EMK – Electronic Music Composition

This course deals with the computer as the wide ranging not to say infinite musical instrument as well as creative compositional tool.

At the core of the course is the application Ableton Live 8. Live 8 is exceptionally easy to start using but at the same time holds vast possibilities for sound manipulation and the discovery of new interesting functions in the long run.

The lessons will utilize many different styles of passing on knowledge. There will of course be traditional lectures in technical as well as aesthetic issues, some of which are sketched out below. Some lessons will on the other hand be a dialogue between teacher and pupils, i.e. when discussing tracks made on the course or by some of our favorite artist. And at times the pupils themselves will be asked to prepare lectures on specific subjects of interest for each other.

Here are some of the main issues we will cover during the course:

Ableton Live 8:
How does the application work? What is it capable of? Live is remarkable in the regard that it is both a very good tool for classic music production (time-line based) as well as performing electronic music in a live setting (scene based).

Synthesizers:
In depth knowledge is provided concerning synthesizers. How do you achieve the kind of sound that is stuck in your head? What’s an LFO, oscillator, envelope, filter, etc. In addition, and in extension hereof, we will cover drum machines and samplers.

Effects:
You will get to know all the most important sound sculpturing effects such as compressor, equalizer, delay, reverb, distortion, chorus, phasers, bit-crushers, etc. These are absolutely necessary tools to be familiar with in order to achieve results of high quality.

Composition:
How can one utilize the computer as a compositional tool in various ways? How do you make up an interesting song structure? During the course we will not emphasize certain genres or the ‘right’ way of doing things in general. Making music is a personal thing and the main purpose for this course is to help you reach your musical potential and get there while achieving a good workflow.

Live Performance:
Since we’ll primarily work with Ableton Live 8 we will also focus on the different possibilities for performing live with the computer as ones main instrument. Today it is – as it’s always been – very important to be able to perform your music well in a live setting in order to make sure your music is passed on. And the best thing is: It can be loads of fun and totally different from the perfectionistic sort of work one does in the studio.

Technical and Theoretical Knowledge
What is sample rate, bit depth, latency, amplitude, tonal balance, the frequency spectrum, etc. These are invaluable subjects to be on good terms with to understand what is going technically while making a track. In addition we will work with recognizing sound sources and certain acoustics.

Recording:
How to record vocals, guitars, hardware synths and so on with the best possible result. Also, we will work with how to incorporate for instance recorded soundscapes or percussion into a digital sound.

Mastering:
What is the difference between mixing and mastering? How do you master your own productions? And is it even a good idea?

Overall we will focus on achieving a good process and workflow, doing so in a highly serious but at the same time creative and entertaining way. And suggestions from the pupils regarding what to be taught and how will always be heard.