Academics / Courses / DescriptionsCOMP_SCI 375: Digital Musical Instrument Design
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Prerequisites
Enrollment will be by permission only, students interested in taking this course should fill out the DMID Questionnaire by February 19, 2026. See description below for more details.Description
Digital Musical Instrument Design approaches Human Computer Interaction through the lens of artistic creation in sound. Its perspective sits at the intersection of design, engineering, musicianship, and the sonic arts. This course will introduce students to fundamentals of creating their own musical instruments using highly-accessible modern technologies in hardware and software. We will explore the influence and feedback between the tool (e.g. an instrument), the tool user (a musician/producer), the creative output (the music), as well as the audience. Along the way, we will learn about user interaction design, physical computing (using Arduino), sensor technologies, signal creation and interpretation (using Max or PureData), and musical expression. Students will create a new musical instrument by the end of the course and the final project will involve a performance using their instrument.
Enrollment will be by permission only, students interested in taking this course should fill out the DMID Questionnaire by February 19, 2026. Students will be informed of enrollment decisions by end of day February 21. The questionnaire can be found at https://forms.gle/or6jsSBPFGdXV5ty6
- This course is cross-listed with RTVF 376
- Formerly Comp_Sci 497 - last offer was Spring 2025
- This course fulfills Technical Elective area.
Course Materials and Costs:
There are no required books for this course, all texts will be provided online. The electronics parts and tools used to create your projects will be provided. The software needed to run your projects is either free to use, or can be used free during a 30-day trial period. Max, one of the software packages used, can be extended beyond its 30 day trial for $12.95/mo on personal computers, or can be used for free in the SoundTank computer lab.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, the student will be able to:
- Analyze and critique the design of musical instruments
- Design and construct basic sensor circuits for musical interaction
- Write code for the Arduino platform that can interpret and transmit data from sensor circuits
- Create interactive audio programs (in the Max platform) that map sensor data onto sound outputs
- Refine instrument designs to create specific sonic outcomes
Evaluation Method
Attendance and class participation are crucial to this class, and are therefore a significant part of the grade. In additional to a final project and final performance, there will be a smaller presentation and incremental assignments.
Class Materials (Required)
Attendance and class participation are crucial to this class, and are therefore a significant part of the grade. In additional to a final project and final performance, there will be a smaller presentation and incremental assignments.
COURSE COORDINATORS: Prof. Bryan Pardo & Prof. Stephan Moore