Diploma in Audio Engineering - Course FAQ

Any good Audio Engineering course will be hard work, costly and will take many months, or with many of our competitors, years to complete.
The questions below are designed to help you compare ALCHEMEA with other colleges and decide which one is best for you.


How many multi-track recording studios?
We have 5: 4x24 track & 1x16 track (+ soon a 6th studio with HD Pro-tools, see enclosure for more details). Each is a self-contained, sound-proofed, air-conditioned multi-track studio with access to all of our live recording areas.


How many MIDI and digital audio workstations?
We have 6: 3 x MAC G4, 1 x Power MAC 7500 and 2 x PC Workstations available 24/7.


Is my qualification industry recognised?
Alchemea has the enviable reputation of being one of the leading providers of audio education in Europe. Our standards are high. Our courses are vocational, practically orientated, intensive, and require real commitment. Because of this employers recognise that our successful students not only have the practical "real world" skills but have also acclimatised to the pressures of a demanding workplace.

Alchemea is one of a few select colleges that have been chosen by Digidesign as a Certified Training Location. If you choose to include the Pro Tools Certified Operator Course with our Diploma and pass the 210M exam you will be awarded a certificate from Digidesign and be listed as a user on their website.


How many students per course?
ALCHEMEA limits the size of each course to 20. There are 3 courses maximum running at any given time (each course at a different stage). So the maximum number of students at ALCHEMEA at any time is 60. That's it.


How many hours of individual practical time will I get?
Here is the maths: 11 facilities, 24 hours a day 7 days a week, divided by 60 students = 30.8 hours per student per week. In fact we GUARANTEE that by the end of your course you will have accumulated at least 1080 hours of individual practical time. That's an average of 30 hours per week - guaranteed. This is why we are renowned for providing more practical time in our studios and on our workstations than any other college.

Whilst central to the ALCHEMEA method that an individual learns best by "doing" rather than watching someone else, assisting others is useful too and so encouraged. This time is in ADDITION to the 30 hours per week we guarantee.


How do these hours compare to a full time University Course?
480 hours per year is the normal amount of lecture time AND "lab" work for what universities regard as an intensely practical, as against the classical "reading" type degree. So the ALCHEMEA Diploma Course gives you more practical time than you would get in a 3 year degree course. Also at ALCHEMEA this will be individual time, whereas at a university this time will almost certainly be shared with other students.


Is the college really open 24/7?
Oh yes. We never close - in fact we often have some students recording over Christmas and New Year! Our facilities are available to our students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and you are allocated (and can book extra) practical time day or night - whichever suits you.


What is the maximum class size?
Ten. We do not believe that bigger classes allow individual attention from the tutors. For some practical lessons each class is split into even smaller class sizes.


Can I meet the students, both past and present?
Yes, in fact we encourage you to do so. We know our students are happy here and we are proud of them. That's why you can book an individual tour at any time and meet our students. We also invite ex-students to our open days so that you can chat to them and find out what they are up to now. Beware of colleges who don't let prospective students meet current or past ones!


Will I get a job when I finish the course?
Well, nothing is guaranteed but our statistics speak for themselves: to date over 85% of our Diploma graduates have begun their careers in their chosen field within 6 months of leaving ALCHEMEA. Ask to see the list of graduates or look at "Student Profiles" on the web site to see what some of our ex-students are up to in the big bad world.


Does the college actively help its graduates get a job?
Yes. We provide training in CV preparation, interview technique and job hunting. Recording studios, recognising the quality of ALCHEMEA graduates regularly contact us when looking for new staff.


I can see ALCHEMEA is well equipped, has a very high employment success rate and I probably will have a great time, but isn't it far more expensive than a University course?
A 3 year University course will offer you far less individual hands on practical time and about the same amount of lecture time as the ALCHEMEA Diploma course, it will almost certainly be of a lower standard too. This will cost a typical student £1,100 a year, probably soon to rise particularly for the more successful institutions. Unless you can live on less than £65/week the ALCHEMEA course will be the cheaper option.

In fairness, whilst the university course will allow you enough free time to get a paid part-time job, this may be very character building in some ways but of course you will be 2 years older when trying to enter the job market.