SAE Institue - Audio Engineering - Any in

Submitted by inglis on
Forum
Industry and Education

Hi there everyone,

Im just after any information on the audio engineering diploma run at the SAE Institue in Brisbane. If you have gone there, if you know anyone that went/is going there etc. How good the staff is, how up to date they keep their equipment.....

My little brother is looking at enrolling in their audio engineering diploma- I just want to make sure its on the level because I dont know much at all about them.

Thanks.

Submitted by Peter on Fri, 17/09/04 - 1:54 AMPermalink

SAE are pretty much the top of the line as far audio engineering goes. But you do pay for it!

I know of 2 people who have finished SAE courses in audio engineering. The commments I heard from them where that it's a very challenging course. They also learnt heaps of things! You do get a lot of time in their studio to work on your projects. Which would be the main reason it costs so much. Overall I'd say if you have the money, sign up and finish the course! You will have to work hard but you will learn heaps! I would recommend it to anyone who is serious. Although I dont know anyone who has done the course in Brisbane. But I'm sure it will be top notch as SAE has a name to live up to.

However, their are also cheaper alternatives. I'm not sure what is available in Brisbane. But here in Melbourne I studied "Sound Production" at RMIT. It was a 1 year full time course that covered most things that SAE do. However, it was more focused on small group settings and not much alone or one on one time like SAE. I also think some topics where not covered as much in depth as could have been. On the plus, the teachers were awesome with many years experince in the audio industry and could anwser any question we threw at them. At the end of the day I learnt all the basics. I then spent all my hard earnt money (that I could have payed for SAE) on equipment to setup my home studio and business.

I would think about looking into other courses around Brisbane. Just to see whats out there. But if you have the cash to spare, dont think twice go to SAE!

For me, money decided where I studied. Lookin back on it and weighing up the cost I dont regret studing at RMIT one bit. Having said that you will be hard pressed to find a better audio engineering course than SAE. However, for the record I payed about $600 for the year at RMIT (TAFE sector, btw). Compared with the many thousand at SAE.

Best of luck in help choosing the right audio engineering course for you brother. I hope I have helped.

Cheers

Submitted by Peter on Fri, 17/09/04 - 2:35 AMPermalink

One thing I forgot to mention, is that regardless of where you study it's extremely difficult to find work in a recording studio. Live sound is easier. But either way it's extremely hard to break into the industry.

One of my friends that finished SAE gets occasional work recording bands in studios. But the thing is he has to find the bands to record. It's not like he works as an engineer in a studio. He works freelance because there just ain't enough jobs for in-house audio engineers.

Submitted by groovyone on Mon, 11/10/04 - 10:30 AMPermalink

I thoroughly suggest doing the CertIV (diploma) course at SAE.

Yes, it IS intensive, but the amount of knowledge you cover is extremely valuable. I recently graduated - still waiting for my grades, but I think I got over %90 average.

The course is one year full time (only 2 weeks break for christmas) and quite intensive. We covered subjects such as Sound Theory (acoustic, digital), Psychoacoustics, Acoustics, Audio Analysis, Remixing, Post PRoduction, Mixing, Mastering, recording both on analogue and digital in 8, 16 and 24 channels. ProTools, Cubase, Logic Audio, Reason and basic music theory as well as a little bit of graphic design and web development.

If you are serious about a career in the game industry in audio, most AAA companies won't look at you unless you have some form of accreditation from an Audio Engineering course, specially for sound design.

Your brother could always take the CertIII for 3 months and test the waters to see if he likes it, the information learned from that is quite valuable too! He can then continue on to do the full CertIV for an upgrade fee.

Alternatively, he could think about attending other course providers such as JMC college in Sydney and Melbourne, though their course is not as informative as SAE in one year. It takes 2 years to cover the same amount of information, and costs $8000 a year.

As for finding work, it's about how persistant you are, and dedicated, and who you know and network with. Same as any job in these sorts of industries. Of course, the better you study and the more effort you put in the better your grades and the more likely you are to attract a prospective employer's attention.

Submitted by inglis on Tue, 12/10/04 - 2:54 PMPermalink

hey there guys-

yeah, he is doing the cert3 there for 3 months then doing the diploma.
saying its really good so far.
thanks for your feedback.

Posted by inglis on
Forum
Industry and Education

Hi there everyone,

Im just after any information on the audio engineering diploma run at the SAE Institue in Brisbane. If you have gone there, if you know anyone that went/is going there etc. How good the staff is, how up to date they keep their equipment.....

My little brother is looking at enrolling in their audio engineering diploma- I just want to make sure its on the level because I dont know much at all about them.

Thanks.

Submitted by Peter on Fri, 17/09/04 - 1:54 AMPermalink

SAE are pretty much the top of the line as far audio engineering goes. But you do pay for it!

I know of 2 people who have finished SAE courses in audio engineering. The commments I heard from them where that it's a very challenging course. They also learnt heaps of things! You do get a lot of time in their studio to work on your projects. Which would be the main reason it costs so much. Overall I'd say if you have the money, sign up and finish the course! You will have to work hard but you will learn heaps! I would recommend it to anyone who is serious. Although I dont know anyone who has done the course in Brisbane. But I'm sure it will be top notch as SAE has a name to live up to.

However, their are also cheaper alternatives. I'm not sure what is available in Brisbane. But here in Melbourne I studied "Sound Production" at RMIT. It was a 1 year full time course that covered most things that SAE do. However, it was more focused on small group settings and not much alone or one on one time like SAE. I also think some topics where not covered as much in depth as could have been. On the plus, the teachers were awesome with many years experince in the audio industry and could anwser any question we threw at them. At the end of the day I learnt all the basics. I then spent all my hard earnt money (that I could have payed for SAE) on equipment to setup my home studio and business.

I would think about looking into other courses around Brisbane. Just to see whats out there. But if you have the cash to spare, dont think twice go to SAE!

For me, money decided where I studied. Lookin back on it and weighing up the cost I dont regret studing at RMIT one bit. Having said that you will be hard pressed to find a better audio engineering course than SAE. However, for the record I payed about $600 for the year at RMIT (TAFE sector, btw). Compared with the many thousand at SAE.

Best of luck in help choosing the right audio engineering course for you brother. I hope I have helped.

Cheers

Submitted by Peter on Fri, 17/09/04 - 2:35 AMPermalink

One thing I forgot to mention, is that regardless of where you study it's extremely difficult to find work in a recording studio. Live sound is easier. But either way it's extremely hard to break into the industry.

One of my friends that finished SAE gets occasional work recording bands in studios. But the thing is he has to find the bands to record. It's not like he works as an engineer in a studio. He works freelance because there just ain't enough jobs for in-house audio engineers.

Submitted by groovyone on Mon, 11/10/04 - 10:30 AMPermalink

I thoroughly suggest doing the CertIV (diploma) course at SAE.

Yes, it IS intensive, but the amount of knowledge you cover is extremely valuable. I recently graduated - still waiting for my grades, but I think I got over %90 average.

The course is one year full time (only 2 weeks break for christmas) and quite intensive. We covered subjects such as Sound Theory (acoustic, digital), Psychoacoustics, Acoustics, Audio Analysis, Remixing, Post PRoduction, Mixing, Mastering, recording both on analogue and digital in 8, 16 and 24 channels. ProTools, Cubase, Logic Audio, Reason and basic music theory as well as a little bit of graphic design and web development.

If you are serious about a career in the game industry in audio, most AAA companies won't look at you unless you have some form of accreditation from an Audio Engineering course, specially for sound design.

Your brother could always take the CertIII for 3 months and test the waters to see if he likes it, the information learned from that is quite valuable too! He can then continue on to do the full CertIV for an upgrade fee.

Alternatively, he could think about attending other course providers such as JMC college in Sydney and Melbourne, though their course is not as informative as SAE in one year. It takes 2 years to cover the same amount of information, and costs $8000 a year.

As for finding work, it's about how persistant you are, and dedicated, and who you know and network with. Same as any job in these sorts of industries. Of course, the better you study and the more effort you put in the better your grades and the more likely you are to attract a prospective employer's attention.

Submitted by inglis on Tue, 12/10/04 - 2:54 PMPermalink

hey there guys-

yeah, he is doing the cert3 there for 3 months then doing the diploma.
saying its really good so far.
thanks for your feedback.