We offer high-end, hands-on training in sound production.
We are School of Synthesis
School of Synthesis was established in 2012 to bridge a significant gap in the Australian music market for unique, high-end and highly personalized short courses in music production using popular modern technology such as that offered by Native instruments, Ableton and Logic.
Since then the School of Synthesis has become an official Ableton and Native Instruments certified training centre. Our tutors are qualified trainers and hold various certifications from City and Guilds 7407 Teaching degrees to Apple Certified pros in Logic Pro X.
The School’s expert trainers will engage and inspire the students through carefully constructed and interactive project-based learning that is delivered in practical terms, based on the needs of students and designed in conjunction with interested participants from our professional network of sound designers, composers and record labels. Our short courses are conducted in groups of 8 students or less and run for a total of 12, 18 or 24 hours across 4, 6 or 8 weeks to ensure a thorough and intensive exploration of the content vital to each subject area.
The School of Synthesis vision is to be recognized as one of the most innovative music training providers in Australia.
People
Davide Carbone is one of Australia's most successful producers who also runs the music production house samplify where he composes and produces on a daily basis. Davide is certified by Apple as a Logic Pro X professional and is also a qualified teacher.
Davide began his career as a DJ and radio host in Melbourne in the late eighties. Davide formed the successful electronic act Future Sound Of Melbourne (FSOM) who supported the likes of Bjork, Tricky and the Prodigy and received an Aria award for Best Dance Release in 1996. In the UK in 2000 Davide started the successful drum & bass record label BS1 Records, from which he released and remixed over fifty tracks for artists and labels including Tommy Boy, Total Science, TC, Industry, React, 31 Records, Defunked, Rubiks, Warner and Sony Music. He achieved a top 5 placing in the official UK Dance Singles Chart and several UK Top 100 singles chart positions. His BS1 Records cover CD for Knowledge Magazine further established the BS1 imprint as a major D&B player. During this time Davide ran one of the most successful music courses at CityLit, Britain’s biggest adult learning college and hosted pro music seminars for Apple Computer Inc.
As a composer Davide’s breadth of work has appeared on TV, Radio, Film, Theatre and Video Games. As in-house composer for Delicious Digital for several years he composed and produced over two hundred pieces of music. His work included composition for AMVBBDO, Clemenger, BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Radio 5 Live, Redbee, Virgin, Discovery Channel, London Weekend TV, and Samsung. His music has featured on some of the world’s biggest radio and TV networks including Big 92.7FM in India, Discovery Channel in the US, Bibigon in Russia and the BBC in the UK.
Apart from composition and production, Davide has been renowned for his industry leading sound design skills. He created and produced the worldwide number one selling sample CD 'Davide Carbone’s Drum & Bass Masterclass' Davide also created the sound design and scored the world biggest online video game for Cyberstep, a Japanese video game giant.
Since returning to Australia in 2009, Davide joined his old music cohort Josh Abrahams to form music production house ‘samplify’. samplify has recently produced the latest album from Carl Cox and has written several pieces for Australia Tourism, Alienware, Ford, Lincoln, ICC, Cricket Australia, and Metro. It has remixed several tracks with Carl Cox for producers including Moby, Giles Peterson and Miguel Bose.
Davide and samplify continue to be a world leader in sound design by creating and developing the popular Carbon Electra synthesiser, samplify sample CD, and countless sound design projects for film, TV and video games. You’ll see and hear these skills in action in Davide’s truly innovative courses at School of Synthesis.
These Sound Design (Sampling and Synthesis) Using Massive and Kontakt, another ground-breaking study area in this new era of music production when guys like Skrillex win Grammy Awards! For the more traditional producers Davide also hosts an advanced class in Production and Mastering and courses in Logic Pro X.
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Dave Norris (aka Dizz1) is an acclaimed Australian artist who has released several albums, performed at Sonar, attended the Red Bull Music Academy in Spain and gained BBC airplay from Gilles Peterson, Mary Anne Hobbs and Benji B. He has performed alongside international superstars including De La Soul, Mos Def, DJ Vadim, Guilty Simpson, Benga, DJ Krush and Loefah.
Recent studio collaborations include Sadat X (Brand Nubian), Mark Pritchard (Harmonic 313), Steve Spacek (Africa Hitech), and Roots Manuva – who featured Dizz1’s production “Here We Go Again” as the huge second single on his ‘4everevolution’ album in 2011. With releases under his belt for highly renowned Dutch label Kindred Spirits and the UK’s Black Acre Records, 2012 saw Dizz1 remix a track for DJ Vadim’s album on BBE, as well as more big remixes and tracks for both local and international artists and compilations alike, including his track ‘Konotakosuke Yaro’ which featured on Rush Hour’s hyped Beat Dimensions 2 compilation.
Known for his “feel” - whether it’s scratching, drumming or programming those sideways beats - Melbourne based turntablist, producer, drummer and teacher, Dave Norris (aka Dizz1) has been involved in the music industry for over a decade, including two years spent in Japan. With various projects in the early ‘00s he quickly conquered his home turf, performing at major events like Meredith Festival, Falls Festival and Field Day 2001, appearing on Channel V, and touring to every major city in Australia, Malaysia and New Zealand; racking up quite a reputation, he DJ’d and performed alongside the likes of Grand Master Flash, Roni Size, Jam Master Jay (RIP), A-Trak and JRocc (Beat Junkies), to name a few.
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Tristan Malloch is a Melbourne based multi-instrumentalist, music producer, product demonstrator and teacher with a vast history throughout the music industry, and dedicated Ableton Live user since 2005. He is a passionate and eclectic music producer/performer covering a diverse range of styles.
Tristan is product demonstrator for the leading Australian musical instrument distributor CMI Music & Audio, and teacher of Sound Design at Melbourne’s Ableton certified School of Synthesis. He also contributes articles and video content to Australian music gear/news website Noisegate, who’s Ableton Live focused tuitional content has amassed tens of thousands of YouTube views.
He has been teaching Ableton Live and Push for many years in a range of contexts including guest lectures at SAE, JMC and AIM, traditional classroom lessons, and one on one tuition at events including Brisbane’s BIGSOUND and Little BIGSOUND.
An experienced music producer and musician since a very young age, Tristan has been performing live since the late 90’s in a range of genres including folk, heavy metal, funk, indie rock and synth pop as a guitarist, drummer or keyboardist.
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Mike Callander is an Ableton Certified Trainer, one of Australia’s most dynamic DJs, resident of Melbourne’s infamous Revolver, and founder of one of Australia’s best known record labels for electronic music, Haul Music.
Mike’s status as an icon of Australian dance music was confirmed in 2011 by his inclusion on the In The Mix Honour Roll alongside the likes of Cut Copy, Richie Hawtin, Diplo and Andrew Weatherall.
Mike's productions and remixes for his Haul Music imprint have enjoyed incredible feedback and support from a truly diverse range of DJs, with his recently released debut album receiving critical acclaim and its first single signed to Dave Seaman’s mix for global dance music institution, Renaissance. Mike’s unique approach to composition has also earned invitations to collaborate with Australian legends such as Aria winner Davide Carbone and recent Aria Club Chart topper, T-Rek.
As a DJ Mike has enjoyed an incredible degree of success over the last decade, holding long-term residencies at coveted institutions such as Revolver and Honkytonks, for which he also released a mix CD that was distributed worldwide. Since then Mike has toured the world at high profile clubs such as Berlin’s Watergate, where appears regularly, as well as in Cologne, Prague, Warsaw, Los Angeles, Madrid and Malaysia.
At home in Australia his DJing in support of touring international artists at countless clubs and festivals continues to earn accolades, with many labeling him one of Australia’s finest – most notably Get Physical’s DJ T., who invited Mike to play at Cookies in Berlin at his anniversary event to celebrate 20 years of DJing.
In the studio Mike uses Ableton Live just about every day to create original works for his Haul Music imprint, to make edits of tracks specifically for his DJ sets and to mix new works by upcoming Aussie artists. Mike has also undertaken a new LIVE project with long-time friend and label buddy, Craig McWhinney, that demonstrates his advanced ability to turn the simplicity of Ableton Live into a powerful performance tool, an ability he consolidated on various stages on tour with bands throughout Europe… not bad for a guy who can’t read music and can’t play any instruments!
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Shaun Keyt has spent the last two decades immersed in music composition and sound production. As viridian, he has released electronic music throughout Europe and America, with tracks such as Sunhump receiving international acclaim. Shaun's music has been remixed by producers such as Mijk van Dyk and Richard Durand and played by DJs such as Tiesto, Sasha and Armin Van Buuren.
He has also performed remixing duties for labels such as Laurent Garnier's F Communications. Throughout the 1990s, viridian was one of the busiest electronic live acts in Australia. He played at many festivals such as the Hardware, Welcome and Two Tribes parties as well as numerous clubs such as Revolver, The Lounge and The Metro. During this time, he performed alongside some of the most established names in electronic music such as Carl Cox, Speedy J, Daft Punk, Richie Hawtin and C J Bolland.
Shaun has also been engaged as Composer and Sound Designer on numerous projects over many years. In these roles, he has combined his training in classical piano and and music theory with the skills of music production. He has composed music for companies such as Telstra, Origin Energy, Melbourne Park and KPMG and designed sound for dance, interactive installations and online games. As Film Composer and Sound Designer, he most recently completed the score and audio design for the film EXIT, which has been released internationally and screened at fim festivals around the globe,
In the 2000s, Shaun became obsessed with the synthesis environments : Max MSP and Pure Data. In these environments, he explored how the customization of a musician's tools can result in the production of unique sounds and composition. During this time, he created and developed many instruments, effects and sequencing tools, showcasing them in shows with Richard Devine and the Red Bull Music Academy. This has led to Shaun's use of the Max for Live platform as a way to explore how Live can be transformed into a customizable synthesis environment.
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James Hewson is a professional sound designer and producer with his work recently appearing on several major-release video games. He has been using Logic Pro X on a daily basis for over 5 years. Originally a student at the School of Synthesis and now a full time producer at samplify, James welcomes the opportunity to give back to the school, its students and the audio community as a whole.
Producing and sound designing for five years has seen James working on some big commercial projects for the likes of Ford, BMW, Lincoln and the WAFL to name a few. In recent years his sounds have crossed over from the corporate world and into the video game world with his work on the smash hit title ‘Ticket to Earth’ from Aussie developers Robot Circus receiving praise in multiple reviews worldwide.
Using Logic Pro X on a daily basis in addition to a large array of software and hardware, James is very technically minded and well versed in the tools used within the industry. His passion for Foley audio and Sci-fi sound design has lead him to forge his very own unique sound that is sought after for sound design projects. He is now currently working on a range of video game projects all due for release in the next year.
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Leroy aka G E T B U $ Y has been a formidable player in the Melbourne's bar and club scene since early 2000. Leroy is also Australia's official Maschine specialist and representative. Originally from a beat making backround as a teenager using samplers, developed further into djing, which was as an avenue to quench his thirst for hiphop and club music.
This quickly resulted in holding residencies at many of Melbourne’s best bar’s and night clubs, including REVOLVER, LAUNDRY, LOUNGE and BONEY to name a few, and also Providing support for many internationals such as Gorgon City, Mike Q, Low Steppa, My Nu Leng, Brenmar, and many more. He also host’s his own weekly show on TRNSMT.tv called Division, delivering all the finest upfront UK house, garage and bassline. Having built a home studio, that comprised of many analogue synths, samplers including MPC’s and using Logic Pro and Ableton.
He still continues to create music, however these day’s, he has simplified things using Native Instrument’s, Maschine as his main weapon of choice for all his productions and DJ edits. Recently he has just released new music out on Melbourne's LOOPHOLE RECORDINGS.
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Every weekend DJ Katie Drover sits comfortably at the controls in one of Melbourne’s thriving clubbing spots with the dancefloor hanging on her every move. Not bad for a player who spends her days working as a mathematician. What’s even more unique about this highly experienced player, though, is that she’ll often get the job done on two or three of Melbourne’s best dancefloors on any given night!
Such is the depth of her experience that, since cutting her teeth at Room680 in 2002, Drover has played just about everywhere you can imagine in a city known for its long-standing commitment to electronic music: from Tramp, in the basement of a strip club underneath the notorious King Street, to closing sets on an enormous stage at internationally acclaimed Falls Festival on New Year’s Eve, to her residency at infamous Melbourne nightspot Revolver, at Sydney’s Mardi Gras, and at countless other music festivals such as Summadayze, Falls Festival and Future Music Festival, not to mention in the back of a ute for the opening of the AFL Grand Final, at the launch of the Honda Jazz, and as an ambassador for Pioneer Pro DJ.
Then, when you consider her ongoing commitment to her Speaker Syrup program on Proton Radio, plus previous radio work on Kiss FM and a monthly residency on Triple J, it becomes clear that Drover’s commitment to the craft of DJing is all-encompassing.
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In the early 2000s, Luke Chable had been described as one of the best Progressive House producers around, renowned for his unmatched production skills & his ability to create massive hits while still preserving his underground roots. From his first release, “Accelerator” – to his worldwide seminal hit “Ride” and his collaboration with Phil K as LOSTEP, it was a non-stop series of hugely successful releases for more than 5 years straight.
Countless classic originals & remixes topped the dance charts all over the world whilst being championed by the world’s elite DJ’s: Deep Dish, Tiesto, Sasha, John Digweed, Eric Prydz, Dave Seaman, Danny Howells, and many more as being one of the hottest progressive house artists on the planet. After years of production successes coupled with a hectic global touring schedule, Luke took a well deserved rest away from the scene for a few years...only to come back even stronger.
Earlier in 2015, his return “COMET” EP (released on ToolRoom ZERO THREE sister label) instantly climbed into BEATPORT Top 5 and prompted EDM act Above & Beyond to propose him a guest mix spot on their massively famous “Group Therapy” radio show. With his comeback EP now nearing 1 Million plays on Spotify, Luke follows up with his own take on indie pop cult classic “Opium” from The New Division, retaining the 2012 track original vocal and delivering a hypnotic and modern progressive house number. .
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An Australian based DJ and Producer bringing you real, quality house and garage music. A music lover first and foremost, Jehan is always ready to champion quality house, garage, disco, soul and everything in between. As a DJ, Jehan has been fortunate enough to play in some of Australia's finest spots, he has held residencies (and regularly plays) in some of the premier venues in his hometown, on the West Coast.
His work behind the tables has seen him support a range of talented artists including house music heavy weights, Alton Miller, Jimmy Edgar, Sonny Fodera, Terrence Parker, Nice 7, Trus' Me along with many others. A talented and discerning selector, Jehan's DJing has taken him all around not only Australia, but also as far as Japan and South East Asia.
On the production front, his original material has gained the support of world class artists and DJ's. His debut EP, initially signed to the local 'Soul Project Records' caught the attention of House Music juggernaut, Defected Records, who has since in turn licensed it to their successful Bargrooves compilation. His work has also gained the support and airtime of house music royalty, Mark Farina and Terrence Parker.
Having many moods and a fairly eclectic taste in music, Jehan combines a smooth production style with a formidable ability behind the decks and an extensive musical knowledge. With one foot firmly in the classics and an eye to the future, he has an uncanny knack to channel a range of vibes through the machines.
Jehan's music is available from Traxsource, Beatport, iTunes, Juno and all major online music retailers.
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Lance Harrison, H as his known, was born and raised in the ‘burbs of Melbourne, Australia. Lances love for music began while imitating his favourite bands on his drum kit throughout his teenage years. The Tea Party, Tool, Faith No More, Mr Bungle, The Necks, Nine Inch Nails and RATM would leave a profound mark on Lances musical life.
Lance played in a string of bands during the 90s as a drummer before moving into the art of SL1200 deck dancing. Lance has toured throughout Asia and Europe as a DJ and has produced a plethora of techno records and digital tracks for various labels including his own imprints Primary [colours] and Pinksilver.
Lance Harrison went to Store DJ in 2011 after decades of working in Melbourne’s music scene as retailer (DMC Records), musician, producer and DJ. Within months of starting with Store DJ, he proved that he could do much more than talk shop with customers and was promoted to the role of Store Manager of the Fitzroy North store, Mannys & Store DJ.
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With a history of playing in both D.I.Y. indie bands and live electronica acts, Matt Ridgway has a pretty eclectic musical background. Producing immersive, atmospheric electronica with guitar-based soundscapes as Winterpark, Matt has recorded, released and toured three albums, with a fourth due in 2015. He is also an accomplished music technology educator, composes for film and tv, works as a sound designer for video games and is one of the facilitators of Melbourne's Ableton Live User Group.
School of Synthesis guest lecturer and French born / German based electronic music pioneer.
School of Synthesis guest lecturer and Canadian based dub and ambient legend.
School of Synthesis guest lecturer and Dutch legend.
School of Synthesis guest lecturer and Detroit legend.
School of Synthesis guest lecturer and Australian mastering legend.
FAQ
Q:Which course is right for me ?
A: This depends of your ability as a producer. 'Alive' with Ableton Live and Power of Logic Pro X are great introductions to Digital Audio Workstations if you are new to music production. Both of these courses look to familiarise the user with the features of the most popular DAWs on the market. If you are looking to gain a better understanding of production techniques such as EQ, mixing, mastering and production techniques then the Production Masterclass is well suited. The Sound Design course is tailored for those that wish to further their ability to create their own original sounds using synths and samplers. The Modern Music Theory and Arrangement courses can also help with understanding how music is created and arranged from a musical and melodic perspective. We also offer a range of courses that focus on very specific skill sets such as Making Beats with Maschine and SOS DJ. Naturally we also offer our popular Complete Program which allows you to study every course that we offer, with a personalised pathway and a huge discount.
Q:What method of teaching does School of Synthesis employ ?
A: Our tutors are working professionals who teach in an informal and relaxed environment. We consider our students as valued clients and ensure we are aware of each students level of expertise so we can cater to various degrees of competence. We use a demonstration and individual exercise method to give our students maximum learning potential. Most courses are never the same twice as we customise our courses where required to suit the learning needs of each student. We always have the students' best interest at heart and are always mindful of the individual's career aspirations.
Q:What happens if I have to miss a week ?
A: If available we may supply class notes and other resources to help you stay on top of the learning. Your tutor may be able to meet you before class the week of your return if they are available or If a spot on one of our future courses is available, we will offer the equivalent week in an up and coming course free of charge.
Q:What happens if I'm the only student to enrol in a class?
A: Lucky you! The class will proceed and you will be treated to some incredibly cheap one-on-one training.
Q:What do I need to bring ?
A: Everything is provided for at the School of Synthesis. Some students like to take notes so we encourage a pen and paper or a portable device to take notes on. The courses are content rich so there are things you may want to remember for future use. A USB stick is always a good idea for you to take home any original work you have created.
Q:What do I take with me upon completion of the course ?
A: Apart from the knowledge! all students will receive an embossed certificate, t-shirt, SOS sticker and branded tote bag upon completion and can take their work with them which includes all royalty free sounds and music provided by the tutors. Students will also receive a free sample pack that includes hundreds of professional sounds and loops provided by Loopmasters.
Q:I want to do more than one course, which one should I do first ?
A: Most of our students do more than one course. Please contact us so we can advise suggested learning paths. Generally we suggest one course at a time. Most Production Masterclass students do the Sound Design course and 'Alive' with Ableton Live students may want to progress to the Modern Music Theory course, for example. We also offer the Complete Program which allows you to study every course that we offer, with a personalised pathway and a huge discount.
Q:Are the courses genre specific ?
A: No. Whilst our tutors have achieved recognition in mainly electronic music fields they have also worked alongside number 1 selling acoustic and rock artists. We look at techniques which are applied to all genres. We may demonstrate typical genre specific techniques but we aim to have each students music styles catered for. Our students have included dubstep, rock, trip hop, techno and alternative artists. We have had several major ARIA Award winning rock and electronic artists attend School of Synthesis!
Q:Where is the School of Synthesis located ?
A: We are conveniently located on the first floor inside Melbourne's iconic Prahran Market. Our room is air conditioned, heated and spacious. Our lighting is suited to extended periods of monitor viewing.
Q:I have some specific questions, can I contact the tutor directly ?
A: It is in our bets interests to ensure your questions are answered. We generally find that most of our students have specific queries that relate to their career aspiration. Check our contact page and email us with any questions you may have. Your email will be forwarded to the relevant tutor who will contact you promptly.
Q:Do you have any payment plans or can I pay a deposit with remainder later ?
A: We do not offer any payment or part payment plans, all enrolments are completed online using your Credit Card or PayPal account before courses commence.
Q:What happens once I've booked ?
A: Your position on the course will be immediately reserved. You will receive a confirmation email and on the week leading up to the commencement of the course you will be contacted by a member of staff that will provide you with all the required details such as location, class times and additional information. School of Synthesis will not cancel courses. Once a student has booked the course will go ahead even with one student.
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