Hey peeps
I was looking around for a music school, where I Can learn a complete sound engineering music production diploma and I found 2 choices Point Blank and London School of Sound, there may are some more of those schools out there in london but I Am quite a noob in this criteria, so can anyone give me some advice what schools are good for what and how they can be compared with each other. I mean it's a lot of money that goes into such studies, so every help is welcome :)

Thanks a bunch

I have studied with the Schoolf of Audio Engineering (SAE London). I can't say it was a complete waste of money, but the schools for audio engineering are not as good as they look on paper.

If I were you I would SERIOUSLY try to find a GOOD studio with good reputation and pay THEM the 6000-7000 pounds a year and try to convince them to take you as a "paying intern" type of student..at least after you learn you will have the chance of continuing in that studio, or another one if you are good..I have graduated with 85% percent from SAE (top score among all intakes and its really really tough to to do 85%) but it never helped me, the freelance jobs I am getting at the moment are the result of pure contacts and my reputation among previous clients, word of mouth etc..So try to be in a professional studio in the first place instead of an expensive school..Audio theory is really easy to be learnt, you don't need a 100£ an hour lesson to learn it :)

Best,
Emre

Hi there.

I did an MA at TVU (Thames Valley Uni) and although it isn't a "top" university, I really enjoyed the course and have a lot of respect for the lecturers who were great. I got a lot out of the course, but be warned: It's so....so hard to get a job within the music industry, so prepare for a lot of disappointment.

If money is no object, you should definitely look into going to Alchemea, that place has an unbelievably good reputation and will look amazing on your CV.

I think wherever you go, you only get out of it what you put in.

Not sure if any of that helped, but good luck.

Personally, what I did was to spend that money on equipment. That way you can learn yourself while making tracks. If you really want to do a course, you've got to decide whether you wanna work in a pro studio (increasingly diminishing opportunities by the DAY) or just learn how to use the kind of gear you will actually buy to do your own productions rather than SSL consoles etc. Very nice to know how to use one but the chances of ever getting NEAR one are miniscule. My advice-don't spend too much on a course, do one that'll get you started and spend the rest on some kit that will actually come in useful.

Hello, what lever are you looking for? I'm currently enrolled on the MA Soundtrack Production at Bournemouth (Composition for the Screen, which is writing music for media) but the other half of my course is MA in Sound Design in which they learn to be folly artists, sound designers, recordists etc or 'engineers'. Overall good degree, learn a lot about film in generally as well.

They also do some sound production at degree level I do believe, but try this link

http://courses.bournemouth.ac.uk/Course.aspx?course=212&code=MASPS

the most cost-effective way is to do a degree or FE course. There's lots around, and the better ones have very decent equipment and lecturers.

Don't expect to come out of one of these courses and be a "qualified engineer". Think of it as a driving test...it's only after you've done the groundwork do you really start to learn.

Teaching yourself can be a good thing, if you have the motivation, but you'll need to be mixing with other, hopefully more experienced engineers and producers - otherwise you're likely to either develop bad or inefficient working techniques, or hit a brick wall where your work isn't "pro" standard (although what is pro these days) but you can't find a way to get it better. I couldn't tell you how many times a tip/observation from an experienced engineer has helped my own work!

Good luck.

It comes down to what position you want to achieve in the industry. Emre is right, (hi to a fellow Turk, merhaba!) if you want to be an engineer/producer in a top studio, try to get a placement but if you want to be a producer discovering your own talent working from your own setup, then I'm going to blatantly promote my company here! I run an organisation called Minima Productions, we train you in your own home how to use your own gear, mixing tips etc (to help you avoid picking up bad habits!) and all our skill learned over 20 years for only £25 an hour. We have many big clients among our customers. But as I say, your next course of action is down to where you actually see yourself in 5 / 10 years time...
I hope that helps and best of luck to you

Psycho Monkey and Minima (merhabalar efendim:) ), you both put down very valid arguments.

Think audio schools like medical schools, you are nothing until you do lots and lots of internship and learn it on the job under experienced doctors.

Psycho, by the way, see you at IXL mate :) what a coincidence huh?