MA Advanced Music Technology

Program Overview

This Master's in Music Technology equips students with a comprehensive range of skills in music technology, related media, and software design. The program emphasizes practical applications, with access to industry-standard equipment and guidance from experienced professionals, preparing students for careers in the competitive music industry or academic research. Graduates have achieved success in various roles, including Grammy and Oscar winners, and have contributed to major movie and TV soundtracks.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This Masters in music technology will equip you with a broad range of skills – not only in music technology, but also in related media like video, electronic composition and performance, and software design. Your technical mastery of the latest hardware and software will make you attractive to a wide range of potential employers. The University of West London is home to one of the largest audio complexes in Europe, enabling you to learn on some of the best equipment in the industry. With the help of our highly experienced staff, who are actively engaged in the music industry, you will cover everything from digital audio interface design to multi-track recording and mixing for surround sound. You will also create your own personal development plan and learn how to conduct Masters-level research into specific aspects of music production.

Outline:

Compulsory Modules:

• Interface Design for Music: This module will give you a practical introduction to the software design and programming techniques involved in designing contemporary audio applications.
You will focus on the Max language and its wide variety of uses, studying the theory, design and architecture of synthesizers, samplers, effects, sequencers and composition engines. You will then develop and demonstrate your own original application.
• Immersive Audio: You will explore many of the concepts, research and techniques associated with various aspects of immersive audio in a focused and detailed framework.
You will study 3-D audio, through both binaural approaches when working with 360 video – typical of contemporary virtual-reality applications, and speaker-array reproduction using Dolby Atmos as is increasingly used for cinema sound.
• Interactive Music Technology: You will be schooled in concepts associated with contemporary electronic sound-art, music and sound design for multi-media-installation art, interactive music software and electronic/electroacoustic composition.
You will select a particular area for a research, production and performance project of your own. This project will culminate in a performance or installation involving audio technology in a public space as part of LCM’s 'Electric Music' series.
• Advanced Hybrid Production: You will learn about the evolving notion of the contemporary audio producer as a reflexive, multidisciplinary and innovative sonic artist.
You will engage with parallel analogue and digital, software and hardware – hybrid – production workflows (recording, sampling, synthesis, programming, mixing and mastering). You will be able to apply advanced audio techniques, pushing the expressive boundaries of the sonic medium and contextualising current practice.
• Research Methods: You will be trained in research methods and critical methodology as preparation for undertaking research that supports and advances the project work in your course.
You will define, articulate and critically reflect upon the research concerns of your own practice, thereby underpinning and enhancing your knowledge and understanding of your chosen field of study. You will present your work at the multi-disciplinary LCM postgraduate conference.
• Masters Project: For this module you will undertake an ambitious and self-managed large-scale practical project on a topic of your choice.
The project will be framed by a study of contemporary research around your topic, and will be designed to expand and enhance the skills and knowledge around a specialised area. The project makes an excellent showcase to kickstart your future career.

Optional Modules:

• Approaches to Recording: You will analyse and study methodologies, practices and positions on recorded ‘realism’ and be introduced to more experimental approaches to recording that might subvert this.
You will be given the opportunity to conduct self-directed research into both development and future use of microphone & recording technology via both stereo and surround microphone techniques.
• Game Audio: This module focuses on music composition and sound design in video games.
You will gain considerable practical experience in composing music and creating sound design for games using specialist game-creation software, while analysing and responding to the unique challenges posed in composing nonlinear and interactive music and sound effects.

Teaching:

• The course is taught by staff who are actively engaged in the music industry and conduct high-level academic research.
There is access to Pro Tools systems with high-end plug-ins, along with other advanced sound production technologies such as, Kyma and Ambisonics to classic 2” tape. You will also have the opportunity to conduct Dolby Atmos® immersive-audio work in our 7.1.4 studios and work with the incredible Pete Townshend synthesizer collection.

Careers:

• The skills you acquire will give you a career advantage, whether you plan to enter the competitive and constantly evolving music industry in any of several specialist directions or a portfolio career, or set out on a career in academic research.
• Previous graduates have gone on to work in a variety of roles, including:
• founder and CEO of 3D audio company 1.618 Digital (whose clients include Google, Comic Relief and Ford)
• head of audio at RAW Video (who have worked with, among others, Florence and the Machine, Hot Chip, Beverley Knight and Sigur Ros, and for clients including MTV, XL Recordings and Channel 4)
• head of higher education for Tech Music Schools
• house engineer and producer at Pocket Studios, Toronto
• live sound engineer for the Oscars
• producer for Imagine Dragons, Britney Spears, Li’l Wayne, Dr Dre, Eminem and Rihanna
• producer for Christina Aguilera and Tinie Tempah
• producer of orchestral sessions for films including the Harry Potter series
• product developer for FXPansion
• remixer for Beyoncé
• sound designer/composer for EA Games, Shanghai
• work with Placebo, Radiohead, Snow Patrol, Radiohead, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams and Didowriter-producer for Bono, Nicole Scherzinger, 50 Cent, Alesha Dixon and Dr Dre.

Other:

• AI approaches are embedded into many of the modules - from tailored use of large-language models to empower research to bespoke music-creation/production tools that inspire enhanced creative practice - graduates will be equipped to embrace the rapid technological advances that will shape their future careers.
• This course is designed with career progression in mind.
You will graduate with an enhanced skill set that will place you at a distinct advantage when entering this competitive industry.

|---|---| | UK Fees | £9,750 per year | | International Fees | £17,250 per year | | Payment | The fee above is the cost per year of your course. If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year. If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront. |