SimoneMeyer
Hey hey! Haven't been here on GFSA in ages...
I'm almost finishing school and need to know which colleges would be the best to study at?
Any advice guys??
CornFlakes
Damelin has part time & full time courses available in Music. I dont know how good they are but you can give them a try..
www.damelin.co.za
Renesongs
Short Answer: The Internet.
Manfred-Klose
Short Answer: The Internet.
...and library.
(yes classic zappa quote)
What would you wanna do with such a degree?
Are you aware that there aint much work out there in the music production world, it all comes down to having the right attitude.
aja
Manfred Klose wrote:
Short Answer: The Internet.
...and library.
(yes classic zappa quote)
What would you wanna do with such a degree?
Are you aware that there aint much work out there in the music production world, it all comes down to having the right attitude.
And contacts IMO
Renesongs
And now the longer Answer... You may think I'm cynical old geyser but the sound production courses offered by the various institution around Cape Town are IMO utterly devoid of any practical use and will not in any way assist you in either being able to produce music or gain employment as a sound producer. I attended one of the institutions in Cape Town and received a certificate in sound production. I came away feeling severely ripped off. I compared notes with friends that had studied at other institutions around CT, had paid more, spend many more months, and learned equally little. >☹
Dave-the-Pub-muso
Greetings - good question. I did the "Producer's Course" through Cape Audio College. I did so knowing full well that I wouldn't follow music production as a career (I already had two degrees and a career). I wanted to learn some tips and general info about the music industry for my own part-time music exploits. It wasn't the most thorough educational experience of my life and it was quite expensive, but I did find it useful nonetheless. I think it's a bit cheeky for them to call it a "producer's course" perhaps "Intro to music industry" would be a bit more appropriate. I don't regret that I did it, but I think I might have if I was looking to work in music production.
Do you want to produce specifically? Most producers' strong points are their own experience as musicians - you can always get engineers to do the technical stuff.
Some of the guys have suggested the internet and libraries - very good advice, but some people (and I know because I'm a teacher) need a structured, formal learning environment, so it depends on who you are...
I do think that City Varsity produces good sound engineers.
Lastly, if you don't need a certificiate, go and study with Matt Davison at Rooftop records in St. James. He takes on individual students as "apprentices". He's my producer and I think he's awesome.
cheers,
dave
SimoneMeyer
Producing seems like such a fun and interesting course. I would love to study it, but seeing as there's not many oppurtunities out there career wise, I was also thinking of rather doing a sound enginering course at City Varsity. Apparentely their theory on it is great.
Neps
Sound Engineering and Music in SA is a very funny thing in SA. Very few people who do it actually make a living from it.. I'm one of the few who make a living, and I can point out any number of people who want's to but can't. It comes down to being lucky!
It's one of the toughest times in history to get into the sound business, and yet there are more and more people who enter it each year.
The cold hard facts are that 'yes, SA need more, there is actually a shortage' (believe it or not), but people tend to use the same people all the time, because some who enter the industry are useless. The ones who make a living is sometimes overworked, and we all are underpaid. 8)
I'd never tell anyone n ot to go do something, but I'll always give the cold hard facts. Colleges tend to over inflate the value of engineers. They tend to be short on theory, practical is also not that good. They tend to focus on things they understand (not things outside their box), and are run by mostly narrow minded folks who actually have very little credentials.
I've met good lecturers over the years, but it all comes down to who you know. I had a guy in the studio the other day who believes his students are the best in the country, and because I havn't done a refresher course through him I was tended to as an idiot. Funny thing is, I've had to fix so many of his 'brilliant' students shoddy work.
If you're planning on studying this field however, please make sure that you are going into this open minded and that you're going to have to do A LOT of theoretical work on your own. None of the colleges cover the whole industry. They might touch on things, but it's all hear-say most of the times.
Also, if you want to have a Pro Tools certification, there is only ONE place in SA that gives that. Academy of Sound Engineering in JHB. None of the others have that accreditation. No matter what they say! They might have PT, but it doesn't mean they can give you the accreditation. The others on Digidesign's website can give you Pro Tools 101, but then you have to move to the ProSchool.
The reason I brought up the Protools thing is for one reason only.. In SA it's not a biggy, but in the States and Europe it helps A LOT to have it. I'm BTW in NO WAY affiliated to the above mentioned college.
CAC and CV are the only two in CT that are O.K. Both have their short comings, and both try to make as if they have the answers. I went through the whole 'get trained up' thing, and I found it a bit of a waste. They did however introduce me to PT, and there my world changed. I've unlearnt a lot of bad habbits since then, but not all. (My guitar sound still sounds like a cat clawing it's way through a hurricane whilst a gramephone is playing Bach backwards, strapped to the aforementioned cats back)
wvb
Good luck and hope you find something just a warning from a parent of a student that tried sound engineering at City Varsity Cape Town. I do not have first hand experience of the classes and study material but my son did tell me a lot of what they did (or not). The trainers are good and know their stuff. However the number of hours tuition you get for your buck is ridiculous and R50K for a year is a complete rip off. The admin and finance department is quick to accept payment but as in our case a refund is now taking 3 months and counting. At this stage my user experience with City Varsity in Cape Town is poor and I will not advise anyone to attend this institution for any course.
DrGonzo
Neps wrote:
Also, if you want to have a Pro Tools certification, there is only ONE place in SA that gives that. Academy of Sound Engineering in JHB. None of the others have that accreditation. No matter what they say! They might have PT, but it doesn't mean they can give you the accreditation. The others on Digidesign's website can give you Pro Tools 101, but then you have to move to the ProSchool.
Not entirely true, Emendy in Pretoria is also a certified Pro Tools training institution but that only came through beginning of last year officially. (i used to work there and got my 210 operator there)
and from the insider buzz i learnt that Cape Audio College, was was getting that up and running soon although i cant confirm that.
DrGonzo
But yeah Simone, there is some good advice here coming from people with experience - I cant say that getting a diploma helped me too much in getting a job - It gave me a theoretical background, which is great but i feel I could be a somewhat more established and capable engineer If i had done some more real world experience. In the end it doesnt matter anyway, because I flaunted my certificates at every door and it didnt help me get any kind of placement, so in the end im doing my own thing which is what most people will tell you to do anyway
but at the same time, there is a good social aspect of studying at a college and it may help you to make valuable contacts which is probably the most nb thing, and also you will learn and get to familiarize yourself with bigger more expensive setups that you wouldnt have ever seen if you were an independent home studio...
I think it also depends on what you would like to achieve so prioritize those first i think. If you wish to do this as a profession then I would suggest doing a short course get some accreditation get your Pro Tools certificates and then meet as many people you can at the college and work for free whilst you can to get some good experience.
If you want to do it as a hobby then I think save on the 50K a year fees, by some decent equipment and just get cracking at it - Internet is a great learning tool as well as perhaps some private tuition.
in both instances i will be more than happy to help you out - check your PM.. Booya! ?
AlanRatcliffe
DrGonzo wrote:
Neps wrote:
Also, if you want to have a Pro Tools certification, there is only ONE place in SA that gives that. Academy of Sound Engineering in JHB.
Not entirely true, Emendy in Pretoria is also a certified Pro Tools training institution but that only came through beginning of last year officially.
May be true now, but I should point out that Neps' post dates back to August 2009.
So don't be raggin' on da Neps... ?
Malkav
Holy mother of a necrobump...
To add my 2 cents, I think studying almost anything music related in South Africa is a waste of time and money ?
My biggest issue with sound engineers who come from institutions in South Africa is that often they have lots of theory and little practical experience, which for the most part seems to make them difficult to work with and tends to yield unfavourable results.
I personally haven't heard anything recorded locally that in my opinion is comparable to overseas production, and I don't mean big name overseas studios, I mean I've heard things that people have recorded in their bedrooms that sound better than recordings costing upward of R100k from studios in this country.
DrGonzo
Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
DrGonzo wrote:
Neps wrote:
Also, if you want to have a Pro Tools certification, there is only ONE place in SA that gives that. Academy of Sound Engineering in JHB.
Not entirely true, Emendy in Pretoria is also a certified Pro Tools training institution but that only came through beginning of last year officially.
May be true now, but I should point out that Neps' post dates back to August 2009.
So don't be raggin' on da Neps... ?
Ha! my bad I thought this was a new thread??? I hang my head in the shame of my ignorance :sorry:
NileshHansjee
I sympathise. It's confusing when a resurrection isn't indicated with this:
DrGonzo
:roflmao: haha
Yes, someone needs a stern reminding of the forum rules and etiquette...
