Computer Applications In Music

Frank Markovich

Fall 2003Revision A

http:// www.music.ndnu.edu/courses/ 93syl.htm

Notre Dame de Namur University Department of Music

Frank Markovich

version 3.0 8-15-03

03syl.doc

COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN MUSIC

(MU 093/193/593, 1-3 units)

Syllabus for Fall 2003

OBJECTIVES: The goal of the course is to examine how technology supports music, with particular emphasis on computers and sound synthesizers. Students will use technology as tools for music instruction, music sequencing, music notation, print communication, and electronic communication. Previous experience singing, playing an instrument, and using a word processor is helpful. Computer Applications in Music is open to nonmusic majors for general education credit (3 units) and to music majors for elective credit (1-3 units). The 3-unit course is a general education requirement for students in the Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre programs. See the following pages for detailed course topics and schedules.

Student Information

• I will be posting class assignments etc. to my company website. It isn’t set up yet but will be next week.

• Please fill out the student information sheet.

Student Information Sheet – Please Print Name Note that the first 4 questions are for contacting you. Most important are the first 2 questions:

1. Email address:

2. Evening phone #:

3. Daytime phone #:

4. Address:

5. List previous musical experience:

6. What is your major?

7. Can you read music notation? Yes/No

8. Reason for taking this class.

9. Any special problems that you may have?

10. Computer experience:

11. Comments:

PROCEDURES: The entire class meets on Tuesdays, 8:45 am-10:00am, in the Music Skills Lab, Music Room 1. The class also meets in lab sections at times to be determined. You are expected to attend every class meeting and section meeting, regardless of whether assigned work is ready. If you are absent, you should take responsibility for finding out what material was covered in class and what makeup work is due. You are expected to complete assignments when they are due and to send email messages to the instructor by noon every Monday, confirming completion of assignments. If your assignments and emails are received on time, they will be evaluated by the instructor for the following Tuesday or Thursday meetings. A grace period of two days (by Wednesday noon) is allowed for late assignments or emails; however, if your assignments or emails are late, there is no guarantee that they can be evaluated the same week. If an assignment or email is presented more than two days late (after Wednesday noon), the grade for the assignment will be dropped one letter. If an assignment or email is presented more than one week late (after the following Monday noon), the grade for the assignment will be dropped two letters. Any assignment which has received an initial grade may be revised and resubmitted for a higher grade by 5:00 pm on October 18 for the first half of the semester or December 13 for the second half of the semester. You will receive a midterm grade and a final grade representing achievement in the various activities of the course. Attendance and promptness will count as 20% of your grade. You will need to supply a three-ring notebook to assemble handouts for use in the course. You will also be charged a $5.00 course materials fee.

Contacting MeFrank Markovich, the instructor, has office hours in Music Room 1 by appointment. He can be reached by voicemail at 650-594-9073. Messages can be left in his mailboxes in the Music Office, or in the music practice room corridor; or can be sent by email to fmarkovich@fts-ate.com.

To contact mefmarkovich@fts-ate.com – preferred email address!!fmarkovi@pacbell.netfmarkovich@paramit.comPhone 650-358-6889 mailbox 9246Website for handouts: http://www.fts-ate.com/cnd/

Please do not give my phone number out to others.

About Instructor

• Summary: Assistant professor of music at Skyline College in San Bruno since 1976. Built program to over 90 students per semester in three main classes. Secondary Teaching, and lifetime Community College Teaching Credentials. Performer with over 35 years of experience in jazz, classical, rock, country, Christian and ethnic music styles. Over 35 years of professional teaching experience in a variety of venues. Currently at College of Notre Dame de Namur in Belmont teaching Computer Applications in Music.

Associate Professor of Music Guitar Studies. Currently teaching beginning guitar, intermediate guitar, advanced guitar, improvisation, blues guitar and special projects. Have also taught classical guitar at the college. Following are some accomplishments at Skyline College:

Wrote course of study for each of the classes taught. Over 75% of the students participate in recital at the end of the term. Program has grown steadily, year after year. Must turn down students due to limitations of room size. Music Theory is an integral part of each course. Regular nationally known guest artists (at least once per semester) – Have had Pat Kirlty – National

Fingerpicking Champion, Jim Nichols known for Jazz and Country, Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Lead artist and others.

Wrote reference book used in class. Very low dropout rate. First part time teacher at school to learn the ‘Web Smart’ system and wrote the instructions for the

Continuing Education department on how to use the program. Member of department selection committee for a new hire. Attend NAMM every year. Up to date on new equipment and applications. Have assisted MIDI instructor and department in equipment and S/W purchases for MIDI lab. Use computer to generate all the materials used in various classes. Have used Finale for notation since

V1.0. Further use such programs as Band in a Box, Slowgold, Vision etc. in the classroom.

Performance and Leadership

A member of the Central Peninsula Worship Team. Key individual performing at Church Services and special occasions. Have led the worship team when called upon. Play electric guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboard and bass at services. When church lost worship leader, rotated leading worship with 2 other

Computer Applications in Music: Expectations for Fall 2003

WHAT SHOULD THE STUDENT EXPECT?

WHAT SHOULD THE INSTRUCTOR EXPECT?

"A person using technology is the most important component of a computer music system. Whatever great achievements flow from the process of using technology in music making,

it is not the machines that should earn the credit. Rather, it's the human mind and creative spirit that are responsible." *

Class activities will be divided between theory and practice, with plenty of hands-on experience and individual assessments. You will complete written and computerized assignments and tests, small group activities, and independent creative projects in which you will program your own computer and sound synthesis elements and refine your own music skills, using computer-assisted-instruction, sequencing, and notation programs. You will also use networking software and technology to create a personal website. Throughout the course, you will gain familiarity with "five important streams of information going in and out of your computer: local storage, network, printing, MIDI, and audio." At the same time, you will come to recognize that "today's technology provides wonderful tools, but they must be used by good musicians."* By the end of the semester, you will integrate technology and comprehensive musicianship, so that you, your pupils, and your audiences may better recognize a musical experience as a vibrant and personal form of communication.

How I will structure class• Class will meet from 8:45 until 10:00 AM each Tuesday and Thursday.• I must leave right at 8:45. If you need to meet with me it must be before class

and not after class. Other option is sometimes in the evening.• Lab will be open early on class days for you to do work.• Tuesday’s will be lecture and Thursday’s will be glass assignments.• I am updating the syllabus and will have an update soon.• You are expected to complete assignments on time. I will take them late but if

they are over 1 week late without approval from me in advance the grade will be lowered.

• Depending upon the students enrolled in the class we may alter some of the assignments. The purpose is to learn how to apply the computer and technology to music not how to apply music to the computer!

• I like questions, so if there is something you don’t understand please ask me!! Don’t sit there and struggle.

• This is a hands on course. You will have to do much of the work outside of class so be prepared to spend some time in the lab or outside of class on a computer.

• I am working with the school to modify some of the requirements and to add in a few topics that I feel you need. More work on recording, sequencing etc.

• Some of the programs that you will learn: Finale, Slowgold, Frontpage, Band In A Box, Cakewalk (I hope we can get it, Michael has approved it), and others.

• You will do a student web site at the end of class. It will be geared towards music.

What items do you need

• A few floppy disks to store information on.

• 5 or 6 blank CD-R’s so I can give you programs. Bring by 2nd week of class.

• Folder or 3-ring binder for your work.

• Access to a computer or the lab computer.

• Come to class prepared with note paper and a pen or pencil.

Specific topics of the course will be organized into seven areas:

1. Use of computer materials (such as operating systems, software, and hardware) for input, process, output, and storage of data.

2. Use of sound synthesis materials (such as keyboards, sound modules, CD-ROMs, and other audio, digital,

and MIDI devices) for input, process, output, and storage of data.

3. Use of computer-assisted-instruction programs (such as drill-and-practice, flexible practice, simulation, and multimedia) to evaluate and improve musical work in beginning music experiences, music theory and musicianship, music history and literature, and music composition and performance.

4. Use of sequencing programs to compose, edit, save, and perform musical works.

5. Use of notation programs to transcribe, edit, playback, save, and print musical works.

6. Use of networking technology (such as electronic mail and world wide web) to facilitate collaborative

communications among musicians.

7. Importance of integrating the needs of people and the needs of music when using all of the above technology.

8. Use of recording on the computer the needs of people and the needs of music in producing recorded

music.

9. Use of devices to slow down or alter the sound the needs of people and the needs of music to help with ear training, melodic and rhythmic training.

* The instructor is indebted to David Brian Williams and Peter Richards Webster for their ideas in Experiencing Music Technology: Software, Data, and Hardware, second edition, (NY: Schirmer Books, 1999), pages 7, 37, and 447.

In addition to this recording S/W will be touched upon. Will also cover presentationsfor music.

Extra Credit

There will be opportunities for people to earn extra credit in the course.

• Lab Technician – Who would like to do this?

• Setting up

• Tearing down class

• Other tasks

• Tutoring other students

One example fromlast term.

Note that these may be stretched out a little depending upon the computerproficiency of the students in this class.

MONDAYS: Assignments and Emails

Due by 12:00 noon

TUESDAYS: Class meeting topics 8:30 am – 10:00 am

THURSDAYS: Section meeting topics

[times tba]

| | |

| | |

AUGUST 28 Intro to #1 Class information Becoming familiar with the computer. Email setup

SEPTEMBER 1: Nothing due - holiday

SEPTEMBER 2: Intro to #1 and #2 and #3 Email setup Backgound Computer architecture – why use computers

SEPTEMBER 4: Work on #1 and #2 and #3

SEPTEMBER 8: #1: Signatures and Inbox Emailing class

SEPTEMBER 9: Intro to #2 Computer/music software File management

SEPTEMBER 10: Work on #1 and #2 if needed

SEPTEMBER 15: #3: Addresses and Folders #4: Windows Explorer and MS Word: File Management

SEPTEMBER16: Intro to #5 Computer/music hardware MIDI

SEPTEMBER 18: Work on #5

SEPTEMBER 22: #5: Music Tech Lab: MIDI

SEPTEMBER 23: Intro to #6 and #7 Notation: layout; real-time entry

SEPTEMBER 24: Work on #6 View Finale tutorial

SEPTEMBER 29: #6: Finale: Tutorial

SEPTEMBER 30: Tutorial

OCTOBER 2: Team work on #6

COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN MUSIC (MU 093/193/593, 1-3 units)

Assignments for Fall 2003

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do,

not that the nature of the thing has changed, but that our power to do has increased.”

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3:

Assignment 1: Hotmail: Sign Up and Compose: (note since you all have email this won’t be necessary) This project gives you experience establishing an email account and sending email messages in Hotmail. Modified to just be sending an email explaining the following:

1. Computer experience. 2. Music Experience. 3. Programs you use on a regular basis.

Establish a Hotmail email account which is now hotmail MSM: a. Using your web browser, go to the URL http://www.hotmail.com. b. Click on Sign Up. c. Follow directions to become a registered user. d. Follow directions to Sign in to use your account. e. When you are done, follow directions to sign out.

Prepare email messages to be sent. NOTE: Always do the following when preparing to send any email:

f. Click Compose. g. Type one or more correct addresses in the To: line. h. Type something specific in the Subject: line. If the email is to

fulfill an assignment in this class, type the assignment number in the Subject: line.

i. Check the Copy Message to Sent Folder box. j. Type the message in the body of the email. k. WARNING: Before you "Send" be sure to proofread everything carefully! You may want to

print a hardcopy to read before sending. Send an email message to fmarkovich@fts-ate.com by noon, Monday, September 1:

l. Use as your address the email address you want the class and instructor to use when contacting you.

m. Say something like "I am attaching a copy of the Welcome document which is in my personal folder in the Music Tech Lab."

n. Add as an Attachment to your email message a copy of the following file found in your personal folder in the Music Tech Lab: c:\2001fall\camclass\welcome.txt.

o. Read and send the message.

I want you to establish a new email but it could also be yahoo mail.

Assignment 2: Hotmail: Signatures and Inbox: This project gives you experience using email signatures and receiving email messages in Hotmail. Would like you to set up signatures in whatever email program you are using. If you have trouble see me and I will help you.

1. Create your personal signature: a. Click Options and then Signature. b. Design and type your personal signature, which should appear at

the end of every email message you send. Signatures often include your name, position, address, phone, email address, and/or pithy sayings summarizing your philosophy of life.

c. From now on, your signature will appear automatically at the bottom of every new email message you compose.

Read and respond to your accumulated messages:

d. Prepare email message #1 to be sent to yourself, asking yourself a question [example: "How many hours a day do you practice?"].

e. Send your message #1. f. Click Inbox, then retrieve your newly received message #1. g. Read your message #1, then click Reply to prepare message #2,

which will be a reply to message #1, answering the question you recently asked yourself.

h. Send, retrieve, and read your newly received message #2. Forward an email message to fmarkovich@fts-ate.com by noon Monday, September 1:

i. Click Forward to prepare message #3, which will be a forward of message #2.

j. Say something like "I am forwarding my original message #1 to myself and my reply message #2 to myself. I now understand how to send an email message, how to reply to an email message, and how to forward an email message. I also now understand how to use signatures."

k. Read and send the message.

Assignment 3: Hotmail: Addresses and Folders: This project gives you experience using email address books and folders in Hotmail. Again whatever program you are using should be able to do this. If you have trouble see me.

1. Prepare addresses for individuals: a. D Moreen will send you an email listing email addresses for all

class members. b. Click Address Book and then Individuals and then Create New. c. Under QuickName, First, Last, and E-mail Address type information

for each member of the class, including D Moreen. d. From now on, you should click the Quick Address List buttons or

type the quicknames whenever you need to indicate To: addresses for individuals.

Prepare addresses for groups:

e. Click Address Book and then Groups and then Create New. f. Under Group Name type camclass. g. Under Group Members type the quickname for each member of the

class, including D Moreen. h. From now on, you should click the Quick Address List buttons or

type the camclass quickname whenever you need to indicate To: addresses for this class.

Prepare folders:

i. Click Home and then View All Folders and then Create New. j. Under New Folder Name: create at least two new folders, one of

which is entitled camclass and one of which is entitled personal. Feel free to create any additional folders you wish for your own use.

k. Go to the Inbox and move all the email messages that are class-related to your camclass folder.

l. Move all other email messages to Personal or Trash Can or any other folder you have created.

m. From now on, you should repeat the above steps as needed to keep your Inbox clean.

Send an email message to the entire class by noon, Monday, September 10:

n. Use Quick Address List -- camclass to address the email message. o. Say something like "I have successfully created my email address

book for all class members. I have also created the following email folders:"

p. List the names of each of your email folders plus the number of messages you have accumulated in each.

q. Send the message.

In addition

• I will send out a list of students and their email address to each of you once I have them all assembled.

• Please send an email to each of the students and copy me.

• In the email, please indicate your musical background. A mini-resume.

• List the styles of music that you enjoy.• List at least a couple of performers that you like to listen

to and what it is about them that you like.• This is so that we can all get to know each other and

what our background in music is.

Due date

• These are all due by Monday the 8th of Sept.

• You must print out everything that you do in this class and put it into a folder for my review. Bring it to class each day!!!

 Architecture What is Computer Architecture?Definition: Computer architecture is a term which describes the physical and logical layout of the parts of a computer console and how they are connected together.  The physical architecture of a microcomputer includes the way the electrical paths are laid out and the number, type and function of the different circuit boards used.  The logical architecture involves the location, transmission and storage of data and the ways in which it is manipulated and transmitted to and from the outside world through peripheral devices such as screens, keyboards, printers, mice and so on. What are the Physical Parts of a Computer Console?If you remove the case from a computer you will see the major components of the PC.   The include the power supply, disk drives, motherboard, plug-in or daughter-boards, connections such as ribbon cables and board sockets and several ports or places to plug in peripheral devices.

 

What are the Main Types of Microcomputers?There are two main types of microcomputers in use today.  These are the IBM models and compatibles and the Apple models.  There are a number of others including the Commodore Amiga and the NeXT computer manufactured by Steve Jobs who started Apple.   However these only serve very specialized niches in the market. What does the Power Supply do?The power supply takes the 110 volt alternating current (AC) from the wall outlet and converts it into several direct current (DC) voltages for use by various computer components.  The power supply is REGULATED and FILTERED to supply very stable currents.  Despite this computers should be plugged into a SURGE SUPPRESSOR which eliminates any major power fluctuations from the wall outlet.

What is the Motherboard?

The motherboard is a resin or plastic board which contains all the chips which form the main electronic cirucits of the computer. That is the microprocessor, ROM memory chips, such as the BIOS chip, RAM memory chips, the clock, and IC's that connec the CPU to the bus. The motherboard also contains the parallel conducting paths (bus) which interconnect the chips as well as provide connections to the outside. These paths are printed onto the motherboard as parallel lines of

conductor which makes it a PRINTED CIRCUIT (PC) board.

What do Daughterboards do?

Daughterboards or interface cards are PC boards which plug into the motherboard to control peripheral devies. The main interface boards in a computer are the video card, sound card, and the modem or network card. Older computers may have a controller card altough most systems have this option included on the motherboard. Other cards may be scanner cards, interface cards, etc.

What are Chips?

Chips refer to tiny pieces of silicon containing thousands of electronic components and their connections referred to as an INTEGRATED CIRCUIT (IC). The main components in the circuits are transistors, diodes, resistors and capacitors. The transistors and diodes constitute electronic switches while the resistors and the capacitors control the flow of current. Chips are housed in plastic cases called DIPS (Dual In-Line Packages). These are either soldered directly into the circuit boards or placed in sockets on the board for easy installation and removal. Chips circuits comprise the main processor and the electronic memory of the computer as well as

many other support circuits.

What is Logical Architecture?

People who program computers are not as interested in the physical layout of the computer as they are in the way the electronics responds to commands. Logical Architecture refers to the way data is transmitted, provessed, and stored within the computer. Logical architecture includes such things as the rate of data transfer, where different types of data such as insturctions, characters and numbers are stored in the

What is the Basic Building Block of a computer? The basic building block of any computer is a SWITCH. These switches can be turned either on or off by an electrical current and can maintain their state until another signal changes it. Two types of electrical components that act as switches in a computer are transistors and diodes. In computers a switched is call a BIT or Binary Digit. They have two states ON and OFF. Any system with two states can be mathematically represented by BINARY numbers thus we assign binary 0 to a switch that is OFF and Binary 1 to a switch that is ON. Thus the basic physical building block of a computer is a switch and the basic logical building block is a BIT.

What is the Difference Between Digital and Analog Electronics? In digital devices such as computers, switches are either on or off. Currents either flow or they do not. The size of the current is not important as long as it is withing the range which operates the switches properly. In most computers this is normally 5 Volts although some connections in a computer require up to 12 Volts. These circuits are called DIGITAL.

In Analog circuits the strength of the current is important. The loudness of a speaker in your radio ins controlled by the size of the current and in theory at least can be controlled continuously over a set range by a rotary volume control. Such a device is referred to as ANALOG.

We can draw graphs representing Analog and Digital Current which places Voltage on the Y axis and Time on the X axis. Note the differences between the two types of electricity.

Computers are not smart

• Computers rely on 1’s and 0’s. • In electrical terms they are a high voltage and a low

voltage – in 5 Volt systems a ‘0’ is anything from typically 0.8 V or below and a ‘1’ is anything above 2 V.

• Think of it as acting on a series of yes no questions. A very simple computer just answers questions.

• While it isn’t necessary for you to understand everything about computers it would help to understand the basics. Following is more information on the basics and on binary arithmetic.

• I will not test on this material but will still expect that you have knowledge of it.

What are Bytes? Bits are arranged in groups. A group of eight bits is called a BYTE. Ex. 1 or 0 is a BIT while 8 bits such as 1011 0110 is a byte. Note that we write a byte in two groups of four digits. This is to make the byte easier to read. Each group of four is called a NIBBLE. Computers only deal in Bits and Bytes, humans use nibbles for ease of reading.

By rearranging the sequence of bits in a byte 256 different sequences are possible. Thus a byte can contain codes for 256 different things. The code that is most accepted by computer designers to represent the letter and symbols we communicate with is the ASCII code or American Standard Code for Information Interchange. In this code a byte or 8 bits represents one character. The ASCII code is used to represent symbols but other codes are used to represent instructions, and numbers inside the computers. To see an ASCII table click here.

How does a Byte represent a Character? Tables of ASCII codes are available online and in most programming books. Here is how it works:

0100 0001 or Decimal 65 ( 41 Hex) represents the letter A 0110 0001 or Decimal 97 (61 Hex) represents the letter a 0100 0010 or Decimal 66 (42 Hex) represents the letter B and so on

How are Binary and Decimal Numbers converted? The short answer is by a computer or calculator but it is instructive to try a couple of conversions by hand. The Binary number system is based on the number two... that means there are only two digits in the whole number sytems. Remember that 0 is a number so that makes 0 and 1 the two numbers in the binary system.

Lets count in Binary:

Binary Decimal Binary Decimal

0000 0000 0 0000 0001 1

0000 0010 2 0000 0011 3

0000 0100 4 0000 0101 5

0000 0110 6 0000 0111 7

0000 1000 8 0000 1001 9

0000 1010 10 0000 1011 11

0000 1100 12 0000 1101 13

0000 1110 14 0000 1111 15

Note that if a byte contains a single 1 bit it is a power of 2.

0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0

2^8 2^7 2^6 2^5 2^4 2³ 2¹ 2°

128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1

Or if you add all these together 128+64+32+16+8+4+2+1=255 We can then make use of this in our conversions. NOTE: The ASCII table says there are 256 different combinations of 1's and 0's in a byte. What is the 256th character?

To convert from Decimal to Binary try the following:

177 base 10 convert to base 2?

1. First write out the powers of 2

128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1

2. Use subtraction to place 1's and 0's in the proper spaces.

177 - 128 = 49 ---> place a 1 in the 128 position 64 is greater than 49 so place a 0 in the 64 position 49 - 32 = 17 so place a 1 in the 49 position 17 - 16 = 1 so place a 1 in the 16 position 8, 4, and 2 are greater than 1 so place a 0 in all these positions 1 - 1 = 0 so place a 1 in the last 1's position

Your answer is now 1011 0001 base 2!

Conversions: At this point you should be able to convert Binary to Decimal and Decimal to Binary. Complete the following exercises on this. Check your answers with a calculator. Repeat this until you know it by rote!

a. convert 128 base 2 to decimal b. convert 2559 base 10 to binary

What is Hexadecimal and Why is it used? Notice that when writing bytes we often arrange them in group of four or nibbles to make them more readable? The maximum number that can be represented by a nibble is 15 so if we add 0000 that makes 16 things that can be represented by a nibble. The hexadecimal system is based on the number 16. The digits are: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 a b c d e f We usually follow the number by the letter h when referrring to Hexadecimal notation. Thus you can represent all the numbers in a nibble by a single digit. This makes converting binary into hexadecimal much easier than converting into decimal. for example the nibble 1110 is Eh. The byte 1110 0011 is E3h. Since the memory of a stander PC can often contain a megabyte or over a million locations, it is easier to translte memory locations and contents into hex than decimal notation.

Hexadecimal Conversions: 1. Binary to Hex very simple. Convert each nibble at a time and write the corresponding digit. ex. 1110 0011 base 2 15 3 ---> E3h

2. Hex to Binary simply do the reverse of #1 ex. F3Ah F = 15 = 1111 3 = 0011 A = 10 = 1010 Thus answer is: 1111 0011 1010 base 2

3. Convert Decimal to Hexadecimal ex. 1324 base 10 to base 16 Divide successively by 16 and find the remainders. Write remainders down in a list and the answer will be these remainders wrote from bottom to top. See board examples.

4. Convert Hexadecimal to Decimal ex. We did this first day. Remember to note the position of each number and the power of 16 that it represents. 2A4F 2x16^3 + 10x16^2 + 4x16^1 + 15x16^0 Add these numbers up and you get the answer!

What is a Kilobyte, Megabyte, Gigabyte and a Terabyte? If we continue in our binary numbers past one byte we soon come to a number containing 10 bits. This number 11 1111 1111 is 1023 in Decimal notation. Since this is close to 1000 we refer to it as KILO or a kilobyte. Thus 1024 bytes is kilobyte or KB. A megabyte (MB) or 1024 x 1024 = 1,048,576 is close to a million so it is called a MEGABYTE. Likewise Gigabyte is one billion bytes and Terabyte is one trillion. These terms generally refer to the number of bytes of character that can be stored in memory or on a disk. Note the difference between KB and Kb and MB and Mb. Kb means kilobit and is a term often used to refer to the capacity of memory chips while Mb stands for Megabit and often refers to the speed of cable modems.

What is a Word? The first microcomptuers such as the Commodore-64 transferred date 1 byte at a time along 8 parallel lines called an 8-bit bus. Newer computers often transfer 4 bytes a time along 32 or 64 bit busses. This is referred to as the WORD SIZE of the computer. Increasing the word size from a single byte to 4 bytes inceases the speed of data transfer between memory and processor withing the computer. By the way... the 64 refers to the fact that the C-64 had 64KB of RAM :)

Section 3 - How it Works

Read all about it...

Intel's Pentium II Microprocessor

What are the major electronic components of a computer? The main electronic parts of a computer are the processor, the memory, and the lines of communication between them. The processor on PC's is an (IC) called a microprocessor. Its function is to control the flow of data and the processing of data. The data in the form of various codes is stored in the computer's memory. The codes represent numbers, characters and program instructions.

What are the major components of the microprocessor? The processor has five major components. These are:

1. The CLOCK: an oscillating circuit that turns a switch on and off rapidly to produce timing signals which tells the processor when to do things. clock speeds can be 100, 166, 233 MHz or Megahertz (millions of pulses per second!)

2. The ARITHMETIC LOGICAL UNIT (ALU) which can do simple operations such as addition, subtraction, comparisons and logical operations on two data words at a time by manipulating switches.

3. The CONTROL UNIT (CU) which directs the flow of codes into and out of the CPU and directs the operations of the ALU.

4. The REGISTERS or temporary memory locations which hold data that is being worked on by the ALU and program instructions.

5. The INTERNAL BUS which connects the ALU and REGISTERS to the outside or external data bus and thence to main memory and peripheral devices.

SETTING THE SCENE We are going to do a role play of what actually happens inside a computer. In this play we need students to play the following characters: CU - the 'Brains' of the outfit! Sits at the front desk. They will read and interpret instructions and direct all actions that occur. ALU - student stands at the whiteboard with a marker and eraser. They are to draw out the table on the board that represents the memory address contents. INPUT - This student sits at the front of the class with a series of cards containing numbers that are entered into the computer. The numbers are:

0000 1100 ----- 12 0110 0111 ----- 103 0011 1000 ----- 56 0100 1101 ----- 77 1111 1111 ----- FF

OUTPUT - This student sits at the front with a blank sheet of paper and a marker. PROGRAMMER - The only human in this play! This is the person sitting at the computer that types something in.

The ALU should draw the following table on the board:

Address Contents

1000

1001

1002

1003

1004

1005

1006

1007

1009

100A

100B

100C

100D

100E

CPU Program Cards:

NUMBER CONTENTS EXPLANATION 1. NEW Change all memory locations to 0 2. WRITE 1, 1000 Put 1 in memory location 1000

3. INP 1005 Write contents of data card in memory location 1005

4. INP 100A Write contents of next data card in 100A 5. FETCH 1005, X Copy contents of 1005 into register X 6. FETCH 100A, Y Copy contents of 100A into register Y

7. COMP FF Compare the contents of register Y with 1111 1111. If equal then put 1 in the flag register.

8. IF 1 THEN GOTO 15 If flag register contains 1 then goto line 15

9. ADD X + Y, A Add contents of X and Y and put the answer in A the ACCUMULATOR.

10. STORE A, 1005 Copy contents of A to memory location 1005 11. FETCH 1000, A Copy contents of 1000 to A. 12. INC A Add 1 to contents in A 13. STORE A, 1000 Copy contents of A to 1000 14. GOTO 4 Go back to card four and repeat the sequence. 15. FETCH 1005, X Copy contents of 1005 to X 16. FETCH 1000, Y Copy contents of 1000 to Y 17. DIVIDE X,Y Divide X by Y and put answer in A. 18. STORE A, 1019 Copy contents of A to memory location 1019 19. OUTPUT Output copies and displays contents of 1019.

What are the Microprocessor Components?

A microprocessor, like all other computer components, is made up of switches. The main components of this complex IC are:

1. CU - Control Unit which sequences, times and controls operations of the other CPU parts. 2. ALU - Arithmetic Logic Unit which carries out simple operations such as addition and comparisons on binary data which is held in the data registers. 3. Registers - which are temporary memory locations which hold data and the answers to ALU operations. Memory Address registers hold such information as where in memory the current instruction is. 4. The Bus - which carries data to and from between memory and registers. The data consists of pulses of electricity which make up the codes for data, instructions, memory addresses and so on.

What is an Instruction Set? Each instruction is a binary word (a set of 8, 16, or 32 1's and 0's). Each word tells the processor to do a specific task. The set of all such words that the processor can use is called the processor's INSTRUCTION SET. Each different microprocessor has its own instructions set.

Programs always begin at a particular memory address. When a program is run this address is placed in the Memory Address Register (MAR).

During an instruction Fetch Cycle the following happens: 1. The CU gets the instruction's memory address from the MAR. 2. It then connects the MAR to the address bus 3. This causes the memory address to connect to memory end of the data bus and the instruction register to connect to the data bus at the CPU end. The instruction at the memory location is copied onto and fed along the data bus to the instruction register.

During an Execute Cycle the following happens: 4. The CU's decoding control logic uses the instruction to select a set of MICROINSTRUCTIONS (MI's). The MI's are then used in sequence to cause the instruction to be carried out.

For instance, a microinstruction sequence may be used to load the accumulator (ACC) with the binary number in a particular memory address 1. MI-1 places the address of the data in MAR 2. MI-2 connects the memory address to the data bus at the memory end. 3. MI-3 connects the ACC to the data bus at the CPU end. 4. This causes the binary number to be copied from the memory to the ACC.

These microinstructions are themselves switch settings activated by the switch settings in the instruction. Thus the CPU's operation is nothing more than one set of switch settings controlling a sequence of more switch settings. The timing of the operations is controlled by the CLOCK.

How do Programs Work?

Program instructions consist of two parts; the instruction itself (called the op-code) and the address of the data to be worked upon. Generally the first word of an instruction is the opcode and the second and if necessary the third word are the address words.

The most basic computer language is called Machine Language or ML. ML programs consist of instructions written in binary form. The whole language consists of nothing more than the instruction set for the particular microprocessor being used. Machine language programs are extremely difficult and tedious to write since the programmer must deal solely with binary numbers. Instructions deal with operations involving the registers, data transfers and ALU operations.

As computer memories expanded it became possible to store in memory a program called an ASSEMBLER which converts easily remembered mnemonics (memory aids) into ML. Using an assembler the programmer no longer had to remember that the opcode for load the accumulator is 0010 0111. Instead the mnemonic LDA was used and the assembler program converted it and 30 or 40 other instructions into their ML equivalents.

High level languages such as BASIC, FORTRAN, COBOL, etc. comprised the third level. A much more comprehensive program called an INTERPRETER is used to convert English type instructions into ML one by one. The programmer no longer had to worry about memory addresses and registers to the same extent as before. Simple instructions such as PRINT and INPUT could be used to control computer activities. Another program called a COMPILER could do the same thing but actually converts the whole high level program into and executable ML program.

What Determines the Power of a Microprocessor?

There are a number of factors which determine the power of a microprocessor chip. These include:

1. Clock speed which determines how fast the computer can carry out an instruction or move a data word. 2. The size of the data register which determines how many bytes of data can be operated on at one time. 3. The size of the address register which determines how much memory the processor can address directly. 4. The number and type of registers in which the processor can temporarily store data. 5. The instruction set which determines what kind of operations can be done by the processor. 6. The width of the external data bus which determines how many bytes of data can be sent to and from memory at a time. 7. The width of the internal bus which determines how many bytes can be transmitted between internal components of CPU. 8. How much support circuitry such as coprocessors and RAM cache is included on the chip instead of in other support chips somewhere else on the motherboard.

All of the above can be summed up in one word... SPEED!

What is a Coprocessor?

A coprocessor is a microprocessor specifically designed to carry out a particular task. Specifically a coprocessor is usually understood to mean a math coprocessor which handles complicated mathematics such as multiple precision calculations, logarithms and trigonometric functions much faster than the main processor can. When a particular task calls for such operations the main processor hands them over to the coprocessor. The 8088 has its 8087 coprocessor, and the 80386 has its 80387. CPU's higher than the 80486DX has its coprocessor built online with the CPU.

What are the three types of Busses used in PC's?

One of the major architectural differences between different types of microcomputers is the size and type of busses used for internal communications. The three busses used in IBM compatible PC's are ISA, EISA and MCA.

ISA is an acronym for Industry Standard Architecture and is often also called the AT Bus after the AT model IBM computers. ISA is a 16-bit bus capable of transferring 2 bytes of data at a time under control of the computer's microprocessor. This bus structure has become outdated with the advent of 32 bit microprocessors and higher speeds.

MCA was the second bus developed by IBM. MCA stands for MicroChannel Architecture and was introduced to solve the problems of the older ISA architecture but it was not compatible with the older ISA components. A large number of third party manufacturers did not agree with this as they had a large investment in maintaining compatibility with the old ISA standards. As a result the developed a third 32-bit bus which they called EISA or Expanded Industry Standard Architecture.

EISA was developed by a consortium of companies including Compaq, Epson, Hewlitt-Packard, NEC, Ollivetti, and Tandy. The EISA bus uses 32 data lines, and increases the address bus to 32 bits also allowing the 4 GB direct addressing capabilities of the new 386 and 486 processors. It is also designed to be compatible with devices that have 8, 16 or 32v bit interfaces with connectors that allow all the older cards to fit while adding 90 new connections without increasing the size of the connector. The clock speed of the bus remains at about 8 MHz but EISA adds a compressed data transfer mode in which data is transferred every 1 1/2 clock cycles instead of every 2 or 3 cycles as in ISA and a BURST mode which moves data every cycle resulting in an effective transfer rate of 33 MB per second.

MCA we developed by IBM and is totally incompatible with ISA or EISA systems. Some view this as a ploy by IBM to cut the other manufacturers out of the market. Others believe that this is the only way to develop a clean improved system with out carrying all the baggage from earlier computers. We have seen another example of this with the Window 95 operating system carrying the older and outdated MSDOS backbone so that it could support these older programs.

Some other types of busses include the SCSI, PCI and USB type busses. Information on these will follow.

What are Serial and Parallel Communications?

A bus is an example of parallel data transfer. A bus consists of many conducting paths lying parallel to one another. The result is that 8, 16, or 32 signals can be sent at the same time along these wires to transfer data 1 ,2 or 4 bytes in a single cycle. Some peripheral devices such as disk drives and parallel printers are connected to interface cards on the bus and also transfer data in this way.

Other devices such as modems and serial printers have only one data line. the data is transferred on BIT at a time. A byte or character of data requires a minimum of 8 shifts of data. Obviously, serial data flow is a lot slower than parallel.

What is a Buffer?

A buffer is an electronic circuit much like memory that stores data during transmission. Buffers are used to convert between serial and parallel data flow, to hold data temporarily while it is being processed and to hold data while signals are being converted from one speed or form to another. Some buffers occupy specific memory locations in the computer's RAM examples are the video and keyboard buffers. other buffers are placed inside peripheral devices such as printers. In some printers whole documents can be downloaded from the computer's memory to the printer's buffer so that the computer can be used for another task while the printer is printing.

What is an Interface Card?

Earlier we called these daughter boards. Interface cards plug into the computer's bus by means of connector sockets. they provide electronics which convert signals to and from those used by peripheral devices to those used by the computer itself. such electronics may include buffers and special devices which change data transfer speeds, transfer modes and signal strengths.

What are Interrupts?

An interrupt is a special input to the processor's control logic resulting from a request by a peripheral device for service. An interrupt begins the following sequence of events:

1. the instruction that is currently being worked upon is completed. 2. the Program Counter contents is stored on the stack. 3. the Program Counter is then loaded with two special memory addresses called the

interrupt vector which points to the interrupt routine. 4. The interrupt routing is executed. 5. A return from interrupt instruction reinstates the program that was previously

running 6. The PC's original contents are retrieved from the stack and original program takes

over where it left off.

Each Interrupt is vectored to a memory location that is 8 bytes from the next vector. the 8 bytes might hold a short service routing or jump unconditional instruction which directs the PC to a longer service routing somewhere else in memory.

There are three basic types of interrupts including RESET, NON-MASKABLE (NMI) and MASKABLE.

1. Reset has the highest priority and is used to reboot the processor. 2. NMI has the second highest priority and is generated internally by the computer. 3. Maskable interrupts can be generated by a program and are used by programs to

start I/O operations.

What are I/O Addresses?

I/O means Input/Output and is the process by which the processor transfers data to and from other devices. Data transfer occurs through an I/O Port. An I/O port is a special type of RAM called a data register. Usually there are two ports for each device, one for input and one for output.

Data placed in an input port is usually transferred directly to the processor's accumulator register and thence to memory a process called PDT or programmed data transfer. In some cases the data is transferred directly to memory a process called DMA or Direct Memory Access.

One major problem with I/O ports is referred to as an addressing conflict which results when a board or adapter card is placed in a slot and given the same address as another board already there. For example if you already have a serial printer connected to a serial port whose address is COM1 and you place another card into the computer (modem for example) with the same address a conflict will result in which the computer sends printer signals to modem or some other adapter card. Most multifunction cards have DIP switch settings to govern their port address. These DIP switches should be set to COM 2 or 4 to avoid conflicts.

How does a computer produce pictures on a screen?

One of the interface cards that you will find plugged into the motherboard of any PC (some may be actually ON the motherboard) is the video controller card. It is the function of this card to control the operations of the video monitor. Since the advent of the first IBM PC's video controller cards and monitors have gone through a series of improvements. Some older video controllers which are not used anymore consisted of MDA (Monochrome Display Adapter) CGA (Color Graphic Adapter) and EGA (Enhanced Graphics Adapter) and VGA the Video Graphics Adapter.

Most computers today have monitors that are SVGA or Super Video Graphics Adapter. These cards can display millions of colors and at least 1280 x 1024 pixels.

Most monitors today are plug and play. A video monitor uses a cathode ray tube that produces a fine beam of electrons. This beam scans across the picture tube along a scan line making a phosphor paint glow. It then moves down the scan the lines all the way down the screen. A picture is made on the screen by changing the beams intensity to vary the brightness of the phosphor paint. In color monitors three beams are used to illuminate red, green and blue phosphors. In INTERLACED monitors the beam scans every second scan line all the way down the screen. It then moves up to the top and repeats the procedure scanning the even scan lines. In NON-INTERLACED monitors the scan lines are scanned in order. al this must be done in less that 1/30th of a second. Interlacing permits greater on screen resolution with a slower scan rate. This becomes important because the TTL circuits used in interlaced monitors are no longer fast enough and more expensive Emitter Coupled Logic (ECL) circuits must be used.

The signals that come from the computer are digital. the video controller card for SVGA contains a DAC or digital to analog converter that changes the digital signal to an analog one that the monitor can use.

Flat screen monitor are used in laptops. They use Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD screens) to produce color images of surprisingly good quality. In these devices the bulky cathode ray tube is replaced with a matrix of special diodes which affect the way light is transmitted. These displays are light weight and can be run for extended periods on battery power making them perfect for portable laptop computers.

How do Disk Drives Work?

Disk drives store data magnetically. A floppy disk uses magnetic oxide impregnated mylar plastic as the medium while hard disks use rigid metal plates. The data is stored by sending a digital signal through an electromagnet called a WRITE HEAD. The plastic medium is fed under the head to produce tiny zones of magnetization which represent 1's and 0's. As the disk rotates the head is moved to produce rings of data called TRACKS. the tracks are further broken down into pie shaped wedges called SECTORS. Data is stored by the read/write head in these areas. The read/write head can move to any sector on the disk to access the data. In access mode the magnetic zones moving past the head generate tiny voltages that are read as binary data. the ability of the head to access any sector is referred to as random access.

As technology improved more and more data could be stored on disk. the first floppy in general use stored about 170 KB. It was known as SSSD (Single Sided Single Density 5 1/4 inch). Now we generally use the 3 1/2" 2 HD (Double Sided High Density) which can store up to 1.44 MB of info. Floppy disks that can store higher are also available but are more expensive and are not as common.

Hard disks are permanently mounted in the computer cabinet. since the disks are hard metal plates they can be spun faster and the heads can be closer to the surface. this means that more data can be stored in a smaller area and the disk access time is faster. The first computer hard disks were a whopping 10 MB but today the average size of a hard drive is about 3.5 Gigabytes (Jan, 1999) with this number getting higher every few months.

Certain tracks on the disk are used by the disk operating system to keep track of the names and locations of program and data files. One such section is the FAT or File Allocation Table. This areas stores file names and data about the organization of files on the disk. this is not as simple as it may seem since as files are stored, erased, and modified a single file may be split up (fragmented) into several sections lying on different parts of the disk. The operating system on your computer must be able to link the various parts of the file in the correct order. You should also perform regular maintenance on your hard drive which included scanning for lost clusters, defragging the drive and checking your directory structures. Several pieces of software are available to help you do this.

Disk drives like all other peripherals must be linked to the computer's bus and processor by an interface card and driver program. There are several such DISK CONTROLLERS in use. Like all such technologies they have their own set of standards and types. some common ones in use today are IDE and SCSI, they are hard disk interfaces which define the electrical signals used for communications. IDE stands for Interface Design Enhancement and although it is not the fastest it can access data at 4 MB per seoncd with a seek time of about 16 ms. These characteristics and its relatively cheap price make it ideal for most of the less intensive computer applications.

Assignment 4: Windows Explorer and MS Word: File Management: This project gives you experience organizing your personal folders and files using Windows Explorer and MS Word. 1. For step 1, do the following at all three stations in the

lab: a. Open Windows Explorer. b. Create (if not already created) a folder on drive

c:\2002fall. c. Within the folder c:\2003fall, create your c:\

personal folder: c:\2003fall\[yourname]. d. Within the folder e:\2003fall, create your e:\

personal folder: e:\2003fall\[yourname]. Beginning with step 2, do the following at one station in the lab: Within your data disk a:\, create a new folder, a:\2003fall, and a new subfolder: a:\2003fall\[yourname]. (Be sure you put your name on your disk and bring the disk to every class meeting.) Copy "welcome.txt" and "welcomeshortcut" from c:\2001fall\camclass to the following locations (WARNING: Be sure you don’t move the files!):

e. c:\2003fall\[yourname]

Copy "welcome.txt" and "welcomeshortcut" from c:\2001fall\camclass to the following locations (WARNING: Be sure you don’t move the files!):

a. c:\2003fall\[yourname] b. a:\2003fall\[yourname]. c. e:\20032fall\[yourname].

Figure out how the files “welcome.txt” and “welcomeshortcut” are similar and how they are different. HINT: Experiment with Windows Explorer, Quick View Plus, and both the left and right mouse buttons.

Open MS Word and start a new file. Type a list of the musical works you are currently studying in your private lessons (or some other relevant list). Save as "currentworks.doc" (or some other relevant title) in your c:\ personal folder, c:\2003fall\[yourname]. Copy "currentworks.doc" from your c:\ personal folder to your e:\ personal folder and also to your a:\ personal folder. Backup entire folders by copying as follows. Study this procedure carefully to understand the reasoning behind what you are doing:

d. Copy folder c:\2003fall\[yourname] to a:\2003fall (not a:\2003fall\[yourname]!).

e. Copy folder a:\2001fall\[yourname] to e:\2003fall (not e:\2003fall\[yourname]!).

Practice the above steps until you understand the whys and wherefores. Be ready to demonstrate your skills to F Markovich, who will give you other files and folders to create and copy.

1. Send an email message to to fmarkovi@pacbell.net, by noon, Monday, September 15, in which you:

a. Say that you have successfully completed this assignment and are ready to demonstrate the skills in class.

b. Describe some of the similarities and differences between “welcome.txt” and “welcomeshortcut.”

c. Attach a copy of the MSWord file you created, “currentworks.doc” (or some other relevant title).

d. Indicate which station in the lab you used for steps 2-8. While you may use any lab station it would be best to use the same station for all of your work this term.

Assignment 5: Music Tech Lab: MIDI: This project gives you experience understanding the use of MIDI. 1. Study the handout MIDI and Music Synthesizers (pages 311-314). You can use either

the hardcopy versions distributed to you or the onscreen versions accessed by clicking Start – Programs.

2. Use Netscape to load the website, Exploring MID

http://music.northwestern.edu/links/projects/midi/expmidiindex.html Study as much of the website as you wish (some of this gets quite technical). Minimally, be sure you study the following five pages:

a. What is MIDI? b. MIDI Controllers. c. General MIDI. d. Standard MIDI Files. e. Applications that use MIDI.

This is what you will see

This Web site is an introduction to MIDI for those who would like to learn more about basic concepts in MIDI and its application in the world of music. Listed below is a selection of topics pertaining to MIDI.

What is MIDI? MIDI Connections

Java Enabled MIDI Connections

Non-Java Page

Understanding Decimal

Binary & Hexadecimal

The MIDI Language

Types of Data Transmitted

through MIDI

MIDI Channels and Modes

MIDI Controllers General MIDI

Standard MIDI Files

Using MIDI on a Web Site

Applications that use MIDI

Audio vs. MIDI Files

MIDI Timing Concepts

Author Information and

Comments

1. Also read over the next week the articles at each of the following sites as an overview.

a. http://www.harmony-central.com/MIDI/Doc/intro.html

b. http://www.harmony-central.com/MIDI/Doc/tutorial.html Following is what you will see:

Tutorial on MIDI and Music Synthesis Written by Jim Heckroth, Crystal Semiconductor Corp. Used with Permission.

Published by: The MIDI Manufacturers Association POB 3173 La Habra CA 90632-3173

Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. MPU-401, MT-32, LAPC-1 and Sound Canvas are trademarks of Roland Corporation. Sound Blaster is a trademark of Creative Labs, Inc. All other brand or product names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Copyright 1995 MIDI Manufacturers Association. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or copied without written permission of the publisher.

Printed 1995 HTML coding by Scott Lehman

Table of Contents

Introduction MIDI vs. Digitized Audio MIDI Basics MIDI Messages MIDI Sequencers and Standard MIDI Files Synthesizer Basics The General MIDI (GM) System Synthesis Technology: FM and Wavetable The PC to MIDI Connection Multimedia PC (MPC) Systems Microsoft Windows Configuration

1. Send an email message to the entire class by noon, Monday, September 22, in which you discuss the five pages you have studied in #2 and any comments from #3. For each page or article in #2, answer these questions:

a. What is the purpose of this page or article? b. What are some interesting things you learned from reading this page or

article? c. How could you use this information in your life? d. An overall list of questions or areas that weren’t clear to you once you read

the articles?

!!! CRUCIAL REMINDERS !!!

(1) Whenever you start a new file, choose File/Save As, then save the file into your personal folder on drive C!

(2) As you work, always save your work every ten minutes,

renaming it if you want to safeguard your previous versions!

(3) When you are done working, copy your file to your disk in drive A!

Assignment 6: Finale: Theme and Modal Variation: Becoming familier with Finale: Go through the entire Finale Tutorial; Do a write-up on how you would use this program.

Start up Finale

In the Help choose “How to use the manual”

After reading how to use the manual go to help and read Chapters 1-3 in the manual.

Do a paper for assignment 6 on how you will use Finale or a notation program in your music development.

Answer the following questions:

1. Why use the computer to notate? 2. What advantages does the computer have in doing notation?3. What could be future uses for the computer in notation?4. How will you use the computer and notation?5. What roadblocks do you see to learning how to notate on the

computer?

This should be turned in by Oct 6, 2003