1. UFCEXR-20-1Multimedia Sound Production Basic Components for Sound Production

2. UFCEXR-20-1Multimedia Sound Production Agenda Hardware Devices Software Applications Connectivity Music Theory: Basic Notation Essential Reading Software Focus

3. UFCEXR-20-1Multimedia Sound Production Basic Requirements Computer (PC or Mac) desktop or laptop MIDI (Music Instrument Digital Interface) Keyboard Connections (USB or MIDI cable) Most modern devices now use USB for MIDI connections MIDI via original connectors would require a MIDI adaptor Driver software would also be required for the device to work Music software application May be a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation e.g Logic Studio) or a end user multimedia application - not all software available for both PC and MAC e.g Logic Studio only available on MAC platform

4. UFCEXR-20-1Multimedia Sound Production Basic Setup Computer running music software application USB cable MIDI Keyboard Sound output from built-in speakers

5. UFCEXR-20-1Multimedia Sound Production Basic Setup Computer running music software application USB cable MIDI Keyboard Sound output from external speakers and / or headphones

6. UFCEXR-20-1Multimedia Sound Production Basics:MIDI Keyboards A pianoforte keyboard has 88 keys (one make has 96) Two important basic features of a MIDI keyboard is the number of keys and the quality of the keyboard ‘action’ MIDI keyboards come in sizes of 25, 49, 61 and 88 A 49-note MIDI keyboard covers all of the notes found on the bass and treble stave (plus a few more) The ‘action’ determines how the keys feel as compared with an acoustic piano keyboard - cheap keyboards feel easy to press and thus difficult to provide expressive play A good quality keyboard will have a semi-weighted action These differences can only be appreciated by trying out keyboards of varying quality

7. UFCEXR-20-1Multimedia Sound Production MIDI Keyboards MIDI Keyboard (49 keys) 29 white + 20 black Drum Pads Various ‘mapable’ controls Modulator ‘mod’ wheel Pitch wheel

8. UFCEXR-20-1Multimedia Sound Production MIDI Keyboard Sizes 49 Keys = 4 Octaves 61 Keys = 5 Octaves 25 Keys = 2 Octaves 88 Keys = 7 Octaves

9. UFCEXR-20-1Multimedia Sound Production Middle C

10. UFCEXR-20-1Multimedia Sound Production The Transpose Octave switch can map keys to other zones of an 88 note keyboard Thus a smaller keyboard can still access all of the available 88 notes

11. UFCEXR-20-1Multimedia Sound Production Music Theory: Basic Notation A musical ‘piece’ can be written down in an accepted standard notation which shows the pitch and duration of each note, as well as the tempo at which the piece should be played Other information can be conveyed to the performer of the piece such as when to pause playing (rests) and the musical ‘key’ in which the piece is to be performed The pitch of a note is identified by letters of the alphabet from A..G A note may appear many times across a keyboard but the pitch will be different e.g A to the next A is eight notes and is called an octave Music is written down as notes on a stave There is a treble stave and a bass stave The most important note to find your way around is middle C On an acoustic piano, middle C is the note C closest to the lock for the keyboard cover

12. UFCEXR-20-1Multimedia Sound Production MIDI 49-note Keyboard mapped to pitch values C1..C5 (Logic Values) C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 A1 B1 Middle C C2 D2 E2 F2 G2 A2 B2C3 D3 E3 F3 G3 A3 B3C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 A4 B4 C5

13. UFCEXR-20-1Multimedia Sound Production Essential Reading Read the following to support and extend your understanding: Middleton: pages 008 - 037 Charlton: pages 6 - 20

14. UFCEXR-20-1Multimedia Sound Production Software Focus Using The Apple OSX GUI and comparisons with the Microsoft Windows GUI Logic Studio - a sophisticated DAW - the main music technology software application for this module