Audiodesign

Study Creative Music Technology and Electronics in the cultural city of Basel in the border triangle of Switzerland, Germany and France! The Elektronisches Studio Basel and sonic space basel offer an inspiring, collaborative environment with a wide range of networking opportunities and space for artistic development.

Key data

Degree: Bachelor of Arts FHNW in Musik, Studienrichtung Audiodesign
Studying type: Full time
ECTS points: 180
Study start: Beginning of September
Duration: 6 semesters
Teaching language: German, B1 level in German required
Place: Campus Musik-Akademie Basel
Stay abroad: Possible, not curricular
Application fee: 200 CHF
Semester fee: 750 CHF (CH) | 1000 CHF (EU/EFTA) | 1250 CHF (Not-EU/Not-EFTA) More Fees

You may apply between 15th December and 1st March.

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Study Creative Music Technology across the entire spectrum of composition-performance sound installation, recording studio technology, audiovisuals
Practical work with the high-quality equipment of Elektronisches Studio Basel
Closely coordinated subjects and many elective/specialisation options

What is Audio Design? How do we design electronic music?

Get to know the scope of the Audio Design Departement

Why study this?

Learning outcomes

The Bachelor of Arts in Music with a Audiodesign major lays the educational foundations for a career as a professional audio designer.
The aim of the study programme is to nurture and produce versatile and multifaceted musical personalities. To this end, students will build on their knowledge of electronics and relevant technologies, as well as acquire sound general music education knowledge and skills. They will also have a well-developed ability to critically reflect on the subject of music and possess the other skills that will qualify them to pursue a career in music.
A FHNW Bachelor of Arts in Music constitutes a pathway to postgraduate study, e.g. a Master’s degree programme.

Career prospects

There is a wide range of career options open to qualified audio designers. Depending on their chosen field of specialisation, audio design graduates go on to work in the independent art and culture scene, create sound installations, compose incidental music for the stage and/or screen, or work as professional electronic or instrumental musician. Others opt to set up their own recording and productions studio, work as freelance sound engineers in theatres or for bands and festivals, or pursue a career as a sound designer in the audio software industry, radio or TV.
Likewise, an audio design graduate may choose to continue along the research or teaching route.

Target audience

The FHNW Bachelor of Arts in Music is a degree programme aimed at students who have a particular interest in electronic music and wish to pursue a career in creative/sound design.

Cyrill Jauslin, Anton Bea: SOIL (2024)

What is the sound of new compositions? What is possible? The video shows a performance of a piece created as part of the Nachtstrom concert series at Gare du Nord Basel. The work is by of Cyrill Jauslin and Anton Bea, two graduates of this study programme.

Structure and Content

The audio designer has profound technical knowledge and a high level of musical competence. Audio designers realise and interpret compositions (their own as well as the works of others) on electronic instruments, compose soundtracks for films, stage music, develop their own instrumental setups and playing interfaces and design interactive sound installations.

Hands-on training

This study programme is geared as closely as possible to practice and dovetails with the production and research activities of the Electronic Studio. From a very early stage, students are involved in the activities of the Electronic Studio and are also required to initiate and carry out their own projects.

Modules and regulations

The BA and MA degree programs at the Basel Academy of Music are based on modules.

The legally binding structure provides an initial guide to the content and weighting of the subjects on the degree program.
The detailed content and modalities of the individual subjects can be found in the module descriptions.
The study regulations come into force together with the study and examination regulations of the Basel Academy of Music FHNW and form the legal framework.

Structure

Structure BA Audiodesign in German

Module descriptions

Below please find the link with all the information on the module descriptions of several FHNW universities.

At the top right, switch the language settings to English.
At the bottom right, filter by semester, Hochschule für Musik Basel FHNW, the desired degree programme or other criteria to display the relevant module information.
Use the PDF button at the top left to call up a document from each overview and save it for yourself.
Course registrations are made via the intranet.

Study Regulations

Study Regulations BA Music in German

Programme Head and Lecturer

Requirements, Admission, Entrance exam

Admission criteria

In order to enter the FHNW Bachelor of Arts in Music programme with an instrumental or vocal major, applicants must hold a school-leaving qualification (Baccalaureate, Professional Baccalaureate or equivalent) as well as they have to have passed the entrance exam and were offered a free place at the Academy (limited places). Applicants who have submitted all the necessary registration documents in time will be invited to play a live audition. For further information on the admission criteria, please see the Study regulation of the Bachelor of Arts FHNW in Music in German.

Language skills

We expect students to have very good German language skills at the beginning of the studies. Students who are not German native speakers must present a B1 German language certificate or a higher level certificate according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) at the beginning of the studies. Only certificates with the ALTE-Q-Mark seal of approval (e.g. the B1 certificate of the Goethe-Institut or the telc certificate) are accepted.

Entrance exam

Dates

Registration
You may apply between the 15th December and the 1st March.
Along with the registration, it is mandatory to submit the following documents:

A curriculum Vitae, a passport photo, a motivational letter and the school leaving qualification or proof of an equivalent general education qualification.

For the entrance exam

Questionnaire
Portfolio
Audiogram
Videos: Two videos (add a link to YouTube, Vimeo etc. to the registration tool or send it by mail to registration.hsm@fhnw.ch until 1st March at the latest)

On-Site
The live auditions will take place at the end of April. The exact dates may be seen here.

Announcement of the results
The results will be communicated by mail in May.

Procedure

The entrance exam includes a major subject examination and a theoretical part.

Procedure
Along with the registration, it is mandatory to submit the following documents for the entrance exam

Questionnaire: Applicants must complete a detailed questionnaire. This information will be used to determine the electronic music experience and expertise that the applicants have acquired to date.
Portfolio: A portfolio with examples of their own work in text form and/or as sound and video files via webspace (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.) has to be submitted.
Audiogram: An audiogram (issued by an otologist or other hearing care professional) which was performed no more than six months prior to the application.
Videos: Two videos (add a link to YouTube, Vimeo etc. to the registration tool or send it by mail to registration.hsm@fhnw.ch until 1st March at the latest):

The applicant prepares the performance of a live electronic work (own composition, work from the literature of live electronics or an improvisation; duration 5 to 8 minutes) and records it on video.
To prepare for the ear training test, the applicant practises the performance of a piano piece and records it on video.

Having reviewed the submitted questionnaire, work and audiogram, the head professor may advise the candidates to not take part in the entrance exam.

Major subject examination
First Round Practical exam by mail (arrange a given assignment)
On the day before the second round the candidates receive an assignment by mail which they complete at their studio/at work and return the results after four hours (e.g. by Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.).

Second Round Live meeting and Theoretical Part on-site
Live meeting
Discussion with the candidate and the jury/presentation of the completed assignment, the recorded musical performance and the submitted portfolio.

Theoretical part (Ear training test and piano audition)
The ear training test checks the ability to perform non-instrumental musical processes (relative pitch test) as well as basic knowledge of music theory. The piano playing is tested at the beginning of the ear training test: Performance of a prepared piece, sight reading, Major and Minor cadences with up to two key signatures.
Further information: ear training test and piano playing

Organisational Matters

Hands-on training

This study programme is geared as closely as possible to practice and dovetails with the production and research activities of the Electronic Studio. From a very early stage, students are involved in the activities of the Electronic Studio and are also required to initiate and carry out their own projects.

About the Electronic Studio

The Electronic Studio of the School of Music (ESB), situated at the heart of the Basel Music Academy Campus, is both an educational institute and a research and production site. It offers a very well equipped recording, production and experimental studio. Furthermore, the ESB organises public concerts, festivals, symposia and workshops.

Besides several high-end recording spaces, the Electronic Studio also has a main control room, two multi-channel studios, a stereo editing station and an electronics workshop at its disposal.

A multitude of electronic instruments and controllers allow for interactive musical and transmedia work and experiments. A flexible, modern sound system enables the Studio to organize all kinds of concerts of electronic music as well as cognitive studies on acoustics and experiments in audio psychology. The Studio also owns several rare, historic electronic music instruments.

In collaboration with the Gare du Nord, the Bahnhof für Neue Musik, the Electronic Studio curates and hosts the NACHTSTROM concert series and also collaborates with other institutions in Switzerland and abroad in the planning and implementation of the most varied artistic productions.

The Studio thus attracts attention far beyond Basel itself. It creates valuable contacts between students and experienced guest composers who realize and discuss their work in the framework of seminars and workshops.

The central location of the Studio, in the heart of the Musik-Akademie Basel, is a determining factor in its conceptual objectives. Its proximity to the instrumental tradition of the house means that it offers an open, stimulating and inclusive musical environment in which creativity can thrive. Electronic music is thus not a field for outsiders in an institute of its own, but an integral part of the Academy’s culture and teaching activities.

Further information about the Electronic Studio Basel can be found on the sonic space basel website.

sonic space basel

sonic space basel is a Platform of Basel Academy of Music for Audio Design (BA and MA), Composition (BA and MA and MA SP), MA SP Creative Interpretation in New Music, BA Music Theory Major, MA MP Music Theory, MA SP New Music Theory, MA SP Open Creation and Research. We consider ourselves a laboratory, a communication tool and an information hub for contemporary music.

Projects / Ensembles

At Hochschule für Musik Basel, students have the opportunity to participate in various project and ensemble programmes.
To the overview of the recurring offers.

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Files and Regulations

Contact and Info-Event

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Teaching staff

Our internationally renowned teaching staff

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Basel Academy of Music

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