Any Sound Engineers out there?

[falzoony]

So, year 12 is almost over and I am at that stage were I really need to decide what I am to do with myself next year. One thing I know for sure is that I want to be a sound engineer(studio work preferably). I'm sure that all sound engineers would know about SAE college, which is the place I'm leaning towards going to. The problem is that I have been told that the tafe course is as good as the SAE course(which is way more expencive).

If there are any sound engineers on this forum I would like to know your opinion on where the better place would be to go. The reason that I am leaning towards SAE is the fact that I can study part time(2 days a week) and as far as I'm aware Tafe don't offer this(not in SA anyway). I want to do part time so I can work and earn some $$$ whilst in the process of doing the course, because SAE is about 5x the price of TAFE. And SAE looks good on a resume'.

So any help from anyone in the industry would be much appreciated.

[ST]

I dunno how to help you mate. Just telling you next year i'm going for exactly the same course in RMIT in Melbourne. Can't wait!

I'd like to do studio work too, good choice. :P

[falzoony]

Originally Posted by RTSW

I dunno how to help you mate. Just telling you next year i'm going for exactly the same course in RMIT in Melbourne. Can't wait!

I'd like to do studio work too, good choice. :P

Cool : what exactly is RMIT?

[Powdered Toast Man]

Originally Posted by falzoony

Cool : what exactly is RMIT?

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. One of the more, if not the most prestigious Universities in Melbourne. Very high reputation in science and engineering.

[falzoony]

Originally Posted by Powdered Toast Man

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. One of the more, if not the most prestigious Universities in Melbourne. Very high reputation in science and engineering.

As soon as I said that I realised. :. But thanks anyway.

[big_pete]

in general (not sound engineer wise) ive found tafe to be on par with uni/whatever else.

how long is the tafe course compared to the SAE one?
it may be alright to do the Tafe course to begin with and then go on to SAE.

[falzoony]

Originally Posted by big_pete

in general (not sound engineer wise) ive found tafe to be on par with uni/whatever else.

how long is the tafe course compared to the SAE one?
it may be alright to do the Tafe course to begin with and then go on to SAE.

For a diploma the Tafe course is 2 years full time, and SAE is 1 year full time (or 2 part time). And I've never heard of anyone swapping but I may look into it.
Thanks

[Van D]

I dunno what you're tafe's are like in SA. But our Box Hill Tafe is on par with the top private and government funded academy's/Uni's IMO.

I was going to do Sound Engineering this year at either JMC or Box Hill, and honestly mate, I talked to many sound engineers (i gig regularly and have been in the studios heaps, also have mates doing music courses) and all of them said they don't give a crap if your paper says JMC or Tafe (Or SAE in your case). The part that matters is your experience and your abilities. If you're only going to do it part time, then work as MUCH as you can in a studio, even for free, just to get experience. I would however, suggest doing live work as much as you can as well, that way you learn how to mix different rooms and different scenarios (ie. A band wanting to record 'live', you know what they're after).

I also suggest getting into live work, because studio work is hard. I was very close to doing it last year, but talking to all the local studio guys i've worked with (who are all extremely talented) they told me that it's hard to make money doing just studio work.. If you're planning to do your own studio, be prepared to be in debt for a long time as well.

[falzoony]

Originally Posted by popinfresh

I dunno what you're tafe's are like in SA. But our Box Hill Tafe is on par with the top private and government funded academy's/Uni's IMO.

I was going to do Sound Engineering this year at either JMC or Box Hill, and honestly mate, I talked to many sound engineers (i gig regularly and have been in the studios heaps, also have mates doing music courses) and all of them said they don't give a crap if your paper says JMC or Tafe (Or SAE in your case). The part that matters is your experience and your abilities. If you're only going to do it part time, then work as MUCH as you can in a studio, even for free, just to get experience. I would however, suggest doing live work as much as you can as well, that way you learn how to mix different rooms and different scenarios (ie. A band wanting to record 'live', you know what they're after).

I also suggest getting into live work, because studio work is hard. I was very close to doing it last year, but talking to all the local studio guys i've worked with (who are all extremely talented) they told me that it's hard to make money doing just studio work.. If you're planning to do your own studio, be prepared to be in debt for a long time as well.

I have also heard from many engineers that SAE is a waste of money as TAFE is as good, like you said.
I know a band who play about a few times a week and they told me that from next year I can come along with them as two of the members are qualified sound engineers and they will teach me what they know(I just hope the offer is still open).
I have already got my certificate 2 in live sound production which I got at TAFE, and I loved every minute of it!
My main goal would be to get into jingle writing. the place I done my work experience at was one of adelaides biggest jingle writting/studio's, and most of the time if they wernt recording a band, they were writting jingles. And one of the guys there also went through TAFE and strongly suggested it.
Thanks.

[Van D]

Yeah, TAFE is definitely good, suppose it just depends on whatever suits you best.

Jingle writing would be cool. I thought about it as i'm always coming up with catchy/annoying things, cos i'm weird like that, which tends to annoy friends a lot :P

Good luck with wherever you decide mate!

Originally Posted by falzoony

I have also heard from many engineers that SAE is a waste of money as TAFE is as good, like you said.
I know a band who play about a few times a week and they told me that from next year I can come along with them as two of the members are qualified sound engineers and they will teach me what they know(I just hope the offer is still open).
I have already got my certificate 2 in live sound production which I got at TAFE, and I loved every minute of it!
My main goal would be to get into jingle writing. the place I done my work experience at was one of adelaides biggest jingle writting/studio's, and most of the time if they wernt recording a band, they were writting jingles. And one of the guys there also went through TAFE and strongly suggested it.
Thanks.

[falzoony]

Originally Posted by popinfresh

Yeah, TAFE is definitely good, suppose it just depends on whatever suits you best.

Jingle writing would be cool. I thought about it as i'm always coming up with catchy/annoying things, cos i'm weird like that, which tends to annoy friends a lot :P

Good luck with wherever you decide mate!

Thanks heaps mate, you've really made me think. well I'm going to SAE on friday with my music tech class to have a look around. I've already been to 2 open days, but hopefully friday will help me make up my mind.
Thanks again, I'll let you know what I decide to do.

Do the tafe course and after starting out in a job, if the workplace is a good one, its in their best interests to offer training. And if need be, go to SAE, uni, or places like NIDA etc.