Institute of Audio Research

It’s a okay school, you have to know a little bit about audio before you go in or else you’re going to be lost, trust me

Everybody experience is different, but i can honestly say that my experience at this school was very unfavorable. i honestly felt that the instructors were unprofessional for the most part, an i was an afternoon student, which ment that i was unable to participate in 99% of the activities that could benefit me as an artist. i was also told by an instructor that this is just the way it is. there is only one small studio, which is the size of a bathroom in a one bedroom apartment. the interior is very dated an you will not learn any live
as an afternoon student i was not able to use the makeshift studio, it wasn’t open on the
experience here was absolutely one of the worst experience of my life. most people i know that graduated couldn’t even find a job, because this industry is based on who you know an your track record, here i might very unprofessional people, even by industry standards (if you know what i mean).they need a school just for aspiring artist an producers. the financial aid department will sell you a Disney world dream, one was even fired for guess what? unprofessionalism. most of all it was how 90%of the instructors attitude was that they didn’t care. i did six months, an got out while the getting was good. i talked to one of the senior instructors (the only good instructor).even he told me how disrespectful one of my instructors
glad this atrocious experience is over, im doing more independently. then to add insult to injury, i was told that i shouldn’t leave the school because of this instructor, if they only knew. the school isn’t even ranked in the top twenty for audio engineering, just food for thought, im just warning would be prospective students, beware.

I am a 2011 grad of IAR and I honestly believe enrolling in the school was one of the best choices I could have ever made. I’ll admit that at first I was intimidated by some of the courses, mainly Audio Electronics, but after the initial shock I really took to it. IAR opened my eyes to how broad the audio field is and helped me to listen to music in a whole new way. I also made amazing friendships while studying at the school. To be honest, you have to come into the school with an open mind and genuine love of audio. If you want to become the richest, greatest, most famous rapper/​producer of all time, well this school is NOT for you. This is not FAME so please don’t expect IAR to be a PERFORMANCE school. The professors are friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. Really, the only downside for me was having to share a classroom, with the 1 or 2 people who had no interest in the subject being taught or in applying themselves at all.

I attended IAR in 2004 and it was really a great experience. While I was in school, I was interning at Birdland doing FOH work. Towards the end of my 9 month stay, I was offered a full time position working at a post production company thanks to career services.
It’s now been 9 years and I am so incredibly grateful for all of the experience and knowledge that i gained there. I would recommend it to anyone!

Don’t waste your time or your money.
The fact is, you do not need any formal education to work in audio. I would suggest, if anything, go to a school that at least is regionally accredited and get a REAL degree that way. But really, this industry is all about WHO you know not WHAT you know.
I was beyond excited to go to IAR. From about 8^th grade on, I attended a bunch of different open houses. I took a «tour» of the hole-​in-​the-​wall facility. All that jazz. No pun intended. I started classes fresh out of high school in November 2006 doing the morning session. One of only 2 girls in the class which felt like junior high in the sense that we all moved to different rooms for each class but stayed together as a whole. It also felt like those one room schoolhouses where kids of all ages are all taught the same thing. I was a pretty good student but the areas I needed help in I just couldn’t get it. The thing is, despite their claims of «all you need is a high school diploma and a burning desire to make it in the music business» if you don’t already have a home studio or at least access to one and pretty much know a good amount about audio engineering prior to attending, everything goes way over your head. The one class I excelled in, ETA (Ear Training & Acoustics), was a cakewalk for me only because I studied everything they taught when I sang in the glee club in grade school and middle school. But I never understood the way things sounded different before and after the mixing and the terminology they used to describe the sounds like «muddy.» Exactly what does «muddy» sound like? I used to ask a bunch of questions and it was clear I was annoying the instructors. For $ 13K I’ll annoy you all I want with all my questions, thank you very much. I failed one class because I had a teacher that literally ignored me. I wish I could remember his name so I could blast him but he was a black guy with really messy dreads. I’m talking the dreads you get from not washing and combing your hair. Amazingly enough, I took the class over with Mesta Bish who was AMAZING and extremely patient with me and whaddya know? I passed. And not only just passed I passed with an A-​. So clearly me failing the first time around wasn’t for lack of effort. I got the most out of his class than any other because he really took the time out to make sure I knew what I was doing and not just memorizing stuff from a book or pressing whatever buttons the person next to me was. He made sure I had a full understanding of what everything was and why I was doing what I was doing. Unfortunately, he was pretty much the only teacher I had like that. I had to take some time off due to family reasons and I came back for the night classes this time as I now had a 9 – 5. I didn’t have much left to go anyway so I just took what I needed. I was supposed to get my diploma in the mail after I finished paying what was past due. It’s now almost 6 years later and no diploma. Why? I called and spoke to whoever was working that work in their revolving door staff in the records department and apparently I didn’t finish. Somehow, a bunch of my fourth quarter grades were «misplaced.» Mind you, I wasn’t the first person that happened to. There was another kid that was ready to burn the place down when they lost his grades. We thought it was kinda funny then but when it became apparent this isn’t exactly an uncommon occurrence we became alarmed. And it also turns out if you leave you only have time and a half to return which I never knew. So at this point I was @$$ out. Couldn’t return to finish and $ 13K gone. Well thankfully I had a grant to cover most of the cost so I ended up only having to pay about $ 3K in loans but still. Not to mention they only sent me on one interview when they said after taking the resume class you’d get lifetime job placement. I have 2 other friends that also attended and actually got their diplomas but were also left high and dry upon graduation. This school’s a joke. If you really wanna get into this business you gotta do some serious butt kissing and networking. That’s all there is to it. Go to live shows and events. Meet new people and make friends with those already doing what you are trying to do. Learn from working professionals. Not «instructors» who are only there because they can’t get a job in the industry themselves.

@Justin T.
I dont know why I am getting your post to me now. hehe almost 2 years late. I actually did take advantage of what they offered and I asked questions and wrote down notes and studied yet the industry is all who you know and as I said in my post the advancement of technology. I am sure when you attended it was much better my experience was not. Sometimes it isn’t about being the next top producer on the next big album but rather a feeling of satisfaction that you know how to run your mini studio front and back.

Truly a waste of money. The review by Tom Z. holds true today as it did in 2009.
There might be placement of a few students on some level at IAR but not nearly enough that it warrants throwing your money at a dart board and hoping it pans out.
Good luck especially being placed after the school year you graduate from, they got your money and you aren’t a priority. No amount of being up on the most current technology matters if you lack the ability to place most of your students, not even for an unpaid internship. Literally ZERO of my graduating class has a job in audio after attending the program.
This isn’t a matter of training or not training, this is about connections and the inability to help a good percentage of students get into the audio field. Look no further than IAR’s own forum which has listings and posts that sit for years, or beyond the success stories of a few high-​profile former students. You do this for 30 years you’ll get a couple of those.
Save your money or go someplace where they tell you their track-​record of placement up-​front. It’s not cheap to spend a big chunk of salary and end up wondering why you’re not in audio years later, or talking to career staff who could give a shit about whether you ever are.

@ Tom Z.
Wow, it is a shame that you feel that way. I can kind of sympathize with your review, but as you know technology is always changing, by the time you are done reading this, a new version of software/​hardware just came out with an update. You cant possibly expect IAR to be responsible for you not taking advantage of what they offer as far as going back to take the FREE classes, to retrain you in any aspect of the audio industry that you need. Aside from the fact that you are talking about 14 years ago? A lot has changed in 14 years. I built my first studio in 1997 and it was mainly analog, but I was just starting to incorporate digital technology. I just graduated from IAR and can not believe how much I learned there, not just in audio engineering, but in the music business, post production for film, and the basic fundamental needed to make it in the audio/​music world.
I recommend this school to anyone looking to get a great education from some of the best in the business. The halls are lined with gold and platinum records which host the names of the same people who are teaching you, and guiding you thru your experience at IAR. The recording studio, the post production rooms, and the lab rooms are all beautiful and use the most up to date technology. A lot of great talent has come from IAR. just check the alumni list on the website.

While I sympathize with the reviewer below, his review was pertaining to something over 12 years ago and much has changed in the music business since then. IAR contains a state-​of-​the-​art facility which includes a recording studio complex, post-​production suites, the most current computer technology, and much more.
In addition, IAR offers FREE technology re-​training for any grads in good standing who ask for it. Currently, graduates are being placed monthly, and hold important production and engineering positions throughout the audio industry. In the last 2 months alone, IAR graduates were placed at Atlantic Records, Def Jam Records, famous NYC jazz club Birdland, and radio station Hot 97, just to name a few.