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The Computer Music Tutorial
A comprehensive text and reference that covers all aspects of computer music, including digital audio, synthesis techniques, signal processing, musical input devices, performance software, editing systems, algorithmic composition, MIDI, synthesizer architecture, system interconnection, and psychoacoustics. The Computer Music Tutorial is a comprehensive text and reference that covers all aspects of computer music, including digital audio, synthesis techniques, signal processing, musical input devices, performance software, editing systems, algorithmic composition, MIDI, synthesizer architecture, system interconnection, and psychoacoustics. A special effort has been made to impart an appreciation for the rich history behind current activities in the field. Profusely illustrated and exhaustively referenced and cross-referenced, The Computer Music Tutorial provides a step-by-step introduction to the entire field of computer music techniques. Written for nontechnical as well as technical readers, it uses hundreds of charts, diagrams, screen images, and photographs as well as clear explanations to present basic concepts and terms. Mathematical notation and program code examples are used only when absolutely necessary. Explanations are not tied to any specific software or hardware. The material in this book was compiled and refined over a period of several years of teaching in classes at Harvard University, Oberlin Conservatory, the University of Naples, IRCAM, Les Ateliers UPIC, and in seminars and workshops in North America, Europe, and Asia.
1234 pages, Paperback
First published February 27, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 11, 2016
My Electronic Music Professor called this, "The Bible of Computer Music" for a reason...
June 17, 2024
This is a big book. True to its name, it takes you on a grand tour through all aspects of making music with computers, from essential digital synthesis and DSP to analysing audio data to generating musical structure to understanding existing music software and hardware and its interconnections.
What I ultimately found most valuable here is the meticulously curated historical references to where various techniques came from. When you find that topic that really excites you, a book with this kind of breadth will never cover it on the level of detail you might want it to. But Roads doesn't leave you hanging, and gives you plenty of breadcrumbs to go follow on your own. Exactly what you want from a "tutorial".
I don't know why but I was expecting to see more math and tough-going DSP gymnastics here. While it does get a bit mathy on certain subjects (FM, Fourier transforms), it's not really that kind of book. It's primarily about exposition to techniques and their historical context. The nitty gritty is to be found elsewhere.
What I ultimately found most valuable here is the meticulously curated historical references to where various techniques came from. When you find that topic that really excites you, a book with this kind of breadth will never cover it on the level of detail you might want it to. But Roads doesn't leave you hanging, and gives you plenty of breadcrumbs to go follow on your own. Exactly what you want from a "tutorial".
I don't know why but I was expecting to see more math and tough-going DSP gymnastics here. While it does get a bit mathy on certain subjects (FM, Fourier transforms), it's not really that kind of book. It's primarily about exposition to techniques and their historical context. The nitty gritty is to be found elsewhere.
December 26, 2007
I finally got a used copy of this classic. It would be impossible to get all the way through it, but I'm always impressed at how clear his explanations are and how inspired I am at the end of reading it to dig into music programming software again. I think it's time for a revised edition though - with modern software discussions. Talk about what is happening now!
January 9, 2012
My early career bible.
October 16, 2017
The name implies a mere pamphlet, but this is a pretty decent size brick.
It’s size shouldn’t scare you though, because it is an easy read. I often recommend self-titled audiophiles read the first parts about digital sound, sampling, playback and how this is done in practice so they can stop buying $10000 cables for carrying digital signals.
What’s interesting is that this was written before the market was flooded with physical modeling, real-time software synthesizers and yet it has some interesting bits that, in retrospect, are quite fun to read. Now that physical modeling synths is “so 2005�.
If you deal with digital music or synthesis, this is a classic.
It’s size shouldn’t scare you though, because it is an easy read. I often recommend self-titled audiophiles read the first parts about digital sound, sampling, playback and how this is done in practice so they can stop buying $10000 cables for carrying digital signals.
What’s interesting is that this was written before the market was flooded with physical modeling, real-time software synthesizers and yet it has some interesting bits that, in retrospect, are quite fun to read. Now that physical modeling synths is “so 2005�.
If you deal with digital music or synthesis, this is a classic.
February 28, 2009
Not really one to read cover-to-cover, but still indispensable as math-challenged me tries to work through translating "what I want" in digital signal processing into "what I can do." Roads manages to lay it out for me in a way that's comprehensible without, on the other hand, treating me like an idiot. Bravo!
Read
May 19, 2015it will put you on the right track, is information-rich, can get you going in creating or working out what you want.
July 27, 2024
(Attenzione - ho letto la seconda edizione, appena uscita, molto diversa e più completa della prima)
Il libro più completo e più aggiornato che abbia mai letto in merito alla musica e il computer, nel senso più ampio possibile.
Si parla, infatti, di tecniche di sintesi (non necessariamente riconducibili in senso stretto al computer, in quanto spesso parte del mondo preesistente della sintesi analogica), di programmi finalizzati all’analisi, allo studio, alla composizione; a questo proposito vengono citate le esperienze di compositori recenti e meno recenti che si sono rivolti al mezzo elettronico o al computer per generare suoni o per creare sequenze algoritmiche o stocastiche (ovviamente i lettori sono invitati a cercare le musiche di cui si parla ed ascoltarsele - belle sorprese sono garantite). Si parla anche di MIDI, il protocollo di trasmissione tra computer e strumenti elettronici, e un’appendice, quasi una postfazione, fa da ponte per traghettarci verso il mondo dell’intelligenza artificiale applicata alla musica.
Peccato per il prezzo, davvero esagerato soprattutto considerato che si parla di un manuale di studio (123 euro in carta o 74 in e-book su Amazon). Sarebbe auspicabile che un’eventuale edizione italiana costasse qualcosa di meno.
Il libro più completo e più aggiornato che abbia mai letto in merito alla musica e il computer, nel senso più ampio possibile.
Si parla, infatti, di tecniche di sintesi (non necessariamente riconducibili in senso stretto al computer, in quanto spesso parte del mondo preesistente della sintesi analogica), di programmi finalizzati all’analisi, allo studio, alla composizione; a questo proposito vengono citate le esperienze di compositori recenti e meno recenti che si sono rivolti al mezzo elettronico o al computer per generare suoni o per creare sequenze algoritmiche o stocastiche (ovviamente i lettori sono invitati a cercare le musiche di cui si parla ed ascoltarsele - belle sorprese sono garantite). Si parla anche di MIDI, il protocollo di trasmissione tra computer e strumenti elettronici, e un’appendice, quasi una postfazione, fa da ponte per traghettarci verso il mondo dell’intelligenza artificiale applicata alla musica.
Peccato per il prezzo, davvero esagerato soprattutto considerato che si parla di un manuale di studio (123 euro in carta o 74 in e-book su Amazon). Sarebbe auspicabile che un’eventuale edizione italiana costasse qualcosa di meno.
March 30, 2025
I read the second edition. It provides an “orientation toward� electronic music and does not teach you how to make it. More of a “what all this stuff does� approach vs how to use it. Much of it was deeply fascinating. Much of it I skipped over, and it still took me over two months to read. It is about electronic music in total, not just electronic dance music. That is but a small part of it. If you’re making heavy metal in a DAW with a Kemper, there is much to be gleaned from it.
I lived next to UCSB for almost a decade and wish I had just audited his class at the time. But the book was absolutely worth a read.
I lived next to UCSB for almost a decade and wish I had just audited his class at the time. But the book was absolutely worth a read.
February 6, 2025
I mostly skimmed this looking for definitions of the controls to an analog mixer, and I gotta say As an overview of all aspects if electronic music; this is percise, thorough, and simply impressive. I will never use the information within this tome as well as the author, but i salute him for the work that went into it. Bravo!
February 14, 2021
A great resource of concepts and algorithms from the field of computer music. From 1996, lots of things have evolved within that field. Nevertheless, I consider this book a must read for everyone who's involved in research & development of music tech.
January 16, 2019
is very good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2020
The Bible for anyone who is interested in electronic/computer music. I have re-read this mammoth tome countless times! An almost inexhaustible wellspring of information!
December 27, 2024
This was a recommended book for a class I had in college and even though we never used it, I'm so glad I took two trains to MIT's bookstore to purchase it! Massive and intimidating at first, but it became my favorite book on synthesis and DSP.
May 9, 2012
Great resource!
November 18, 2020
It's one of those books that has served as a decent reference for years. I honestly can't say that I use it that much... maybe I should start picking it up again!
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