The Academy of Sound Engineering (ASE) has become the first tertiary education provider in South Africa to offer a B.Sc. Degree in Sound Engineering Technology. The three-year qualification focuses on the engineering science of sound and music.
Accredited by the Council on Higher Education, the programme is designed according to NQF Level 7 engineering technologist programmes offered by public universities. Students wishing to become professionals in the technical audio industry will have sufficient grounding in audio science, design and synthesis to produce innovative technical developments in the field.
Tim Kraft, MD of ASE said: "From the first day on campus, students are exposed to the entertainment industry and interact daily with industry professionals. With collective experience of over 100 years, our lecturers are professionals in their own right and highly respected in the industry. Having been invited to participate in some of the most prestigious concerts ever produced in the country is testament to this.
Nelson Mandela 46664 Concert
"During the FIFA Kick-Off Concert, ASE lecturers and students were responsible for what was one of the world's largest-scale recordings, with almost 400 tracks that ran continuously for six hours during the performances of Shakira, Black Eyed Peas and others. This may well have been one of the most comprehensive recordings of all time. The music event was broadcast live to millions of people via the academy's equipment. Our staff and students also managed the broadcast mix and recording during the Nelson Mandela 46664 Concert at Ellis Park. Incidentally, the students use the same mixing desk, amongst others, during their training," he said.
Because of the shift in technology, the world of sound, film and video have come together to share common platforms. Although the equipment has become easier to use at a basic level, the implementation of this technology at higher levels has become much more complex and technical, hence the need to produce professionals with the technical abilities that the industry demands.
