As an official City & Guilds Training Center, Virtu offer the full suite of vocational qualifications for the Music and Sound industries. These qualifications are designed to provide candidates with the practical skills and knowledge valued by employers within the industry.

The aims of these qualifications are to fulfill the needs of candidates who work or wish to work in the sound engineering and music technology sector, allowing them to learn and develop the skills required for employment and career progression.

City & Guilds Level 1:
Certificate in Sound and Music Technology.
Incorporating Electronic Music Production (Ableton Live)

Course Duration : (280 hours).

Seven mandatory units.

Candidate Profile:

This course is designed for candidates who have little or no experience in the use of sound engineering or music technology equipment. Candidates are required to have some experience in the use of computers and an interest in music and/or music technology. Training is on a practical level and will introduce the candidate to the core concepts Digital Audio Recording and Editing and their applications, as well as basic MIDI recording and Editing. Candidates will also receive guidance in identifying roles and opportunities in the Sound and Music Technology industries as well as training in the Health and Safety aspects of the relevant industries.

City & Guilds Level 2:
Diploma in Sound and Music Technology.
Incorporating Electronic Music Production (Ableton Live)

Course Duration : 480 hours.

Six mandatory units, plus six optional units.

Candidate Profile:
There are no formal requirements for candidates applying for this course, however some experience in the use of computers, musical instruments and/or music technology would be an advantage. The course will cover some basic physics concepts including sound propagation and wave theory, as well as some basic principles of electronic circuit theory. Due to the theoretical nature of some of this coursework, candidates should display an aptitude and willingness to work with these subjects.

Training is on both a practical and theoretical level and candidates are marked on a continuos assessment basis by way of written and practical projects throughout the course. In addition to guidance in identifying roles and opportunities in the Sound and Music Technology, candidates will also receive training in the Health and Safety aspects of the relevant industries, allowing them to enter the sector of their choice safely and with the experience and background to continue learning and developing their relevant skill sets. Practical and theoretical instruction will also cover the use of equipment and software in the recording studio and music industry as well as the building and design of studios and equipment for the music and sound industries.

In addition, candidates will also receive training in acoustics and loudspeaker design, sound design for film and television, multi-media and web based sound techniques, advanced use of MIDI and music technology as well as training in audio electronics and studio and equipment maintenance for the sound and music industries.

On completion of the mandatory course units the candidate will be able to:

• Identify employment opportunities, roles and responsibilities in music and sound industries

• Follow correct routing and wiring procedures for analogue and digital audio equipment.

• Identify relevant layouts and practical applications for mixing and recording consoles.

• Correctly use microphones and direct inject (DI) techniques for use in music and sound     recording and amplification.

• Identify common frequency ranges, and understand and correctly use equalization (EQ) for music and sound applications.

• Understand and correctly use dynamics and effects techniques and equipment for the music and sound industry.

• Use various sound synthesis and sampling techniques and develop their own simple software synthesizers.

• Understand the acoustics and monitoring requirements for music and sound industries, and make effective judgments regarding monitoring and acoustic environments.

• Effectively synchronize sound and music to picture for film and TV sound.

• Understand the requirements and techniques for Multi-media and Web-based Sound and Music.

•  Effectively composing music with MIDI-based technology.

• Perform basic installation and maintenance duties for the Sound and Music industries, including soldering and component replacement.

• Understand basic concepts of audio electronics design for music and sound industries.

• Musicians.

• Music teachers.Home and Professional Recording studio owners.

• Artists wishing to work with sound as a medium.

• Multi-media and web content developers.

• Film sound designers and composers.

• DJ's and electronic music producers.

Computer games developers.

• Professional development for music and sound industries.
• Multitrack recording and mixing.

• Audio connectivity and interface techniques.
  • Create and test analogue balanced and unbalanced wiring systems
  • Safely test signals to find faults
  • Describe the synchronization of audio data

• Audio mix automation and control surfaces.
  • Set up and confirm the operation of hardware- and software-based automation systems.
  •  Manage automation data.
  • Use automation techniques to achieve complex production effects and requirements.

• Stereo microphone techniques.
  • Set up and record live performances. 
  • Explain psycho-acoustic processes used in common stereo microphone techniques.
  • Evaluate recording systems using recognized criteria

• Composition skills for music and sound industries.
  • Implement arrangement and structuring techniques
  • Create original compositions using musical theory or structure, a music technology process and a project brief or theme as a starting point for each.

• Software sound synthesis and manipulation.
  • Describe software resources, evaluate the use of manipulation techniques in examples of music.
  • Audition and compare software-based audio manipulation tools.
  • Create unique and complex software tools for audio manipulation

• Sound studio facility design.
  • Plan a studio build or development, calculate studio construction costs, produce studio design plans.
  • Use spreadsheets to calculate materials cost.
  • Log final studio construction data.

• Digital broadcast and network media.
  • Manage digital broadcast media content.
  • Identify common video and audio formats and codecs.
  • Migrate files and produce a pod-cast of content

• Advanced audio electronics.
  • Measure audio equipment parameters.
  • Construct and measure audio circuits.
  • Produce an assessment and test report of the circuit.

• Live sound and performance technology.
  • Select appropriate PA equipment for events.
  • Rig and operate PA equipment for live events and implement appropriate health and safety procedures.

• Audio Mastering and Restoration.
  • Describe historical formats and archival problems.
  • Carry out mastering processes.
  • Restore and preserve audio.
  • Manage and record detailed mastering logs.

• Surround Sound Film Audio.
  • Make recordings of original audio material for film synchronization.
  • Create plans and spotting lists for film audio requirements.
  • Integrate music and sound elements into surround sound film clips.

• Music Production.
• Film and Television Sound.
• Computer Game Development.
• Live Sound Production.
• Audio Maintenance.
• Music Technology Education.
• Audio Electronics.
• Multi-media and Web Content creation.
• Digital Broadcast and Network management.
• Audio equipment sales and manufacture.