Anyone been to the Sound training centre!?

-=al=-

http://www.soundtrainingcentre.com anyone?

Anyone ever go to the courses or anything there? i was just lookin and they have an open day on Saturday, some of the corses look intersting there, - and expensive!) but anyone have any experience with them, good/bad?

daram

No and no. My da used to lecture there and his full recommendation is to stay well away. People never learn, these kind of degrees mean **** all in the music industry. The best way to learn stuff is reading manuals and basically just throwing yourself in at the deepend. Either that, or getting taught by someone who actually works in the music industry so you can use them as a contact. Its all about contacts.

STC churns out a few hundred people a year with qualifications. I'd say about 1% of these get decent jobs in music.

-=al=-

aw, is it really really that bad!?is there anything good or benificial from it at all!?

bombidol

I studied in Pulse for sound engineering and music technology. and while its a nice introduction to everything you really need to get stuck in yourself and learn by throwing yourself in at the deep end.

Helix

i did 2 years at stc and it was worth absolutely every penny

you get out what you put in tho

the lecturers are all spot on, and theres SERIOUS studio time and hands on experience

none of this rubbish like at pulse and ballyer where you study for city and guilds all year and might have 3 studio sessions

we did c&g part 3 in the last week of second year, and everyone ive talked to got distinctions. thats one week to do what other colleges spend all year on, with top marks

those pieces of paper dont matter diddly at the end of the day tho, its all about the hands on and if youre willing to put everything you have into it, its well well well worth it

*note this is from an electronic music pov

-=al=-

i went into the thing today they showed me around talked about it Q etc..... and it looks good! They do have a great setup alright

lol as for contacts, my cousins damien rice heh, but it was really for learning not the cert, the only friggen problem is its 4 fecking grand =/

Helix

a year

2 year course totally if you get into second year

Ernesto

-=al=- wrote:

i went into the thing today they showed me around talked about it Q etc..... and it looks good! They do have a great setup alright

lol as for contacts, my cousins damien rice heh, but it was really for learning not the cert, the only friggen problem is its 4 fecking grand =/

for that kind of RIP-OFF Fee. apply to the course in Dún Laoighre or Ballyfermot College. They're both far superior to the TBMC one

Helix

no theyre not

you dont get a patch on the hands on

its all theory focussed on city and guilds exams which arent worth a toss

Doctor J

Ernesto wrote:

for that kind of RIP-OFF Fee. apply to the course in Dún Laoighre or Ballyfermot College. They're both far superior to the TBMC one

Don't talk nonsense. The STC course is probably the most hands on of all the available courses and experience is what will get you employment in this field, not a cert. Apart from doing live sound in TBMC the students get plenty of studio time, more than anywhere else as far as I can see, and that's what will stand you in good stead, rather than the poxy C&G qualification. After three years in Pulse, we had two studio sessions where we were in control in total. There were plenty of students who did the three years with me who got distinctions in their final exams but still didn't know how to route a signal through a desk.

Helix

spot on

c&g isnt worth a toss

its an outdated, irrelevant course

as i said, we did part 3 in a week and all got distinctions

-=al=-

yea knowledge seems to be the thing that STC offers best off in a studio and does have a real nice set up, and the most studio time it looks, and u can use the studio as much as u want apparently one ur in the corse......

and i done the 1st year in BCFE last year, music management.... i know not exactly studio stuff, but there was a Studio engineering class for 2 hrs a week.... i sat at a 3 year old computer copying and pasting pre made saxaphone samples in feckin sound forge! other times i was on the internet doin...... pretty much a watse of a class, the stc one does look great tho =/ even tho its the price of a car!

dabhoys

I've just done my first year there and I will be starting up second year very soon. I've really enjoyed the last year and I'm eagerly awaiting this year. There is plenty oppurtunities to learn and get hands on while you are there. The staff are sound and well knowledged. Its like anything you do if your not willing to work you won't get anywhere. I've plenty of oppurnities in college to do things but I also do my own thing recording bands and gigs with my own rig because I'm that eager to learn. I would highly recommend the college if your interested and willing to work. I got top marks in all my exams all the way through including C&G but I'm under no impression that this means I will get a job. I love music and recording and everything that goes with it. I'm going to give it my best stab to make a living from it

I was supposed to be doing the demonstration in Elektra on saturday but I was at the match I did help out at the last open day though.

Ernesto

Balls to that. you get a Higher National Diploma after 2 years in Ballyfermot College Of Further Education. full hands approach. and its continuos assesment so theyres no focus on exams. theyve a brand new venue in BCFE. everything there is great. ive had 2 friends who did the course and it was great. i got a place this year and there is some serious work, equipment staff, and experience

Eoin Madsen

BCFE Music Tech is not City & Guilds at all, it's a BTEC HND. And, as already stated, is continuous assessment. Exams make up about 15-20% of grades. I went in 2000-2002. They have two studios (one analog, one digital) and apparently just got a third one with a big f**k-off protools rig. In second year I got about 4 hours of studio time a week. We also worked with synthesis, MIDI programming, and sampling.

Imo, the Live engineering section was the only thing really neglected - it was a bit understated compared to the studio stuff. I would have liked some more detailed electronics in there too but I don't think anyone is doing that at the moment.

Maynooth NUI is now offering a 3 year degree in Music Technology which is probably going to be the best course around.

-=al=-

Dont u need certain points for the Maynooth once? i done a year in music management in BCFE, but i kinda missed me repeats there a few weeks back, oops But there was a 2 hr a week class for sound engineerin, but it was as gay as christmas i wudnt mind doing the sound engineering in bcfe tobe honest! =/

Eoin Madsen

-=al=- wrote:

Dont u need certain points for the Maynooth once?

Yeah, it's CAO. I don't know how many tbh, but the info must be available by now.

-=al=-

it probably is and i probably dont have enough points =/ oh well!!

Eoin Madsen

You can assume that or you can go check to make sure.

Sunn

-=al=- wrote:

it probably is and i probably dont have enough points =/ oh well!!

yeah i don't enough points either.. raging.. have to resit maths on the leaving to get a b3.. but it should be no bother.

also ul have a 4year hnrs degree course starting up next year (sept 06) which leads to a masters also but i'd assume points would be sky high

as for the city&guilds exams they are piss easy.. my mate who did course in stc last never got his place for second year there but is now in england doing an hnrs degree course in muisc tech just because he has disticntions in the c&g exam.. if only they were taken into account rather than poxy points

Rustar

I can't possibly say anything intelligent on this subject, so I'm just going to say.... love the new sig pic, Al!

-=al=-

lol, thanks!...... if anyone was interested i didnt go in the end!! .......look out though, i might ask the same Q next year

Hub

If you want to get into it just go!!

Read up on it if yor goin for it, get a head start