Academy of sound engineering

Hammeron

Anybody had first hand experience with this organisation based at Auckland Park?

Manfred-Klose

Hammeron, so you wanna be a sound engineer ?

all these colleges are all similar, if you want to go to a college to get a degree, go for it, if you want to learn something, you'd have to learn it to yourself unfortuneatly.
the thing with sounds colleges, they can only learn you so much, and dont offer you the needed experience to go into work after college(if you can find work)
i am not refering to any college, just my personal experience from working with students from different colleges.

if you want to be good at sound engineering, take a few months off, get hold of some sound companies and studios, and ask them if you can come shadow for them and work for FREE, this way you'll get first hand experience and the needed knowledge, most of the time they wont mind an extra hand, plus you'll start building up your database of contacts that will be very handy when looking for work. this way you can ask questions and write them down for future reference.

i am not talking you out of going to college, its good to go to college, you'll make some lekker friends get to make noise in their studios and try out stuff.and if you do well in college and the teachers like you, they might just refer you to someone for work.

and start putting together a small home studio, its really not that expensive to get something going.

and to end it of with some famous words.
"if you want to get laid go to college, if you want an education go to a library" - Frank Zappa

Averatu

A friends son just finished the course, Protools, ear training, sessions in the SABC studio. Good foundation, but you'll have to put your band/playing on the back burner for the duration.

Garren

+1 on the Zappa quote ?

Bob-Dubery

You'll have to relocate to Jo'burg - which is going to cost somebody money. You probably won't get time for gigging if you're going to take the course seriously. I think Averatu has hit on the head, it's a good foundation (IF it's a good college - try to find out how well regarded it is in the industry). It's not a guarantee of a career, but it may well make a difference in getting a foot through the door. If they have two young hopefuls to consider and one has that initial training then probably that's the one that will get the job.

They're quite close to the SABC and to the centre of the TV and acting business in Jo'burg, so they are close to the action.

Bob-Dubery

Garren wrote +1 on the Zappa quote ?

Bah! Stuff like that too often becomes an excuse for "why should I study?" I don't say that the colleges of real life and experience can't teach you anything, but a good grounding is seldom a bad thing (as long as you understand that it's a grounding), and you'll have to take in some information one way or another. In my career (IT) I could have figured out things by myself and bought some books from Exclusive's and learned some more, but a good college structures things so that one topic follows on from another, and they can help you steer clear of common pitfalls.

Zappa may be more disciplined than I am. I studied at night school, and I found the knowledge that I had to turn an assignment in on a certain date, that I had to write papers on a certain date and get a certain percentage before I could move up a level provided useful motivation. Left to my own devices I probably wouldn't have learned as much useful stuff in the same amount of time, and I would have had a much harder time convincing people that they should hire me.

Ray

Ya I think so. If you want to get there it will help to have someone show you rather than you grinding around by yourself. And while it's no guarantee of a hell of a future inthe industry, a qualification will look better on your CV than nothing. And you'll be studying something you enjoy.

Garren

@X-rated Bob
I agree, there's no way I would be able to self study, I'm due for uni next year (holding thumbs ? )
From my perspective it seems you need quite a lot of discipline to
study at night school? Impressive ?
I just find Zappa's quote amusing ?
I may be wrong but while qualifications are important it seems
that on the job experience is just as useful to doing a job well.

Good luck Hammeron, this whole deciding a future thing is scary...
However if you are as into music as i think you are sound-engineering
is awesome ?

Bob-Dubery

Garren wrote @X-rated Bob
I agree, there's no way I would be able to self study, I'm due for uni next year (holding thumbs ? )
From my perspective it seems you need quite a lot of discipline to
study at night school? Impressive ?

Needs must when the Devil drives. I couldn't afford to give up the day job and put myself through University or Technikon as a full-time student (or even do the accelerated Van Zyl Pritchard course).

I just find Zappa's quote amusing ?
I may be wrong but while qualifications are important it seems
that on the job experience is just as useful to doing a job well.

Qualifications are by no means the end, but they demonstrate that you have got to grips with various skills and they get you onto the first rung of the career ladder a lot quicker. They also, I think, demonstrate that you have some initiative and can apply yourself. When I studied at night school the first year drop out rate was over 50%. A lot of the guys who started first year weren't even there to write end-of-year exams. Of those who did a few didn't get good enough scores to progress, but most of the guys who made it into 2nd year went the distance.

If I want to hire somebody to write software, and I'm looking to fill a junior position I want somebody with qualifications. Not necessarily a degree, there are some non-University courses that give a good grounding. The qualification means I can expect that that person has certain skills, is familiar with certain concepts. I can expect them to know about good programming practices. I don't have to explain Boolean algebra to them. etc etc.

Wizard

I think we all need to commit ourselves to a life of continuous learning.
And this should be a mix of theoretical study (formal or self) and practical application.

In my field we have CPD (continuous professional development) requirements where I have to prove I have done 60 hours of verifiable learning every year over and above anything I do at work.
It's a very good system - forces you to plan your learning and stick to the plan.
A secondary benefit is that it forces you into the company of other like minded people and helps to build networks.
You find yourself learning things that you didn't even know about.

Squonk

You wont go wrong studying at ASE. I have spoken to a couple of the students, and it's pretty hectic stuff.
Most of the training is on the SABC campus, so there is exposure to well equipped studios and all the benefits the SABC staff have, Canteen etc.

From what I have seen they really cover Audio in it's fullest, A lot of Theory, Ear Training, and you will be able to use Pro Tools, which means any other DAW or Software will be a piece of Cake.

You will fit right in, all the students seem to have long hair and wear black T-Shirts depicting all the metal and rock bands you can think of, so the dress code is pretty cool 8)

Bob-Dubery

Squonk wrote You will fit right in, all the students seem to have long hair and wear black T-Shirts depicting all the metal and rock bands you can think of, so the dress code is pretty cool 8)

Then it befits a rebel to wear a collar and tie, or pretty frocks.

For me the most rebellious statement of the 60s was The Band having that photo taken of them with short hair and their parents. That was the counter-counter-culture.

Ray

X-rated Bob wrote Then it befits .......... or pretty frocks.

you got pictures?

DrGonzo

X-rated Bob wrote
Squonk wrote You will fit right in, all the students seem to have long hair and wear black T-Shirts depicting all the metal and rock bands you can think of, so the dress code is pretty cool 8)
Then it befits a rebel to wear a collar and tie, or pretty frocks.

For me the most rebellious statement of the 60s was The Band having that photo taken of them with short hair and their parents. That was the counter-counter-culture.

Haha Yeah man, I was always find it amusing that in order to be a "Non"Conformist, you need to conform to a dress and lifestyle code and be EXACTLY like everyone else in that niche!

Thats why whenever I play in a metal gig, I am the guy with the shortish hair, glasses and most often non black t-shirt and jeans and pumping some brutality - Not because im trying to prove a point, just because i like to dress and look how I want to 8)

Garren

i like to dress and look how I want to

Couldn't agree more with this statement ?

I know a bunch of metal bands that seem to me to be pretty heavy ?
But they all look like regular dudes