Audio Engineering Society (AES) 141 AES Convention
Los Angeles, CA      September 29th through October 2, 2008
Report By Ray Chowkwanyun And Bob Duchan

Sounds Of Giants And The Blackbird Academy

   Kick back in Mexico with Diego Rivera lookalike Erick Urbina Toranzo. Your dollar goes further in Mexico.

Founded by John McBride, owner of Blackbird Studios, the Blackbird Academy gives thirty students an intensive seven hundred hours of hands on instruction over twenty four weeks, learning by doing. There is one program for Studio Engineering and one program for Live Sound Engineering. Both cost $21,900.

Start dates: January 9, April 10, July 10, and October 2 of 2017. Students must have graduated high school or have a GED, pass an Audio Knowledge exam, submit two letters of recommendation from an audio instructor or pro and two 500 word essays.

They have a seventy two track Neve 8078 - there's that name again plus a collection of one thousand four hundred mics, fifty vintage and new amps, thirty vintage drum kits and fifty vintage snares. I'm suspecting that the school and the studio are just a rationalization for the mic collection. But, honey, I need this heinously expensive U47 for the studio don't cha' know.

Studio Engineering Program

Week 1: Intro, Listening, Recording, Careers & Professionalism. Thirty hours.

Week 2: Signal Flow, Mixing Consoles, Careers & Professionalism. Thirty hours.

Week 3: Studio Orientation. Twenty five hours.

Week 4: Tracking the Band in Studio. Twenty five hours.

Week 5: Microphones. Thirty hours.

Week 6: Musical Instruments and Mic Techniques. Thirty hours.

Week 7: Tracking the Band in Studio. Twenty five hours.

Week 8: Tracking the Band in Studio. Twenty five hours.

Week 9: Tracking the Band in Studio. Twenty fie hours.

Week 10: Acoustics and Signal Processing. Thirty hours.

Week 11: Tracking the Band in Studio. Twenty five hours.

Week 12: Hearing, Audio Illusions/Superstitions, Studio & Monitor Design. Thirty hours.

Week 13: Guest in Studio. Twenty five hours.

Week 14: Tracking and Mixing in Studio. Twenty five hours.

Week 15: Musical Business & Careers. Thirty hours plus ten hours Final Project Studio Time.

Week 16: Modern Music Production. Thirty hours plus ten hours Final Project Studio Time.

Week 17: Signal Processing in the Studio. Twenty five hours.

Week 18: Guest in Studio. Twenty five hours.

Week 19: Mastering, Manufacturing, Advanced Mixing and Signal Processing. Thirty hours plus five hours Final Project Studio Time.

Week 20: History of Recording. Live Sound. Advanced Mixing & Signal Flow Processing. Thirty hours plus five hours of Final Project Studio Time.

Week 21: Fundamentals of Music & Electronics for Engineers, Audio Restoration, Advanced Production & Recording. Thirty hours plus five hours of Final Project Studio Time.

Week 22: Guest in Studio. Twenty five hours.

Week 23: Capstone. Thirty hours plus five hours Final Project Studio Time.

Week 24: Tracking and Mixing in Studio. Twenty five hours.

There is a lot of Tracking the Band in Studio. For those of you like me who don't know what that means, it means familiarizing yourself with the studio and the band.

The Live Engineering Program is completely different starting with Live Stage Set-Up. 'course the big difference is you only get one shot in live work hence Basic Soldering Skills. Only for those with ice water in their veins.

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