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Music Production UAL Level 3

music technology a level
Getting Ahead

Music Production (UAL Level 3)

Welcome to UAL Level 3 Music Production! To help you get ready and hit the ground running, here are some fun and useful activities to build your skills and confidence before the course starts.

students working with music tech equipment

Understanding how synthesizers work is key to modern music production. Ableton has an excellent interactive guide:

Learn the Fundamentals of Synthesis

Spend some time exploring the different sections – experiment with oscillators, filters, envelopes and LFOs.

If you’re new to creating tracks, this interactive Ableton site is brilliant for learning how music is structured and put together:

Learn the Fundamentals of Music Making

Try making a simple drum pattern, bassline and melody.

Brief:

Create a short piece of music, 2–3:30 minutes long, using:

  • Samples and loops

  • Drum breaks

  • Synthesizers

  • Creative effects (like reverb, delay, filters, etc.)

You can use any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) you have at home (e.g. Ableton, FL Studio, Logic, GarageBand). If you don’t have one, use BandLab, a free, browser-based DAW:

BandLab Online DAW

Tips:

  • Focus on developing a strong beat and atmosphere.

  • Think about arrangement – intro, build-up, main section, ending.

  • Experiment and have fun!

Save your final piece as an audio file (MP3/WAV) and be ready to share it at the start of the course.

Pick two tracks in any genre you like. For each one:

  • Identify 3 production techniques you can hear (e.g. reverb on vocals, sidechain compression, layered synths).

  • Make a note of how these techniques affect the sound.

Your Learning Space

Learning Space *This is a representation of your learning space and may not be the exact room you will be using

The teaching and support was really great, the quality was really great, all the teachers really care about your education as well as your wellbeing, they take everything into consideration and they’re great.

Katie Whittingham, A Level student

My time at the college was definitely life changing, I have learnt a lot of new skills, and obviously it’s a completely new experience. The support was great, there was always people there to help and try make it as easy as they can for you. The college is really fantastic, it has helped me on the way to get to what I want to achieve within my career goals.

Erin Morgan, BTEC student

My experience at the College was great, it’s very different to school, and I think it’s a good step to going to university. The support was amazing, I loved all of my teachers, they helped me through everything. The College is friendly and you will succeed.

Heidi Adamson Brattland, A Level student