Dubstepforum.com

Ive read a bit round the forum and Im getting the feeling a music tech degree is not essential for sound engineering and the like!

I was gonna do one, but now would I be sensible in picking up a course in Events Management, or something that is related to the music industry?

do you want to work live shows/in a studio?

if so id say first port of call is experience.

experience wins hands down over education when it comes to studio work/live shows. Just write to everyone and their nan with a CV saying you want to touch there big giant eq knobs!

have you ever done anything to do with music tech before education wise?

no, it's certainly not essential, and some might say not even useful.

what it IS good for though, is that it buys you 3 years free access to some decent studios and equipment that you would never be able to afford otherwise!

so yeah, it can be good if you really take advantage of it. if you just go there, cain weed, drink booze, pass your assignments and come out with a 2.1 there won't be much point.

if you're down the studio on a monday morning figuring out how best to buss hardware, mic up a drumkit, the relative merits of a cardioid versus super-cardioid microphone etc etc and you finish the course with a good working knowledge of professional studio techniques (and a degree certificate as a bonus) then it will probably be worthwhile....

bear in mind that the market is shrinking these days, what with everyone and his dog having logic at home. so if you want a job you have to be really good

I completely agree, and with logic being so cheap and effective I was thinking that even without access to big huge studios i can still get somewhere with experience from that.

I agree as well that the industry is shrinking, but there seems to be no end of events etc and I was thinking that experience in other fields could be pretty effective.

I have a national diploma in music technology atm alongside A levels, right now I am in studio twice a week learning how to mic up drum kits and create a professional mix and I don't want to end up being stuck in a degree being told EXACTLY how it should be done with about 15 other people, I am pretty worried that thats what would happen, coz in a few course descriptions ive looked at it seems that some student are new to music tech..

I am just trying to get an idea of the general vibes surrounding engineering, but if I did do the events management course I would be writing off to studios for experience anyway then logic in my spare time, and that would give me skills i need to set up my own night, which would include a sound engineer anyway, and still create a network of contacts.

The internet is a big place now, so i think the whole 'university is a good place to go to create contacts' is a bit out of date now if you get me?

Safe for the feedback though, you confirmed some ideas I had and gave me a bit more direction

GOOD KARMA FOR THE DAY

setspeed wrote:
what it IS good for though, is that it buys you 3 years free access to some decent studios and equipment that you would never be able to afford otherwise!

this tho, audient desk and lovely PMC monitors that could make your eyes bleed they're so loud!

hahah Im not sure of respectable unis that actually do music tech, anyone got any suggestions, im kinda looking for city locations, could not live in the country for any amount of money

My hatred for UCAS grows daily

if your looking more for a technical degree based in electronics rather than just music tech look at UWE Bristol its where i go, i didn't get on with the electronics side of things so i switched course but might be what your looking for, plus being in bristol if you like dubstep and d&b then perfect city for you except maybe london.

alot of music tech degrees are just media degrees with a few midi keyboards thrown in for good measure.

make sure you look at the sylabus!

Safe, Its just so confusing I have always wanted to be involved in the music industry, but Ive slowly become to realise having a load of experience in different areas is also really useful,

Whats bristol like as a city, ive been down to sheffield to chill with a few students i know down there and lived in the accomodation for a few days and it seems a nice place to chill and live, its just really a decision between music tech and events management;

I know I wanna try and get a job in sound engineering, but I also know that some sound engineers come from completely different bckgrounds, and that there isnt a lot of money involved at times, im beginning to form this opinion that, i should do events management to gain experience in events and the like and get a degree and use that to fund my passion to become a sound engineer, as i also love the challenge of having to teach myself. ive basically taught myself logic with help from college and i can already work a studio on a very basic level

gaah

TEQH wrote:hahah Im not sure of respectable unis that actually do music tech, anyone got any suggestions, im kinda looking for city locations, could not live in the country for any amount of money

Surrey university's Tonmeister course down in Guildford (i may be a bit out of date on this, I went to uni 10 years ago!) is probably one of the highest regarded. It's very dry, and related more towards classical music, but I believe it is (or was) the main place where the BBC took on sound engineers.

LIPA in Liverpool was pretty good too, and Salford Uni (where i ended up going) had a decent selection of studios and equipment, although i'm not sure what the courses are like ATM - they've dropped the course i did.

setspeed wrote: Surrey university's Tonmeister

still very highly respected as you said more for classical recording etc and im pretty sure when i looked into it you need to be able to read sheet music or play an instrument, not sure on that though.

quite hard to get onto.

Yeh? I live in Mnachester but Im not too keen on staying here lol

I think I will definately have a look at bristol, Manchester Met or Sheffield (Events management course)

Literally driving me insane though , I never even contemplated how much there is to think of

Is Bristol a pretty vibrant city?

the tonmeister course is good. i think one person on average (out of 36ish) goes on to work for abbey road studios. another goes to air studios, etc etc. i think if your thinking about employability, like you are sort of guaranteed a job from the tonmeister course.
but having said that, if you go anywhere, know the right people and work hard, then you're also guarranteed a job.

ps. the studios at guildford are buff

This Audio and Music Technology is looking pretty good!
Definately considering it,

fyui

in the same boat bruv. looked around Bristol on the open day and it looked good, good facility ect. expect i was bere late and hung over like a fool so didnt really take advantage. i was looking at the music systems engineering course, which is slightly more techy but you need a level maths. stnuc. but also leeds college of music has a really good course for production, a friends just started. leeds is rowdy as hell as well. but also look at point blank in london, i did a 3 month logic course there and was properly fun and hands on. and also acm in guildford.

easy, just started at the university of Westminster doing the BA commercial music degree. I think its true that experience is main way into the industry...but to get experience you need contacts. Here at Westminster, the tutors work with the course alongside their industry jobs. One of our tutors is Stevie wonders tour manager, has worked with Quincy Jones etc... Another works for sound on sound and makes drum and bass...basically they all have huge experience and are very useful contacts.

The course has the highest rate of employment for students into the media as opposed to bristols highest rate of students into music retial! Its in the heart of london too. If your thinking of any music degree, this is the one. I looked at them all and Westminster came above by far. Peace

crutch wrote:in the same boat bruv. looked around Bristol on the open day and it looked good, good facility ect. expect i was bere late and hung over like a fool so didnt really take advantage. i was looking at the music systems engineering course, which is slightly more techy but you need a level maths. stnuc. but also leeds college of music has a really good course for production, a friends just started. leeds is rowdy as hell as well. but also look at point blank in london, i did a 3 month logic course there and was properly fun and hands on. and also acm in guildford.

music systems engineering is the one i did last year,

think of it as 5% music 95% engineering.

it share common modules with nearly all the engineering courses, definately not one for you if you don't like maths and electronics.

Truncated wrote:definately not one for you if you don't like maths and electronics.

which i don't!!! well maths anyway. i heard if i was really on it i could take a maths foundation. cant see that happening tho, however much i like tinkering with equipment

i'm in my last year of a music production degree, here's my reasons

1. access to amazing studios and equipment all the time

2. no full time work for a year

3. 40% of final mark will be on my dubstep album

4. contacts and friends

to be honest the degree won't really mean shit to me, but those four reasons above are enough to do it.

crutch wrote:

Truncated wrote:definately not one for you if you don't like maths and electronics.

which i don't!!! well maths anyway. i heard if i was really on it i could take a maths foundation. cant see that happening tho, however much i like tinkering with equipment

i did the engineering foundation as i did a btec instead of normal a-levels, probably one of the biggest mistakes i made lol.

i never do things simply!