Schedule

Week-by-week topics, readings, and deadlines. Subject to change. Check back for updates throughout the semester.

Each lecture lists its assigned reading in the last column. You are expected to read it before that lecture. All assignment and final-project deadlines are 11:59:00 PM Eastern on the date shown.

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Warning

The final exam is scheduled by the university during finals week. Do not finalize post-semester travel until the final exam date is posted.

Legend

Non-lecture dates are color-coded: autograded assignment (AI forbidden) · open-ended assignment (AI encouraged) · exam · final project (AI optional) · breaks / no class.

Date	Topic / Deadline	Reading
Week 1
Tue Aug 25	01A · Course motivation, syllabus, and fundamentals of audio	Ch. 0, Ch. 1
Wed Aug 26	Course onboarding form (due)
Thu Aug 27	01B · Intro to synthesis, Pyquist, and vectorized computation	Ch. 2
Week 2
Mon Aug 31	Assignment 1: Hello Pyquist and Synthesis (due)
Tue Sep 01	02A · Additive synthesis, wavetables, and basic waveforms	Ch. 3
Thu Sep 03	02B · Timbre vs. score, envelopes	Ch. 4
Week 3
Mon Sep 07	Assignment 2: Implementing timbre and scores (due)
Tue Sep 08	03A · Unit generators, steps and pitch, scores	Ch. 4
Thu Sep 10	03B · Frequency vs. time and Fourier analysis	Ch. 5
Week 4
Mon Sep 14	Assignment 3: Exploring timbre and scores (due)
Tue Sep 15	04A · Amplitude modulation synthesis	Ch. 6
Thu Sep 17	04B · Frequency modulation synthesis	Ch. 6
Week 5
Mon Sep 21	Assignment 4: Implementing FM synthesis (due)
Tue Sep 22	05A · Digital sampling theory and aliasing	Ch. 7
Thu Sep 24	Exam 1 — covers 01A–04B (Ch. 0–6); Assignments 1, 2, 4
Week 6
Tue Sep 29	06A · Discrete Fourier Transform and Fast Fourier Transform	Ch. 8
Thu Oct 01	06B · Filters and convolution I	Ch. 9
Fri Oct 02	Assignment 5: Exploring FM synthesis (due — Friday)
Week 7
Mon Oct 05	15-622 (Grad) Final Project — Proposal (due)
Tue Oct 06	07A · Filters and convolution II	Ch. 9
Thu Oct 08	07B · Frame-based processing and the STFT	Ch. 10
Fri Oct 09	Assignment 6: Implementing filters (due — Friday)
Fall break
Tue Oct 13	Fall break — no class
Thu Oct 15	Fall break — no class
Week 8
Tue Oct 20	08A · Sample-based synthesis	Ch. 11
Thu Oct 22	08B · Instrument acoustics and physical modeling synthesis	Ch. 12
Week 9
Mon Oct 26	Assignment 7: Implementing frame-based processing (due)
Tue Oct 27	09A · Delay lines, effects, and spatialization	Ch. 13
Thu Oct 29	09B · Algorithmic composition, Markov chains, and LPC	Ch. 14
Week 10
Mon Nov 02	Assignment 8: Exploring advanced topics I (due)
Tue Nov 03	10A · Democracy Day — no class
Thu Nov 05	Exam 2 — cumulative, emphasis 05A–09B (Ch. 8–14); Assignments 6, 7
Week 11
Mon Nov 09	15-622 (Grad) Final Project — Progress Report (due)
Tue Nov 10	11A · Psychoacoustics and tuning	Ch. 15
Thu Nov 12	11B · Compression and MIDI	Ch. 16
Fri Nov 13	Assignment 9: Exploring advanced topics II (due — Friday)
Week 12
Mon Nov 16	15-322 (Undergrad) Final Project — Proposal (due)
Tue Nov 17	12A · Real-time music processing	Ch. 17
Thu Nov 19	12B · Music information retrieval and Music AI	Ch. 18
Week 13
Mon Nov 23	15-322 (Undergrad) Final Project — Check-in (due)
Tue Nov 24	13A · Spillover and guest lecture (TBD)
Thu Nov 26	Thanksgiving — no class
Week 14
Mon Nov 30	15-322 (Undergrad) Final Project (due)
Tue Dec 01	14A · Where to go from here; final project presentations	Ch. 19
Thu Dec 03	14B · Final project presentations (continued)
Fri Dec 04	15-622 (Grad) Final Project — Final Deliverables and Report (due)
Finals Week
TBD	Final Exam — cumulative, 01A–13A (Ch. 0–18); Assignments 1, 2, 4, 6, 7

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Fall break

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

Finals Week