Johannesburg-based Academy of Sound Engineering celebrated its 2013 graduates at the Linder auditorium on Tuesday, 8 April. The audio college came together to honour graduates in the Diploma in Sound Engineering and Higher Certificate in Audio Technology.
A number of top achievers received awards from the ceremony’s sponsors valued at over R160,000. Sponsors included Audiosure, Wild and Marr, Surge Sound, Music Connection, Prosound, Stage Audio Works, and AVL Distribution. Sound GP handled the sound and AV for the event.
The overall top student, Mari Potgieter with 96% for electronics and an average of 88% for all subjects (the second highest top student average since the school’s inception), received the Top Student Award of an Allen & Heath QU-16 mixing console, sponsored by Audiosure. She was also presented with a pair of Shure SRH440 headphones, JBL 5″ two-way powered studio monitors, a Shure PG27 general recording microphone and a Shure studio windscreen from Wild and Marr for taking the Top Diploma Student in Music Production award.
The award for Top Diploma Student in Live Sound was awarded to Willem van Eeden. Sponsored by Surge Sound, he received a full Smaart v.7Di acoustic analysis package which included the software, a Smaart I-O USB Interface, a RTA420 reference microphone and a one-day Crash course on the Smaart software.
The Top Diploma Student in Broadcasting Technology award went to Katlego Gaobuse who received a Samson studio pop filter, a set of Audio Technica ATH-M20x professional headphones, a Van Damme touring grade microphone cable, an AKG perception 220 condenser microphone, a Focusrite Scarlet USB audio interface, a Samson microphone stand and Yamaha HS5 powered studio monitors, sponsored by Music Connection. Gaobuse also received the Top Diploma Student in Practical Projects award. Sponsored by Pro Sound, his prize was an Audio Technica AT2050 microphone and a set of Audio Technica ATH-M50 headphones.
The Top Diploma Student in Audio Post Production went to Ryan Brink. His award, sponsored by Stage Audio Works, included a set of Yamaha HS5 Powered Studio Monitors, a Sennheiser MKE 2-EW GOLD omni-directional lapel microphone, an Explorer Case with custom foaming, a Leatherman Wave, a Radial USB Pro stereo DI for USB source including a USB A-B 1.8m cable.
The Top Diploma Student in Higher Certificate Audio Technology award went to Gift Makoloza and was sponsored by Audiosure. He received an Allen & Heath ZED10 mixer, a Samson Graphite MIDI keyboard, a Samson MTR101A condenser microphone kit, and Samson Media One 5A BT studio monitors.
The Top Diploma Student in Pro Tools award, sponsored by AVL Distribution, went to Dylan Barnes. Barnes received a Pro Tools Express bundle with an M-Box and an iLok.
Finally, the Top First Year Diploma Student 2013 award went to Brandon Bosch who received a pair of Sennheiser headphones and a R2500 gift voucher from Music Connection.
