Digidesign & Pro Tools

About Digidesign and Pro Tools

Founded in 1985, Digidesign (a division of Avid) has become the leading manufacturer of computer-based digital audio production systems. They provide the professional music, broadcast, multimedia and film industries with tools for creation, production, recording, mixing, collaboration and distribution.

Partnership overview

The Box Hill Institute Pro School, a partnership between Digidesign and Box Hill Institute’s Centre for Performing Arts, was officially declared open on December 3, 2003. The Box Hill Institute Pro School provides a training and education program where students learn all aspects of Pro Tools digital audio workstation platforms. Box Hill Institute is the only place in Victoria where accredited training on Digidesign digital audio production hardware and software can be obtained.

This partnership is the result of a combination of enthusiasm from the Institute’s Performing Arts staff and Digidesign’s wishes to pursue links with an educational organisation with a reputable high standing in audio education.

Student benefits

The partnership provides Box Hill Institute’s Performing Arts students the opportunity to be trained from foundational through to expert-level in audio production, recording and broadcast techniques. The Pro School has allowed Box Hill Institute’s Performing Arts students to lead their peers in the music industry. Using Pro Tools digital workstations means students are working with cutting-edge technology, which is crucial in an ever-changing industry.

The Pro School system allows flexibility to conduct a recording session in a professional studio, save it to disc, edit and overdub on their home computer and then transfer back to the studio for final production.

Box Hill Institute’s Performing Arts students, whether they be songwriters, composers, musicians or audio practitioners can now migrate between systems of various size, cost and complexity with ease.

Staff benefits

Digidesign trains and certifies Box Hill Institute Pro School instructors to ensure Pro Tools are being used to their maximum capabilities and students are receiving the high level of training required by the recording industry.

Performing Arts staff have travelled to the USA at Digidesign Headquarters to ensure they provide training on up-to-date Digidesign-approved hardware and software. This type of training certifies staff members as specialist, authorised Pro School instructors.

The significance of the equipment and its impact on the recording industry is such that the role of Pro Tools operator has been created in addition to the traditional studio roles of recording engineer and record producer. With such a high level of training staff are able to continue enjoying their strong reputation in the provision of high-quality, industry-relevant training in audio production.