The course is organized annually by the Accredited Sound School and classes take place every Monday from the beginning of October to the end of May from 2 pm.

I'm atteding the course with the support of my employer, the Vysočina Regional Gallery in Jihlava, as part of employee training, where I, the gallery's installation technician, am trying to deepen my knowledge and skills in the field of sound engineering.

In the previous ten classes (seminars), we focused mainly on the theoretical part, combined with thematically related practical demonstrations. The syllabus and topics discussed by the lecturers included, for example, an introduction to acoustics and acoustic materials, signal composition, phases, electro-acoustic chains, occupational health and safety, types of microphones and their construction, dynamic processors, filters, equalizers, D. I. Boxes, effects, types of speakers and their construction and many others... A total of thirteen lecturers take care of nourishing our brains, namely, for example, Jindra Varhan or Jan Šafařík.

"Forte or pianissimo? The dynamics of music are primarily created by the musician, but various dynamics processors give us, sound engineers, a lot of options for how to work with it additionally." Threshold, ratio, attack, release, all these terms were unknown to me until recently.

This time, both the theoretical part and practical exercises with an analog mixing console took place in the theater hall. For these purposes, the lecturers provided us with a gift in the form of the band Kapela Hrůzy. We tried out how to prepare everything for the musicians, unpack everything from the shipping boxes, properly connect all the equipment and instruments, and then do the sound check. Jindra showed us how to work on an analog mixer, how to plan in advance the layout of musical instruments, speakers, microphones, and where to properly route the cables to avoid injuries or damage to the equipment. There was also a sound check with each member of the band separately and then together. He showed us what we were doing wrong and why, what good habits were, and that there were several ways to wind the cable.

This course is intended for sound engineers, musicians, technicians, production people, simply everyone who wants a great sound experience from a cultural event, concert, or studio recording. I firmly believe that I will use the information and skills gained from the courses in our IGLOO sound gallery for various new media art installations, exhibit openings, or preparing exhibitions and conferences. I look forward to all of your "Next Informative Talks," dear lecturers.

Peter Urbánek, January 10, 2025