Universities

Here I will clear up some confusion I have had for a while, I’ve always know that I wanted to make sound effects for music and films. And now my current qualification in media will not be good enough to get me a job in this.

All job vacancies in this field ask for qualifications in music or sound technology and audio engineering. And I have always been confused between the three. What they entail, and what would be best for me. The confusion mainly steams from the fact that each of these course seem to allow you to apply for job titles that are the same. After looking a number of university courses these were my findings.

Music technology

Music technology is the study music and how technology plays a vital role in it’s the creation, manipulation, recording, production and distribution. In this course I would dive into the fast exhilarating technology that is involved in all areas of music production and learn how much and music technology work on a scientific level.

Here is a list of skills I may learn this course:

List sourced from Birmingham university and keel university

Composing  Sound
Sound Recording
Surround Sound
Audio Electronics
Digital Video
Music on Stage and Screen
Introduction to Composition
Reading Film
Popular Music
Introduction to Music Theory
Instrumental Lessons

Creative Sound Design
Audio-Visual Composition
Interactive Real-time Composition
Record production in Theory and Practice

All in all music technology is the study of music and technology and the many ways they co-exist together.

Sound technology

Sound technology is the science of sound and how technology is used in its creation, manipulation, recording, production and distribution. It’s essentially the same principles as music technology but more directed towards Foley sound, sound effects and dialogue. Though I now understand how the learning outcomes and fields of study can cross over. As I may have to learn how to integrate sounds in to music, many sound engineers will be involved in the recording of music. From there they may alter the recording, get rid of any unwanted sounds and maybe even add higher quality or more preferred sounds. And from there the music recording may be handed to some with skills in music technology to edit the tempo, pitch, and even create mixes with other recordings.

List if skills sourced from University of Glamorgan Pontypridd, university of Portsmouth

·         Audio Engineering

·         Media Technology for Applications

·         Live Sound

·         Electronics for Music & Media

·         Synthesis & Computer Based Audio Engineering

·         Repertoire Production Techniques

·         Music Industry Practice

·         Multimedia Communications & Signal Processing

·         Honours Integrated Group Project

·         Acoustics of Performance Spaces

·         Recording Engineering

·         Sound for Film & TV

·         Project Studio Production & Advanced Sound Synthesis

·         Advanced Electronics for Music & Media

·         Computer Based Media Production

·         Music Production

It seems that when technology was becoming integrated into the entertainments industry and job roles such as Foley artist and sound engineer things we’re a lot simpler, and there was a small fraction of the technology we have today. With the development and future integration of more technology into entertainment more job roles have been created.

So the lines between careers have been blurred, and many cases on small productions people will have to be skilled in many areas to take on multiple job titles where as on big productions people will be required to only work in the specialised field.

So audio engineer and sound engineer are the same profession and whilst music technology and sound technology are course that specialise in different things. They will teach some of the same techniques and principle and in the work place their tasks may overlap resulting them having to something required from the other profession.

Though all in all I think I will take sound engineering.