Kanthos Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 There's a website that offers free university-level online courses in a variety of topics. I took a compiler course there over the summer as a review for my job, but I just discovered they have some new music courses. I've signed up for one on Music Production and another on Digital Sound Design; anyone want to take them with me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 Usually online classes aren't that great, and degrees you get from online universities aren't all that credible. You sure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanthos Posted November 16, 2012 Author Share Posted November 16, 2012 Of course I'm sure. For starters, it's *free*, so the worst thing that can happen is I'm out a few hours of time. Also, I said I'd already done one. The compiler course was taught by someone at Stanford. These are actual university courses (or, sometimes, scaled down versions; the compilers one covered virtually everything I did as an undergrad 7 years ago though) from reputable universities. I can't speak for every course, obviously, but mine had weekly assignments, a longer build-a-simple-compiler-from-scratch assignment, quizzes, a midterm, and final. They give you a certificate for completing a course, but they don't grant you a degree or even progress towards one. It's something to do to learn new things or gain new skills, not for credit. The Sound Design course I linked is taught by a prof from Emory University, and the Production one is from a guy from Berklee College of Music. Definitely not amateurs or something hacked together to make some easy money. So yes, I can give the site, in general, a good recommendation; if I couldn't, I'd have said so in the original post, or just not posted at all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackPanther Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 There's a website that offers free university-level online courses in a variety of topics. I took a compiler course there over the summer as a review for my job, but I just discovered they have some new music courses.I've signed up for one on Music Production and another on Digital Sound Design; anyone want to take them with me? Ooo, sounds interesting. I'll definitely look into this. If I'm reading this correctly, the next class isn't til Mar of next year correct? I'll more than likely sign up, I don't see a deadline or anything either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garpocalypse Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 This sounds too good to be to true. There must be a catch somewhere. I'm sure of it. But since I can't find it yet, I'm in! Taking both production and sound design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShrackAttack Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 (edited) This is actually really, really cool. Signed up for songwriting (just to see what its about), sound design, music production, and Gary Burton's Improv class. Gary Burton is a freaking pro Nothing wrong with free lessons. edit: nevermind Edited November 17, 2012 by ShrackAttack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnetic Ether Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 I'd definitely sign up if I wasn't starting a paid music production course in January. If they run these again over the summer though, I'll definitely try and take some of them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanthos Posted November 17, 2012 Author Share Posted November 17, 2012 Ooo, sounds interesting. I'll definitely look into this. If I'm reading this correctly, the next class isn't til Mar of next year correct? I'll more than likely sign up, I don't see a deadline or anything either. Right, although I saw something else suggesting they might start that class in February instead. I'd sign up now; it's not costing you anything, you can always cancel, and I don't know if they'd have a limit on number of spots (possibly, just because of the time it would take to mark). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannthr Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 The syllabi look legit, but as I wrap up teaching a course in Sound Design myself, I feel pretty confident in saying that the course looks heavily focused on musical sound design and the order in which he surveys the topics is all sorts of wacked out. Ring modulation before frequency modulation? Filters before synthesis? It looks like a really poorly organized course. Either way, free is free, good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackPanther Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 Signed up for both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anorax Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 (edited) The syllabi look legit, but as I wrap up teaching a course in Sound Design myself, I feel pretty confident in saying that the course looks heavily focused on musical sound design and the order in which he surveys the topics is all sorts of wacked out.Ring modulation before frequency modulation? Filters before synthesis? It looks like a really poorly organized course. Either way, free is free, good luck! Well, from what I got from the page on the music production course by Loudon Stearns (which may not be what you were looking at), this class has to do with the music finalizing process. It's not a music composition course, so the synthesis isn't going to be the most important part. (And of course, considering filters are important to almost every aspect of music production, from synthesis to mixing, I don't see what the problem is with having Filtering introduced with the studio effects than with the synthesis.) Unless of course you were looking at the "Introduction to Digital Sound Design" class, I didn't look at that one. EDIT: It seems you were looking at the Digital Sound Design class. Yeah, I can kind of see why RM is before FM, considering he's discussing recording and modulating audio clips before synthesis, and it is a hell of a lot easier to implement RM to an audio clip than FM. That being said, if he wanted he could have gone into Synthesis before recording, but there's no real required order of instruction. Honestly I don't see why it bothers you, I guess he just teaches a different way than you do. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - That being said, I would love to do both of these classes but I'll have to see how heavy my workload will be next semester. Edited November 20, 2012 by Anorax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadTK Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 I'll be signing in for songwriting, introduction to digital sound design, and introduction to music prodution, without a doubt. I just wonder, do the classes happen at specifical times of the week, being necessary my presence in the computer in order to access it within the time window, or are the classes recorded and released for you to read whenever you get the time? My schedule is pretty tight, and I while I'm not afraid of sacrificing a few hours of sleep, I just wonder if I'll be able to attend on those. Regardless, it's really interesting. I'm also going to check some of the math courses, as I love math just as much as I love music, but that's besides the point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 (edited) Usually online classes aren't that great, and degrees you get from online universities aren't all that credible. You sure? I don't even understand why this is relevant. The whole point of open courseware is for learning material, not for an accredited degree. Grinds my gears when people imply that education is only for your resume and not for the self. Just signed up for: Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies (Jan - Feb) Introduction to Digital Sound Design (Jan - Feb) Algorithms, Part 1 (Feb - March) Songwriting (March - April) Algorithms Part II (March - April) Creative Programming for Digital Media & Mobile Apps (June - July) Coding the Matrix: Linear Algebra through Computer Science Applications (June - August) Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering (Date Un-Announced) Edited November 22, 2012 by Neblix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShrackAttack Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 It is just free knowledge and a lot of free advertising for the universities participating. So everyone wins. The first course I've worked through so far has been VERY WELL set up and is actually the best online class I've ever had, so I definitely can't complain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nase Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 The syllabi look legit, but as I wrap up teaching a course in Sound Design myself, I feel pretty confident in saying that the course looks heavily focused on musical sound design and the order in which he surveys the topics is all sorts of wacked out.Ring modulation before frequency modulation? Filters before synthesis? It looks like a really poorly organized course. Either way, free is free, good luck! Lol Danny, all you're sayin is that the instructor is more of an analogous thinker and youre more of a sequential one. Both have a place in sound design, both have a place in everything. More the Merrier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Lol Danny, all you're sayin is that the instructor is more of an analogous thinker and youre more of a sequential one.Both have a place in sound design, both have a place in everything. More the Merrier. Yeah, and for someone like me who has working experience with this stuff, it's a formal solidification of some stuff I already know, so the order in which he addresses topics won't screw me over or whatever. And I see the way he's trying to do it, he's doing processing audio before generating audio, which could make sense in a way. Easier to understand how synthesizers work when you already know how processing audio works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 I don't even understand why this is relevant. The whole point of open courseware is for learning material, not for an accredited degree. Grinds my gears when people imply that education is only for your resume and not for the self. Well, I just assumed Kanthos wanted a degree. But of course, most if not all people who get an online degree are far less credible than people who get a real degree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Well, I just assumed Kanthos wanted a degree. But of course, most if not all people who get an online degree are far less credible than people who get a real degree. He signs up for two free classes and you assume he's trying to get a degree? >_> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nase Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Well, I just assumed Kanthos wanted a degree. But of course, most if not all people who get an online degree are far less credible than people who get a real degree. Depends on what you define as an online degree. If youre Talking about credits and pieces of Paper then yeah. If youre Talking about the ability to Self-sufficiently gather Information from a near limitless resource and process it into something resembling Knowledge, Things Look different. Thats, like, the Meta online degree. While degrees still matter These days, its just as apparent that the educational institutions are trying to connect to that "newfound" DIY Mojo. With Mixed success. Nvm the Caps. iPad is Hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanthos Posted November 22, 2012 Author Share Posted November 22, 2012 Well, I just assumed Kanthos wanted a degree. Got two already; it'd also be an odd degree that required a course in compiler construction and ones in music production and sound design Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 but but KILLER STUDIO CHOPS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 butbut KILLER STUDIO CHOPS Did you know... my math professor wrote "use your p and geometric series mad skillz!" on the board when he wrote down strategies to test for series convergence. xD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nase Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Did you know... my math professor wrote "use your p and geometric series mad skillz!" on the board when he wrote down strategies to test for series convergence. xD That's what I'm talking about Killa Bedroom Studio ChopZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darangen Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Signed up for both. Should be fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPRTNovice Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Holy shit, this site is a dream come true. I've always wanted to audit classes if I'm interested in a topic, and if these are any quality at all I am going to spend all of my free time on the site. Signed up for both courses you recommended and I'm hunting for more. Thanks for posting this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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