Community DIY Tech Workshops for All Ages

Explore creative computer programming, 3D modeling, microcontrollers, interactive graphics and sound, and robotics on your time with these hands-on weekend workshops! These are perfect for parents who would like to learn with their kids, adults who love to tinker, or youth who would like to learn more about advanced topics in an informal and fun learning environment.

Winter Workshops:

Computer Generated Music: Concepts and Techniques for Programming with Pd

Date/Time TBA soon
Pd (Pure Data) is the open source cousin of Max/MSP. Written and maintained by the original programmer of Max, San Diego’s own Miller Puckette, Pd is widely considered one of the most powerful and flexible tools for creating electronic music. Pd is free, works on nearly every platform, and is meticulously maintained and documented. It utilizes a flowchart style GUI which makes it intuitive to learn.

This workshop will focus not only on Pd, but is concerned with the basic concepts of computer music as well. For beginners it will be a great introduction to the world of computer music, and for more advanced computer-musicians, this will be an opportunity to expand your understanding of sound, music, and the programming techniques associated with producing sonic material.

The goal of the workshop will be to create a musical instrument or instruments as well as a novel way to control its/their parameters. This is the basic skeleton of all computer generated music and sound design.

Intro to Processing

Date/Time TBA soon
Learn about the basics of coding by exploring the Processing Development Environment. This project-based class will focus on the development of fundamental programming skills, creation of applets that feature interactivity, allowing students to create responsive virtual environments.

Sound Design and Interactive Sound

Date/Time TBA soon
This project-based course seeks to provide both a solid foundational knowledge of the basic theories behind modern digital audio and a practical understanding of the tools used by composers, designers, and producers to create high-quality music and sound. This will include explorations of the physics of sound, basic digital theory, common audio tools, including DAWs, sequencers, samplers, synths, effects, and MIDI controllers, and practical audio techniques, including the use of loops, presets, effects, modulation, automation, and sequencing.