Getting qualified

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pushedbutton
Posts: 1538
Joined: 16 Jan 2015
Location: Lancashire, UK
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28 Oct 2021

I've been working as a music producer of sorts for the last few years but my only qualification in music production is my experience.
I'm looking for a course that I can go on to brush up my skills and end up with a qualification.
I'm in the UK.
Any suggestions?
Last edited by pushedbutton on 28 Oct 2021, edited 1 time in total.
@pushedbutton on twitter, add me, send me a message, but don't try to sell me stuff cos I'm skint.
Using Reason since version 3 and still never finished a song.

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miyaru
Posts: 624
Joined: 28 Oct 2019
Location: Zaanstad, The Netherlands

28 Oct 2021

In 1999 I attended the SAE college in Amsterdam. I graduated in 2001 and became certified sound engineer.

You can look here for there new courses: https://www.sae.edu/gbr/audio

I do not know what you want to obtain, but maybe your portfolio will speak for you, as you are as good as your latest production........

I did not work much as "Pro" as I had jobs that paid well, and I had my own SCUBA school at that time. As a day only has 24 hours, I didn't make a career out of then.......

A course is fun to do, and you can learn a lot, but it ain't cheap though. Beware of that, you can buy a lot of gear for the money it will cost!

Good luck!!! :thumbup:
Greetings from Miyaru.
Prodaw i7-7700, 16Gb Ram, Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 3rd gen, ESI M4U eX, Reason12, Live Suit 10, Push2, Presonus Eris E8 and Monitor Station V2, Lexicon MPX1,
Korg N1, Yamaha RM1x :thumbup:

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motuscott
Posts: 3420
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Location: Contest Weiner

28 Oct 2021

I am a Kwalified Sound Mangler
Got my certificate when Props was handing them out like candy corn on Halloween
Now they want a gizzillion Dogcoin
Like my Patreon start off...
Who’s using the royal plural now baby? 🧂

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Benedict
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28 Oct 2021

In real Rock & Roll, results speak louder than anything. Matter of fact showing up with a piece of paper like SAE can close doors. I was advised against it by a couple of career mix engineers when I was leaving school in 1986. I got my training in a real live studio where real work was done every day. It was sink or swim - and lots of helping out - but that was THE path back then. I know when I later met SAE people I would not have let them near my work.

Now, esp if you are looking to get a job (or payrise) with a Not For Profit (as I know you are in that space), they will look at pieces of paper over any actual ability so if that is the path, get some paper, even is your name is Alan Parsons as they hire the paper, not the person.

BTW I still bring up the Music BOCs tracks I mixed for you every now and then and mist over at the experience of getting to do that. And how well they did esp the "Evergreen" fellow who clearly related to the song he was singing so it cuts through the 'difficulties".


:-)
Benedict Roff-Marsh
Completely burned and gone

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miyaru
Posts: 624
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Location: Zaanstad, The Netherlands

29 Oct 2021

Benedict wrote:
28 Oct 2021
In real Rock & Roll, results speak louder than anything. Matter of fact showing up with a piece of paper like SAE can close doors. I was advised against it by a couple of career mix engineers when I was leaving school in 1986. I got my training in a real live studio where real work was done every day. It was sink or swim - and lots of helping out - but that was THE path back then. I know when I later met SAE people I would not have let them near my work.

Now, esp if you are looking to get a job (or payrise) with a Not For Profit (as I know you are in that space), they will look at pieces of paper over any actual ability so if that is the path, get some paper, even is your name is Alan Parsons as they hire the paper, not the person.

BTW I still bring up the Music BOCs tracks I mixed for you every now and then and mist over at the experience of getting to do that. And how well they did esp the "Evergreen" fellow who clearly related to the song he was singing so it cuts through the 'difficulties".


:-)
Thanx Benedict, I'm a SAE guy....... Yes I lot of them do not know what they are doing, but not all of them.......
Greetings from Miyaru.
Prodaw i7-7700, 16Gb Ram, Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 3rd gen, ESI M4U eX, Reason12, Live Suit 10, Push2, Presonus Eris E8 and Monitor Station V2, Lexicon MPX1,
Korg N1, Yamaha RM1x :thumbup:

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Benedict
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29 Oct 2021

I wasn't speaking to or at you, pointedly or otherwise. I was responding broadly and specifically to Mr Button who (as noted) I have had a relationship with for some time.

I read your post. I respect that you did the course - a few decades after my experience - which is/was factual so if you need to be upset an anyone, go find the former house engineers from Jumbuck Productions (part of the Channel 7 thing) from 1986. My take was that you seemed ambivalent about the SAE thing seeing you didn't go off and work for the Rolling Stones. Still. it was nothing to/for/about you. If you want me to judge your abilities, I will happily do so if you want to send over your work. Until then, this is not all about you so get offa my cloud man.

:-)
Benedict Roff-Marsh
Completely burned and gone

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miyaru
Posts: 624
Joined: 28 Oct 2019
Location: Zaanstad, The Netherlands

29 Oct 2021

@ Benedict: OK, I was upset to quickly........ No offence!
Greetings from Miyaru.
Prodaw i7-7700, 16Gb Ram, Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 3rd gen, ESI M4U eX, Reason12, Live Suit 10, Push2, Presonus Eris E8 and Monitor Station V2, Lexicon MPX1,
Korg N1, Yamaha RM1x :thumbup:

PhillipOrdonez
Posts: 3732
Joined: 20 Oct 2017
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29 Oct 2021

I'm looking at hofa college every now and then, but then I need to remind myself that I am self employed and I am not looking to be employed currently 😂 but then again, what if that changes? 🤔

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selig
RE Developer
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Location: The NorthWoods, CT, USA

29 Oct 2021

pushedbutton wrote:
28 Oct 2021
I've been working as a music producer of sorts for the last few years but my only qualification in music production is my experience.
I'm looking for a course that I can go on to brush up my skills and end up with a qualification.
I'm in the UK.
Any suggestions?
To what end? If your goal is to get work, then you’ll need to know what specific qualifications are required for said work. If you just want to expand your knowledge, then anything from books to videos to tutoring to classes can do that, according to how you best learn (or what your budget may be).

To paraphrase what I ask all my new clients, what do you want such a qualification to accomplish exactly?
Selig Audio, LLC

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mcatalao
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29 Oct 2021

selig wrote:
29 Oct 2021

To what end? If your goal is to get work, then you’ll need to know what specific qualifications are required for said work. If you just want to expand your knowledge, then anything from books to videos to tutoring to classes can do that, according to how you best learn (or what your budget may be).

To paraphrase what I ask all my new clients, what do you want such a qualification to accomplish exactly?
Depending on the area, much of the work comes from word of mouth, being in the right place at the right time, and almost in any area, nurturing relations is really important and college can be a place where you create relations and can capitalized on that (on any area).

My day job is on IT, but I didn't finish college. At this point of my life (I work in IT for 20+ years) I guess I would not need to finish my degree, but it's still something that I feel I need closure, though I have my doubts it would benefit my career at the moment (unless maybe to clear up some odd conversations). The end can be different for different people.

Anyway, for audio and music, I'm a bit like Benedict, the best audio engineers I know here in Portugal, learned with the craft in studios or just doing the thing, until they got it right. But then again, we are really small here in Portugal, and everybody knows everyone when you're working on a niche area, specially in a small country.

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pushedbutton
Posts: 1538
Joined: 16 Jan 2015
Location: Lancashire, UK
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29 Oct 2021

selig wrote:
29 Oct 2021
pushedbutton wrote:
28 Oct 2021
I've been working as a music producer of sorts for the last few years but my only qualification in music production is my experience.
I'm looking for a course that I can go on to brush up my skills and end up with a qualification.
I'm in the UK.
Any suggestions?
To what end? If your goal is to get work, then you’ll need to know what specific qualifications are required for said work. If you just want to expand your knowledge, then anything from books to videos to tutoring to classes can do that, according to how you best learn (or what your budget may be).

To paraphrase what I ask all my new clients, what do you want such a qualification to accomplish exactly?
All I really need to do is back up the skills I have with a piece of paper. I'm already doing the job but we're looking to expand the enterprise. If we're bringing in new talent I don't want them to undermine me because they have a qualification I don't have.
As far as budget, that would be down to the value for my employer because they'd be paying for it.
As to what I want to accomplish, I want to make myself indispensable.

In practice my job consists of getting a midi, making it sound half decent, recording a vocalist, editing that and shipping it out on cd - in a day, sometimes in an hour. I cut a lot of corners to get that done but occasionally I can justify spending more time on production. I'm getting by, people are happy with the results but there's always room to up my game.
@pushedbutton on twitter, add me, send me a message, but don't try to sell me stuff cos I'm skint.
Using Reason since version 3 and still never finished a song.

User avatar
pushedbutton
Posts: 1538
Joined: 16 Jan 2015
Location: Lancashire, UK
Contact:

29 Oct 2021

Benedict wrote:
28 Oct 2021
In real Rock & Roll, results speak louder than anything. Matter of fact showing up with a piece of paper like SAE can close doors. I was advised against it by a couple of career mix engineers when I was leaving school in 1986. I got my training in a real live studio where real work was done every day. It was sink or swim - and lots of helping out - but that was THE path back then. I know when I later met SAE people I would not have let them near my work.

Now, esp if you are looking to get a job (or payrise) with a Not For Profit (as I know you are in that space), they will look at pieces of paper over any actual ability so if that is the path, get some paper, even is your name is Alan Parsons as they hire the paper, not the person.

BTW I still bring up the Music BOCs tracks I mixed for you every now and then and mist over at the experience of getting to do that. And how well they did esp the "Evergreen" fellow who clearly related to the song he was singing so it cuts through the 'difficulties".


:-)
Ahh memories... he still sings that song. He's wordperfect at it now. :)
That had a huge impact on people's perception of what we could achieve and I can't thank you enough for taking the time to polish it for me.
@pushedbutton on twitter, add me, send me a message, but don't try to sell me stuff cos I'm skint.
Using Reason since version 3 and still never finished a song.

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Benedict
Competition Winner
Posts: 2747
Joined: 16 Jan 2015
Location: Gold Coast, Australia
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29 Oct 2021

Thanks for the update. Good to hear.

As for: "If we're bringing in new talent I don't want them to undermine me because they have a qualification I don't have." a) don't hire those types of people, they are toxic and not good at whatever the task as they are not focused on the task but ego rubbish b) if you are doing it and getting good results then that is all that matters. If you know you can/should be doing better then just do better.

As Selig said, if you don't need a formal piece of paper (esp if work isn't springing for it) there are usually better ways to learn, like just getting down and working it out yourself or, having a one-on-one teacher/mentor who helps you get there, as opposed to being present during random info dumps.

:-)
Benedict Roff-Marsh
Completely burned and gone

avasopht
Competition Winner
Posts: 3931
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

09 Nov 2021

I took a module on Music Perception and Cognition last year and met lots of students taking music Masters that had some AI modules.

Long story short, you can learn a tonne of stuff that might change the way you think (for the better) while also giving you a really valuable piece of paper.

Lots of them got jobs while studying. One for Roli, another making VST plugins.

I'm not convinced it's necessary either, but if you can see value in it then I'd encourage going for it.

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