TME Week 11B Notes

A bit about synths

• We got given a battery, an oscillator and a speaker

• The speaker vibrates and makes the sound

• The oscillator is the thing telling the speaker to make sound

• The oscillator is a device that takes DC and turns it into AC and then you can change the frequency of oscillation (i.e. how often it the current alternates)

• The speed of oscillation we called ‘pitch’ in music

• The synth we used had a square and sawtooth wave options

• Envelope filters control the attack/decay/sustain/release of a filter

• So we can control how fast the note comes in, how long it lasts for, and how long it takes to disappear etc.

• We used a Little Bits Korg Synth Kit

The Maker Movement

• All over the world, the idea that technology has allowed us to invent and prototype our inventions for relatively cheap

• There are maker centres, where people put in money so that the maker centre can afford to buy tools to allow you to work with stuff

• Everyone brings something different; some people bring ideas but not much clue how to do it; other people are sparkies, engineers, or other people who can do things

• Mark Hatch talks about the natural human desire to make things

• USyd and UNSW have opened Makespaces; it was originally more STEM people but now art is becoming more central

• The Manifesto:

• Make

• Share

• Give

• Learn

• Tool Up

• Play

• Participate

• Support

• Change

The Maker Movement for Music Education

• The interface between hardware and software is exciting

• So not just the idea that you can build a synth, but that you could build your own instrument

• Conductive paint is great

• Remember Scratch Jr!