Recording school

Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 4:29 pm

Hey all I found a topic on here that interested me enough to join it was with the member cain. they were talking a bit about the conservatory of recording arts and sciences. The education is a diploma with a couple certifications. I'm wondering if it'd be better to just start by buying my own equipment and learning that way or using the school. The only differences is that the school offers an internship prorgam thats a mandatory 280 hours. I'm scheduled to go in feburary. Thanks for any and all tips.

Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 6:29 am

There has been a lot of discussion on this web board before about audio education versus on the job training or learn by doing. If you search you will find lots of information.

ps There is NO simple answer to your question.

Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 3:06 pm

I have heard the rationalization of taking 15 grand and renting a studio and an engineer for a week and get them to teach you all they can. The problem is that if you are going in blind with no clue about signal flow and other such things, by the time you wrap your head around what is happening and why you will be out of time and money. My advice is to spend 13 grand on the conservatory to learn the why and how. Then take the other 15 grand or so that you saved by not going to full sail, and hire an engineer to teach you about technique and client relations. Who knows you might even impress someone.

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 10:20 pm

Going to school isn't bad in and of itself, but schools won't give you the experience-over-time effect that everyone else experiences as they go along.

You cannot fast-track talent and experience and compress it into a 2 or 4 year degree. It has to happen organically and nauturaly.

My path was different from others, and so is the case, I'm sure, for just about everyone posting on here: There is no one true or sure path to get there. I wouldn't bore you with the particulars, but in general I learned what I learned starting at a very early age, listening to, reading about, and even taking apart (& blowing up!) everything I could get my hands on. School was mostly a vindication of a lot of ideas and theories I had as I was growing up, although I won't discuount the fact that I DID learn a lot in spite of my own damn self. Smile

You can get gigs with and without school. School will not get you any job pre se, it will only be a jumping off point for you for roughly the first 5-6 months after you leave it. The rest is up to you.

If you want to be in this business and make a career out of it, you'll read (and listen to) everytyhing you can get your hands on, chat with others (real and online) about all of this stuff, and listen over and over again to what you already like. You will forgo parties to work on a mix or an edit while everyone ELSE goes out to play. You will spend money you don't really have on some gear that only 1% of the population even understands. You will be ridiculed by those who don't have a clue what you do, and in many cases, few of your family or friends will even understand what you do, or why you do it. Most will simply think you are just goofing around in the basement, and need to "grow up and get a real job someday".

When I went to school (for Music), I was already semi on my own, working a nearly full-time day job (in sound, fortunately), as well as playing in bands, hustling for studio and live gigs, and networking (the old fashioned way - in person, not over the web) to make more contacts. I was (and still am) hungry for it, it's my passion. No school will teach that, and please don't make the mistake of thinking any school anywhere will "Bestow" automatic status and experience upon you. It is merely a single step along the way. How important that step is something only you can decide. Make the best of it, if you take it.

Ten or twenty years from now, that will probably make more sense to you than my attempts here. Thumbs Up

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 11:23 am

School will give you the basic knowledge you need to get started. It's not an end goal, it's the beginning.

People looking at your resume' will at least know that you have done x amount of work in the field at xx school. That's a start.

After that, try to get into certain circles, make friends and get as much working experience as you possibly can. I know people that have worked for 2-4 years (for FREE) as personal engineers for a major, multi-grammy winning producer in the Los Angeles area, just to get experience and credits. Now, they are booked all the time.

Each person will choose a path that fits their personality, needs and goals.

Also, nowadays you should diversify: learn surround mixing, sound picture, etc... On the other hand, try to specialize nad/or focus: do you want to record or mix? Or both? As you know, some do both but, many do one or the other and are in demand for their particular skills in each area.

Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:21 pm

Yeah, I took a Recording Arts program in Toronto. I pretty much just went into it blind. As a result I found myself very overwelmed at first. But after a while it all started to make sense. Right now I'm working for a AV company and also doing stuff with my band. If I had my time back I would have done it differently, though, because with the money I spent on school I could have built a really nice studio for myself. But then again with out the school I wouldn't have much of a clue on what to do. The best advice I can give someone who is thinking about going to school for this stuff is to reserch the industy. Know what you are getting into, because the Audio Industry is a funny one.

Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:49 pm

How about these recording mentorships/apprenticeships you can take on?

I came across www.recordingmentor.com and www.recordingconnection.com and they both offer apprenticeship programs at a studio near you. They basically take half your tuition and give it to a studio and they take you in and teach you a sort-of curriculum.

Both of their websites look pretty shabby but that's not to say that their programs don't have substance.

Here's one course outline:
http://www.recordingconnection.com/recording-info-course.html

Anyone know about any of these mentoring programs???

Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:21 pm

hey, so im far from experienced but i have known some people that are going to school or have gone(dropped out actually) but my understanding is that with the amount of money u are paying, why not build a studio for yourself. as a favor to a friend my band was recorded for some students project and all i can say is wow. it was so terrible, no one knew what they were doing. and it wasn't like their was one dumb kid, their were about 6 and none of them knew anything. you might say well they are just learning but by that time they should have been able to pull it off.

then their is my one friend, he recorded my band and at the time had very little experience. the results were great and i was amazed at what he had done even after only a couple of months of fooling around. about 6 months later he is a very talented engineer and knows more than anyone i have met that went to school for it. well i should say that he is a very talented musician and has alot of natural ability. i have a neighbor who went to full sail ( not sure the correct name) and dropped out because he hated it so much. all the engineers i have met that actually make a living off engineering have not gone to school. im pretty sure that they have met alot of people that help them out and have made connections. i have other experiences with schools but i have to go now. again i don't really know what im talking about but wanted to share my thoughts and experiences.

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