Objectives
All around us the sound world that we experience and take for granted is constantly evolving. Every year brings new sonic experiences: at the cinema, on television, with background music in shops – in fact, almost everywhere. Advances in computing power provide new opportunities to create and process sounds in real-time that were impossible even five years ago. This constantly unfolding sonic and technological landscape is inspiring to both artists and scientists. Music Technology is traditionally associated with the recording studio. However, the subject has applications as diverse as: -film sound effects -art installations -therapy for the disabled -data compression for portable music systems -electro-acoustic soundscapes -active noise cancellation in cars -new musical instruments -mobile phone ringtones -computer game music The MSc Music Technology programme has been designed to provide students with the ability to turn their hands to any of these applications, and more. The purpose of the MSc is also to enhance skills which are applicable to a wide range of careers, for example, in scientific innovation and experimentation, research, project management, teamwork, and software engineering.
Course description
Content
Developing an advanced level of understanding of Music Technology and its applications starts with a fascination with the subject. Applicants should have the desire to create new sonic experiences, and innovative systems that push the limits of modern digital technologies. The programme goes beyond the modest scope of undergraduate Music Technology teaching, which tends to focus on standard techniques. The Master's course goes beyond those, using creative experimentation and research to produce original solutions to problems. It also provides the opportunity for students to specialise in a particular area of the subject through the Master's project and dissertation.
The prime goal of all Engineering programmes at Bristol UWE is to produce effective practitioners. This course is no exception. It aims to provide an educational framework by which graduates can develop, deepen or update their skills and knowledge in areas relevant to a wide range of audio, digital signal processing, and software engineering careers. It also provides a firm foundation in research techniques, which might be used to pursue an academic or commercial research career. The technical areas covered include:
-digital audio signal processing (analysis, modification, synthesis, and control)
-studio technologies and engineering techniques
-software engineering
-human interface design
-real-time systems
The artistic areas considered include:
-the nature of the relationships between human performance, perception, artistic requirements and enabling technologies
-studio production and creative techniques
-sound design
The general professional skills developed include:
-project management
-product development
-collaborative working
-research methods
Teaching and learning
Students benefit from teaching staff with extensive real-world expertise. These include a recording engineer with over 20 years professional experience, a software developer who has worked on projects as diverse as multimedia art performances and Internet communications, and a composer with an international reputation whose music is regularly performed on BBC Radio 3. The Bristol Institute of Technology has recently expanded its studio and research facilities substantially and is about to add further facilities. These areas have equipment to enable students to research and implement a wide variety of sound creation, recording, modification, and control techniques.
The Bristol Institute of Technology has recently expanded its studio and research facilities substantially and is about to add further facilities. These areas have equipment to enable students to research and implement a wide variety of sound creation, recording, modification, and control techniques.
In common with other MScs in the Bristol Institute of Technology, MSc Music Technology is delivered by a combination of taught modules and a dissertation. Specific provision is made for part-time students and the we endeavour to timetable modules one day a week for these students. Part-time students generally complete the course over two or more years.
Study facilities
Facilities for Music Systems and Technology students in the Bristol Institute of Technology are excellent. In our recording studios we have both analogue and digital consoles of a full professional standard. Multi-track recording, mixes, sequencing and recording are done in the studio, and you are able to produce your own CDs. There is an excellent range of microphones including B&K, Electrovoice, Shure and Beyer. A recent expansion means that we now also have two new music control rooms, linked to the Music Studio, and eight isolated booths where student groups can work on sound recording and mixing projects.
Study time
Students will qualify for the awards of MSc, PG Diploma and PG Certificate by accumulating credits on completion of modules, as follows:
-The MSc in Music Technology requires 180 credits, including 60 credits from the dissertation;
-The PG Diploma in Music Technology requires 120 credits, all from the taught part of the course i.e. no dissertation is completed;
-The PG Certificate in Music Technology requires 60 credits, all from the taught part of the course.
Teaching and learning involves a combination of supervised work and independent experimentation and study. There is a significant element of individual and group experimental work, which means that full-time students can expect to be on campus about two or three days per week. The remainder of the week will be used for independent study. Part-time students will normally attend one day per week, supplemented with distance learning as appropriate.
Taught modules are worth 15 or 30 credits and are either compulsory or optional. Those modules are taught over a period of 12 weeks (one semester). The number of hours of study time and staff contact time depends on the nature of the module. Modules involving considerable practical and experimental activity (such as Audio Processing: Systems and Practice, Recording Projects and the Music Technology Group Project) involve about 3-6 hours work on campus per 15 credits per week. All students will undertake a 60 credit project and dissertation – a substantial piece of independent work that must be completed in order to achieve the full MSc qualification.
Assessment
You will be assessed through coursework, practical assessment and, in some cases, written examination. The dissertation accounts for one-third of the overall mark.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much additional time and independent study will this course require?
The number of hours of study time and staff contact time depends upon the nature of the module. Modules involving considerable practical and experimental activity involve about three to six hours work per 15 credits per week. You should expect to devote approximately a further six to nine hours per week to each module. This means that a full-time student may need to spend up to 50 hours per week on his/her studies. In practice, there may be phases of particularly intensive activity, when deadlines need to be met, and less active times.
How much time and effort will I be expected to put into the dissertation?
The project and dissertation is the culmination of the Master's course, and you should start to consider how to tackle it from the beginning of the programme. Writing the dissertation is demanding, not so much because of its length, which is about 15,000 words, but because you are expected to identify a research question that is important and interesting to you, and then think analytically and creatively about this question. This will involve extensive, critical reading of relevant literature and (usually) practical experimentation.
I am in the final year of my undergraduate degree. Why should I do a postgraduate degree and what better career prospects can this give me?
With increasing numbers of people studying for undergraduate degrees, it is becoming more important to distinguish yourself from the crowd. A postgraduate degree gives you experience and skills which are a level beyond those taught to undergraduates and are relevant to a wide range of technology careers. It provides the opportunity for you to explore a subject you enjoy in greater depth and to focus on particular topics of interest. The Master's programme also provides an introduction to postgraduate-level research, which can lead to opportunities in academia and R&D which are less accessible to those without such a qualification
