Maintained by Gary P. Scavone.
Music Technology,
Schulich School of Music
McGill University
Winter 2026
| Course Description |
This course is about algorithmic control in music, with application to human-computer interaction design, music composition, interactive performance, and sound synthesis. It is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of communication and control in music and audio software. At the end of this course, students should be able to:
| Instructor: Gary P. Scavone | TA: Miranda Jackson | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Course Details |
| Time: | Tuesdays 4:35 - 7:25 PM | |
| Place: | C-201 (Strathcona Music Building) | |
| Credits: | 3 | |
| Lab Kit: | There is no required textbook for the course but students are required to purchase a music controller prototyping lab kit for about $40. Other microcontroller development boards (Raspberry Pi, Teensy, ...) can potentially be used or purchased instead (after discussion with the instructor). | |
| Prerequisites: | Previous digital audio experience required, curiosity and creativity beneficial |
| Grading and Policies |
Attendance and punctuality: It is expected that you will be punctual and attend all classes. E-mail communications with teaching staff should be courteous and professional. Aim for brief, to-the-point messages, and plan ahead: allow a reasonable amount of time for responses. Extensions and/or make-ups will need to be requested a week or more in advance of a due date and should include supporting documentation.
There will be two in-class exams, each consisting of a closed-book written section and an open-book computer-based section. Assignment due dates will be indicated for each homework. The grade of a late homework will be reduced by 20% per day after the due date. Homework handed in 5 or more days late will be given a grade of 0.
| Exams (2): | 35% | |
| Homework: | 35% | |
| Final Project: | 25% | |
| Participation: | 5% |
The "participation" grade will be based on attentiveness/participation in class discussions. Grading curves will be applied if deemed appropriate. Work submitted for evaluation as part of this course may be checked with text-matching software within myCourses. In the event of extraordinary circumstances beyond the University's control, the content and/or evaluation scheme in this course is subject to change.
| Final Projects |
There will not be a final exam for this class. Instead, students are required to work on a final project of their own design. The final project provides students the opportunity to pursue a more in-depth study of a particular aspect of the class that they are most interested in. Group projects are possible with the instructor's approval. Project topics should relate to the course material and might include an electro-acoustic composition, a digital music instrument created with an Arduino, or the use of an existing software package (Pd, Common Music) to achieve an interesting music control and/or synthesis task. Students are encouraged to consult with the instructor and/or TA in the development stages of the project. A short, 5 minute, project progress report will be required in class in Week 6 and subsequent short advising sessions will take place with the instructor in Weeks 9 and 10. Final presentations will occur during the last two classes of the semester. A short web-based or PDF project report detailing the objectives, methodology, and results will be due at a specified date after the presentation session. Grading will be based in part on effort, organization and creativity in pursuing the project objectives. More details are provided on the Final Projects page.
| Course Outline |
| Week 1 (6 January): | Pd Basics, Music Controller Overview |
| Week 2 (13 January): | Communication Protocols, MIDI with Pd |
| Week 3 (20 January): | More Pd Concepts, Sensor Interfaces, Arduino Introduction |
| Week 4 (27 January): | Electronics Overview, Simple Sensors, Arduino Programming |
| Week 5 (3 February): | Raw Midi, More Sensors, Arduino I/O |
| Week 6 (10 February): | Arduino Kit Demos, Pd Sequencing, Expression & Data Structures, Project Discussion #1 |
| Week 7 (17 February): | Exam #1 |
| Week 8 (24 February): | Algorithmic Composition Introduction |
| Study Break (3 March): | No Class |
| Week 9 (10 March): | Audio Signals, Audio Processing in Pd, Project Advising |
| Week 10 (17 March): | MIDI Files, Open Sound Control, MIDI 2.0, Project Advising |
| Week 11 (24 March): | Exam #2 |
| Week 12 (31 March): | Final Project Presentations |
| Week 13 (7 April): | Final Project Presentations |
| Labs & Links |
Conformément à la Charte des droits de l'étudiant de l'Université McGill, chaque étudiant a le droit de soumettre en français ou en anglais tout travail écrit devant être noté, sauf dans le cas des cours dont l'un des objets est la maîtrise d'une langue.
McGill University values academic integrity. Therefore, all students must understand the meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences under the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures (see McGill's guide to academic honesty for more information).
L'université McGill attache une haute importance à l'honnêteté académique. Il incombe par conséquent à tous les étudiants de comprendre ce que l'on entend par tricherie, plagiat et autres infractions académiques, ainsi que les conséquences que peuvent avoir de telles actions, selon le Code de conduite de l'étudiant et des procédures disciplinaires (pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez consulter le guide pour l'honnêteté académique de McGill).
© Instructor-generated course materials (e.g., handouts, notes, summaries, exam questions) are protected by law and may not be copied or distributed in any form or in any medium without explicit permission of the instructor. Note that copyright infringements can be subject to follow-up by the University under the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures.
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| ©2003-2026 McGill University. All Rights Reserved. Maintained by Gary P. Scavone. |