The course unfolds through interconnected themes that approach experimental gaming as a multi-sensory art form - where sound, image and movement shape one another. While many participants come from music or sound backgrounds, the course is designed so that sound can take on real weight and presence within a larger whole - emerging naturally as one of the most compelling parts of the work.

• Reality – Sound walks, tableaux, urban theory
  Translate the textures and rhythms of real environments into digital form through sound walks and urban observation.
• Sounds – Composition, design and attention
  Explore how sound can transform space and experience. Create audio that draws attention and reshapes how people listen and move within a world.
• Concept – Theory and design
  Engage with ideas from sound studies, media theory and spatial design to build conceptual frameworks that guide your project.

Week 1 – Reality & Foundations

Focus: Listening, context, and creative reuse.

• How gaming technologies are used in art, film, and installation.
• Sound walks and urban listening - collecting textures and rhythms.
• Introduction to pre-built and generative game worlds.
• Asset-hacking basics: modifying visuals, props, and simple logic.
• Composition workshop: first sound palette and musical theme.
• Colloquium 1 – The Expanded Game: engines and interactivity as tools for art and cinema.
• Tutorials: project ideas and scope.

Output: Short City Postcard scene integrating first audio and visual elements.

Week 2 – Systems & Generative Audio

Focus: Adaptive, procedural, and generative design.

• Adaptive music systems - layering, transitions, and states.
• Procedural sound and rule-based playback.
• Generative environments - time, motion, and noise systems.
• Cross-platform workflow (DAW ↔ engine ↔ middleware).
• Composition lab: expanding motifs into dynamic sound packs.
• Colloquium 2 – Systems & Chance: emergence and control in games and media.
• Peer review and feedback.

Output: Prototype with adaptive sound and a working generative system.

Week 3 – Story & Character

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Develop a distinct creative voice in music and sound for experimental games and hybrid art/film projects.
• Understand how game technologies inform contemporary practices in art, film, and installation.
• Work confidently in Unity for real-time audio, and adapt assets/projects from Unreal → Unity pipelines.
• Design and implement adaptive/procedural sound systems with FMOD and Wwise.
• Apply generative and rule-based techniques to create evolving soundscapes and musical structures.
• Curate/remix existing assets - visual, sonic, and structural - to build new works without starting from scratch.
• Compose and produce using professional DAWs with primary instruction in Reaper; optional specialised sessions in Ableton Live; students may use their preferred DAW.

This programme is designed for individuals at various stages of their creative journey:

• Beginners: Gain core skills in sound design, composition, and interactive audio while creating a distinctive portfolio piece.
• Interdisciplinary artists and producers: Expand your practice into the field of experimental games and hybrid audiovisual art, learning to integrate real-time engines, spatial sound, and adaptive music into your projects.
• Current or former MSVM students: Deepen your expertise within a specific medium, using tools such as Unity, FMOD, Wwise, and Dolby Atmos while exploring generative and AI-assisted methods of working.

Graduates will be well-equipped to pursue careers in sound design and adaptive audio for games and interactive media, music production and composition for film, art, and hybrid projects, installation and exhibition sound design, and other technical or creative roles involving spatial or procedural audio. This course also provides a strong foundation for those considering further study or specialisation in the Music & Sound for Visual Media BA or HE Certificate programmes at Catalyst.

Enrolment fee*: €495

Course fee: €1,755

Total: €2,250

Early Bird Discount: Enrol in a Summer Short Course before the end of February 2025 and receive a discount of €150 off the tuition fee.

Multi Course Discount: Enrol in both a Summer Short Course and a degree course with us in the same year, and receive a discount of €500 off the total tuition fee.

*Enrolment fee is non-refundable.

We can’t provide an exact timetable until we know how many students will attend the course. However, you will have an average of 16 hours per week of workshops.

Our campus facilities are open for the students to use beyond the timetabled workshop hours. Studios and equipment for continued experimentation and development are bookable from 10:00 until 19:45 during the Short Course term. 

The most important prerequisite for attending this course is that you must be passionate about building and developing your skills within electronic music production.

Our Short Courses are designed to be accessible to anyone, so we do not require any level of academic certification to apply. Generally, applicants must be 18 or over when the course begins. If you're coming from outside the EU, a holiday/travel visa will usually suffice.

For more information, please contact a member of the Admissions team. We love to chat! You can reach out to us at:

Email: admissions@catalyst-berlin.com

Phone: book a call

Early bird deadline: 31 March 2026
Final application deadline: 29 May 2026

Spots fill up fast. Once a course is full, you'll be placed on the waiting list.

Save €150 with the Early Bird Discount
Apply to any Summer Short Course before 31 March 2026 to secure your spot early and receive €150 off your tuition fee.