Recording Arts Schools

Use the tuition money to buy some nice gear and then learn how to use it.
There are books and videos you can buy too.

On this forum:
http://logicprohelp.com/
you can find information on Logic Training

Gotta disagree with el jeffe. Having good gear doesn't teach you how to use it, particularly if you don't have a really good foundation in the vast amount of basics there are to learn.

I wouldn't really recommend Full Sail, that may be the pride of my four year degree getting in the way of my judgement partially, but I've never heard too good of things about it FWIW. If I wanted a program that wasn't a bachelor's degree, I'd probably go with the conservatory of recording arts and sciences in Arizona. I went to the University of Colorado at Denver, and I've heard great things about the recording program at the University of Miami. Here's a good link for you:

http://www.aes.org/education/directory.cfm

WiFiWalrus wrote:
I'm really interested in majoring Recording arts and/or Sound Design and I've found some schools that have good programs for that but I was wondering what people from the Apple/Logic Community have heard about or even went to. Any stand out schools that use Logic? (since Pro Tools is used pretty universally used and I really like Logic.)

Also the two schools which I am most interested in are "Savannah College of Art and Design" and Full Sail University.

Hi,

I recommend you get these two degrees, if you expect to get anywhere in this biz. (others are wlecome to tell me off however they like)

1. Electrical Engineering degree. Can be a 2 year degree.

2. Music degree. Preferably a 4 year one, but 2 is fine as well.

WHY...

1. If you know how audio equipment is wired and works, you will already know more than ALL THE RECORDING SCHOOL GRADUATES. ALL OF THEM COMBINED. If you decide to be a maintenance engineer, you will make MORE money than as an audio engineer. I know, I was a maintenance tech for 6 years, and it pays better. And if you're in a session and you SAVE the DAY, you'll get a bonus.

2. If you know how music is made, how to read a chart / score, you will be ahead of ALL THE RECORDING SCHOOL GRADUATES. ALL OF THEM. You have no idea how many graduates I have tortured over the years. None of them could read a score. Nor even play their chosen instrument any good. Very very sad.

You must be scratching your head right now, thinking "who is this crazy guy?"

Don't ask yourself that. Just do this, and you will get hired. Oh, be a nice person too. That is the most important thing.

Cheers

very, very sound advice from noeq, as usual.
degrees cannot hurt you.
and they may open doors.
and they will save you time.
do it, and don't look back.
DR9.

I went to SAE in Miami in 06 to 07. Did the one year program (obviously). I had a great time, met cool people, had some interesting and knowledgeable teachers. They also gave us Mac G4's (great at the time) and an MBox 2. Along with those came Logic Express and Pro Tools. So we learned those programs as well as hands on labs with SSL's, Oxfords, Mackies, and all that jazz.

I have to admit the things I learned there just about sonic matter itself was astounding. I Definitely walked out of there knowing an exponential amount more than when I first walked in. Although these things aren't fully learned until put to use. This means many great as well as terrible sessions/concerts must be stowed upon to really get an idea how the industry as well as the technology works.

The foundation idea is really what your looking for. You won't walk out of there a great and innovative engineer but you'll be certainly on your way to it. I'm 22 and have interned at a studio for a year and am currently working for a live sound company that I've been with for a year, and THAT is where you get your chops in the rawest of fashions. I hope this helped a little...

Noeq is exactly right. A EE degree alongside a music degree is deadly. I really wish that was the path I had taken instead of a four year music engineering degree. Even in four years, I didn't feel like they taught me EE or Music well enough to be nearly at the top of my game. A EE is a beast, but studios looking for an engineer will be super impressed with EE status, plus it will teach you how to fix a lot of your gear, ultimately saving you and possibly your employer thousands of dollars.

If you're in Minnesota, why not check out IPR in Minneapolis. If you're looking at Full Sail, IPR is worth checking out.

What about Berklee College of Music...or Emerson College? They're both located in Boston, MA though -- Emerson also has a branch out in Los Angeles, and lots of connections with the entertainment industry.

I think Berklee has always been more of a performing arts type of school, but has recently shifted in teaching more digital music programs, like Ableton, Pro Tools, etc. Not sure about Logic though.

http://www.berklee.edu/
http://www.emerson.edu/

Good luck!

Hi,
I have an issue with many recording arts schools. Implicit in the idea of earning degree/diploma from a college/university is the notion that the achievement will help you get employment. Well, guess what? There are virtually no jobs in play, especially when compared to the number of graduates being churned out year by year. It used to be that a person learned most good audio engineering practices by getting a job as an assistant engineer, then climbing up the ropes. This was particularly true in facilities that had multiple studios and hence a need for several engineers and assistants. There are fewer large facilities these days. Another wrinkle is this: Jobs are scarce, so studio owners who need assistants now have the option of hiring graduates who have already acquired the basic training needed (and more). So a person graduates and starts as the equivalent of a tape jockey in the digital age. Why would a studio owner hire an assistant without a degree when there are hundreds, if not thousands, of eager graduates out there?
From the point of view of learning a craft, however, recording arts schools fall into the same categories as other schools . . . excellent, good, bad etc. If you are truly interested in expanding your knowledge and will provide your own employment or aren't concerned with finding a job at your level of ability, then these schools can be a fine idea.

Rick.

I teach, and have taught, at severeal Audio Engingeering / Music Production schools and institutes.

The most important thing I have realized is this: altough new knowledge may take you a long way, it is perhaps not that that really counts. It´s the folks you meet, contacts you get and future colleagues you hang out with.

It´s hard, but not impossible, to get somewhere if you sit alone in your basement studio. But hanging out with other nerds is a lot more fun.

/J

I have taken several online courses at Berklee and found the quality to range from good to excellent. I was surprised as how much one can learn, without having to be in a physical classroom.

Berklee is a great school. In the last few years, they have expanded their curriculum quite a bit.

I can't really comment on what others are saying about whether or not one should go to school for recording/audio engineering, but if that is what you want to do, here are a couple programs I know that are pretty good.

U of Miami - great facilities and a good music school to back it up. Remember, it's as important to interact with good musicians as it is to have a good technical background.

SUNY Purchase - perhaps not as "nice" as Miami, but it's located about 40 minutes north of New York City, so it's easy to make good contacts. Their recording program has also been around a lot longer than most.

Hi,

I recommend you get these two degrees, if you expect to get anywhere in this biz. (others are wlecome to tell me off however they like)

1. Electrical Engineering degree. Can be a 2 year degree.

2. Music degree. Preferably a 4 year one, but 2 is fine as well.

WHY...

1. If you know how audio equipment is wired and works, you will already know more than ALL THE RECORDING SCHOOL GRADUATES. ALL OF THEM COMBINED. If you decide to be a maintenance engineer, you will make MORE money than as an audio engineer. I know, I was a maintenance tech for 6 years, and it pays better. And if you're in a session and you SAVE the DAY, you'll get a bonus.

2. If you know how music is made, how to read a chart / score, you will be ahead of ALL THE RECORDING SCHOOL GRADUATES. ALL OF THEM. You have no idea how many graduates I have tortured over the years. None of them could read a score. Nor even play their chosen instrument any good. Very very sad.

I can't agree with noeqplease anymore. I am currently a senior at Ball State University in the Music Technology program. This is a MUSIC PROGRAM with emphasis in Music Technology. You learn music and that is VERY VERY VERY key when you are in the studio. You can learn how to use equipment and use EQs and other processes as tools, but using those tools to make music sound like music is different.

Like I said, it is a Bachelors of Music. You have to take private lessons, music theory, aural theory, music history, composition, large ensembles, and core university classes like English, History, Calculus. I never thought that private lessons on clarinet or large ensembles would help me, EVER, but I just did a recording session for our singing and dancing troupe, the University Singers, and doing both lessons and large ensembles helped out.

Why? I first had the ear to hear pitch, quality, and blending. Clarinet lessons have taught me how to be VERY specific on what I hear and play. The second way was I knew how to read a score and conduct. With windows in the studio, I could sit or stand at the console, follow the score and give the singers cues to help them with their comfort level. They aren't used to being directed by a headphone mix, so why not add a director aspect to it? Being able to give hand gestural cues and facial cues was very key to making that session run a lot faster.

With the degree you have to take a minor, obviously. Here we can choose from Computer Science/Programming, Digital Media (Video, Photography, Message Analysis, Flash), Music Business, and also Physics with an emphasis on Electronics. So, if you want to branch out into any of those 4 fields, you are going to get a taste of what they have to offer and either encourage you to pursue grad school or another degree.

With this type of degree, it makes you a very marketable person. My friend got a job right off the bat in Nashville, TN with this degree. He is a recording engineer for a label, helps out with business aspects, and is an assistant to the label owner. These types of degrees do help you get jobs! I'm not saying everyone is going to be as lucky as him, but it shows that it makes you marketable. Being able to know the physics of sound, synthesis techniques, studio maintenance, basic computer programming, how to use various DAWs and editing techniques, the design of microphones and how they work on a technical level, are very essential traits. These are key factors that can make or break people and this is what you learn.

http://www.bsu.edu/musictech/

There's our homepage. Check out our two flagship Pro Tools studios and our delicious mic cabinet. By your senior year, you should be able to check out any microphone you want. The AEA R44C is the hardest to get though since it's SO fragile and expensive.

http://www.bsu.edu/musictech/facility/miclist/

Let me know if you are interested in more information.

~trevor