Education: Best place for Audio Engineering?
If you want hands on experience, then work for someone who designs speakers that you like. Don't be shy. Knock loudly and frequently on those doors, and you will get it. You will learn far more that way than in a school, and you will be well on your way to building your own product, should you so desire. Go for it. You'll do great! All the best, Howard |
Howard has a good point. There probably are very few schools that specialize in speaker design and so the best may be to learn-it-on-the-fly. That is how it seems to work very often these days. However, a graduate degree is useful for this up and coming generation, or so I am told by oldtimers at electrical engineering symposiums I attend. We have at Virginia Tech a pretty good physics lab that I know has a state-of-the-art anechoic chamber but I don't think they do any speaker work - mostly RF. I am an EE/ME as well, currently researching nonlinear DC-DC converter circuits. I am thinking of building my own switching amp to satisfy my "doing the hobby" desires. Duke is quite right though: do something you love at any rate. Arthur |
I'm a grad student in physics at the university of texas. The mechanical engineering department here does some acoustics, but i'm not sure how audio related their research is. http://www.me.utexas.edu/ There are also other opportunities available here. At least in physics, i have the option of doing research under a research scientist at a research institute owned by the university. They do have several acoustics experiments on going there. http://wwwext.arlut.utexas.edu/researching/index.html If nothing else, UT is a really good school. Top 10 physics and math, and i'm pretty sure their engineering is at least top 20. Also, austin is a great place to live. Much better than kentucky ; )(i'm from indiana) |
Nicholas, Someone that you may want to speak with is Roy Johnson of Green Mountain Audio. He is the owner and designer at GMA, I believe he has a physics background. He is a really nice guy who really knows his stuff, and he may be willing to give you some guidance (gma@pcisys.net). Arthur (Aball), Always good to see a fellow Hokie lurking. |
Nicholas, When the world was a larger place,you went where the specialists were congregated. Study automibles? Go Big Ten school close to Detroit. Motion pictures? Go Southern Cal close to Hollywood. Now that the world is smaller,the best research and researchers are a few mouse clicks away. Allow me to suggest that finding a school where you are comfortable,where your faculty advisor(s) will allow you to persue the work you want to do is important. Internships? Post grad employment? What are the three speakers you respect the most? E mail their r and d departments and ask them what you've asked us. Best wishes. |
