At Musikmesse, I had a lovely chat with iZotope’s staff and among other things, we both agreed on one thing: in this day and age, for music producers and musicians learning how to improve their skills is somehow more important than getting new tools.
A revealing conversation, it seems: today iZotope has unveiled Pro Audio Essentials (PAE), a free game-based course for music producers to practice and improve their audio skills. This web-based educational experience offers a unique combination of audio games, ear training, and instructional videos that help music makers flourish in an interactive learning environment.
The course’s interactive, game-based design helps users practice concepts even as they’re having fun leveling up through audio challenges. Through regular practice, players will steadily improve their understanding of audio essentials like equalization, compression, bit depth, and sample rate. Both beginning and experienced producers will reap noticeable benefits when recording, mixing, and mastering.
PAE has been designed by mastering expert Jonathan Wyner, iZotope’s GRAMMY-nominated Director of Education. I had a quick look at the platform, and I’ve liked what I’ve seen. The short video tutorials are well-done (don’t expect in-depth explanations though) and the gaming concept is simple but pretty addictive. Just make sure you have some good speakers!
The platform is divided into three main areas: equalization, compression, bit depth, and digital audio basics. At the moment, only the equalization area seems complete (each area will feature four sections: learn, explore, practice and challenge) but I’m sure iZotope is working hard to have the full package ready in the next few weeks.
Thumbs up so far, and I’m looking forward to seeing more from PAE.
Availability and Pricing
Pro Audio Essentials is available free of charge. For optimal gameplay, visit pae.izotope.com from a desktop computer.
