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private school

dBs Institute Plymouth

Plymouth is genuinely dBs's founding campus, not Bristol or Manchester, confirmed via Companies House: Deep Blue Sound Limited was incorporated 6 July 1998 at this exact address. dBs's own history names founders Nige Burt and Dave Puttick, who began building the commercial Deep Blue Sound studio in 1998, opened it in 1999, and took the first cohort of 7 students in 2000; Bristol didn't open until 2013, Manchester until 2022.

Degrees are validated by Falmouth University; the cheapest genuine route in is the Access to HE Diploma at £4,835/yr (routed through Access Creative College, which shares this building), well below the BA/BSc fee of £9,790/yr. An MA Innovation in Sound / MA Music Production is also offered at £10,500 full-time or £5,250/yr part-time, with an online option.

The campus has 7 recording studios, 3 live rooms, a Dolby Atmos mixing suite and 7 DJ suites, with desks including an SSL Duality, API 1608 and Neve Genesys.

Ableton: Certified Training Center, listed in Ableton's directoryFalmouth University: Validates dBs Institute's BA (Hons) and MA degreesMusic productionDJSound engineeringDegreeDiploma

At a glance

Price
From £4,835/yr
Location
6 Elizabeth Court, Higher Lane, Plymouth PL1 2AN
Subjects
Music production, DJ, Sound engineering
Formats
Degree, Diploma
Established
1998
Accreditation
Ableton, Falmouth University

Course structure

The formats dBs Institute Plymouth sells, and how long each one runs.

Access to HE Diploma (DJ & Electronic Music Production, or Music Production)1 year, £4,835/yr
BA (Hons) Electronic Music Production / Music Production & Sound Engineering3 years, £9,790/yr, validated by Falmouth University
MA Innovation in Sound / MA Music Production1 year full-time (£10,500) or 2 years part-time (£5,250/yr)

Worth knowing

  • Founded 1998 in Plymouth by Nige Burt and Dave Puttick, originally as the commercial studio Deep Blue Sound; Plymouth is the original dBs campus, predating Bristol (2013) and Manchester (2022) by 15 and 24 years respectively.
  • Shares its Higher Lane building with Access Creative College Plymouth, which has also been on that site since 1998.

Notable teaching staff

Pete Day

BA (Hons) Music Production & Sound Engineering Course Leader

Chart-topping mix engineer who became Stock Aitken Waterman's chief engineer, credited on a UK Number 1 with Kylie Minogue's 'Step Back in Time' and 13 UK top-ten hits including six Number Ones.

Frequently asked

What does dBs Institute Plymouth cost?

dBs Institute Plymouth's prices start from £4,835/yr, correct as of our last check.

Where is dBs Institute Plymouth based?

dBs Institute Plymouth is based at 6 Elizabeth Court, Higher Lane, Plymouth PL1 2AN.

What does dBs Institute Plymouth teach?

dBs Institute Plymouth teaches Music production, DJ, Sound engineering, in these formats: Degree, Diploma.

Is dBs Institute Plymouth accredited?

Yes. Ableton: Certified Training Center, listed in Ableton's directory. Falmouth University: Validates dBs Institute's BA (Hons) and MA degrees.

When was dBs Institute Plymouth founded?

dBs Institute Plymouth was established in 1998.

Sources

Every detail on this page is re-sourced from the school's own site, not copied from a register or aggregator. See the methodology for how that works.

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