If i did a music technology course.

Asa Samuel · #1 01-13-2008, 06:12 PM

At college, what jobs would i be able to look at?

projectMalamute · #2 01-13-2008, 08:00 PM

Those courses are a joke. There is not a single job in the technical end of music production for which you would not be better prepared by an electrical engineering degree. Those courses hold your hand and teach you how to use software by rote which will be obsolete in 5 years anyway.

Asa Samuel · #3 01-14-2008, 04:47 AM

Ok, so what course should i be looking to take to say.. get a job as a soundman at gigs?

sound engineering?

If so, what other jobs would this open up?

projectMalamute · #4 01-14-2008, 05:55 AM

I am of the opinion that you can separate most of the relevant knowledge regarding sound transduction and electronics in to two categories: theoretical and applied. I am also of the opinion that school is a wonderful place to learn general theoretical information and that there is no substitute to experience for leaning about applications. In terms of learning how to hook up and operate a P.A. system everything you need is in the Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook. It's a good guide for answering questions about how mics/mixers/monitors/mains/etc are wired up. Operating this stuff is not a big deal. Doing it well takes experience. Now if you really want to know what's going on at a fundamental level you are talking about electro-mechanical-acoustic circuits. Start taking some math, acoustics is not a trivial subject. The two concepts that will keep coming up are applications of the wave equation(partial differential equations) and the Fourier transform(functional analysis, also shows up in the theory of differential equations in the guise of the Laplace transform). Really, EE is where you are going to get this information.

Bruce Lindfield · #5 01-14-2008, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bass Junkie

At college, what jobs would i be able to look at?

The same jobs as before you started the course!

Asa Samuel · #6 01-14-2008, 06:48 AM

So if i want to become a soundman kinda guy what should i be looking at?

Bruce Lindfield · #7 01-14-2008, 06:50 AM

Getting out there and doing
it...?

Asa Samuel · #8 01-14-2008, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

Getting out there and doing
it...?

Yes but i want to be prepared, so is there anything that will help that i can do at college?

projectMalamute · #9 01-14-2008, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bass Junkie

Yes but i want to be prepared, so is there anything that will help that i can do at college?

I know I'm coming off like a broken record here, but if you want some knowledge as to how this stuff works just bite the bullet and take some math and physics. You guy's learn calculus in high school over in the U.K. right? Learn about differential equations, learn about electrical circuits, learn about acoustics.

Tony G · #10 01-14-2008, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bass Junkie

Yes but i want to be prepared, so is there anything that will help that i can do at college?

Start offering to be the sound guy at your friends gigs for free to learn how to work in a live enviroment.

Slowgypsy · #11 01-14-2008, 09:48 AM

Better yet, find out who's doing sound gigs around your are, contact them and offer your services for free as "assistant", etc. In the film business the classic entry level position is of Production Assistant... otherwise known as the goffer, cause they goffer for this and they goffer that. Seriously, being a PA is the quickest way to get hands-on, real world, see how it's done type of experience. There must be this position in learning to be a sound guy. And after just a few times assisting, my bet is you'll know if this is right for you or not.