Students

MMCC2020 – Music Production: The Virtual Studio

2023 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor, lecturer and tutor
Denis Crowdy
Contact via Email
10HA, 193G
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
40cp at 1000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Contemporary music production and composition is increasingly reliant on computer technology. In this unit, students are introduced to principles of composition and production using specialized software programs and virtual instruments. Students develop technical skills as well as compositional literacy. Creativity is encouraged, as students produce original musical works within the dedicated music computer laboratory. While music production software is used in this unit, no prior computer production or musical ability is necessary.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: apply proficiency with technological composition and musical creativity.
  • ULO3: evaluate musical ideas and participate in shared creativity both in class and online.
  • ULO2: analyse and describe creative musical works.
  • ULO4: practice independent problem-solving and analytical judgement in the application of specialized software in music making.
  • ULO5: produce and time-manage creative and research projects.

General Assessment Information

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late penalty will apply to written reports and recordings only. Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs will be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Electronic Music Production Assessment 40% No 23:55, 28/4/2023
Process diary 30% No Part A: 23:55, 28/4/2023; Part B: 23:55, 2/6/2023
Digital Audio Workstation Assessment 30% No 23:55, 2/6/2023

Electronic Music Production Assessment

Assessment Type 1: Creative work
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 23:55, 28/4/2023
Weighting: 40%

 

Students will complete a short 2 minute work for software synthesisers and MIDI sequencing that makes use of real-time controllers. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • apply proficiency with technological composition and musical creativity.
  • evaluate musical ideas and participate in shared creativity both in class and online.
  • practice independent problem-solving and analytical judgement in the application of specialized software in music making.
  • produce and time-manage creative and research projects.

Process diary

Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Part A: 23:55, 28/4/2023; Part B: 23:55, 2/6/2023
Weighting: 30%

 

Students will produce a process diary that documents the creative and technical processes employed in both project assessments for this unit. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • evaluate musical ideas and participate in shared creativity both in class and online.
  • analyse and describe creative musical works.
  • produce and time-manage creative and research projects.

Digital Audio Workstation Assessment

Assessment Type 1: Creative work
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 23:55, 2/6/2023
Weighting: 30%

 

Students will produce a short 1 – 2 minute audio recording in a digital audio workstation that demonstrates introductory skills in audio editing and management. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • apply proficiency with technological composition and musical creativity.
  • evaluate musical ideas and participate in shared creativity both in class and online.
  • practice independent problem-solving and analytical judgement in the application of specialized software in music making.
  • produce and time-manage creative and research projects.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Lectures

Lectures are online (asynchronous) and are made available each week through the Echo360 system via iLearn.

Tutorials

Tutorials start in week 2 and are delivered on campus (for in-person enrolments) and via Zoom (for online enrolments).

Software

Ableton Live is the music production software used in this unit. The music lab has copies of this, and students are able to book times to work in this space. If you intend to work on your projects using your own computer, then refer to iLearn for licensing options and details.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.


Unit information based on version 2023.01R of the Handbook