Creating Sounds for Electronic Music from Coursera

What you’ll achieve:

In this project-centered course*, you will create sounds and use them in your own musical compositions. Whether you're an aspiring producer, composer, or hobbyist, this course will help you gain skills in music production and confidence using software synthesizers. Along with your classmates, you will create a massive database of designed sounds, or patches, to use in your compositions. As part of the course, you will work with a free version of FXpansion Strobe 2.

What you’ll need to get started:

This course is designed for learners who are familiar with music production basics, and who have access to some basic music production equipment. Specifically, you should have experience with a digital audio workstation that supports VST, AAX, or AU plugins (Introduction to Music Production or Pro Tools Basics are recommended if you do not have this experience). You will also need a MIDI keyboard or controller (such as an oxygen 8), a digital audio workstation, such as Pro Tools, and FXpansion Strobe 2 (a free 90-day demo will be provided for Coursera learners in this course).

*About Project-Centered Courses:

This is a ‘project-centered course’, which means it is designed specifically to help you complete a personally meaningful real-world project, with your instructor and a community of learners with similar goals providing guidance and suggestions along the way. By actively applying new concepts as you learn, you’ll master the course content more efficiently; you’ll also get a head start on using the skills you gain to make positive changes in your life and career. When you complete the course, you’ll have a finished project that you’ll be proud to use and share.

What's inside

Syllabus

Welcome to Creating Sounds for Electronic Music!

Welcome to your Berklee course! Before you begin the course, we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your Berklee course.

Creating A Mock Up

This week, we'll start working in Strobe 2 and create a mock up of our song. We will focus on creating drum and bass patches to use in our songs. We'll also go over the form we will be using for our electronic etudes.

Creating Draft 1

This week, we'll look at organ, lead, keys, and arpeggiator patches. We'll start researching and adding these patches to our etudes.

Creating Draft 2

This week, we'll learn about pads, synths, unison, and chord patches. We'll research these patches and add them to our second draft. We'll also take a look at changing something drastic in our etudes.

Creating Draft 3

This week, we'll create our third draft. We'll add special FX and texture to our etudes. We'll also expand on the 40-measure form and begin to develop our musical ideas further.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Develops skills in music production and confidence using synthesizers

Taught by Loudon Stearns, who is recognized for work in electronic music

Examines electronic music creation, which is highly relevant to industry

Builds a strong foundation for beginners in electronic music production

Explicitly advises students to take other courses first as prerequisites

Requires access to fairly expensive equipment (a MIDI keyboard or controller and FXpansion Strobe 2)

Reviews summary

Engaging sound design for electronic music

Learners say this engaging course in creating sounds for electronic music is well received by students. According to students, the course is a good introduction to the world of synthesizers. They say that instructor Loudon Stearn provides a clear description of what learners need to know and demonstrates everything in practice. This course offers a low-threshold introduction and practical, hands-on approach that is helpful to those new to synthesizers. Students say the course helped them progress in learning Ableton and build their skills. They also appreciate that they are given software and a certificate. However, some learners felt that the course was rushed and messy and would have liked to have seen more time spent explaining features of the synthesizer. Additionally, some learners found the peer-grading system to be challenging.

Course offers practical, hands-on approach to learning.

"In particular, I liked the practical, hands-on approach and the project that we worked on every week."

"Este es un campo del cual desconocía mucho pero siempre me ha interesado, pude aprender sobre los fundamentos y aspectos básicos para empezar a aplicarlos en mis propios proyectos."

Course is a good introduction for those new to synthesizers.

"Without previous experience, synthesizers can be intimidating. This course offers a low-threshold introduction to the world of synthesis."

"This is a really good course which very good for beginner."

Instructor provides a clear description of the subject matter.

"There is a lot to learn on the subject and Loudon gives a clear description of what you need to know."

"Realmente cubre todo lo que tienes que saber sobre el funcionamiento del sintetizador, muy recomendado."

"Loudon's awesome teacher. This is how teaching should be done. Straight to the point engineering sounds and not math & calculus equations to explain how things work."

Peer-grading system can be challenging.

"The course material and the lesson modules provided by berklee is absolutely worth it. However the peer-grading system pretty much collapses on this one."

"Depending on the submission, the reviewing process, if taken seriously, is a very, very challenging chore."

Some features of the synthesizer are not explained well.

"I do feel some of the features of the synthesizer were not that well explained."

"It might have been worthwhile to add a lesson or two to the beginning of the course and spend a bit more time on explaining it all thoroughly before starting to work on the patches."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Creating Sounds for Electronic Music with these activities:

Start an Electronic Music Project

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Kickstart your electronic music production journey by starting a new project.

Browse courses on Project Planning

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Define the scope and goals of your project
Gather the necessary resources and materials
Set up your production environment
Start creating and experimenting with sounds

Reading: Electronic Music Production Techniques

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Gain a deeper understanding of the technical aspects of electronic music production by reading this book.

View The History of Music Production on Amazon

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Read the chapters on synthesis, sampling, and sequencing
Take notes and highlight important concepts
Apply what you've learned to your own electronic music productions

Practice Creating Synth Patches

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Generate a variety of synth patches to become more familiar with the capabilities of FXpansion Strobe 2.

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Load FXpansion Strobe 2 and create a new patch
Experiment with different oscillator types, envelopes, and effects
Design a bass patch, lead patch, and pad patch
Save your patches and share them with the Coursera community

Four other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all seven activities

Design a Sound Library

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Develop a comprehensive collection of sounds that can be used in your electronic music productions.

Browse courses on Sound Design

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Record and process your own sounds
Collect and organize sounds from various sources
Create a system for categorizing and tagging your sounds
Share your sound library with the Coursera community

Compose an Electronic Music Track

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Develop your musical creativity and gain hands-on experience by composing your own electronic music track.

Browse courses on Electronic Music Production

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Brainstorm ideas and create a basic melodic structure
Add harmonies, rhythms, and sound effects
Experiment with different mixing and mastering techniques
Finalize your track and share it with the class for feedback

Learn Advanced Synthesis Techniques

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Expand your knowledge and skills in synthesis by watching tutorials on advanced techniques.

Browse courses on Sound Design

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Find tutorials on topics such as FM synthesis, wavetable synthesis, and granular synthesis
Follow the tutorials and experiment with the techniques demonstrated
Apply your new skills to create unique and innovative sounds

Attend an Electronic Music Production Workshop

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Gain hands-on experience and learn from industry professionals by attending an electronic music production workshop.

Browse courses on Electronic Music Production

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Find and register for a workshop that aligns with your interests
Attend the workshop and actively participate in the activities
Network with other attendees and instructors

Career center

Learners who complete Creating Sounds for Electronic Music will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Music Producer

Music Producers oversee the recording, mixing, and mastering of music. They also work with artists to develop their sound and vision. Berklee's Creating Sounds for Electronic Music course can help aspiring Music Producers develop the skills they need to succeed in the industry. The course provides a foundation in music production and helps students gain confidence using software synthesizers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Producer

Record Producer

Record Producers oversee the recording, mixing, and mastering of music. They also work with artists to develop their sound and vision. Berklee's Creating Sounds for Electronic Music course can help aspiring Record Producers develop the skills they need to succeed in the industry. The course provides a foundation in music production and helps students gain confidence using software synthesizers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Record Producer

Electronic Dance Music Producer

Electronic Dance Music Producers create and produce electronic dance music. They work with a variety of software and hardware to create their tracks. Berklee's Creating Sounds for Electronic Music course can help aspiring Electronic Dance Music Producers develop the skills they need to succeed in the industry. The course provides a foundation in music production and helps students gain confidence using software synthesizers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Electronic Dance Music Producer

Audio Technician

Audio Technicians work with a variety of musical equipment to record, mix, and master music. They also work with sound design. Berklee's Creating Sounds for Electronic Music course can help aspiring Audio Technicians develop their skills in music production. The course provides a foundation in music production and helps students gain confidence using software synthesizers and other audio equipment.

See salaries and explore the career path for Audio Technician

Sound Designer

Sound Designers create and edit sound effects for use in film, television, and video games. They also work with sound design for live performances. Berklee's Creating Sounds for Electronic Music course can help aspiring Sound Designers develop their skills in sound design. The course provides a foundation in music production and helps students gain confidence using software synthesizers and other sound design tools.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sound Designer

Music Composer

Music Composers create and produce music for a variety of purposes, including film, television, and video games. They also work with live performances. Berklee's Creating Sounds for Electronic Music course can help aspiring Music Composers develop the skills they need to succeed in the industry. The course provides a foundation in music production and helps students gain confidence using software synthesizers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Composer

Live Sound Engineer

Live Sound Engineers work with a variety of sound equipment to mix and amplify sound for live performances. They also work with sound design. Berklee's Creating Sounds for Electronic Music course can help aspiring Live Sound Engineers develop their skills in music production. The course provides a foundation in music production and helps students gain confidence using software synthesizers and other live sound equipment.

See salaries and explore the career path for Live Sound Engineer

Sound Editor

Sound Editors work with a variety of sound effects and music to create and edit soundtracks for film, television, and video games. They also work with live performances. Berklee's Creating Sounds for Electronic Music course can help aspiring Sound Editors develop the skills they need to succeed in the industry. The course provides a foundation in music production and helps students gain confidence using software synthesizers and other sound editing tools.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sound Editor

Video Game Audio Designer

Video Game Audio Designers create and edit sound effects and music for video games. They work with game developers to create the desired audio experience. Berklee's Creating Sounds for Electronic Music course can help aspiring Video Game Audio Designers develop the skills they need to succeed in the industry. The course provides a foundation in music production and helps students gain confidence using software synthesizers and other audio design tools.

See salaries and explore the career path for Video Game Audio Designer

Audio Engineer

Audio Engineers work with a variety of musical equipment to record, mix, and master music. They also work with sound design. Berklee's Creating Sounds for Electronic Music course can help an aspiring Audio Engineer by developing their skills in music production. The course will help them gain confidence using software synthesizers and music production equipment.

See salaries and explore the career path for Audio Engineer

DJs play and mix recorded music for audiences. They work in a variety of settings, including clubs, festivals, and private events. Berklee's Creating Sounds for Electronic Music course can help aspiring DJs develop the skills they need to succeed in the industry. The course provides a foundation in music production and helps students gain confidence using software synthesizers and other DJ equipment.

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Music Director

Music Directors oversee the musical aspects of a production, such as a film, television show, or video game. They work with composers, musicians, and other members of the production team to create the desired musical outcome. Berklee's Creating Sounds for Electronic Music course can help aspiring Music Directors develop the skills they need to succeed in the industry. The course provides a foundation in music production and helps students gain confidence using software synthesizers.

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Music Therapist

Music Therapists use music to help people with a variety of needs, such as physical, emotional, and cognitive challenges. Berklee's Creating Sounds for Electronic Music course can help aspiring Music Therapists develop the skills they need to succeed in the industry. The course provides a foundation in music production and helps students gain confidence using software synthesizers and other musical equipment.

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Music Teacher

Music Teachers teach music to students of all ages. They work in a variety of settings, including schools, private studios, and community centers. Berklee's Creating Sounds for Electronic Music course can help aspiring Music Teachers develop the skills they need to succeed in the industry. The course provides a foundation in music production and helps students gain confidence using software synthesizers.

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Musician

Musicians perform music for audiences. They work in a variety of settings, including concerts, festivals, and recording studios. Berklee's Creating Sounds for Electronic Music course can help aspiring Musicians develop the skills they need to succeed in the industry. The course provides a foundation in music production and helps students gain confidence using software synthesizers and other musical equipment.

See salaries and explore the career path for Musician