Audio engineer schools in Los Angeles| MC/producer

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:53 pm

Sup all.I am Emcee/Producer thinking about getting into engineering.

Has anybody attended either SAE ( http://www.sae-la.com/index.php ),

Los Angeles Recording School :(http://www.recordingcareer.com/flash/index.html

Or MI:
http://www.mi.edu/

?

Im really liking SAE because of the cheaper price and the fact that they include a MACBOOK with all of the audio software in comparison to LARS and MI which dont do that, but i would like some experiences,reviews anybody has on any engineering school as well.

I figure that since i produce and MC,my capabilitys will be expanded to the fact that I wont have to pay someone to master/edit my tracks etc, and I can also make money mastering/editing other artists music on the side while simultaneously putting my music out.Isnt Kanye an engineer/producer?

I am also concerned that it may be almost pointless almost, now that music has gone the "ringtone" route, and the industry isnt as productive as it used to be.However, i figure that since hip hop artists come out like catholic child birth in abundances now,it shouldnt be THAT hard to get some money engineering an artist.

I love music a LOT, but as everybody does,I want to make some GOOD money as well.
Your advice is greatly appreciated.

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:21 pm

If you want to make good money, look elsewhere. There is no long term employment, benefits or seccurity in this industry. People do it because that like it. Even the big dogs are not making the money that they used to on average.

SAE is a good school, but studios are closing up. The likelihood of getting placed in a hip=hop making studio is not going to be a matter of your schooling, but who you know, what drugs you can get, girls you can hook up, etc.

Music is being made on the cheap in private studios for the most part. There are exceptions, but those exceptions are few.

If you have the money to blow on school, by the gear, and make friends with a mentor who can teach you how to make music and records. There is more to it than learning how to use the gear. Gear changes.

The money is going to be working in Film, TV, a ministry...anything but music for the hip-hop masses.

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:20 pm

I feel you 100%.But isnt that what the school is for?Id be able to work in the film industry with what they teach me,not just music industry.

Respected Past Moderator Joined: Mar 13, 2001 Posts: 1256

your dreaming with a lot of wishful thinking.

One the industry sucks now. Two, when you get done with any of those schools you'll be qualified to get me coffee.

Everybody who has a computer call themselves a producer now, so based upon the laws of supply and demand who's going to pay you a lot of money to do the beginner job they can do themselves.

Kanye (I would bet pretty high) can't engineer his way out a paper bag.

HipHop and Rap had the largest decline last year of all formats...

Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 6:40 pm

Recording schools can be very good or very bad. You get out of them what you put in.

The best schooling would be to go to a four year college that offers a degree in audio AND something else so if the audio does not work out you have something else to fall back on.(best bet would be a business degree, an accounting/financing degree or a degree having to do with the health care industry which is the fastest growing segment of the economy.)

Right now the whole recording industry sucks! It is not, IMHO. going to get better. There are way too many basement or bedroom studios doing recording for rates that are SOOOOOOOOOOO low NO ONE could make a full time living from them or they are offering their services for free or are used by musicians doing their own "thing".

The big recording studios are all closing or are changing their focus. I think that before too long most of the big studios will be closing their doors and all recording will be done in people's homes or small local studios. The real estate in big cities is to valuable to be used for recording studios and the increasing rents are driving a lot of the studios out and in there place condominiums and offices are taking their place.

When I first got into audio the BIG studios were on the coasts, in Chicago and Memphis and in Nashville. Then came the regional studios, then the local studios and finally the bedroom and basement studios that make up the majority of our mastering clients...and I am not sure how much longer it will be before mastering studios start closing up due to lack of business as more and more of the smaller studios start offering mastering as part of the recording package.

Not a good time for the music industry not a good time for producers, engineers or musicians. Making a living off the music industry is getting harder and harder and it will only get worse.

I use to think that the only places making out in the current economy were GC and the like but if what I see at my local GC is any indication they are also hurting and I think they have super saturated most markets and even with the HUGH sales they are not doing the numbers.

Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 8:37 pm

Hey. Don't be so down.
I hear Country still sells, if the target market can't figure out how to download it you can still make a buck.

Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 10:37 pm

The Live Touring and Corporate sectors aren't doing too bad, thankfully.

You can't really pull off the Superbowl Halftime Show in your bedroom.

Wink

Sadly, though, we're at the mercy of the oil companies!

It costs a lot of money to truck gear across the country these days.

Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 10:58 pm

BTW, I don't think I mentioned this to all of you, but those of you who know me knew that I worked for Disney...

Well, I quit two months ago - got a better job at a big production company.

It took a while to get used to, but suffice to say that I'm really digging it, letting my hair hang down, making more money, and it's closer to home.

10 years at the mouse was enough for me!

For those of you reading this, thinking about going to a recording school, I seriously suggest going into live sound / show support. As Thomas puts it, it's looking pretty bleak on the recording side (and I've been working both sides of that fence for about 16 years).

It's a hell of a lot easier to land a full-time job at a production company than in a studio, especially these days.

Disney's hiring...

Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 7:17 am

Greener wrote:

Hey. Don't be so down.
I hear Country still sells, if the target market can't figure out how to download it you can still make a buck.

I am not being down I am just trying to "tell it like it is"

Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 12:04 pm

My son wanted to go to Los Angeles Recording School. I went to check out the school with him about a year ago. He had some learning dissabilities and a process problem. He wanted me to co sign a $20.000 loan for him for one year, so I wanted to make sure that the school was going to work with him, and he would be able to handle the school. They said they would work with him and he would be able to complete the school with his learning dissibilities. We had many problems with teachers not working with him, calling him stupid, and telling him he asked too many questions. I talked to the school many times, and it seemed like they were only concerned with getting their money. Half way through the school year, he killed himself. He couldn't handle the pressures of trying to keep up in the school. He also couldn't handle the teachers treating him like he was stupid. The school did credit back $7000.00 of the loan, but I will have to pay the rest back for the next 20 years. I wish the school would have been more honest with me at the beginning. I got the impression that the school realizes it didn't treat my son correctly, and would like this to just go away. If anyone else has had any experiences like this with the school, please contact me at snowskijim@aol.com

Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 4:02 pm

jimsreviews wrote:

My son wanted to go to Los Angeles Recording School. I went to check out the school with him about a year ago. He had some learning dissabilities and a process problem. He wanted me to co sign a $20.000 loan for him for one year, so I wanted to make sure that the school was going to work with him, and he would be able to handle the school. They said they would work with him and he would be able to complete the school with his learning dissibilities. We had many problems with teachers not working with him, calling him stupid, and telling him he asked too many questions. I talked to the school many times, and it seemed like they were only concerned with getting their money. Half way through the school year, he killed himself. He couldn't handle the pressures of trying to keep up in the school. He also couldn't handle the teachers treating him like he was stupid. The school did credit back $7000.00 of the loan, but I will have to pay the rest back for the next 20 years. I wish the school would have been more honest with me at the beginning. I got the impression that the school realizes it didn't treat my son correctly, and would like this to just go away. If anyone else has had any experiences like this with the school, please contact me at snowskijim@aol.com

I feel for your loss.

Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 4:35 pm

Quote:

They said they would work with him and he would be able to complete the school with his learning dissibilities. We had many problems with teachers not working with him, calling him stupid, and telling him he asked too many questions. I talked to the school many times, and it seemed like they were only concerned with getting their money. Half way through the school year, he killed himself.

WTF?

Jeezus....

Called him stupid???
He asked too many questions???

He killed himself????????

WTF? I sure as hell hope you're talking to a lawyer.

Dammit, man. That's insane.

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:35 pm

The whole indie business sucks now, whether it be music or movies. Music is dead because of illegal file sharing, closure of record stores, recession, etc. The writing has been on the wall going way back to when Valley Media went bankrupt. The indie film business is dead because of file sharing, and because cheap high quality video cameras have made it too easy to make movies. Over 4,00 movies are made each year now! Now there's TOO many movies being made and that has driven down the prices paid for movies big time. So basically there's NO money in "indie". As for BIG budget movies, TV and music, the big studios go to high end, established studios to record. Only the best, most experienced producers work there.

This topic sponsored by: