Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

This depends on your ability as a producer. ‘Alive’ with Ableton Live and Making Music with 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 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.

My name is Davide and I am the founder of School of Synthesis. In my time as an artist in London I taught at Britain’s largest adult learning college and saw first hand the value of teaching and helping people progress in their musical pathways. On my return to Australia I felt a need for an adult learning college much like the one I tutored at that could offer working professionals an opportunity to learn and advance their musical career in a short course format with small class sizes that wouldn’t interfere with busy lifestyles. I only employ tutors that are first and foremost talented musicians and producers and just as importantly great people with a natural ability to teach. SOS has been around for over ten years and our mark of success are the hundreds of students we have helped along the way and the quality of people and producers we attract. We are Australia’s only Native Instruments and Ableton Certified training Centre. I am a Certified Pro in Apple Logic Pro X.

Our tutors are working professionals in the music industry who teach in an informal and relaxed environment. We consider our students as valued clients and ensure we are aware of each student’s 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.

All students have access to our Content Portal featuring 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.

Lucky you! The class will proceed and you will be treated to some incredibly cheap one-on-one training.

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.

Apart from the knowledge, all students will receive a completion certificate, t-shirt and SOS sticker 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.

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.

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 student’s 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!

We are conveniently located at 338 Punt Road South Yarra (corner Fawkner Street). Our purpose built rooms are air conditioned, heated and spacious. Our lighting is suited to extended periods of monitor viewing.

It is in our best 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.

We do not offer any payment or part payment plans, all enrolments are completed online using your Credit Card before courses commence.

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.

School of Synthesis is primarily an adult learning college, though we’ve welcomed younger students in the past. While most of our students are over 18, anyone aged 16 or older is welcome to enrol.

If your preferred intake is showing as full on our site, it is indeed at capacity. If you’d like us to add you to a waiting list, please use the contact form to specify the course and your preferred intake. If spaces become available, we’ll reach out and offer you a spot.

As per our refund policy listed in the payment review page we do not offer refunds or transfers. We allocate resources and confirm tutors once a course is booked and subsequently we are unable to cancel enrolments. We try where possible to make allowances in exceptional circumstances or at the very least put you on a waiting list so you can take the course in the future at no charge, subject to availability. Students on the waiting list will be contacted before the course commences and offered a place on a first come, first served basis.

We require a minimum of 28 days notice for enrolment changes. If we receive at least 28 days notice, we can move your enrolment to another course intake.

We appreciate that changes to one’s circumstances are sometimes unavoidable and providing 28 days notice is not possible. In these instances, we’ll put you on a waiting list so you can take the course in the future at no charge, subject to availability. Students on the waiting list will be contacted 24 hours before the course commences and offered a place on a first come, first served basis.

Upon purchase you will be asked for your details. Once entered, you’ll have access to the course and an email will be sent to you confirming your login details. Please check your junk mail. If you still have difficulty accessing your login details, please contact us and we’ll resend your login email.

To access the Scaler 2 Official Course, head over to online.schoolofsynthesis.com ​and click on ‘Log In’ from the top right corner. ​​You can log in with the email and password you used when you purchased the course. There is also a reset password link if needed.

While our in-person and online sound design courses share the same foundational principles, they offer distinct experiences.

The in-person course has a strong focus on musical sound design, emphasising hands-on learning with synthesizers and samplers for creating sounds tailored to music production, track creation, and other musical applications. Running over 6 x 3-hour sessions, this course allows students to work directly with industry-standard analog synthesizers and digital audio workstations in our custom-designed facility. One of the key benefits of the in-person format is the interactive environment—students can ask questions, receive real-time feedback, and participate in live demonstrations, making the learning experience adaptable and highly personalised.

In contrast, the online course leans towards creative sound design for real-world applications such as film sound effects, video game audio, and broader music production. While it follows the same structure as the in-person course, it delves deeper into specific examples, often drawing on real-world projects completed by our team at Samplify. The online format is more self-paced, providing in-depth video lessons and practical insights but without the flexibility of real-time interaction.

Both formats offer excellent learning opportunities: the in-person course excels for those seeking a hands-on, interactive experience, while the online course provides a detailed, project-focused learning environment that serves both as a standalone course and a refresher for previous in-class students.