Artefact Creation

The Electronic Project

Project List

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The Project

In your groups, compose a piece which utilises one or more electronic effects, such as modulation, reverberation, delay, etc., or Keyboards, sound modules etc.

Within groups, draw up a proposal of what you want to do listing what equipment you will use to what purpose. This should be the task of the first meeting at the end of the Thursday Week 5 session.

You will be informed as to what equipment you will be able to use.

The final piece should include use of at least one item from three of the following groups:

1. • amplified conventional instrument(s)
   • amplified voices
   • amplified sound source
2. • live sampling (and manipulation)
   • live synthesis (and manipulation)
   • an 'electric' instrument
   • a taped 'part'
3. • delay
   • reverberation
   • distortion
   • pitch shifting
   • filtering
4. • extended instrumental
   • techniques
   • extreme (?) amplification
   • antiphonal effects

Think about the following as a part of the exercise:

The electronic element must be present as an integral part of the composition. If an instrument is amplified what will this allow you to do that you canŐt do without amplication? How can this extra range of sounds be exploited?

Think about the performance: are there tape synchronisation problems that need to be solved? Do you need a conducter or a mixer? How much of the electronic equipment should be visible to the audience? Where should the speakers be located? Could there be a visual or theatrical element, or will this distract from the music?

 

Rules of the Game

One of the biggest problems with group projects is group discipline. Many groups complain that they have not found the time when everybody is available to meet together, sometimes at all...

Here are some rules & suggestions that may help this problem a bit.

• The majority of you should be available for the times given in the timetable. There will be some problems but I hope you will be able to iron them out.
• I'm asking all 'group leaders' to maintain registers for those in their groups (group leaders are those marked in bold at the head of each group list). If a group member is absent without notification for more than two group meetings the miscreant will make themselves liable to removal from the project and so 0% for this particular part of the course. The role of the group leader is not so much to push events in a certain direction, but to ensure attendance and to make sure that some event is ready for the workshops in weeks 8 & 9.
• These are not and should not be the only times when groups meet. Ideally you should meet at least four times.
• Try to assign a specific role for each member of the group.
• Make sure everyone is absolutely clear about what their role is, what they should be doing and by when they should be doing it.
• Try to make sure that you agree to something specific in a meeting.
• Group Leaders should try to assemble an agenda for each meeting and you should make one member responsible for doing something by the next meeting.

Good luck!