forums : Producing

Sound Engineering Schools

Anybody here done any programs here through UCLA Extensions for Sound Engineering? I'm shopping around for schools right now, so far checked out LARS and another one out in New York, any other suggestions for schools? (And no I don't just wanna learn by myself at home). Thanks!

[ robotsex - 31 Mar 2006 15:11 ]

Re: UCLA Extensions?

looks ridiculously expensive when musicians institute is in the same city

i dunno though i have no experience apart from reading the extention course listing on the toilet
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According to robotsex ...

Anybody here done any programs here through UCLA Extensions for Sound Engineering? I'm shopping around for schools right now, so far checked out LARS and another one out in New York, any other suggestions for schools? (And no I don't just wanna learn by myself at home). Thanks!
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Re: UCLA Extensions?

Ok, any thoughts on Musicians Institute or LARS? LARS tuition just went up by a whole lot. Haven't checked out Musicians Institute yet.

Re: Sound Engineering Schools

it depends on how in-depth you want to get with it. musician's institute i've heard is actually decent, but it depends on what you're looking for. you'll learn some pro tools stuff but you're not going to be using TDM systems or anything, as far as i know.

for info on SAE, you might want to ask origin, he's currently attending courses there.

LARW has gotten a lot of good reviews by folks on here and in the LA area. i don't know what their curriculum includes. but it seems to be pretty highly regarded.

citrus college in azusa apparently has a pretty decent amount of money in their music programs, but that's all i know about it.

ryan (xzr_the_pathogen) attends ex'pressions up north, bay area i believe? sacramento? not sure. but he seems to like it well enough and apparently it touches pretty well on the technology side of things, which is crucial in engineering if you're even remotely interested in doing some of this stuff for a living.

i've heard berklee is mediocre, but that depends on who you ask. i think it's somewhere in between engineering school and music conservatory, so the curriculum may be a little more divided and not quite what you're looking for.

full sail is the only school i know of (other than a community college like azusa or four-year school) that offers an actual degree for completion of the recording arts program. unfortunately it is also the furthest from california and probably the most expensive. i would recommend it more than anything else, but i'm biased. first off i'm interested in working in the industry. second, i'm an idiot and i didn't care that i would be putting myself in such heavy debt. third... i knew what i would be messing with when i got here. it takes you ten months to get into the crazy classes, but in my last two, i'm taking session recording (which i am currently in now) and audio post production (next month). session is f**king BRILLIANT. we're using SSL9000J and amek 9098i consoles and learning a f**kload about mics and mic'ing techniques, playing with REALLY expensive rack gear... and in my mix palace labs, we're in single-user workstation rooms that have at least $60k worth of gear in them, working on ProTools HD systems...

whatever you do, don't go anywhere without actually checking out what their curriculums have to offer. it's important to know what you're getting out of the deal.

good luck. this can be an incredibly fulfilling life choice, or a really frustrating one. make your decision wisely.

Re: UCLA Extensions?

Hmm LARS(?) Well not sure what that is but I looked into Musicians Institute and The Conservatory in Arizona. There is a really good school in NY that i looked into which looked way more appealing than the Insitute. The Conservatory of Recording Arts and Science will teach you a lot real fast and spit you out for an internship. Now that kinda program might be for you but not what I wanted. I mean my friend went there and learned alot but do you want to be stuck in Tempe AZ for a year? Ive heard its actually better to go to state funded schools for this kind of thing oppose to private ones, that they actually have more of a budget to work with.
I was just in CA trying to check out schools. Now i dont know if you live there but there are LOADS of community colleges that you could go to
for almost free and learn a WHOLE lot with out going into debt or being overwhelmed at first. And if you attend them first and still
want to learn more than maybe you could consider droping the big bucks.

Ive been looking into this for awhile and i found this article in Mix magazine to be extremely useful, Theres a list of colleges.
http://mixonline.com/education/directory/2005-education-directory-western-110105/

Re: UCLA Extensions?

that's a good link, thank you!

Re: UCLA Extensions?

i took a class there once, it was "writing for news media" in my dreams of becoming a great record reviewer.

the class was great. they have the best guests from industry come by and speak.

great stuff. check out the hip hop history teacher for great credentials

Re: UCLA Extensions?

ask yourself this question:
is this place going to be open ten years from now? say someone wants to check up on your resume..if they get a disconnected number and an expired domain name...how will they ever know if you really went there?

Check how long they've been open, do google searches for resumes of people that have gone there...what kind of impression are their graduates giving to the "professional" world?

some stuff to think about b4 choosing one of these places.

Re: UCLA Extensions?

I've been looking into Musicians Institute and think i'm gonna end up going there for a year to do the recording institute and their music business program. Cal-Grant will pay for most of it based on my past schooling and parents income. i'm still looking around tho. I suggest you call up the places you're interested in and set up an appointment to meet with someone from the school, if you're local, so you can get a better understanding of what the school has to offer.

Re: UCLA Extensions?

Yeah, I've been checking em out. Went to see UCLA extensions, they have a program but it's not in westwood, they rent out studios in hollywood to do their classes. I don't want to commute and plus I've been through the UC system and seen what they have to offer...

I'm going to enroll in SAE around July or so. It's almost a thousand cheaper than LARS, and plus that includes a G4 and LARS doesn't.

Yeah! Now all I need is a bathtub full of cash ...

Re: UCLA Extensions?

Speaking from experience, I would not attend any private recording school. I attended LARW, now LARS, and I am less than pleased with the results. Some of the teachers were excellent, the gear you use is the best of the best, the curriculum is lacking. I was not challenged at all at LARS. They basically teach you the basics of each subject and move on to the next. This is great for those who don't know anything about engineering/recording, but its years of self-training that will you give you the skills needed to be the best. Also, I love how these schools say that they have great internships and job placement. This is all bs. Finding an audio job in todays market is very scarce, esp. in LA. There is just too much competition in the music business. You know what was the secret behinds LARS's job placement? Craigslist. yep. They have a 3 page sheet of jobs available and a stack of other jobs printed off of well-known job hunting websites. I was even told by one of the staff in charge of job placement to pretty much find a studio that I like on my own and send them my resume. Yeah, great job placement. They will do periodic calls to see what you have accomplished, mainly so that they can use your name and your work in the new catalog. Don't be fooled. For 15k or whatever cost these schools are demanding now, it will not be worth the student loans. Also, if you are going to one of these schools in hopes of producing/composing music, stay home and write. These schools are designed strictly for the professional audio field(recording/engineering).

I would say if you still want to be an engineer/producer. Skip the middle man. Every studio is different. Why not learn the gear where you are going to be working? Start off by interning somewhere that you find appealing. You like post-production, and history? Find out where the history channel does their post-production. Starting off on the bottom is never easy. Expect no pay while interning and possibly being the guy whose main job is to "get the coffee". You do this and you do it with a smile. Why? Because you wanted to get in to the music industry. Take it for what its worth. The music industry is definetely shrinking, not expanding...

Re: Sound Engineering Schools

yea I agree w/ ^^^ to a point.

IMO
it depends on how deep you want to learn the "engineering" aspect of sound, you may be better off getting a degree in computer science or electronics engineering from a credited public university any of the CSU's or UC's and getting a minor in music or a double major, Skip the "cookie-cutter colleges". That is if you want to pursue the educational route.
There's always going to be the eternal education vs experience argument it's all about how far you are willing to go and how you use what you have learned.
A fresh out of college degree/certification means s**t to a corporation when you are competing against veterans who have been doing the job you are applying for, hands on for 10+ years.
Then again there are corporations who altogether bypass resumes that don't have a college degree because they require a specific discipline they feel can only be learned in school.
Some of the most brilliant computer engineers and design engineers I've worked with are self-taught and these guys make o.k. bucks for LA (between 90 to 200K) and even academy award winning sound designers and music composers are either college drop-outs or never went to college at all...just plain talent.
end rant-

Re: UCLA Extensions?

Is SAE a private school?
How much does it cost?

Re: UCLA Extensions?

SAE is a private school. It costs 17k for the recording program. The cost does include an apple laptop, logic, mbox2, etc. I do want to say that please think about it very hard before attending one of these private audio schools. If you had to choose one though, atleast SAE gives you some gear hehe. I would say you are better off paying an engineer/producer 5k to let you shadow him for 6 months. Trust me, a recording arts degree will not mean anything to recording/post studios. They want to know that you have experience, lots of experience, with specific programs/skills.

Re: UCLA Extensions?

No i know veiw my post above, I was just curious. I def plan on attending a community college for free first and finding my own internship..I hate to say it but the Lap top and ipod seems like a total gmmk.
OOOOOh if i go here ill get a lap top and programs. The thing is if you go to any school Apple will hook you up with an acedemic discount, I got logic pro 7 for 500 bucks, and a g5 for like 500 bucks less and i dont even go to school (Um yeah i go to blah blah university .
And thats a good idea, I should track down Klute and offer him money to shadow him...hell yeah.....hahah


[ anontress - 17 Apr 2006 12:02 ][ anontress - 17 Apr 2006 12:01 ]

Re: UCLA Extensions?

yah I went to Mi in hollywood and got to have a great experience there but like some of the other people were sayin, they rush u thru to the next thing and its more about puttin in the time yourself. I got to work with some amazing musicians and have a big list that goes with my resume of people I worked with and albums I worked on because of the school but its more of a hobby now cuz its just too hard to find work in LA.

[ kut - 24 Apr 2006 20:37 ]

Re: UCLA Extensions?

So yeah there are a bunch of schools around the country that have audio engineering programs. just do a google search. Your best bet to figure out if you really want to go or not is to talk to graduates of the schools..

I'm a graduate of full sail and i can tell you i probably wouldnt have paid over 60 grand to go to school there if i knew what i knew now. Most everyone in the industry you'll be working under is going to make you relearn everything their way. I would honestly sugjest getting an internship at a studio here in LA and learning that way. A degree will never get you a job in this field.

Re: UCLA Extensions?

trudat

what full sail and those other places ARE good for is connecting with people that can hook you up... The connects get you the jobs, the skills help you keep the jobs.