Music Technology

• Description: Introduction to creating music with computers, keyboards, audio samples and beats using Pro Tools and other digital audio workstations. Basic principles and use of MIDI sequencing/audio software. Songwriting, musical composition, mixing, mastering and the basic elements of music (pitch, rhythm, harmony, style and form) as they relate to contemporary music. Basic music production using DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations). General computer literacy and media management. All styles are included, and prior musical training is not required.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory: Advisory: Not open to students with credit in MUS 66A.
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 3 hours lecture per week, 3 hours lab per week. 72 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Introduction to fundamental concepts and techniques of mixing boards, amplifiers, microphones, signal processors and their application to both live and studio sound reinforcement. Basic introduction to computer based recording with Avid Pro Tools HD systems. Microphone placement, physics of sound as it relates to recording, sound reinforcement and studio setup techniques.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory: Advisory: Not open to students with credit in MUS 80A.
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 3 hours lecture per week, 3 hours lab per week. 72 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Introduction to multitrack recording and production using Avid Pro Tools HD systems. Contemporary recording studio production techniques including microphone selection, placement, analog and digital signal paths, speaker monitors and studio acoustics. Techniques for recording drums, bass, piano, guitar, woodwinds, strings and vocals. Practical hands-on experience with professional recording artists and student collaborations.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory: Advisory: Not open to students with credit in MUS 81 or 81A.
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 3 hours lecture per week, 3 hours lab per week. 72 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Advanced recording studio techniques, concepts, and creative elements of professional music production. Advanced microphone techniques and acoustics. Planning and pre-production, studio teamwork, collaborating with musicians in the role of producer/engineer. Mixing, mastering, post-production used in professional digital media content creation workflows. Utilizing analog and digital audio equipment in complex hybrid configurations. Successful completion of this course will prepare students for internship or entry-level employment position in a recording studio, audio for post facility, or mastering facility.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory:
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 3 hours lecture per week, 3 hours lab per week. 72 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Mixing and mastering multitrack recordings using Pro Tools. EQ, compression, reverb, delays, tempo maps, harmonic distortion, multi-band compression. Comparison and contrast of various styles of mixing including jazz, classical, country, rock, hip-hop and electronica, etc. Example exercises featuring professional recordings and mixes. Understanding and applying mixing concepts such as balance, dimension, and monitoring. Deliver final mixes that translate accurately to various speaker systems and listening environments.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory: Advisory: Not open to students with credit in MUS 81C.
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 3 hours lecture per week, 3 hours lab per week. 72 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Advanced mixing and mastering techniques with Pro Tools. EQ, compression, reverb, delays and tempo maps as applied to all styles of music including jazz, pop, rock, hip-hop, orchestral and electronica. Apply critical listening to mixes and enhance mixes with automation, audio plug-ins and external hardware equipment. Use multi-band compression and advancing audio processing in mastering. Study mixes of professional audio engineers and recording artists. Prepare to work in commercial production facilities and apply these techniques in a home studio. Learn professional collaboration workflows, file management and delivery to a wide range of formats including CD, DVD, MP3 and internet streaming. Although this course uses Pro Tools, the concepts and techniques can be applied to any digital audio workstation (Logic, Cubase, etc.) or any traditional analog mixing console.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory: Advisory: Not open to students with credit in MUS 81G.
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 3 hours lecture per week, 3 hours lab per week. 72 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Creative applications of software plugins and outboard hardware used in contemporary music production and sound design. Signal processing, equalization, compression, Beat Detective, distortion, reverb, delay, pitch correction, modulation, advanced plugin automation techniques. Compare plugins and processors from different companies, including Sonnox, McDSP, Massey, Avid, Antares and Waves. Practice with a wide range of material and genres, including rock, pop, hip-hop, jazz, acoustic, orchestral, electronic and spoken word. Apply techniques to any digital audio workstation, including Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton Live and Studio One, and traditional analog mixing consoles.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory: Advisory: Not open to students with credit in MUS 81D.
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 3 hours lecture per week, 3 hours lab per week. 72 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Introduction to the tools and techniques used to create and perform electronic music in a variety of styles. Programming of virtual analog and digital synthesizers, developing techniques for recording unique instruments and sounds, creating custom single and multi-sample patches using software samplers, using algorithmic composition tools and techniques, building interactive performance systems using object-oriented programming environments, and adapting hardware and software for live performance.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory: Advisory: Not open to students with credit in MUS 6 or 67.
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 3 hours lecture per week, 3 hours lab per week. 72 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Creating and editing sounds with synthesizers, samplers, drum machines, and virtual instruments. Compose and produce music in a variety of styles, including commercial and experimental. Utilize MIDI and virtual instruments for songwriting, arranging, and orchestration. Program analog synthesizer modules, including oscillators, filters, ADSR envelope generators, and LFOs. Overview of third party virtual instruments and plugins. Create, edit, and arrange drum beats. Emulate acoustic instruments, violin sections, brass, woodwinds, and choir. Organize sound libraries and virtual instrument templates for music production, TV, film, websites, and video games. Work can be done in any major DAW that supports AU, AAX, or VST instruments, including Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, Live, etc.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory: Advisory: Not open to students with credit in MUS 66C.
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 3 hours lecture per week, 3 hours lab per week. 72 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Introduction to Pro Tools with Avid Certification training material. Basic audio editing tools and techniques, plug-ins and mixing in the Pro Tools environment. Build sessions that include multitrack recordings of live instruments, MIDI sequences, virtual instruments, audio loops and beats. Practical experience with examples from major label recording artists and feature films. Understanding menus, windows, preferences and system configurations for Pro Tools in home studios and professional facilities. Introduction to automation, dialog editing and audio post production for film and video. Required for Avid Pro Tools Certification.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory: Advisory: Not open to students with credit in MUS 82A.
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 3 hours lecture per week, 3 hours lab per week. 72 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Pro Tools production concepts and techniques with Avid Certification training material. Recording, editing, routing audio and MIDI data. Managing Pro Tools sessions, using virtual instruments, plug-ins, loop recording, Elastic Audio, Beat Detective and music notation. Conform loops and beats to any tempo. Introduction to control surfaces, automation modes and signal path workflows. Practical applications with examples from professional recording artists including pop, rock, jazz and hip-hop. Create tempo maps, meter changes and transpose key signatures. Required for Avid Pro Tools Certification.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory: Advisory: Not open to students with credit in MUS 82B.
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 3 hours lecture per week, 3 hours lab per week. 72 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Avid Pro Tools Certified training material covers concepts and skills needed to operate Pro Tools in a professional recording studio environment. Introduction to Pro Tools HD system configurations. Pro Tools HD features, including control surfaces, automation, advanced editing, mixing, hardware setup, and session management. Practical examples and experience with exercise files from professional music, film, and TV productions. Required course for Avid Pro Tools Operator Level Certification. Prepares for enrollment in Pro Tools 300 Expert Level Certification courses.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory: Advisory: Not open to students with credit in MUS 82C.
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 3 hours lecture per week, 3 hours lab per week. 72 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Study of legal and business aspects of the music industry. Emphasis on publishing, licensing, and promotion. Copyright law, interaction between songwriters and music publishers, record companies, distributors and the rules that govern them. How music is licensed, service marks, trademarks and patents. The role of lawyers, agents, personal managers, producers and promoters. Licensing and copyright of intellectual properties in the growing multimedia industry and the internet. Synchronization of music in film, video and television. Career development and how major/independent labels market and distribute media.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory: Advisory: Not open to students with credit in MUS 50A.
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 3 hours lecture per week, 3 hours lab per week. 72 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Select group performing varied literature in contemporary styles, including pop, rock, hip-hop, metal, and jazz. Designed to develop the performing skills needed by musicians in a studio recording environment. Open by audition to all students. May be repeated up to six times.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory: Advisory: Placement by audition based on the ability to play an instrument.
• Repeatability: RP6
• Hours: 1 hours lecture per week, 3 hours lab per week. 48 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note: