Live Sound Diploma

About this Program

The Live Sound Diploma Program is designed to develop your knowledge and skills in one of the entertainment industry’s most in demand careers: sound for concerts and live events. Combining a balance of essential theoretical knowledge with hands-on practical applications, this program utilizes the most current, progressive sound reinforcement technologies available, taught by instructors with years of live industry experience. Our exclusive partnership with Metalworks Production Group provides an unparalleled learning environment, with access to industry-leading equipment and facilities, all designed to prepare students for future opportunities in the production of music concerts, corporate events, theatrical productions, trade shows, exhibitions, conferences, and multi-media presentations.

30 week program strategically designed to get you thoroughly trained in all aspects of live sound.
Intensive practical experience in the concepts and artistic styles used to design, setup and operate live sound systems for a variety of applications.
Extensive study and practical hands-on experience in the areas of sound technologies, acoustic principles, installation technologies, live recording technologies and audio signal processing applications.
Prepare for a career as a live sound or system tech for concert tours, clubs, hotels, cruise lines, country clubs, resorts, entertainment complexes, banquet halls, conference and trade centers, corporations, casinos and live event production companies.
Incredible opportunity to network and collaborate with students in other Metalworks Institute programs.
Our exclusive educational partnership with Metalworks Production Group provides students with an unprecedented learning environment and networking opportunities in the live event industry.

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Course List

Introduction to the Entertainment Industry

What is the business of entertainment? What is the relationship between creating music and art, and earning money from that art? What are the elements that make up this industry, and how do they connect and intersect to create the vast array of entertainment content that we watch, hear, and experience? During this course, students will be introduced to the music, broadcast, motion picture, game, and live event industries, and their various subsidiaries. Students will examine the nature of intellectual property and copyright, discuss the often conflicting relationship between art and commerce, and examine the relationship between content creators and consumers.

Health & Safety in the Live Event Industry

As the size and scope of concerts and other live events continue to grow, the live events industry faces ongoing challenges in maintaining the health and safety of workers, performers, and fans at these live events. This
course will delve into some of the health and safety issues inherent in the live event industry, including crowd management, temporary staging, working at heights, working with electricity, and other important safety elements. We will examine important case studies of past tragic incidents in the performance industry, and look at how such incidents can be avoided in the future.

Audio Signal Processing Workshop

How are recorded sounds processed in today’s digital environment? How are vocal and instrument tracks altered and changed to produce the sounds we hear in our headphones and at live shows? In Audio Signal Processing, students will be introduced to the many audio signal processing devices used by today’s producers, and how those devices are used in a live setting. Students will learn about popular effects and processors including compressors, gates, reverbs, and delays, and how those effects are applied during live performances.

Audio Signal Processing

Digital Technologies Workshop

The Digital Technologies Workshop introduces students to the practical skills of recording and editing music using digital applications, and builds on knowledge gained in the Digital Technologies course. Students will hone and develop their recording skills using digital technologies, and will undertake a comprehensive exploration of Pro Tools, and the techniques involved in recording and editing music on a Digital Audio Workstation.

Digital Technologies

The use of Digital Audio Workstations has become the norm in today’s digital world. It’s vital that today’s music creators understand the nature of Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton, and other popular DAWs. In our Digital Technologies course, students will learn the fundamentals of recording and editing in a digital environment. Students will explore digital audio basics, including hardware, software and interfaces, via a combination of class lectures and in-class exercises and demos, and learn how to record and edit music like the pros.

Principles of Electricity & Electronics

Resistors, capacitors, inductors, transistors…? The study of electricity and electronics involves a sizeable menu of terms and terminology that can leave many people baffled. Our Principles of Electricity & Electronics course will provide students with a step-by-step introduction to those basic terms and concepts which are vitally important to anyone working in the live events industry. Students will learn about electric charges, electromagnetic fields, electric currents, circuits and fields, and how electricity is used in the live event industry. Our course will explore analog and digital electronics, including the basic circuits found in most electronic instruments. In the end, students will be well-versed in the meaning and uses of resistors, capacitors, inductors, and transistors.

Principles of Sound & Acoustics

Top audio engineers must know more than just microphones, consoles, and monitors. Being a good engineer also means being able to understand the fundamental properties of sound and acoustics, and how acoustics affect the quality of sound in a studio or live environment. In this course, students will learn how sound works, why we hear what we hear, and how our ears receive and conceive of sounds. This exploration of sound will involve a comprehensive overview of physics, allowing students to understand the important principles of acoustics, wave propagation, and auditory perception.

Show Production Systems

The house lights go down, the audience roars as the artist appears, and suddenly the crowd is moving to the booming rhythms sweeping through the arena. But where are the sounds coming from, how do they go from the stage to our ears, and who’s responsible for making it all work? The Show Production Systems course will provide students with the foundation for the production of live sound in a concert setting. Students are introduced to microphones, signal flow, cables, connectors, consoles, amplifiers, and speaker systems, and learn to understand how sounds are conveyed from the artist on stage, to the audience in the seats. By the end of this course, students will begin acting and thinking as live sound engineers, and further develop the strong communication skills needed in the production of live events.

Show Production Systems Workshops

This course will provide students with comprehensive insight into the technical, creative and artistic principles
of sound and show production systems through practical application. During this course, students will apply theoretical knowledge to live practical applications of microphones, audio signal flow, cables, connectors, consoles, console operation, amplifiers, and speaker systems. Students will also be encouraged to begin acting and thinking as live sound engineers and to develop strong engineering communication skills.

Show System Maintenance

We all wince in pain when we hear that hair-raising microphone feedback during a live show. The sound is usually followed by the sight of dozens of heads turning and shooting a puzzled and angry look at the sound techs. For the live sound engineer, the urgent question is, where did that sound come from, how can I fix it, and how can it be avoided in future? In Show System Maintenance, students will learn how to troubleshoot and repair any number of problems that can arise during a live event. Students in this course will learn how to properly test and maintain live show systems, and how to quickly deal with issues that may arise during a live show.

System Installation Technologies

We see them every time we go to a concert, those men and women climbing rope ladders and catwalks to handle the lighting and sound systems. Without them, there are no concerts, but few of us understand the important, and sometimes dangerous, work that they do. This course will explore the basics of production rigging for live events, while placing particular emphasis on the safety practices required in this risk-filled occupation. Students will explore the common types of rigging systems and components, the methods of flying stage elements, and the use of various types of knots in stage rigging systems.

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Instruction

Qualifications

All instructors have been chosen for their industry experience, knowledge, accomplishments, and passion for teaching, and have been qualified by the Ministry of Advanced Education & Skills Development.

Experience

Each instructor brings real-world understanding into the classroom; a quality that is invaluable in a hands-on learning environment.

Methods

Students are taught through a variety of instructional methods including: lectures, workshops, labs, e-learning, clinics, and tutorials.

Mediums

Instructors typically use audio-visual presentations, practical demonstrations, printed handouts, and interactive media resources.

About this Program

Course List

Instruction

Qualifications

Experience

Methods

Mediums

Quick Summary

Some Details

Areas of Study

Talk to an Admissions Counsellor

Jade Nowak

Jade Nowak

Please Note

Apply Now

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About this Program

Course List

Instruction

Qualifications

Experience

Methods

Mediums

Quick Summary

Some Details

Areas of Study

Talk to an Admissions Counsellor

Jade Nowak

Jade Nowak

Tell someone about this program

Please Note

Apply Now

Step 1 of 2 - Page 1

Before applying...