Announcement: Opportunities in Digital Sound Design at DSU⌗

  • DSU Live: A student-run club where you can learn how to set up and run live concerts, as well as start and manage a record label. Find out more and get involved through talking to one of the current members or visiting DSU Live.
  • Sound Design Discord: Connect with your peers, share projects, and keep up with program news in the DSU Sound Design Discord Server.
  • Student Research Initiatives: Interested in funding for projects? DSU has resources to support undergraduate research, and sound design students are encouraged to get involved. Learn more and apply at Student Research Initiatives.

Week 1 (8/25)⌗

Monday⌗

Read: Physical attributes of acoustic waves: Part I: Introduction - see D2L for more details.

Wednesday⌗

Read: Physical attributes of acoustic waves - Part II - read and prepared to discuss on Friday using details from D2L.

Friday⌗

Week 2 (9/1)⌗

Monday⌗

  • Labor Day – No Class

Wednesday⌗

Friday⌗

Week 3 (9/8)⌗

Monday⌗

Wednesday⌗

Friday⌗

  • Listen to mono projects in class and talk about process
  • Stereo reproduction
  • Experiment with different stereo micing techniques in the studio

Week 4 (9/15)⌗

Monday⌗

Wednesday⌗

Friday⌗

  • Binaural recording with the Zoom H3-VR and my sound professionals earbuds
  • Combine binaural recordings with mono and stereo recordings that are rendered with Anaglyph
  • Anaglyph
    • Test out hwo to use it in class; add sound effects or dialogue and experiment with automation.
    • Test out a few of these - Files - Sofaconventions
    • Add them to the package contents to get them to show up in the VST
  • Anaglyph projects making of - Anaglyph

Assignment: Stereo/binaural - Due 10/10/24

Week 5 (9/22)⌗

Monday⌗

Wednesday⌗

Friday⌗

Week 6 (9/29)⌗

Monday⌗

Assignment: Ambsonics - Due 10/17/25

Wednesday⌗

  • Two options:
    • (1): Continue with ambisonic mix from last class or get practice setting up another mix.
    • (2): Start a new project with ambisonic recordings from the zoom H3-VR. Combine with other recordings we find online and render in ambisonics.

Friday⌗

Week 7 (10/6)⌗

Monday⌗

Wednesday⌗

Friday⌗

Week 8 (Oct 13)⌗

Monday⌗

  • Native American Day – No Class

Wednesday⌗

  • Listen to binaural projects
  • Ambisonics check in day
    • Each student will present their project and discuss their process for about 10 minutes.
    • Students then give feedback and constructive comments for 3 - 4 minutes.
    • Feedback areas:
      • How well is the spatialization working?
      • If you did an original work, how did you use the stereo or ambisonic recordings?
      • How well is the automation working? Does it add to the piece?
    • Wrap up with general collaborative problem-solving related to ATK and Reaper.

Friday⌗

  • Listen to Ambisonics mixes in class and talk about your process.

Week 9 (Oct 20)⌗

Monday⌗

  • Let’s do a group mix in 7.1 using ReaSurroundPan to learn how it works.

Wednesday⌗

Technical introduction to Dolby Atmos

  • Watch the Atmos demo - how different does it sound from the 5.1/7.1 we have been using?
  • What is Dolby Atmos

Friday⌗

Week 10 (Oct 27)⌗

Monday⌗

Wednesday⌗

  • Continue mixing the song in Atmos using Logic Pro X.

Project Atmos - Due 11/14/25

Friday⌗

  • Show Lambs Movie project
  • Talk about next project
    • Atmos mix of song
    • Atmos mix of Lambs Movie project

Week 11 (Nov 3)⌗

Monday⌗

Focus: Particle-Based and Generative Systems⌗

Examine systems that use emergent behaviors or particle logic for immersive design.

Examples

  • Sound Particles (3D particle-based spatial engine)
  • Compare with manual DAW automation or ambisonic trajectories.

Discussion Prompts

  • How does a particle-based workflow differ conceptually from traditional mixing?
  • How can generative systems model ecological or crowd-based sound phenomena?
  • What creative uses emerge in games, installations, or ambient soundscapes?

Hands-On
Design a short swarm or field of sound sources in Sound Particles; export a stereo or binaural render.

Wednesday⌗

Focus: Open-Source & Academic Frameworks⌗

Explore community-built systems that emphasize algorithmic transparency and flexibility.

Examples

  • 2nd-Order Ambisonics with SPARTA (and Spatial Audio Framework)
  • IEM Plugin Suite (optional supplement)

Discussion Prompts

  • Compare ambisonic orders and decoding quality.
  • How do VBAP, DBAP, and HOA differ perceptually?
  • Discuss trade-offs between open development and commercial polish.

Hands-On
Use SPARTA or IEM plugins to encode and decode a 4-source ambisonic scene.
Render both binaural and multichannel outputs for comparison.

Friday⌗

Focus: Spatialization Servers & Real-Time Control⌗

Investigate real-time engines that separate spatialization from authoring.

Examples

Discussion Prompts

  • How does routing audio through an external spatialization server change workflow?
  • Explore advantages for installations, performances, or mobile playback.
  • Compare SpatGRIS and SSR in speaker layout flexibility.

Hands-On
Create a small multichannel session in SpatGRIS or SSR, spatialize 3–5 sources, and route via OSC.

Week 12⌗

Monday⌗

Focus: Authoring, Sequencing, and Integration⌗

Use creative sequencing environments to structure spatial trajectories and integrate multiple systems.

Examples

  • Ossia Score (intermedia sequencer with spatial modules)
  • Soundscaper-OSC (optional for interactive or locative work)

Discussion Prompts

  • How does temporal control differ from DAW automation?
  • Discuss how these systems could drive SpatGRIS, SSR, or SPARTA via OSC.
  • How might they support ecoacoustic or participatory projects?

Hands-On
Compose a short (20–30 s) spatial sequence in Ossia Score, controlling either SpatGRIS or SSR in real time.
Document signal flow and export a render or live performance recording.

Wednesday⌗

  • Hear progress on the mixes due on Friday

Friday⌗

  • Listen to your mixes and/or talk about problems you are having.

Final Project Description - Proposal Due 11/21; Project Due 12/12 - both submitted via D2L

Week 13 (Nov 17)⌗

Monday⌗

  • Proposal Workshop
    • Come in with specific ideas (concepts, tools, influences) for your final project, we’ll discuss them as a class.

Wednesday⌗

  • Open session to talk about proposals
  • SuperCollider

Friday⌗

  • Each student briefly presents their proposal
    • This is a chance to get feedback and suggestions from the class.
    • We’ll also listen to your influences listed in the proposal.

Week 14 (Nov 24)⌗

Monday⌗

  • Final project setup session
    • Meet in small groups to setup your project and ask questions.
  • Schedule:
    • 1:00 - 1:50
      • Orlando, Reiter, Michael, Hunter
    • 1:50 - 2:40
      • Abbie, Wiley, Mason

Wed–Fri (Nov 26–28)⌗

  • Thanksgiving Break – No Classes

Week 15 (Dec 1)⌗

Monday⌗

  • Midpoint Critique
    • Each student will show their progress on the project so far, playing 1-2 minutes of a mix or composition.
    • Other students will provide feedback and encouragement.

Wednesday⌗

  • Organized Work Session
    • Work on feedback suggestions from Monday.
  • Schedule:
    • 1:00 - 1:50
      • everyone
    • 2 - 4 pm
      • Go check out the Undergraduate Research projects in the Science Center Lobby.

Friday⌗

  • All students meet for feedback and sharing progress session.

Week 16 (Dec 8)⌗

Monday⌗

  • Fill out course evaluations
  • ask any final questions or further feedback request before the final exam presentation.

Dec 10 (Wed)⌗

  • No Classes

Dec 11–17 (Thurs–Wed)⌗

  • Final Exam Period

Final Exam⌗

December 12, 1 - 3 pm