Course Overview

Study the Bachelor of Audio at SAE Institute and build skills for a career in the audio engineering and sound production industry. Apply skills and knowledge in the areas of studio, post-production and live sound production using industry-standard audio software and large scale audio consoles from such industry giants as Neve, SSL, Audient and others.

During your studies at SAE, students will learn on a variety of industry-standard audio software including Pro Tools, Logic Pro X, Ableton Live and more.

Students will undertake specialised units designed for students to participate in real-world audio projects under the guidance of expert SAE staff. With this unique teaching style, students will demonstrate their skills and technical knowledge in a collaborative and creative studio-based learning environment.

Your Studies:

Each degree program is broken up into discrete stages, each designed to promote different skills.

Stage I – Foundational Skills Development
In Stage I, students will undertake a number of foundational audio units which will give you the essential technical skills and knowledge not only relevant to their discipline area, but also give students the skills required to collaborate with other creative media students and professionals in later stages of the program.

• Introduction to audio engineering
• Microphones and signal processing
• Principles of sound
• Digital audio
• DAW operation
• Working with artists
• Project management and professional etiquette
• Critical and creative thinking
• Contemporary industry overview

Stage II – Interdisciplinary Projects, Media and Cultural Studies
In Stage II students will be working in simulated project groups where they are working towards large scale deliverables each trimester. Within Stage II we will not only get students to apply your Stage I skills in a deeper context, but we will also help students work within the contemporary creative media workforce.

In Stage II we show students how their work contributes to and interacts with broader culture and media practice. This knowledge will enable students to work with a variety of other disciplines and artists and expand your potential on the global stage.  

Students will complete a number of real-world projects with students not only in their own discipline, but in all other SAE disciplines.

In Stage II, students will be given the opportunity to work as project specialists within the following areas. The types of projects and project roles they choose to undertake will determine what area of specialisation they fall within. Stage II has three studio modules with projects based on the following areas;

1. Studio Production

Students wishing to extend their studio production skills will work on large-scale commercial audio desks in both analogue and digital format from both audio engineering and music producing roles, acoustics, outboard effects and microphones.
Develop a complete understanding of the sound aesthetic from a technological level to a production level and use your skills to mix and master tracks from recording through to the final product.
In addition to large consoles, you will use a variety of equipment found in current audio industry practice, including in-the-box systems and cutting edge hardware and software controller technology to achieve the same outcomes expected in traditional studio environments.

2. Post Production

Students with a post production focus will incorporate audio with the moving image. This includes audio for film, games and animation with creation and manipulation of the entire sonic environment of multimedia.
Explore location audio using various microphone techniques for ambient sounds as well as dialogue and sound effects. Develop skills in automatic dialogue replacement (ADR), Foley and sound design.
Students will look deeper into the aesthetics of literal and non-literal sound and the techniques of mixing for immersive sound formats and environments. 

Stage III
Stage III is the final part. Here students will undertake an interdisciplinary project of their choice to be the final and most ambitious portfolio project that they will undertake.

Students will also finalise their studies by undertaking an elective module and completing a compulsory internship.

By the time students graduate, they will have; a professional online presence that they will have begun building at the start of the program, a wide range of interdisciplinary projects present in their portfolio, and a deeper understanding of the creative media fields and real-world experience.

Upon graduating, students will have a sound knowledge of audio for many applications in the music and creative media industries. Students will be proficient in the use of a variety of industry standard hardware and software, allowing you to use your skillset on large or small scale projects across many facets of the audio industry.

QUALIFICATION
Bachelor of Audio

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS
SAE Institute is involved in a range of Audio specific industry boards including:
Music NSW
West Australian Music