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Sound engineering skills

sound engineering students

About the course

The sound engineering course is run at Dep International Studios in Birmingham, at the same professional studio where UB40 records their albums. The course is a unique partnership between tutors from Pato Banton’s Muzik Links music school and the studio.

Aims

The course offers young, aspiring musicians a professional surrounding and access to coaching and support from professionals who are both successful and well known in this particular field of music. Students are given a chance to use equipment that is normally out of their reach.

It consists of 150 hours of hands-on learning, with professional equipment, professional standards and professional demands on students.

Criteria

The main criterion for the course is that students are willing to listen and learn. Sound engineering is a craft, and the longer you do it the more finely tuned your ears become to the sounds, and the placement of the sounds.

Eventually you will mix at the same time as recording, rather than mixing at the end of production.

Course content

You’ll learn about:

  • using a basic Midi
  • audio techniques
  • accessing sound modules
  • working with HDRs (Hard Disc Recorders), mixing boards, auxiliaries, microphones and effects units
  • recording and generating sound
  • the organisation of personnel in the music industry

 

The course is tailored to individual needs. People will be using different programs at home and so they will want knowledge of these, of how the sound module works and how to use it correctly. The course offers the opportunity to learn a variety of sound editing programs.

Qualifications

At the end of the course, you’ll have a NCFE (National Certificate of Further Education) Level 2 in Music Technology. You can then go on to do the BTEC National Diploma.

Who would benefit from the course?

It is the ideal course for those who:

  • want to learn how to produce and engineer, not just get a certificate
  • come with loads of ambition
  • are probably already artists, but who want to further their knowledge
  • already have some skills and experience having come from a Level 1 course, or who have practical knowledge
  • are enthusiastic and driven, creative and punctual!

We look for enthusiasm and drive, creativity and ............. punctuality in a student.

About the tutorsound engineering skills tutor major

Sound engineering course tutor, Winston Mendes, aka Major,
had an inner-city upbringing. But that didn’t stop him from using
every avenue he could to gain knowledge and experience.

‘Be adventurous: trial and error is your best source of learning, if you’re not willing to try something you’ll never know if it works or not.’
Major


Major tells us how he set up his studio and produced his first record.

 

 

Student profile


sound engineering skills student antony osborne

When we asked recent course graduate, Antony Osborne, what he wanted to achieve in five years' time he said 'global domination'.

Find out how he gained confidence in his musical abilities.

E-mail us for details about the course.

 


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