Department of Electronics

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    • Electronic Engineering
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    • Music Technology Systems
    • Music Technology
    • Electronic Engineering with Nanotechnology
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The recording studio is fully equipped, with two control rooms, a live room, keyboards, drums, amps, and a large supply of professional microphones. Campus bands are always eager to be recorded, and I can build my resume while making professional demos for them as part of my course. - Ainslie

I’ve managed to get a job within the Student Union as a sound engineer for events on campus, which complements what I’ve learned on the course well. - Tom

Music Technology

This exciting new BSc programme meets the needs of students who have both creative musical interests and are keen to explore the technologies which underlie audio systems and sound production. With a long standing reputation in this field, the Department of Electronics at York offers extensively equipped recording studio and digital media production facilities, alongside the expertise of leading academic staff. This new BSc will provide the opportunity for students who are not necessarily taking A level Mathematics or equivalent to study in this popular discipline.

The course begins with teaching the fundamental electronic engineering techniques that are used in music technology, as well as creative practical exercises in audio and music. Students are also familiarised with the operation of a modern digital audio recording studio.

As the course progresses, these skills are broadened to provide a substantial grounding in the areas of audio engineering, hearing and perception, voice production and synthesis, audio interfaces, creative practical studio techniques, signal processing, mathematical tools and computer programming techniques. Choices of options are also available.

Project work is a key component of the course. Students will work in teams and individually, developing a range of creative and engineering focused skills through an understanding of the recording studio production environment and its driving technologies.

Work includes a large-scale group project in the production and editing of music and sound effects for moving image, and an individual project to produce a portfolio of audio material. In the final-year individual project, students have the opportunity to work over an extended period of time on a specialist music technology topic of their own particular interest.

See our BSc Music Technology entry requirements.

Sample Module, Year 1

Music Technology in Action

This module provides a grounding in the fundamental working principles of a digital audio recording studio - both technically and practically. The core of a studio is a mixing desk and students learn how to create their own software version. Students will also produce a short radio advert, which involves a live studio recording of a human voice and postproduction to add sound effects and music.

Sample Module, Year 2

Audio for Media

Introduces students to the creation and production of music and sound effects for moving images, such as television, film and computer games. Topics include: motivation for sound selection, audio cues, effects creation, scoring, themes; dialogue and editing; the computer based digital audio workstation; timecode and audio/video synchronization; audio plug-ins; audio DSP techniques; surround sound for cinema and DVD authoring.

Sample Module, Year 3

Music Technology Portfolio

This module enables students to demonstrate their technical and practical skills in the production of items to make up an individual creative portfolio of contrasting audio material. The portfolio should demonstrate the individual's creativity in audio production, their ability to programme material for a contrasting portfolio, as well as audio post-processing techniques and audio mastering. Students will plan their programme and realise it along with a full technical description and programme notes.

Course Structure

FIRST YEAR	SECOND YEAR	THIRD YEAR
CORE SUBJECTS:	CORE SUBJECTS:	CORE SUBJECTS:
Music Technology in Action	Recording Studio Techniques	Audio Interfaces and Synthesis
Music Technology Creation and Perception	Audio for Media	Audio Algorithm Design and Implementation
Introduction to Electronic Hardware	Hearing and Voice	Music Technology Portfolio
Introduction to Electronic Systems	Analogue Circuitry	Major Project (2 terms)
Mathematics	Digital Circuit Design and Programming	OPTIONS:
Laboratory Practical	Mathematics	Distributed Computer Systems
	Laboratory Practical	Communication Systems
		Accounting and Finance
		Project Management
		People and Quality
		Marketing Techniques
		Neural Networks

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