Pro Tools courses/certification

[dangoudie]

What's the general opinion of these things? I just got turned down for an assistants job at a high-end studio because I wasn't pro tools certified. But what do MOST people think?

Guys that have done them, how much has it helped you personally/professionally?

Is it worth going all the way to certification or is 201: Production Essentials enough?

Does it matter 'where' you do it?

[psycho_monkey]

really?! I mean, because you weren't "certified"?! I really can't believe a high-end studio would do that if you can demonstrate you've got the skills on PT.

I didn't even learn PT until I left uni and got my first runner's job....in fact, I really began to learn it when I got my LE rig.

Now I'd put my skills up against anyone pretty much...in both speed and knowledge. Including those with a piece of paper saying they know something.

[dangoudie]

"we are looking for someone who is a recent grad and has certified pro tools HD training from an established audio engineering school."

So how much will I benefit from having up to Pro Tools Operator level?
I can see how I'd benefit personally from knowing pro tools better but do any other studios place as much worth on it?

[jaydeluca]

i learned a toooooon about pro tools, inside and out, important info and not, during my certification process. Personally it was very beneficial because it forced me to really read through and analyze the pro tools literature.

Other people may think the certification is useless... but it was an excellent way for me to learn the software.

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by jaydeluca

i learned a toooooon about pro tools, inside and out, important info and not, during my certification process. Personally it was very beneficial because it forced me to really read through and analyze the pro tools literature.

Other people may think the certification is useless... but it was an excellent way for me to learn the software.

I'd never say it was useless - just that you can probably get the certification whilst still being a sh1t pro-tools op. It doesn't mean anything unless you can demonstrate you actually understand and can use PT (preferably under pressure, which no course can teach you).

To the OP - no, I've never heard of any other studio requesting a certification. Which studio was this, if you don't mind me asking (PM if you like)? It sounds like they're a little new to the game, and might be asking for a certification because they think that's what everyone else asks for, not because they really need you to have the qualification.

I personally don't think the qualification can teach you any more than you could learn on your own, working on a rig at home everyday on your own projects, teamed with watching over the shoulder of a pro/more experienced operator. If you don't have this option - then maybe it's worthwhile for you (depending on cost of course).

[dhiltonlittle]

i assume you are talking about promedia? i moved from nuendo a while back to protools and took the courses mainly for myself. i've got to say it was money well spent. i took it in nyc, the teacher terron darby definitely knows his sh"t and is a super cool guy. charles dye did the mixing class and they also have roger nichols come in from time to time. by taking the class, you get 50% off in the digi store which includes TONS of plugins. i've paid for the course's from plugin savings alone!

[Tony Shepperd]

It seems as if there is always one qualification or another that gets passed around.

10 years ago in LA, you couldn't get an internship at Westlake Audio Studios unless you graduated from Full Sail.

Bottom line: if the requirement is that you have the certification, THEN GET IT!

[Sigma]

personally if i were hiring i just put up a session and ask the person to perform certain functions..effiencey and workflow are more important to me than someone knowing every bell and whistle

there are a ton of ways of making things work on a 9000 series console..i found the way i liked and ignored the others..as long as the job is done fast and correctly i don't care abouth the minutia

[ryst]

Originally Posted by psycho_monkey

Now I'd put my skills up against anyone pretty much...in both speed and knowledge.

Oh yeah? Meet me at the playground at 3:00 sharp.

[Kadden Heart]

as a full sail grad i was able to take all the certification tests for $50 (for them all)
which,..obiouvlsy made me do it.

was it worth the time invested in reading the digi course books full sail gave us?
,..for 50 bcks hell yes.
for the $1,000 or whatever it is for other people..eeehhhhh,..not so sure.

i did learn a lot, and feel pretty proficient in pro tools which allows me to mix without thinking about anything,..if i want ot do this that or the other,..i do it.

it's a nice little "title" for a new, young guy like myself to have,...

but for the more experienced guys,...screw it.

it is ridiculous to get turned down due to this, so what,..even beginner pro tools dudes can arm tracks, route tracks, drop samples, automate and mix in it.

[dhiltonlittle]

kadden heart, there is alot more to the promedia courses than the books and some tests. in the two weeks i took the course's we didn't open the books once. the test are more like what digi want's you to know. there were several full sail grads taking the class's with me that said they learned more in the first few days with promedia than their whole experience at full sail. i don't know anything about the full sail program and am not knocking it in any way. just relaying the message. if you are looking to just read some books and get some tips, get the protools 101 book and the milar(charles dye) dvd. if you want to be super efficent at protools and gain some serious knowlege than take the promedia training. the full certification if i remember is more like 5000. not 1000. so it's not cheap but very worth it. in the posters case, it seems like in your area people like to see you are certified. i would do it for your own knowledge AND it seems it will also help you get your foot in the door.

[Mike Brown]

I have done three certs (Music, Post, ICON)... and it is a wise investment if you decide you really want to learn the stuff...

I know plenty of people who have gotten by the tests without really memorizing anything/learning everything by heart.... A lot of it is explaining features and then "If this ever ever happens you know what to do"...

Its amazing the amount of engineers out there who think they know protools but are really missing using a lot of features that would speed them up....

I think certification has really helped me more in getting post work... the Ad people seem to care more than Music people...

For music, I feel like the Certs are only to really get your foot in the door, and then its up to your personality, speed, and willingness to work hard from there.

[Kadden Heart]

Originally Posted by dhiltonlittle

kadden heart, there is alot more to the promedia courses than the books and some tests. in the two weeks i took the course's we didn't open the books once. the test are more like what digi want's you to know. there were several full sail grads taking the class's with me that said they learned more in the first few days with promedia than their whole experience at full sail. i don't know anything about the full sail program and am not knocking it in any way. just relaying the message. if you are looking to just read some books and get some tips, get the protools 101 book and the milar(charles dye) dvd. if you want to be super efficent at protools and gain some serious knowlege than take the promedia training. the full certification if i remember is more like 5000. not 1000. so it's not cheap but very worth it. in the posters case, it seems like in your area people like to see you are certified. i would do it for your own knowledge AND it seems it will also help you get your foot in the door.

agreed, i've heard the same also on these forums. personally i think if you engaged actively in the full sail cirriculum (and be sure to pick the teachers brains outside of class) you gain probably the same amount of knowledge (not that i've takent he promedia course)
in my case we had classes in "workstations" and "advanced audio workstations" pertianing to pt le, and then pt hd as well as some (minimal) experience in other DAW's but were suplemented by the books (through to the expert in music or post)
so while i've not taken promedia i personally at least feel the class training and books prepared me enough to be proficient in PT.

however, in the posters case, you're right, if people want ot see it,..then it seems like you are going ot have to mandate that certification, whatever help land you a position. though i still tihnks it's pretty ridiculous to make PT certification a nessicity for an assitant position.

my GC employee friend did the promedia course and gained quite a bit of knowledge in the area. my PT classes and traiing t full sail pretty much equals his knowledge in the PT area now.

,..dont' forget though,..there's other latforms out there,.... david j ben on this forum had a thread about an assitant position available a long time aog in which he expressed their platofrm of use was,..nuendo? i believe, but the applicant had ot be experienced in that platform rather than PT.

[jaydeluca]

Originally Posted by dhiltonlittle

you get 50% off in the digi store which includes TONS of plugins. i've paid for the course's from plugin savings alone!

yea i definitely agree... the discount is killer

[ITJ]

Originally Posted by dhiltonlittle

i assume you are talking about promedia? i moved from nuendo a while back to protools and took the courses mainly for myself. i've got to say it was money well spent. i took it in nyc, the teacher terron darby definitely knows his sh"t and is a super cool guy. charles dye did the mixing class and they also have roger nichols come in from time to time. by taking the class, you get 50% off in the digi store which includes TONS of plugins. i've paid for the course's from plugin savings alone!

ProMedia does a great job. I took the classes in Nashville and got the certification.

I highly recommend taking the Reason class with Terron Darby.

[soundrick]

I have never had a gig as a PT op that REQUIRED certification. It's probably not unheard of though. This studio has probably had people come through claiming to know PT and couldn't even open a session. They're probably just cutting their losses....

It seems like you could do the "self-paced" learning thing with DIGIs official courseware and then test out at a training center. Especially if you already are familiar with PT.

I'm doing something similar with AUTOCAD right now. I bought the courseware from AutoDesk, and then I'll take the cert test at this training center in town. The whole thing is costing me far less than paying tuition for a couple years, not to mention the time I'll save.

[lowfreq33]

If you want to take the courses to improve your knowledge of PT, good on ya, go for it. Just don't think it will get you work.

[SGBEATZ]

I am currently a Full Sail recording arts student that's about to graduate in May and I just took my 3rd attempt at the 110 test and missed it by 1 question. Yes I am very furious and mad at myself and disappointed because I really wanted this but what can I do? I was hoping to find somewhere on here that the PT op certification didn't matter that much hopefully if you have a degree from Full Sail that might cover up not having the certf. I personally didn't get into Pro Tools until 'Workstations" and it wasn't my choice of DAW's but now I feel with my Digi discount I will probably purchase Pro Tools LE 8 and just teach myself how to be fast on it and do all of the different functions so I still will have knowledge when I get a job at a major studio. Still angry I blew my chance today but hey' that's how it goes sometimes. Got to take it and make the best of it right.

[betamatt]

Well, the good news for you is most places will not care about the Pro Tools certification. The bad news? Most of them won't care about your Full Sail degree either.

[gear is cool]

certified? wtf does that mean anyway...
to be honest i think it all a bit silly...
please send dude a email telling him to "s*ck it"

[Denny Lavish]

Originally Posted by betamatt

Well, the good news for you is most places will not care about the Pro Tools certification. The bad news? Most of them won't care about your Full Sail degree either.

LOL

Funny but true


Lavish

[betamatt]

Should probably clarify, I'm not trying to be a dick, just trying to give a little reality check, cause when someone says they hope their Full Sail degree will "cover up" the lack of another piece of paper, I worry for that person. I'm not saying your time at Full Sail was worthless. It may have been. Or you may have learned a hell of a lot, and it was a very valuable experience. Point is, the degree doesn't tell me or anyone else which is the case. These schools are turning out hundreds of graduates a year, and they all have nice pieces of paper. Point isn't what's on your pieces of paper, point is what you've stashed in your noodle.