FdSc Sound Engineering & Design

Course overview

Have you ever wondered who created the sound of the TIE Fighters in Star Wars? How about the weapon fire and impact damage in Halo? Or the sound of plants growing in time-lapse photography? Or even the soundtrack to Emmerdale?

Although film, TV and computer games are essentially a visual experience, it is often the soundtrack or sound effects that really convey things like action, setting, narrative and atmosphere. The role of the Sound Designer is to create and arrange these elements of sound to ensure that the visual element of the production is supported by appropriate audio content.

FdSc Sound Engineering and Design is specifically designed to teach you the fundamental elements of sound recording and music production, and then focus these skills towards the specific purpose of sound design for visual media.

The course allows access to well equipped facilities on two sites, with professional sound recording studios, analogue and digital equipment, industry standard software and IT facilities, as well editingg and post production facilities. Short term project-based work placements are also undertaken, leading to the award of the Foundation Degree qualification.

The strong practical and vocational emphasis of the course is underpinned by a relevant amount of theoretical study. The syllabus has been developed in close partnership with key industry players, so that a theoretical understanding is combined with experience of real life working practice.

Foundation Degrees, because of their uniquely vocational emphasis, include a period of work-experience placement. This means that along with a professional accreditation in Digidesign’s Pro Tools, you should leave the programme with the necessary industry specific skills to enter employment in this field.

Detailed course description

Units studied include:

Core

• Professional Development for the Creative Industries
• Sound in Context
• Electronic Music, Theory and Practice
• Science of Sound & the Recording Chain
• Studio Techniques
• Introduction to Synthesis and MIDI
• Digital Sound Production
• Post Production Techniques
• Studio Design
• Electronic Composition
• Work-based learning

Optional

• Advanced Studio Techniques
• Radio Active
• Video Effects Production
• Special Effects Specialisation
• Games Narrative & Design
• Project Skills

Special features

You have access to well-equipped facilities on two sites, with professional sound recording studios, analogue and digital equipment, industry standard software and IT facilities, as well as editing and post production facilities.

FAQ

Who is this course for?
This course is designed to train you sound engineering skills specifically for sound design in visual media. If you want to learn up to date skills, or expand on your current skills as a sound engineer then this course is for you. It’s suitable for beginners, and those with relevant industry experience or previous training. The course starts from first principles, and trains you through to an advanced level of sound engineering. There are optional modules in 2nd year when you can tailor the course to your requirements, and a period of work placement where you will get real industry training in the workplace.

Are there any pre-requisites?
If you are under 21, then the normal UCAS requirements apply (see applications page). However, as foundation degrees are vocational training we can accept students solely on their current industry experience (especially if you are over 21) – this is through an interview process.

When will I study?
Normally you will attend lectures 2 - 3 days per week. The days change each semester. Most of the training is here at SSR but you will also have some tuition at University of Bolton. The rest of the time is for your own individual research and practical work – SSR’s generous opening hours fit in with our students’ lives: Monday-Thursday – 8.30am-10.00pm (and on occasions we can extend to midnight) Friday 8.30am-6.00pm Saturday and Sunday 10.00am -8.00pm

Who will teach me?
You will be taught by industry active tutors who are currently working with musicians, TV and film companies, computer games companies. Our tutors have worked for Pet Shop Boys; Snow Patrol; Elbow; Warner Brothers; Granada; 3sixtymedia; LioneyesTV; BBC; Peter Kay; The Royale Family. In addition, our tutors are world expert instructors in Pro Tools.

Where will this course lead me?
As a successful graduate of this course you will have a number of career options available to you. Many freelance sound engineers work in live sound, recording or production, film and television post production, TV broadcast; computer games; Radio or a combination of these areas. You will also have the opportunity for further study if you opt to go on to the 3rd year top-up, where you can achieve a BSc Honours degree, either on the same course, or on a similar course elsewhere in the country.

What is the success rate of this course?
Our pass rate on this course is impressive. Of those who complete the course 95% will successfully pass all exams and meet the professional standards that the course demands. Students emerge with a Foundation degree in Sound Engineering and Design and an impressive showreel to take to employers. Our careers department offers support to students, and through our impressive industry connections and creative partners we are able to successfully place students into some impressive jobs working for companies such as WIGWAM; Granada; BBC; Sumners; GMAZ; Hummingbird sound; MUTV, as well as leading bands and musicians such as Radiohead, Girls Aloud, Take That; Amy Winehouse and Westlife.

As one of our students recently commented: "Other organisations have got a toe in the water of the industry - SSR is fully immersed."

What facilities and studios will I use?
We have some impressive and highly professional equipment and resources that are used in the industry including:

The Digidesign ICON console

Pro Tools High Definition systems

9 introduction and intermediate studios

DJ booths

Computer facilities including a dedicated Mac Suite

The Green Room – the student common room

In addition to the teaching what extra features does this course have?
Students on this course can expect to have field trips to highly exciting music venues and events, recording studios and media companies to see what goes on behind the scenes and meet key people in the industry. Some recent examples include ELBOW; Girls Aloud and Westlife, as well as trips to Granada. We also have regular guest lectures from key experts from the Music industry, and the TV and film world. Some examples are; the sound engineers for Prince, Def Lepard, and Ian Brown, and the post production staff for Peter Kay and Steve Coogan. The Pro Tools 101 accreditation is also embedded into the course in Year 1.

Once I leave is that it?
We have a saying at SSR: "Once an SSR student, always an SSR student" and through our Graduate Support Programme you can expect to receive additional services from SSR. This includes continued access to our careers service and introductions to our creative partners; information on job opportunities; use of studios and edit suites at heavily discounted rates; special discounted rates on continued training courses such as Pro Tools and Apple software.

Student Quotes

Here are just a handful of student comments:

"As a student at SSR, you get what I feel to be the best Audio Engineering training in the country."

"A fantastic experience from start to finish"

"I am extremely pleased and proud to be a student of the School of Sound Recording"

"The tutors are awesome. They bring real industry experience into the classroom. This kind of day to day industry knowledge is something that can not be learned from a text book and it gives us the edge we need over other students from other courses."

"A great deal of importance is put on learning the basic foundations of audio engineering allowing us to build our knowledge and skills upon the fundamentals of audio so that we can develop into well rounded, diverse, knowledgeable industry standard engineers."

"The studios and equipment at SSR are great giving us the chance to work in top notch professional facilities that can’t be found easily anywhere else."

"I really appreciate the range, quality and quantity of studios available to me 7 days a week to suit my life."

"The staff are really friendly (I love Sarah) and the extra events like the live gigs make being a student at SSR a totally great experience."

"SSR feels ands acts like a professional place but at the same time like a really cool college."

"With 25 years of experience it’s no wonder that the SSR name carries so much weight in the industry."

"Trips to the MEN to observe engineers at work on large production tours such as Westlife, Girls Aloud and Slayer have all been possible because of the school's connections. Again these are benefits that can't be guaranteed at other audio schools."

"Due to their connections, I have managed to secure work experience, and hopefully a job with a leading company, in which I can put into practice what I have learnt in my two years here."

"I feel that SSR is the only place in the country I could have gained the diverse experience that I have, which I believe will stand me in better stead than young sound engineers in Britain in the coming years."

Entry requirements & applications

For more information, please follow this link to the University of Bolton website

Applications for this course must be made via UCAS. To apply, you will need the following information.

Award - FdSc
UCAS code - J930 FdSc/SED
Mode of attendance - Full-time
Duration - 2 Years
Start dates - September and January (January is subject to demand)

Entry Requirements

120 UCAS points including an A2-level pass (or equivalent) in one of the following: a mathematical or physical science, a technology-based subject or music.

Applicants for this course also need five GCSE passes at grade C or above (or equivalent) including mathematics and English.

Applicants may also be accepted on relevant industry experience, and, may be required to attend for interview.

Awarding body - University of Bolton