Sound engineering certificate

Course overview

This course is designed for people who are more interested in the recording process and concentrates on recording and mixing of instruments such as drums and guitars. It is also suitable for people who would like to obtain a more professional sound from their recordings.

This course takes the sound engineering route and you will learn the skills necessary to professionally record musicians, vocalists and bands. If you are currently in a band you have the opportunity to record your own band and could have a polished demo at the end of the course. You will learn about subjects such as microphone techniques, multitrack recording, mixing and mastering techniques, using compressors, gates, eq, reverb and delays you will also be using the latest software recording packages such as Pro Tools and Logic 8.

If you don't have a band, then a typical project on this course will be to pick songs from a recent album that has been recorded at our studios then mix and produce them adding your own influence to the final product. We have excellent recording facilities which are totally free to use by students saving them £100's in studio time, which is another good reason to study with us.

This course is also suitable for people who are interested in a career in live sound engineering where you record and engineer bands and musicians in live venues or on location.

If you decide to enroll on a one to one course the structure and timetable is flexible where you are able to study during the daytime, evening and weekends. You can attend the course for two half days or one long day per week, it is also possible to accelerate and complete the course in just 4 weeks. Please contact the office and speak with an advisor for more details on how we can structure the course to suit your schedule.

For further information regarding this or any other course please call 0207 247 8800 and an advisor will be happy to assist you.

Snapshot of what you will learn during the course

Sound principles

- Learn about frequencies, how sound travels and the influence of your environment on recordings

Signal flow

– learn about mixing desks, soundcards, patchbays, signal routing and creating headphone mixes

Monitoring

– understand the correct placement of monitors including active and passive systems

Live sound

– learn the basics of setting up a pa system, engineering and recording live bands and performers

Recording software

- Integrating music software such as Pro Tools or Cubase with pre amps, mics and soundcards

Mixing desks

– learn about digital and analogue mixing desks including routing, monitoring, groups and buses

Microphone techniques

– learn about dynamic and condenser mics, polar patterns and placement,

Recording

– learn to mic up a drum kit, record guitars and vocals using digital and analogue mixing desks and soundcards

Musician psychology

– the best ways of obtaining a good performance or take from musicians and vocalists

Production techniques

– learn the ‘tricks of the trade’ to improve or remix traditionally recorded tracks using the latest software

Mixing with dynamic processors

– learn to mix correctly by using parametric equalizers, compressors, gates and limiters

Mixing with effects processors

- using a combination of hardware and software understand reverbs, delays and phasers

Mastering techniques

– learn to master and fine tune your final mixes using both software packages and hardware

Music business

– the basics of how to release your music including copyright, royalties, publishing and digital downloads

For a detailed course outline please visit our download page.

Course fees

One to one £949

Course Dates

This course is only available on a one to one basis.

How long does the course last? for one to one courses the timetable is determined by the student where he/she picks the days/weeks that suits their lifestyle. For example if you were to complete the course over the usual schedule it would take 8 weeks. but if you wanted to fast track the course it could be completed in as little as 2 weeks.

How many days? One evening per week for 8 weeks for group courses. One to one course timetables are determined by the student. For example, most people attend the course for 2 days per week for 8 weeks but some people prefer to study for 1 long day per week for 8 weeks. Others prefer 2 long days for 4 weeks.

What time of the day do I attend the course? it's your decision, we have morning, afternoon and evening slots in our timetable, we are open 10am to 10pm Monday to Friday and 12-5pm on weekends. Group courses are on Wednesday evenings starting at 7pm and finishing at 10pm.

Can I change the content of the course? yes you can, the outline above is simply a guide. It's your course and you decide what subjects you want to learn with expert guidance from our experienced tutors (only available for one to one courses).

What's the cost? the course costs just £899 per student for one to one courses and £699 per student for group courses.

Can I pay in installments? unfortunately we are unable to offer payment plans at present

What's next? if you would like to enrol, telephone us on 0207 247 8800 (+44 207 247 8800 outside the UK) and we will do the rest!