Diploma in Music Production & Audio Engineering
The Diploma Programme
Diploma in Music Production and Audio Engineering is a programme that arms you with the necessary skills needed to navigate and excel in the music industry holistically. The extensive programme will train you in the art of production across various contemporary genres such as pop and rock music. Reviews are conducted regularly during the programme through a mix of projects and formative assessments. At the end of the programme, you will graduate with a broad portfolio of works that showcase a good range of your creative abilities. Extremely good. Must not be missed!
The Learning Experience
Our 12-Month full-time or 24-Month part-time music programme equips you with all the essential skills across various disciplines you would need to carve a lasting career in the music business. The programme has 2 specialisations pathways-Music Production or Audio Engineering. These are taught by experienced industry practitioners and cutting-edge music educators. The average teacher to student ratio for the course is 1:10.
The Final Outcome
Musicians who come away with advanced skills in recording and mixing and are more than adept at handling a variety of audio equipment in a wide range of events.
Course Details
| July 2022 Intake | Fees | Application Close Date |
|---|---|---|
| Full-Time 12 Months Coursework Part-Time 24 Months Coursework | Local Course Fees : S$17,950 Course Administration Fee : S$545 Total Course Fee Payable : S$18,495 International Course Fees : S$22,700 Course Administration Fee : S$905 Total Course Fee Payable : S$23,605 | Local : 20 Jun 2022 International : 16 May 2022 |
| All fees are inclusive of prevailing GST |
Modules
Digital Audio Workstation
Synopsis:
Digital Audio Workstations are critical parts of today’s music production process. Explore how to set up projects, record and edit music and utilise plug-ins to create powerful and unique tracks. You will learn to be proficient on Logic Pro, an immensely powerful and popular DAW used by professionals globally.
Objectives:
This module aims to introduce students to the functions and operations of DAWs. Students will be able to perform basic recording and editing of music tracks in preparation for more advanced production work further on in their course.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
Principles of Audio
Synopsis:
Gain a foundational understanding of the inner workings of a modern recording studio. You will get the opportunity to work with a wide range of industry-standard digital and audio equipment including the iconic Neve 5088 mixer.
Objectives:
This module aims to equip students with critical skills in operating studio recording gear and equipment through a heavy focus on experiential learning. Students will also be required to propose their own studio equipment list and justify their decisions.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
Harmony I
Synopsis:
A solid foundation in music theory is essential for anyone working in the industry. In this module, you will cover a wide range of music theory aspects which will enable you to effectively communicate and collaborate with other musicians and performers.
Objectives:
This module aims to develop students to have music theory knowledge equivalent to the ABRSM Grade 5. Students will learn to read and write musical notations, differentiate between different key and time signatures, and write effective melodies.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
Songwriting
Synopsis:
Explore how elements of form, hook, melody, rhythm and rhyme are put together in the art of songwriting. You will also examine the various iconic hits through music history and break down what makes them so successful.
Objectives:
This module aims to equip students with the ability to write effective hooks and melodies, and engaging lyrics for their original music.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
MIDI
Synopsis:
Explore the major role MIDI plays in modern music composition, both in music composed solely through MIDI or tracks supplemented by MIDI elements. You will learn how to do sequencing and sampling using MIDI, and how you can apply sound editing techniques to create organic and realistic sounds.
Objectives:
This module equips students to operate a MIDI instrument and sequence MIDI in different styles.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
Digital Live Sound Production
Synopsis:
This module highlights how audio engineers create mixes to bring a performance to life. You will work with audio equipment like mixers, compressors, speakers and microphones. Ultimately, they will plan the set up and schematics for a small to medium sized live sound event.
Objectives:
This module introduces students to various equipment and digital gears that audio engineers use for a live event. Students will develop the skills needed to set up and operate a live sound event to achieve desired sonic results.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
Audio Post Production
Synopsis:
An immersive exploration of the art of audio post production with an emphasis on sound design for commercials and short films. You will be trained in soundtrack creation, automatic dialogue rerecording, sound FX and foley.
Objectives:
This module aims to equip students with the skills to produce the soundtrack to a TV commercial and movie clip. Students will be able to perform ADR, integrate suitable sound effects and contextual music.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
Musical Arrangements
Synopsis:
Learn about the craft of taking a piece of musical idea and scoring it for a specific group of performers. Explore how this is done in the modern context through the use of DAWs.
Objectives:
This module aims to equip students to write effective parts for a 5-piece band using different arrangement techniques.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
(Term 3)
(Term 3)
Audio Engineering Elective
Music Production Elective
(Term 3)
Music Production in the Pop Music Genres
(Term 3)
Synopsis:
One of the flagship modules of the programme, you will be taken through the process of producing music in the Pop genres with an emphasis on developing and harnessing the catchiness of the hook and melody in production. Push yourself to produce and mix your own pop music track.
Objectives:
This module will equip students to plan, produce and mix songs in the pop style or in any of its subgenres. Students will learn about effective recording techniques and post production workflow to achieve the desired mix.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
(Term 3)
Music Production in the Rock Metal Alternative Music Genres
(Term 3)
Synopsis:
One of the flagship modules of the programme, this module looks at music production in the various rock subgenres with an emphasis on recording rock drums, rock bass, distortion guitars, rock vocals, compression in production. You will be challenged to produce and mix your own rock track.
Objectives:
This module will equip students to plan, produce and mix songs in the rock style or in any of its subgenres. Students will learn about the distinctive recording techniques for the genres and also cover the use of FX to achieve the desired mix.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
Study in Popular Music
Synopsis:
Build an appreciation of how popular music has evolved from the mid-20th century. You will examine the musical origins, influences and transformations that contribute to each musical subgenre and also learn about trends in music history and how to apply these in contemporary writing.
Objectives:
This module aims to equip students with the ability to describe the development of popular music. Students will be able to write effective analyses and expositions of culturally significant music and artists.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
Audio Engineering Elective
Principles of Acoustics
Audio Engineering Elective
Synopsis:
What is sound? Address this fundamental question as you explore how sound is produced, propagated, received and ultimately perceived by human ears.
Objectives:
This module aims to equip students to effectively identify and capture sounds in a recording studio environment. Students will also be able to apply psychoacoustic techniques to make effective use of low-frequency content.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
Music Production Elective
Video Production I
Music Production Elective
Synopsis:
Explore the creative process of content creation and how visual media can be harnessed to reach your audience. You will learn about the filmmaking process from pre-production to production and how you can produce professional video content to charge up your release strategy.
Objectives:
This module covers the workflow for producing a video and students will gain hands-on experience with storyboarding, camera shots and movements, and effective lighting.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
(Term 4)
(Term 4)
Audio Engineering Elective
Music Production Elective
Music Business 101
Synopsis:
This module looks at how the music industry has evolved in the face of sweeping changes as you explore the commercial and business aspects of the music industry. You will navigate key aspects such as copyright, publishing, artist development and creative concepts for music releases. Hone your skills through developing a comprehensive business development plan for yourself or a budding music talent you know.
Objectives:
The module will equip students to develop music business plans and creative concepts for artist development and music releases.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
(Term 4)
Music Production in the Pop Music Genres
(Term 4)
Synopsis:
One of the flagship modules of the programme, you will be taken through the process of producing music in the Pop genres with an emphasis on developing and harnessing the catchiness of the hook and melody in production. Push yourself to produce and mix your own pop music track.
Objectives:
This module will equip students to plan, produce and mix songs in the pop style or in any of its subgenres. Students will learn about effective recording techniques and post production workflow to achieve the desired mix.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
(Term 4)
Music Production in the Rock Metal Alternative Music Genres
(Term 4)
Synopsis:
One of the flagship modules of the programme, this module looks at music production in the various rock subgenres with an emphasis on recording rock drums, rock bass, distortion guitars, rock vocals, compression in production. You will be challenged to produce and mix your own rock track.
Objectives:
This module will equip students to plan, produce and mix songs in the rock style or in any of its subgenres. Students will learn about the distinctive recording techniques for the genres and also cover the use of FX to achieve the desired mix.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
Audio Engineering Elective
Sound Design
Audio Engineering Elective
Synopsis:
This module introduces students to audio post production with an emphasis on sound design for Live Events and Video Games. Students will be trained in creating Soundtracks, SFX and Foley, Loops, Layers, Transitions and Stingers.
Objectives:
This module aims to equip students with the ability to create an effective soundscape, effective intro music soundtrack for a live event, and develop effective sound effects.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
Music Production Elective
Video Production II
Music Production Elective
Synopsis:
Take your video production skills to the next level with the end goal of taking a music track and producing an impactful music video for it. Working with Adobe Premiere Pro, you will assemble raw footage into a final cut using advanced video editing techniques. You will also perform simple colour-grading to achieve a consistent look. The module culminates in a complete music video that forms a critical element of a student’s portfolio.
Objectives:
This module builds on from Video Production I. Students will be able to use advanced production and post-production techniques to film, edit and finalise a compelling music video that will complement their music track.
Duration:
12 Weeks
36 Hours
Entry Requirements
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Career Opportunities
| Audio Post-Production Professional | Broadcast Engineer | Recording Artist | Studio Manager | Mastering Engineering |
| Recording Engineer | Mixing Engineer | Session Supervisor | Music Producer | |
Testimonials
Jan Gacayan,
Graduated from School of Music
Russell Lim,
Graduated from School of Music
Teaching Faculty
Meet our passionate educators who are all industry practitioners. They are seasoned designers and trend-setters in the creative field.
Rufus Varghese
Deputy Programme Manager,
Music Faculty
BA (Hons) in Audio Production,
School of Audio Engineering
As an esteemed Audio Director, Rufus has been credited innumerably for having recorded and produced music for film, Mediacorp television & Radio, Computer games, theatre, in teractive media and various independent artistes. He has been featured in Channel News Asia and Sconisccoop, for his majir involvement with Lion Studios. Mentored by the late British Engineer John Herbert in the art and science of Studio Production, Rufus is regarded for his teaching and supervisory abilities. He graduated with 1st Class Honors in Audio Production from School of Audio Engineering and his research interests are in the areas of sound synthesis/analysis/control/simulation, spectral analysis, small/large environment control room acoustics, audio quality/degradation, multichannel recording/mixing and mastering.
Vinod Dass
Full-Time Lecturer,
Music Faculty
Bachelor Degree in Audio Engineering & Music Production,
JMC Academy
Vinod has been avid music performer since young, later branching out and specializing in audio engineering. He developed a keen interest in the recording arts and obtained his degree in Audio Engineering and Music Production from JMC Academy in Melbourne, Australia. His skills led him to work on the Sound Design and mixing of short film called “Fixed” which became the official selections of Film Festivals in Melbourne, Iran and Mexico. It was also accepted by the 18th Bicycle Film Festival in New York. Not only restricting himself to the recording aspect of music, his passion for performance and music brought him most recently to Brisbane, Australia to play at the Dead of Winter Festival 2019 as well as being able to open for Multi Major award winner Hariharan when he came to Singapore mid-2019. Other international acts he as opened for include: Immolation (NYC), Venom Inc (UK), The Exploited (UK).
Alexandre Talhinhas
Adjunct Lecturer,
Music Faculty
Diploma in Music Production & Audio Engineering,
Orita Sinclair School of Design and Music / Bachelor Degree in English/French Translation Instituto Superior De LÍnguas e Administração (ISLA)
Alex (DJ Alx) is Music Producer, Musician and Sound Engineer who hails from Portugal and is currently based in Singapore. He graduated from Instituto Superior de Linguas e Administracao with a Bachelor’s Degree in English/French Translation and he has spent the last 20 years honing his music craft. He is, we are proud to say, also a recent graduate of Orita Sinclair’s Diploma in Music Production and Audio Engineering. Alex recently had his collaboration with Masia One featured on Netflix Altered Carbon Season 2 OST and also composed the Ti Tou Tao (Mediacorp Channel 5 Series) theme song alongside Masia One. He is the music Curator for Suka-Suka Sundays, and resident DJ in Sub City Lion City Bass, Kampong Boogie and Ginga! where he invites DJs from Singapore and abroad to share the booth with him at White Label Record. As a musician, Alex was part of Macaco do Chines (guitarist/singer/producer), a band that were pioneered in crossing Hip-Hop, Dubstep and Grime with Portuguese traditional music. He released two critically acclaimed albums and a mixtape. Macacos do Chines toured both nationally and internationally, playing in headline festivals like Rock In Rio and starred in MTV’s Brand New TV concerts. As a DnB producer, he has been working closely and producing for Skalator Music, one of the most refreshing labels coming out of Portugal. His debut single at the end of last year, Babylon Man, got 4/5 in DJ MAG UK.
Damien Ng
Adjunct Lecturer,
Music Faculty
BA (Hons) in Recording,
Middlesex University
Having almost two decades of industry experience, Damien specializes in Location Sound Recording, Mixing Audio for Post Production, Sound Design, Music Composition, And Audio Restoration. He’s a passionate guitarist and is well-versed with Waves Sound Design Suite Plugins and Positive Grid Vias Desktop Guitar Amp Emulation. His recent works include recording audio on set, mixing audio and producing sound design for video for Dramas and TVC corporate videos.
Reuben Sim
Adjunct Lecturer,
Music Faculty
BA (Hons) in Music,
Lasalle College of the Arts
Specializing in music production, Reuben has produced various acts over the past 3 years, including The Reckless Skies, a pop-punk band in which he is also on vocals and guitar. He is proficient in audio engineering and recording techniques while also well-versed in composing and arranging. Since 2016, his passion for music has led him to being both an assistant music producer at homegrown production house United Records and a music director in his church.
Cedric Chew
Adjunct Lecturer,
Music Faculty
Bachelor of Creative Technology,
JMC Academy
Cedric Chew graduated from JMC Academy, Melbpurne in 2008 with Bachelor of Creative Technology, majoring in Audio Engineering & Sound Production. As the owner of Inversion Studios, he has over 10 years of experience as mixing & recording engineer, music producer, and performer with some of the country’s top alternative, rock and heavy metal acts, including Wormrot (Earache Records, UK) and A Vacant Affair (UMG).
Chong Yu Lun
Adjunct Lecturer,
Music Faculty
Diploma in Film, Sound & Video,
Nge Ann Polytechnic
Chong Yu Lun and Rachel Toh co-founded Butterworks, a production house, and have accuired more than 10 filmmaking awards through their filmmaking journey. Their short film “Dao Sha Pia” was shared by Prime Minister Le Hsien Loong. Most notably, they built a renowned Youtube channel, Butterworks which has gathered over 270,000 subscribers and over 35 million views, The duo, director and executive producer, are often known for producing heartfelt, tear-jerking video content that connects, relates and touches hearts. their knowledge for creating compelling content has even brought viral success to the branding videos they produced for notable corporate clients such as SMRT, hauling over 900,000 views.
Rachel Toh
Adjunct Lecturer,
Music Faculty
BA in Mass Communication,
Curtin University of Technology
Chong Yu Lun and Rachel Toh co-founded Butterworks, a production house, and have accuired more than 10 filmmaking awards through their filmmaking journey. Their short film “Dao Sha Pia” was shared by Prime Minister Le Hsien Loong. Most notably, they built a renowned Youtube channel, Butterworks which has gathered over 270,000 subscribers and over 35 million views, The duo, director and executive producer, are often known for producing heartfelt, tear-jerking video content that connects, relates and touches hearts. their knowledge for creating compelling content has even brought viral success to the branding videos they produced for notable corporate clients such as SMRT, hauling over 900,000 views.
Cravis Chang
Adjunct Lecturer,
Music Faculty
BA (Hons) in Music,
Lasalle College of the Arts
Singaporean producer Cravism has always been immersed in Hip-hop culture. Besides being a professional b-boy, Cravism began playing the piano and trumpet in the early 2000s, which progressed into recording and producing his own music. His music has been featured in Berlin, Hong Kong, London, Mexico City, Milan, moscow, paris, and Seoul for the Adidas Originals Flagship Store has been used by many documentary videos such as The Cuppa Depresso, Elevate the Streets, Dead was the Body and many more. Cravism has also performed around Singapore and the United Kingdom, opening shows for big names such as Slum Village, Cosmo Midnight and others.
Rufus Varghese
Programme Manager,
Music Faculty
BA (Hons) in Audio Production,
School of Audio Engineering
Vinod Dass
Full-Time Lecturer,
Music Faculty
Bachelor Degree in Audio Engineering & Music Production,
JMC Academy
Alexandre Talhinhas
Adjunct Lecturer,
Music Faculty
Diploma in Music Production & Audio Engineering,
Orita Sinclair School of Design and Music / Bachelor Degree in English/French Translation Instituto Superior De LÍnguas e Administração (ISLA)
Damien Ng
Adjunct Lecturer,
Music Faculty
BA (Hons) in Recording,
Middlesex University
Reuben Sim
Adjunct Lecturer,
Music Faculty
BA (Hons) in Music,
Lasalle College of the Arts
Cedric Chew
Adjunct Lecturer,
Music Faculty
Bachelor of Creative Technology,
JMC Academy
Chong Yu Lun
Adjunct Lecturer,
Music Faculty
Diploma in Film, Sound & Video,
Nge Ann Polytechnic
Rachel Toh
Adjunct Lecturer,
Music Faculty
BA in Mass Communication,
Curtin University of Technology
Cravis Chang
Adjunct Lecturer,
Music Faculty
BA (Hons) in Music,
Lasalle College of the Arts
How to Apply
All prospective students are encouraged to contact our Recruitment Executive or authorised recruitment agents for a pre-course counseling session if they would like to enrol for a course with Orita Sinclair School of Design & Music. The purpose of this session is for us to address the needs of students as an individual, professional and as a student of our institute.
You might be interested in
Frequently Asked Questions
Qualifications for becoming a music producer include a solid understanding of audio, harmony, and songwriting principles. You will also need to be able to operate a Digital Audio Workstation, which you will frequently use to produce music.
There is no specific location for learning music production. You can even learn it on your own and begin producing tracks with the DIgital Audio Workstation. However, if you need assistance, you can enrol in a music production course.
The best music production course provides in-depth approaches to the various components of music. The ideal course should also allow you to practise by creating your tracks.
You might want to look into our music production courses, including a Diploma in Music Production & Audio Engineering, a Diploma in Electronic Music Production and Sound Design, and an Advanced Diploma in Music Production. Enroling in any of these courses should provide you with a thorough understanding of music production, depending on the specific skills you seek.
