Since the pandemic, I have been taking advantage of various online training courses and certification programs. I finished most of them a while ago, but I thought I’d post about it here for the record.

Firstly, I now have Dante Certification Level 3, which is to say that I thoroughly understand Dante technology and necessary IT infrastructure to implement complex Dante audio setup. I have been using Dante at work for many years, but this training got me to know it a lot deeper, especially on the IT side of things. Dante can be deployed on a standard Local Area Network infrastructure, and I can say that it is one of the best solution for sound distribution. It can also do video now, which makes it even better.

I have also completed QSC’s Q-SYS Level 1 Training. Q-SYS ecosystem is a nice AV solution for install systems, and it allows for a fairly complex system of signal processing, distribution, and user interaction. By being able to program User Interfaces and set up controls, the system can really be customized and tailored to the user’s needs. And at least for me, this kind of programming is fun.

Lastly, I am certified for Rational Acoustic’s software, Smaart, as Level 1 Smaart Operator. Smaart is an industry standard acoustic measurement software, and used by many sound engineers around the world. They always offered training classes, which I attended few years ago, and now, they also offer online certification program which I completed recently. It was a nice refresh since I haven’t had a chance to use it much as of late.

It’s been a challenging time and I just hope that I will get to use these skills and knowledge sometime soon at a real live event!