Only a few study places are available. If a candidate passes the aptitude test but is not accepted due to a lack of study places, he/she must repeat the examination when re-applying for later admission to the degree programme.
The catalogue below provides an overview of the competencies to be tested. There is no guarantee that all areas will be completely covered. The purpose of the test is to get a clear idea of the candidate’s abilities, which forms a basis for assessing whether or not they are capable of working on any weaknesses in the Master’s.
A Written
When applying, candidates submit a letter of motivation and a dossier with their own recordings. If their application is successful, candidates are invited to attend an oral aptitude test.
B Oral
The oral test takes place in two or three blocks.
- Homework assignment
Candidates will receive an assignment by email This must be completed and submitted within the specified deadline (see “Dates”). Length: Maximum two A4 pages. The assignment will be discussed in detail during the oral exam.
- Sound engineering practical work (duration 25 minutes)
A preparation time of 60 minutes is allowed.Music Transmission Topics:
- Expert operation of the infrastructure (DAW, periphery)
- Clear understanding of the processes involved in music production
- Targeted microphone use, editing and mixing
- Understanding of sound aesthetics and ability to implement this
- Principles of recording management
- Examination content:
Candidates bring a session with them on their own system, which they present in the test and discuss with the expert. General questions on the topics above will also be asked and discussed.
Studio Technology Topics:
- Mastery of analogue and digital signal processing systems (mixing desks, recorders, signal transmitters)
- Knowledge of the requirements for synchronizing digital audio systems (and also video systems if appropriate)
- Knowledge of the factors determining the quality of analogue and digital signal trans-mission, signal processing and storage
- Knowledge of the mode of operation and the normal parameters of sound processing methods (EQ, dynamics, reverb etc.)
- Examination process:
Using the production that the candidate brings with them, questions specific to recording arising from the candidate’s audio material or presentation will be discussed.
As an alternative or in addition, candidates are given prepared audioclips with common errors or interference that are discussed together.
- Technical subjects (duration 25 minutes)
- Electrical Engineering Topics:
- Fundamental knowledge of the basic principles of electrical engineering and general understanding of the elements found in electrical circuits. In-depth understanding of the mode of operation and properties of microphones and speakers.
- Ability to analyse simple electrical circuits and general understanding of the most important types of filters and basic amplifier circuits with bipolar transistors and operational amplifiers.
- Examination content:
- Basic variables associated with charges, current and voltage
- Electrical networks, circuit diagrams
- Basic principles of electrical engineering
- Elements of electrical networks
- Network analysis
- Properties of basic passive circuit elements
- Measurements within electrical systems
- Basic bipolar transistor circuit elements
- Operational amplifier circuits
- Block circuit diagrams
- Basic structure of audio devices
- Practical work: measurement techniques
- Cables and leads
- Microphones and speakers
- Practical work: design and construct a simple circuit
- Digital Audio Technology Topics:
- Ability to mathematically describe systems in time and frequency domain, knowledge of transducer principles between the analogue and digital spheres
- Knowledge of the elementary signal processing algorithms and the most important digital sound recording media.
- Examination content:
- Properties of signals and systems
- Properties of hearing
- Basic principles of sampling (A/D conversion) and reconstruction (D/A conversion) and their practical uses
- Digital signal transmission and interfaces
- Data compression
- Digital signal processing (FFT, z-transform, digital filters)
- Digital sound recording media
- Digital audio signal processing
- Acoustics Topics:
- Understanding of basic acoustic phenomena both indoors and outdoors on a level that allows access to specialist literature.
- Examination content:
- Basic acoustics: basic acoustic variables, basic equations, types of sources, inverse-square law, analytical and numerical calculation methods
- Measurement techniques: characteristics of signals, measuring instruments, impulse response and reverberation time measurement
- Absorption, reflection and transmission: sound wave interaction with materials, types of absorbers, scattering elements
- Room acoustics: statistical room acoustics, diffuse-field theory, geometric room acoustics, image source method, ray tracing, acoustic design of large rooms, wave-related room acoustics, room resonances, eigenmodes, acoustic design of small rooms
- Mathematics (IT) content:
- Functions: trigonometric functions, exponential functions, logarithm, polynomial functions
- Transformations: Fourier transform
- Complex numbers: calculations with complex numbers, exponential notation, indices
- Signal processing: system equations, types of filters, frequency response, impulse response
- Differential and integral calculus: derivatives and indefinite integrals, curve sketching (maximums, minimums, inflection points, etc.), derivative rules, simple differential equations
- Additional test for candidate without a Bachelor of Arts in Music:
Musical subjects- Instrumental practice
Mastery of an instrument to a level that allows the candidate to express themselves musically with the instrument.
Examination content: Performance of two different pieces on an instrument; short piece of sight reading - Aural training:
Reproduce and recognize intervals, tones, chord structures, rhythms, harmonic sequences. The candidates also receive some of the material in writing and have to quickly and spontaneously recognize whether the played piece is the same as the one in front of them or not. - General Musical Education:
Short analysis of two stylistically different pieces