Music Technology Group

Music Department, College of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology

Class Descriptions

Required Courses - Core

MUSI 6001 - Music Perception & Cognition - 3 Credit Hours

This course examines how humans process musical sound, including topics such as the auditory system, psychacoustics, music cognition, and psychology.


MUSI 6002 - Interactive Music - 3 Credit Hours

Theoretical and practical issues in computer supported interactive music. The course involves readings, class discussions, student presentations, and the design of a final project.


MUSI 6003 - Music Technology History & Repertoire - 3 Credit Hours

Overview of the history, aesthetics, and technology of electronic and computer music over the past century through selected readings, musical analysis, and individual research projects. 


MUSI 6004 - Technology Ensemble - 3 Credit Hours

Practice and performance of original and repertoire works in live audio settings using commercial and propriety technology.


MUSI 7100 - Music Technology Research Lab - 12 Credit Hours

Advisor guided research and creative work in music technology. Investigation of novel technological and artistic concepts. Design and develop new hardware, software, and musical artifacts. 


Required Courses - Computer Music Research and Engineering Concentration

MUSI 6201 - Computational Music Analysis - 3 Credit Hours

This class addresses theory and techniques of Music Information Retrieval (MIR). Topics include computational analysis of audio signals, symbolic representations, and pattern recognition techniques.


MUSI 6202 - Digital Signal Processing for Music - 3 Credit Hours

Research in music, as well as music production and composition increasingly relies on sophisticated digital signal processing techniques. This course will review fundamental elements of digital audio signal processing, such as sinusoids, spectra, digital filters, and Fourier analysis and their application to the fundamental music analysis problems of modeling and synthesis. The course will focus particularly on the algorithmic implementation sound transformation and synthesis techniques through intensive programming assignments in Matlab and CSound. 


MUSI 6203 - Project Studio in Music Technology - 3 Credit Hours

Discussion, design and development of computer music applications and performance controllers.


Elective Courses - Music Technology

MUSI 6103 - Music Recording & Mixing - 3 Credit Hours

Overview of concepts, techniques, hardware, and software used in audio production as well as aesthetic concerns and considerations. 


MUSI 6104 - Integrating Music into Multimedia - 3 Credit Hours

To familiarize students with the tools and techniques for effectively utilizing music and audio in the context of digital multimedia and the internet.


MUSI 6105 - Digital Media Production & Mastering - 3 Credit Hours

Tools and techniques for effectively mastering, optimizing, finalizing, and producing digital media for multimedia and the Internet. 


MUSI 6301 - Music Interface Design - 3 Credit Hours

Theory and practice of designing and prototyping new forms of music interfaces including percussion, haptic, and augmented traditional constructs.


MUSI 6302 - The Musical Mind - 3 Credit Hours

This course teaches the science of music, nature of music, perception of music, analysis of musical talent, development of musical skills, and approaches to musical esthetics. 


MUSI 6303 - Network Music - 3 Credit Hours

Exploration of distributed music systems over local-area networks and Internet, including discussion of existing technologies, works, literature, and hands-on experimentation with tools and techniques.


MUSI 6304 - Computer Music Composition - 3 Credit Hours

Realization of individual composition projects in music technology and consideration of related theory, aesthetics, and repertoire.


MUSI 7000 - Master's Thesis - 6 Credit Hours

Advisor guided thesis writing. 

Elective Courses - External (Suggestive Sample)

ID 6100 Intro to ID Grad Studies – 3 Credit hours

Introduction to the theory and practice of graduate studies in Industrial Design in relation to behavior research and consumer products.


ID 6200 Graduate Studio I – 6 Credit hours
Graduate application of the design process to advanced multidisciplinary design problems. Experience in solving real design problems for consumer products. 

ECE 4270 Fund-Digital Signal Proc – 3 Credit hours

Introduction to digital signal processing. Sampling theorem, discrete-time Fourier transform. Power spectrum, discrete Fourier transform and the FFT algorithm, Z-transform, digital filter design and implementation.


ECE 6276 DSP Hardware System Design – (requires undergraduate semester level ECE 4270 with a minimum grade of D) – 3 Credit hours

A study of theory and practice in the design and implementation of DSP algorithms on programmable processors, multiprocessors, and ASICs. 


ECE 4445 Audio Engineering – 3 Credit hours (requires undergraduate semester      level ECE 3040 with a minimum grade of D)

Concepts of acoustics and electroacoustic modeling for the analysis and design of microphones, loudspeakers, and crossover networks. Methods of analysis and design of audio power amplifiers. 


ME 4760 Acoustics& Noise Control – 3 Credit hours (requires undergraduate semester level MATH 2403 or undergraduate semester level MATH 24X3 or undergraduate semester level MATH 2413 with a minimum grade of D)

Study of acoustics related to noise and its control; acoustic terminology, wave propagation, wave equation solutions, instrumentation, data processing, room acoustics, noise control, hearing, noise legislation. Crosslisted with AE 4760.


ME 6762 Applied Acoustics – 3 Credit hours (requires ME 6760 or AE 6760 or equivalent, or with the consent of the instructor)

Mufflers, resonators, acoustic materials, barriers, industrial noise, room acoustics, active noise control. Crosslisted with AE 6762. 


CS 6010 Principles of Design – 3 Credit hours

This is an interactive hands-on course that will teach students the principles of design at the individual level. 


CS 6750 Human Computer Interaction – 3 Credit hours

Describes the characteristics of interaction between humans and computers and demonstrates techniques for the evaluation of user-centered systems. Crosslisted with PSYC 6750. 


CS 6460 Foundations of Educational Technology – 3 Credit hours

Introduction to educational technology, with an emphasis on theoretical foundations. Introduces basic philosophies, approaches, and technologies. Analyzes issues surrounding technology's impact on education. 


LCC 6310 The Computer as an Expressive Medium – 3 Credit hours

Explores the development of the representational power of the computer and the interplay between digital technology and culture. 


LCC 6313 Principles of Interactive Design – 3 Credit hours

Design principles of exploiting the affordances of the digital medium, including large information spaces and procedural environments. 


LCC 6318 Experimental Media – 3 Credit hours

Students will develop the critical, intellectual, and creative tools necessary to understand, work with, and reimagine design at the developmental stages of emerging technologies.

Music Department, 840 McMillan St., Atlanta, GA USA, 30332-0456 TEL: 404.894.8949  FAX: 404.894.9952