In this course students learn the basic concepts of acoustics and electronics and how they can applied to understand musical sound and make music with electronic instruments. Topics include: sound waves, musical sound, basic electronics, and applications of these basic principles in amplifiers and speaker design.
Introduction to oscillations and sound waves, simple oscillating systems, sound pressure, sound waves, the speed of sound, wavelength, frequency and pitch, sound pressure level, loudness, making sound, properties of musical sound versus “noise”. Electronics fundamentals - charge, current, voltage, power, resistance, Ohm’s law, DC circuits, finding currents and voltages in simple circuits.
What's included
13 videos8 readings
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13 videos•Total 140 minutes
Rob Clark Introduction •11 minutes
Oscillations in Space and Time •12 minutes
Time and Frequency Domain Representations of Sound •7 minutes
Auditory Perception and Sound Localization •15 minutes
Reflection and absorption of sound, resonances in air columns, resonances in enclosures and rooms, diffraction and diffusion of sound, reverberation, principles of designing a good music studio. AC signals, phase and complex numbers, capacitors, inductors, transformers, impedance, AC circuits and AC circuit analysis, simple filters (high-pass, low-pass, band-pass)
What's included
13 videos1 assignment
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13 videos•Total 84 minutes
Resonant Modes of a String •6 minutes
Effects of String Parameters on Resonant Modes •7 minutes
Resonant Modes in a Room •5 minutes
Resonant Modes in a Duct •6 minutes
Reverberation and Room Acoustics •8 minutes
Power and Energy •7 minutes
Power and Energy Dissipation in Circuits •10 minutes
Real Voltage and Current Sources•6 minutes
Impedence Matching Derivation •4 minutes
Ideal and Real Current Sources •8 minutes
Operational Amplifiers •6 minutes
Using the OP AMP as a voltage follower •4 minutes
Inverting OP AMP Configuration •5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Test for Weeks 1 and 2•30 minutes
Week 3 - Some Necessary Mathematics MB & AC Circuit Analysis
Module 3•2 hours to complete
Module details
Transistors, vacuum tubes, opamps, amplification, power gain, single-stage amplifiers.
Converting sound to electrical signals –microphones and guitar pickups, converting electrical signals to sound – loudspeakers
What's included
18 videos
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18 videos•Total 148 minutes
Derivatives •7 minutes
Mathematics: Sample Derivatives and Rules?•5 minutes
The Number e; Derivatives of sin and cos •8 minutes
Simple Harmonic Oscillator •11 minutes
Complex Numbers and Arithmetic •10 minutes
Complex Exponentials and Eulers Formula •12 minutes
Phasors •9 minutes
Capacitors •10 minutes
Transient Analysis of an RC Circuit •9 minutes
Frequency Response of an RC Circuit •5 minutes
Inductors •8 minutes
Transient Response of an RL Circuit •6 minutes
RL Lowpass and Highpass Circuits •6 minutes
Phasors in AC Circuit Analysis •8 minutes
Generalized Impedance •10 minutes
Circuit Analysis Example •9 minutes
Impedance Analysis of RL Circuit •7 minutes
Filters as Frequency Dependant Voltage Dividers •7 minutes
Week 4 - AC Signals & Loudspeakers and Radiation RC
Module 4•3 hours to complete
Module details
Electric guitar electronics, pickup design, pickup placement and tone, volume control circuits, tone control circuits. Overview of a simple guitar amplifier, power supply, volume control, preamp, tone control, power amp section.
What's included
15 videos1 assignment
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15 videos•Total 127 minutes
Fourier Series of a Square Wave •12 minutes
Fourier Series of a Triangle Wave •4 minutes
Overtone Spectrums and Fourier Series •9 minutes
Graphical Interpretation of Fourier Series Integrals •7 minutes
Spectral Analysis •7 minutes
Spectral Analysis Examples •10 minutes
Filters applied to Frequency spectra •10 minutes
Construction of a Guitar Pickup •8 minutes
Electrical Model of a Guitar Pickup •9 minutes
Guitar Pickup Analysis Continued (wr Q) •7 minutes
Frequency Response of a Guitar Pickup •7 minutes
Loudspeaker Radiation and Directionality •11 minutes
Loudspeaker Radiation, Continued •8 minutes
Electromechanical Model of a Loudspeaker •9 minutes
Designing speaker enclosures, basic principles, interaction of speaker driver with the cabinet, why a cabinet at all? Speaker designs for home stereo, crossover networks, guitar amplifier (open) speaker enclosures, bass amplifier (closed and vented) speaker enclosures.
What's included
8 videos
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8 videos•Total 61 minutes
General Guidelines •11 minutes
Closed Box Design •11 minutes
Design Tools and Conclusions •6 minutes
Model of a Ported Loudspeaker •6 minutes
Design of Loudspeaker Port •11 minutes
Design Tradeoffs •7 minutes
Port Design Parameters •5 minutes
Comparison of Closed Box and Ported Designs •4 minutes
Week 6 - Guitar Pickup and Effects Analysis MB & Design and Construction of a Guitar Amplifier MB
Module 6•3 hours to complete
Module details
Building the guitar amplifier, how to solder, getting the amp to work - systematic testing and troubleshooting. Visualizing sound waves, frequency content and tone, signal modification in electro-acoustic systems, tube amplifiers and distortion, wah pedal, talk box.
What's included
14 videos1 assignment
Show info about module content
14 videos•Total 128 minutes
Volume and Tone Control •10 minutes
Tone Control and Pickup Analysis •8 minutes
Tone Control and Pickup Analysis, Continued •8 minutes
RLC Bandpass Filters •9 minutes
Graphic Equalizers and Octave Filter Banks •6 minutes
Graphic Equalizer Simulation•10 minutes
Wah Pedal Circuit Analysis •9 minutes
Wah Pedal Circuit Analysis, Continued •12 minutes
Design Overview and Tone Control Analysis •12 minutes
Tone Control Analysis Continued •3 minutes
Distortion Stage Analysis •11 minutes
Distortion Stage Analysis, Continued •11 minutes
Cabinet Design for the Guitar Amplifier •7 minutes
Practical Considerations in Constructing the Amplifier •14 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Final Exam•30 minutes
Instructors
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The University of Rochester is one of the nation's leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University provides exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by its Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.
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C
CS
5·
Reviewed on Oct 20, 2016
Excellent Course. I can't wait for part 2 after this course. Thank you to instruction for sharing their experience and knowledge with us.
J
JJ
5·
Reviewed on Nov 27, 2017
very nice course to learn new something about the fundamentals of audio and music engineering, musicalsounds and eloctronics
R
RG
5·
Reviewed on Apr 17, 2017
Curso muito Bom! Completo com diversos assuntos interessantes para quem é músico e se interessa pela parte técnica. Uma boa revisão para os engenheiros eletrônicos!
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