Short Courses Introducing two brand new courses for 2026

Overview:

This course, running over 4 weeks, introduces musicians and performers to the fundamentals of spatial sound, including ambisonics, binaural audio, and sound diffusion for performance and installation works.  

• Learn how to create and deliver immersive sound works for live performance and installations with this 4 week programme 

• Gain rich skills in working with spatial sound that complement your practice 

• Explore new ways of composing and performing with Spatial and Immersive Sound 

• Unlock new exhibiting and performance opportunities in the rapidly developing immersive sector 

• Hear from exhibiting sound artists with tips and tricks for professional practice  

Led by spatial sound composer and artist Nik Rawlings, during the course you’ll develop a creative and critical approach to composing immersive music and sound works, have space to share and reflect on your work with your peers and create a work that is ready to perform or install. 

You will spend time undertaking independent research and composition, putting into practice skills learned during the course’s workshops and contextualising your work within established frameworks of spatial composition. You’ll also have the opportunity to share sound pieces on an immersive sound system and engage in reflection and peer to peer feedback. 

There will be hands-on workshops and talks by artists performing and exhibiting spatial sound internationally, sharing their knowledge and tips for navigating the challenges and requirements that you may face when presenting spatial sound works in different settings, and how to create technical riders and specifications for production teams.   

By the end of this course, you’ll be equipped with skills, knowledge and tools that de-mystify immersive sound creation, and allow you to grow as an immersive artist. You’ll also build your portfolio and be confident in your ability to deliver spatial sound works for a a wide range of venues, galleries and collaborations. 

Course Duration: Every Tuesday evening  from 6th January – 27 January, 6:30-8:30pm

Location: The Studio, Bath, BA1 2NH with showcasing in the studios at our Newton Park Campus, BA2 9BN

Overview 

Audio for VR (360°) is an intensive course, running over two consecutive weekends. Each session will take place at The Studio, Bath. The sessions will introduce tools and processes to help independent work in between, and after the sessions have commenced.

• Learn how to create immersive audiovisual environments, to be experienced on Head Mounted Displays (VR Headsets). 

• Gain understanding of format recording and encoding in 3D to create 360° videos. 

• Explore relevant tools and processes to create visually and sonically immersive scenes. 

• Understand head-tracking and principles for head mounted displays (VR). 

Ready to expand your audio skills into the immersive world of VR? This course bridges traditional audio production with cutting-edge spatial audio techniques for virtual reality applications. Perfect for producers, sound designers, and audio engineers looking to master VR audio workflows. 

Building on your existing DAW knowledge, you’ll learn specialized spatial recording and encoding techniques using ambisonic microphones alongside familiar recording tools. We’ll work extensively in Reaper with professional ambisonic plugins and spatial panning tools that transform your traditional stereo mindset into three-dimensional thinking. 

You’ll explore Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) encoding and decoding, understanding how these formats create convincing 3D soundscapes for VR environments. The course covers advanced routing configurations for binaural monitoring and specialized 3D audio processing that goes beyond traditional effects. 

Technical aspects include proper loudness standards for VR content, specialized encoding workflows for 360° video delivery, and critical evaluation using actual HMD playback. You’ll master the complete production chain from spatial capture through final VR-ready deliverables. 

This hands-on approach ensures you’ll confidently integrate spatial audio production into your existing skill set, opening new opportunities in the rapidly growing VR content industry. Professional feedback and peer review support your transition into this specialized field. 

This Audio for VR short course is designed for persons with basic understanding of Digital Audio Workstations, audio processing workflows such as editing, rendering, and using FX such as EQ, reverb, gain. A basic understanding of spatial audio is useful to make the most of the course, but fundamental knowledge on principles of stereo recording and mixing will be sufficient. If you have been making music in the box or in the studio, and fancy expanding your skills into the world of VR – this is a course to explore. 

Course Duration: Saturday 21 February 11am-2pm, Sunday 22 February 11am-2pm and Saturday 28 February 11am-2pm, Sunday 1 March 11am-2pm

Location: The Studio, Bath, BA1 2NH