formats ” (In Chapter 3: MIDI)

Hass, Jeffrey. “Chpater 3: MIDI: Overview.” Educational. Introduction to Computer Music An Electronic Textbook, 2025. https://cmtext.com/MIDI/chapter3_MIDI.php.

Reading 7: Microphones

Hass, Jeffrey. “Chapter 2: Studio Gear: Microphones.” Educational. Introduction to Computer Music An Electronic Textbook, 2025. https://cmtext.com/studio/chapter2_mics.php.

Reading 8: Mixing Consoles

Hass, Jeffrey. “Chapter 2: Studio Gear: Mixing Consoles.” Educational. Introduction to Computer Music An Electronic Textbook, 2025. https://cmtext.com/studio/chapter2_mixers.php.

Activity Descriptions

Assignment Descriptions

Final Project Descriptions

Other Suggested Resources (not required):

Software

Max/MSP: https://cycling74.com

RNBO: https://rnbo.cycling74.com

Books

Dan Hosken, An Introduction to Music Technology (link to purchase hardcopy): https://www.routledge.com/An-Introduction-to-Music-Technology/Hosken/p/book/9780415825733?srsltid=AfmBOopFmmW2t9vMz4vsC0xyo5HYpSTqHNPYPKBFukkIKe1aFLyKk1bQ

Sylvia Massy and Chris Johnson, Recording Unhinged: Creative and Unconventional Music Recording Techniques, 2016 (link to borrow digital copy): https://archive.org/details/bwb_KR-490-349/mode/2up

Kathy Van Eck, Between Air and Electricity, 2017 (link to purchase hard copy): https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/between-air-and-electricity-9781501327605/
Link to accompanying website (free resource): https://microphonesandloudspeakers.com

Gareth Loy, Musimathics Vol. 1 & 2, 2007 http://www.musimathics.com

Theodore Gordon, The Composer’s Black Box, 2025 (link to purchase hard copy): https://www.ucpress.edu/books/the-composers-black-box/paper

Richard James Burgess, The History of Music Production, 2014 (link to purchase hardcopy): https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-history-of-music-production-9780199357161?cc=us&lang=en&

Richard James Burgess, The Art of Music Production 4th Ed., 2013 (link to purchase hardcopy): https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-art-of-music-production-9780199921744?lang=en&cc=us

Curtis Roads,The Computer Music Tutorial, 1996 (link to purchase hard copy): https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262044912/the-computer-music-tutorial/

Sound Libraries

Moby Free Sound Library, 2025 Release: https://mobygratis.com

BBC Sound Effects Library: https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk

Library of Congress Audio Recordings Archive: https://www.loc.gov/audio/

Class recordings: mono recordings (condenser, cardioid mic) & ambisonics recordings (binaural)

Free Plugins (AU/VST)

Disclaimer

These resources are offered as recommendations only. While many of the instruments listed here are currently free, availability may change over time. Some developers may require you to create a free account, sign up for newsletters, or navigate optional free trial offers.

Students are responsible for checking the download conditions and ensuring that no charges are applied to their accounts. The instructor is not responsible for any changes in pricing, availability, or requirements by the developers.

Panning & Effects

Free Binaural-Panning Plugin (signup required).

Instrument Resources

Basic/Native Plug-ins

Logic Pro (Apple)
Logic comes with a wide range of professional instruments built in: Alchemy, Retro Synth, Sculpture, and the EXS24 Sampler.
🔗 Logic Pro

Ableton Live (Ableton)
Ableton also includes a powerful set of instruments: Analog, Wavetable, Operator, and Sampler, among others.
🔗 Ableton Live

Strings

Spitfire Audio LABS (Spitfire Audio)
A collection of free sampled instruments including strings, piano, and experimental textures. The base LABS packs are free to use.
🔗 LABS

Strings / Orchestral

VSCO 2 CE (Versilian Studios)
A complete free orchestral sample library featuring strings, winds, brass, and percussion in SFZ/Kontakt formats.
🔗 VSCO 2 CE

Piano / Keyboards

Piano in 162 (Ivy Audio)
A deeply sampled Steinway Model B grand piano, available in SFZ/Kontakt formats.
🔗 Piano in 162

General Samplers

Decent Sampler + Libraries (Decent Samples)
A free AU/VST sampler plugin with a large community of free downloadable libraries.
🔗 Decent Sampler

FluidSynth (Open-source)
A software synthesizer for playing SoundFont (.sf2) files, lightweight and versatile.
🔗 FluidSynth

Analog Synth Emulators

Tyrell N6 (u-he)
An analog-style subtractive synthesizer, compact but powerful.
🔗 Tyrell N6

OB-Xd (discoDSP)
A free emulation of the classic Oberheim OB-X, great for pads, basses, and leads.
🔗 OB-Xd

TAL-NoiseMaker (TAL-Software)
A virtual analog subtractive synth with built-in effects.
🔗 TAL-NoiseMaker

Synth1 (Daichi Laboratory)
A Nord Lead 2-inspired VA synth, widely used and highly customizable.
🔗 Synth1

FB-3300 (Full Bucket Music)
A faithful emulation of the rare Korg PS-3300 semi-modular analog synth.
🔗 FB-3300

Dexed (asb2m10)
A Yamaha DX7 emulator, fully compatible with original DX7 patches.
🔗 Dexed

Wavetable Synths

Surge XT (Surge Synth Team)
An open-source powerhouse synth combining subtractive, wavetable, and FM synthesis.
🔗 Surge XT

Vital (Matt Tytel)
A free wavetable synth with deep modulation and effects, very popular for modern sound design.
🔗 Vital

Zebralette (u-he)
A single-oscillator version of Zebra2, designed as an introduction to wavetable synthesis.
🔗 Zebralette

Hybrid & Modular Synths

ZynAddSubFX / Zyn-Fusion (Nasca Octavian Paul)
A hybrid additive, subtractive, and wavetable synth supporting microtonality.
🔗 ZynAddSubFX

VCV Rack (Open-source)
A modular Eurorack-style environment with a free core version and community modules.
🔗 VCV Rack