Designed for use in schools and colleges, the multimedia package combines expert teaching material from Iain Massey with fully operational virtual studio equipment and extensive audio and video footage for a rich blend of theory and practice.

More Than A Textbook

A textbook-based approach can build strong foundations, but in a practical subject like Sound Engineering, students learn by doing and learn best when guided by an expert supervisor. Essential Sound Engineering offers hands-on learning opportunities, including a full step-by-step simulated recording project, supported by extensive on-screen guidance and background theory.

Avoid Studio Time Becoming Rehearsal Time

Even with the latest computer music technology, hands-on time in a recording studio is essential to a good understanding of Sound Engineering. However, limited access to studio resources often means that project work is delayed while the student learns the basics. Essential Sound Engineering builds familiarity and confidence elsewhere, helping students make the most of precious studio time.

Teach Larger Classes With Ease

Essential Sound Engineering can be used in a number of different ways. For independent or supervised study, class size is limited only by the availability of computers, which do not need to be equipped with specialist audio hardware or other audio software. For lectures, the built-in Equipment Store allows instant demonstrations using pre-recorded audio and your own audio files.

Each lesson is split into short, easily-managed sections that can be followed sequentially or accessed individually. Content is presented using friendly narrative, clear illustrations, hands-on experiments and practical exercises.

Uniquely, Sounds Active experiments and exercises incorporate fully functional virtual equipment, so students get real sound engineering experience at first hand.

Lesson 1 - The Basics

Lesson 1 starts right at the beginning, assuming no prior knowledge. It deals with sound and how it works, before taking the student on a comprehensive tour of recording studio spaces and equipment. There's even a brief introduction to acoustics as the tour passes through the studio's control room.

Lesson 2 - Signal Path

Signal Path is one of the more challenging topics to teach in sound engineering, but it's fundamental to an understanding of studio and recording technique. Lesson 2 explores the logical flow of the audio signal as it is routed through the key elements of a studio.

Lesson 3 - Recording

The heart of Sounds Active ESE is a 16-track recording project. The student takes over as sound engineer and works through the entire recording process. There is step-by-step guidance all the way, from best practice in pre-production onwards. As the song builds up, the student investigates and uses standard recording techniques in a variety of instrumental and vocal scenarios.

Lesson 4 - Processing

Lesson 4 is all about the processes and effects that can be applied to the recording. There are lots of hands-on experiments and exercises that explain equalisation, dynamics processing (sound envelope, compression, noise gating), reverb and other popular effects. More importantly, the student learns how to use these processes, and why.

Lesson 5 - Mixing & Mastering

The 16-track recording project is completed in lesson 5. Once again, the student gets to be the sound engineer, this time taking a systematic approach to final mixdown and mastering the finished song.

Equipment Store

The Equipment Store gives you immediate access to the various pieces of virtual equipment used throughout the course. There is a library of pre-recorded audio clips, or you can add your own audio to appear in the media bar.

System Requirements:

Windows

• Windows XP
  
• Minimum Intel Celeron 1.86GHz (or equivalent) with 512MB memory
  
• Windows Vista, Windows 7
  
• Minimum Intel Celeron 1.86GHz (or equivalent) with 1GB memory
  
• Minimum 1GB free disk space
  
• Minimum display resolution 1024x768 with 16k colours
  
• Supports all major PC Windows soundcard standards, including MME, DirectX and low latency ASIO
  

Mac OS X

• Mac OS X 10.4, 10.5, 10.6
  
• Universal Binary supports PowerPC and Intel based Macs
  
• PowerPC based Mac
  
• Minimum G5 with 1GB memory
  
• Any Intel based Mac
  
• Minimum 1GB free disk space
  
• Minimum display resolution 1024x768 with 16k colours
  
• Supports Core Audio compatible soundcards

Site Licence Includes:

• Unlimited workstations at a single location.
• Staff and student home use programme.