The objectives of this course are to:

1. Develop practical creative and technical skills that display accuracy, fluency and depth of understanding and application with respect to electronics and music technology.
2. Develop creative and technical knowledge that displays a deep and comprehensive understanding of the theoretical, historical and cultural underpinnings in the area of music technology.
3. Develop independent, imaginative and creative approaches to problem solving using musical technologies.
4. Develop research skills and critical understanding of music technology and its associated areas.

Books

• Collins, Nicolas. Handmade Electronic Music: The Art of Hardware Hacking. TF-ROUTL, 2006.
• Ghazala, Reed. Circuit-Bending : Build Your Own Alien Instruments. Extremetech. Indianapolis, Ind.: Wiley Publishing, 2005.
• Horn, Delton T. Basic Electronics Theory. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: TAB Books, 1994.

MyUni is a crucial part of this course and will provide students with access to assessment and learning materials, such as quizzes, discussion boards, slide presentations, readings, links, sound and video. Materials will be provided on a topic-by-topic basis over the semester: http://myuni.adelaide.edu.au.

This course consists of up to 48 hours of direct contact or structured non-contact - 4 hours per week over 12 weeks for the seminars and workshops, where students will play an active role in the practice, refinement, consolidation and extension of their knowledge and understanding. In addition students will spend a minimum of 108 non-contact hours over the duration of the course on self-initiated learning and research, reading, writing, practice and assessment in order to pass the course, making the minimum workload 156 hours.

• Weeks 1 – 4: Electronics, breadboarding, circuit building, audio effects, handmade electronic sound and music
• Weeks 5 – 8: Circuit bending, external control of circuits, experimental exploration, instrument design
• Weeks 9 – 12: Hardware / software development and integration, data mapping, printed circuit board design, physical computing

EMU Facilities Access Provisions

This course will involve using the resources of the Electronic Music Unit (EMU). This includes facilities such as studios, recording spaces and digital audio workstations. For more information about these facilities and how to make bookings go to the EMU website: http://www.emu.adelaide.edu.au/

In order for students to complete the course they must gain ongoing and permanent access to EMU. Access and use of EMU is based upon the following:

1. Users must complete and pass the EMU Guide Assessment (EGA).  In order to pass the EGA users must receive a 90% or above grade. Users will have a maximum of 3 attempts at passing the EGA before being prohibited from taking the EGA further. If a user fails to pass the EGA after 3 attempts, or doesn’t pass by the end of week 4 of the course (which ever comes first), they will not be permitted to continue the course, or any other courses requiring access to EMU, and won’t be provided access or permission to use any of the EMU facilities.
2. Users agree to and sign the EMU User Agreement (EUA). Users found in breach of the EUA will automatically have access penalties imposed:

• First breach: students will have all booking privileges removed and have after-hours access suspended for a period of 4-weeks.
• Second breach: students will have all booking privileges removed and have after-hours access suspended for until start of the next academic semester.
• Third breach: students will have all booking privileges removed and all access suspended until the start of the next academic year

Information is available on the EMU website: https://www.emu.adelaide.edu.au/intranet/emu_guide/

Other Expectations

Except where otherwise indicated by the lecturer, tutor or workshop instructor – mobile phones, laptops, PDAs, recording devices and other similar technology must be switched off before lessons or classes begin, and kept off for the duration.

Formative Assessment: Classes will contain embedded formative assessment tasks that may include student presentations, discussions, practical exercises, demonstrations and out-of-class work that will enable students to engage with the practical and theoretical concepts presented in order to complete their summative assessments.

Hurdle Assessment

All students must complete the requirements under “SPECIFIC COURSE REQUIREMENTS ‘EMU Facilities Access Provisions’”. Students who fail complete these items have failed the course.

Assessments

All students must complete and submit all assessments. If a student fails to complete and submit all assessments by the due date and fails to produce the appropriate medical or compassionate certificates, the student may be deemed to have failed that course, irrespective of assignments previously completed. Further, the student will be deemed ineligible for supplementary assessments. Students should consult their respective lecturer, tutor or demonstrator for further information.

Attendance Expectation & Penalty

Students are expected to attend all classes. If a student fails to attend at least 75% of workshops in a course and fails to produce the appropriate medical or compassionate certificates, the student is deemed to have failed that course, irrespective of assignments previously completed. Students who arrive 20 minutes or later after the start of a class will be marked as absent.

Leave

Extenuating circumstances may occasionally affect a student’s ability to participate in a rehearsal, workshop, class, lecture, tutorial or performance.  In such cases leave may, upon application using the leave form (available from the Music Office), be approved by the relevant staff member (this could be the Head of Studies, teacher, conductor, lecturer or course coordinator as appropriate). Types of leave include: sick leave; compassionate leave; and professional development leave.

Refer to “ASSESSMENT SUMMARY”

Assessments and Exams

Students must be available during the identified University teaching, academic and examination periods. Students are not entitled to sit an examination or submit an assessment at another time, nor are they entitled to any other concessions if an examination or assessment conflicts with a planned vacation or special event. Results from assessments and examinations are usually sent to students via email and/or myUni.

Late Submission

Assignments where late submissions are permitted and that are submitted after the due date and time will incur a 5% penalty (from the assignment total of 100%) per day (24 hour period) for a maximum of 4 days (weekend days included). After this time the assignment will not be marked for assessment or feedback. Note – typically this does not apply to assessments where the assessment is conducted at a fixed time and location, such as an exam, workshop, practical test, performance or presentation – please refer to the individual assessments for further information.