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Music Technology Project 2 - ELE00050I

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  • Department: Electronic Engineering
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
    • See module specification for other years: 2024-25

Module summary

This module lets you contribute to the design and build of an audio system - from analogue data gathering through processing and mapping, to sound generation and monitoring. You'll work in teams to learn about interfacing sensors to a microprocessor, and learn how to program the microprocessor to create sound.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2023-24

Module aims

Subject content aims:

  • To build on the previous project module and further develop student skills in group project working. In particular, students will work in groups on a product involving hardware and software using embedded processors.

  • To use audio generation for scientific analysis (sonification) or the creation of new sounds (synthesis) and to design and build a complete electronic system which creates sound from sensor data.

Graduate skills aims:

  • To develop skills in summarising and showing understanding of information from reliable sources and technical writing

  • To develop skills in gathering information from reliable sources and constructing technical presentations

  • To consolidate skills in team working, research, business practice, environmental impact of technology, engineering design and project management

  • To extend the students existing knowledge and introduce students to further skills they will need in a typical engineering project: the main areas of skill that will be covered include the analysis and synthesis in a technical requirements context to produce a project plan, application of knowledge to practice using project management tools/techniques, planning and time management, project design and management, analysis of sustainability, technical report writing skills, team working, and development of practical skills in hardware and software through design of a product using embedded processors.

Module learning outcomes

Subject content learning outcomes

After successful completion of this module, students will:

  • Contribute to the design and build of an audio system - from analogue data gathering through processing and mapping, to sound generation and monitoring

  • Describe how to design a product for testability, and the practical limitations of testing new products

  • Know, understand, analyse and apply appropriate processes in waste management, climate change mitigation and use of alternative energies

  • Employ techniques for sustainable design including disposal and/or re­use of electronic materials

  • Discuss the issues of designing for manufacture, including supply chains, production engineering, and the use of appropriate processes for production and control (quality assurance)

  • Be able to create a detailed project requirements specification from the client requirements, including a work breakdown structure with activity durations and Gantt Charts

  • Have experience of the use of embedded processors, low power design and integration of hardware, including component selection and tolerance issues

  • Have developed skills in software design in embedded systems

  • Have developed skills in hardware design in products and integration with embedded processor

Graduate skills learning outcomes

After successful completion of this module, students will:

  • Be able to summarise and show understanding in technical reports based on information selected from a variety of reliable sources, to a specified audience

  • Be able to design and deliver presentations from information selected from a variety of reliable sources, to a specified audience

  • Discuss the ethical and environmental implications of engineered products

  • Be aware of learning preferences

  • Have developed knowledge of project management practice

  • Have developed team working skills

Module content

Working in groups of 4-6, students will work to deliver on a given project brief. This module shares the main lectures and labs with the module Electronics Stage 2 Project. Music Technology students on this module have some supporting extra lectures on sound design for sonification and synthesis, which enables them to do a different assignment involving the generation of audio. After submitting an initial report, and giving an initial group presentation, students continue to work on prototyping their electronic audio product.. At the end of the project, the team produces a demonstration video of the working audio system, and individuals write up their own report, and take part in a peer feedback exercise. It is important for students to work collaboratively by maintaining good communication and adopting good project management and time management skills.

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 60
Groupwork 20
Groupwork 10
Oral presentation/seminar/exam 10

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

Student teams will be given a flexible remit to design an interactive audio product. This would typically be a synthesiser with a multi-input user interface, or a sonification system (the scientific portrayal of data as sound). The audio is produced by direct audio synthesis on an ARM microprocessor, for which special lectures are provided for the Music Technology students only. Teams design a user-interface, which is typically made up of electronic components such as switches, knobs, sliders, accelerometers etc. Thus students are able to design and construct a fully working synthesiser and use it for creative or scientific purposes.

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Module feedback

'Feedback’ at a university level can be understood as any part of the learning process which is designed to guide your progress through your degree programme. We aim to help you reflect on your own learning and help you feel more clear about your progress through clarifying what is expected of you in both formative and summative assessments. A comprehensive guide to feedback and to forms of feedback is available in the Guide to Assessment Standards, Marking and Feedback.

The School of PET aims to provide some form of feedback on all formative and summative assessments that are carried out during the degree programme. In general, feedback on any written work/assignments undertaken will be sufficient so as to indicate the nature of the changes needed in order to improve the work. The School will endeavour to return all exam feedback within the timescale set out in the University's Policy on Assessment Feedback Turnaround Time. The School would normally expect to adhere to the times given, however, it is possible that exceptional circumstances may delay feedback. The School will endeavour to keep such delays to a minimum. Please note that any marks released are subject to ratification by the Board of Examiners and Senate. Meetings at the start/end of each term provide you with an opportunity to discuss and reflect with your supervisor on your overall performance to date.

Statement of Feedback

Formative Feedback

Regular labs allow you to engage with the electronic interfacing and programming material and receive verbal help and feedback on your coding and design.

Weekly quizzes on the module Wiki page help you to gain feedback on your understanding of the key module material covered in the lectures.

Emails to the Module Staff with Questions / Comments will be answered as soon as possible.

Questions can also be submitted at any time via the Question Box on the module Wiki page.

(Weekly Meetings with the group’s Supervisor allows regular progress to be tracked, problems ironed out, questions to be asked, and plans to be made and checked.)

Three Group Meetings are planned (spread out over the semester) to allow discussion with the Module Coordinator, and will focus on:

  1. your ideas and design,

  2. your implementation and organisation, and

  3. your testing and documentation.

Summative Feedback

You will receive a customised feedback sheet, showing the mark breakdown in each of the key areas being assessed:

  • For the Initial Report (Group)

  • For the Interim Presentation (Group)

  • For the Final Report (Individual)

  • For the Demonstration Video (Group)

For each assignment, personalised feedback is given along with suggestions for improvement. The comments explain how well you have met the learning objectives, and also give you feedback about the things you could improve in future assignments.

Indicative reading

Some guidance notes, datasheets and wiki links will be provided to support the undertaking of the project


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.