Students

MMCC2020 – Music Production: The Virtual Studio

2025 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Denis Crowdy
denis.crowdy@mq.edu.au
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.
  • ULO2: analyse and describe creative musical works.
  • ULO3: evaluate musical ideas and participate in shared creativity both in class and online.
  • 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
Creative work 40% No 06/06/2025
Process diary 20% No 06/06/2025
Guided production tasks 40% No 13/04/2025

Creative work

Assessment Type 1: Creative work
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 06/06/2025
Weighting: 40%

 

Students will complete a creative work of approximately 3 mins featuring MIDI sequencing, software synthesisers and other relevant techniques covered in the unit. 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: 20 hours
Due: 06/06/2025
Weighting: 20%

 

Students will submit a reflective diary documenting creative and technical processes undertaken. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • analyse and describe creative musical works.
  • practice independent problem-solving and analytical judgement in the application of specialized software in music making.

Guided production tasks

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 13/04/2025
Weighting: 40%

 

Students will undertake a set of guided tasks that demonstrate introductory skills. 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

Tutorials commence in Week 2. Please see the timetable (https://publish.mq.edu.au/) for details.

Lectures will be delivered on campus. Tutorials include both online and on campus formats.

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 connect.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 the Service Connect Portal, 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 2025.04 of the Handbook