The School of Audio Engineering was set up in October 1976 by engineer/producer Tom Misner who, in so doing, developed the first practical/theoretical curriculum. At this point in time there were NO other colleges anywhere in the world offering practical audio education. The first course was mostly held in our own 4 track recording studio.

The first 9 month course commences in February, in Sydney Australia with a Sony 4-track tape recorder and a custom made 12 channel mixing console.

SAE Institute Melbourne, the 2nd college, is established in North Fitzroy, a suburb of Melbourne, with a small 8 track studio and some editing tape machines. SAE Institute Melbourne was the first branch office.

SAE Institute Sydney is upgraded with a Soundcraft Series II console and an Ampex 24 track tape recorder. Tom Misner commences publishing Australia’s first professional audio magazine - Australian Sound & Broadcast quickly establishing itself as the industry standard publication.

SAE Institute Brisbane, the 3rd college, as it turns out later will move three times in the next few years. Sydney expands by taking over the complete building and opening our first commercial studio Central Recorder. The studio becomes popular in Sydney as one of only few 24 track recording studio recording.

Sydney commences with the acceptance of overseas students and gains the first form of government recognition - a public service grading. Because we want to give all students individual practical studio time, the first practical audio workstations are designed by Tom Misner. SAE Institute Townsville (Australia), a special college, is designed to operate for one year only to train the local TV and radio station staff in the area.

SAE Institute Adelaide, the 4th college commences operation early in the year. SAE Institute Perth, the 5th college, is established in August. One of our biggest thefts occurs in Melbourne, someone came into the studio and stole our main studio console!

The year of consolidation and learning. The main expansion this year is in the direction of publishing with the introduction of a number of new magazine titles including the well known UK magazine International Musician and Recording World (Australian Edition). SAE Institute Brisbane relocates to larger premises and most of our equipment is updated. This was to be the first SAE college to be ‘purpose built’ into an empty warehouse, allowing Tom Misner to lay the architectural foundations for all future design of SAE colleges. The first copies of the SAE Institute concept started appearing in Australia and on the international level in America.

SAE Institute Coffs Harbour (Australia) is set up for one year only to conduct a course on behalf of the local television and radio stations, but, due to surprising local demand, the college stays open for a further year.

On a business trip to London, Tom Misner notices that there are no professional audio colleges at all operating in the UK. This leads directly to the establishment of SAE Institute London, the first overseas college. Operation commences in March. The college is equipped with a Fostex 16 track tape recorder and a Studiomaster console. Tom Misner designs the new logo (current logo) which is now used for the first time in our advertisements.

SAE Institute Munich, our first foreign language school, opens in Germany. The audio course is extended to 15 months part-time. SAE Institute Frankfurt commences late in the year, both German colleges are initially equipped with the TAC Scorpion consoles and we exhibit for the first time at the Frankfurt Musik Messe the world’s largest music equipment show. The first UK copy of an SAE Institute opens in Manchester.

SAE Institute Vienna the first college in Austria is opened in February. The first custom-designed audio broadcast program is conducted by SAE Germany for radio station ‘Radio Free Europe’. The radio station is controlled from the USA by the CIA. SAE Institute Perth moves premises (to next door) expands all studio facilities and sponsors the Santana Concert in Perth.

SAE Institute Sydney undertakes a major move and equipment update. The new school is located in Wentworth Avenue, Sydney where we undertake the largest fit-out ever attempted by SAE Institute. During construction our safe is broken into and cash was taken nearly forcing us to close. In London, SAE Institute graduate Tim Simmons (Bomb the Bass) gains success as an artist and producer for dance tracks. SAE Institute Berlin the third German college is opened late in the year with special assistance from the german government. SAE Institute registered the world rights to the ‘Tonmeister’ label. A new course ‘Live Sound Engineering’ (another first) is offered by SAE Institute.

SAE Institute London relocates to much larger premises the equipment is updated and we install our first Neve console. SAE Institute introduces the 6 months part-time ‘Studio Sound Certificate’ course. Australian Sound and Broadcast magazine publishes its last issue.

SAE Institute Auckland is established with a 24 track studio and the Auckland college is granted full government approval (NZQA). SAE Institute introduces the ‘DJ and Sampling’ course in London. SAE Institute Glasgow commences operation late in the year.

SAE Institute Amsterdam, our new European operational head office is opened. Our newsletter circulation commences in Europe and is now available in three languages, its designed to assist students in finding jobs. SAE Institute places of the largest orders of Neve consoles, called for the supply of 11 VR series consoles. The first student CD, a compilation of various student projects is mastered. SAE Institute Singapore commences in September as the first audio college in Asia.

SAE Institute Berlin is updated with a Neve console. SAE Institute Sydney updates the main studio with a Sony MXP fully automated console. SAE Institute Munich relocates to larger premises and installs a Neve VR console. The audio engineering programme is extended to 15 months part-time in all colleges. SAE Institute Kuala Lumpur opens in October with a Jade console and Otari 24 track. The College is based in the complex of King Musical Industries one of the largest record distributors and recording studios in the region.

SAE Institute Paris opens in our own large free standing building. The college has a Neve VR console with Flying Faders, two recording studios and a total of twenty various workstations. Partial government approval and funding for students is given to SAE Institute by the french Government. SAE Institute Melbourne is relocated and updated with a Sony MXP console and 24 track studio. SAE Institute Hamburg opens and commences operation as the first college to teach extensive digital practice. The studios are based upon the Soundtracs Jade console, Sony APR multitrack and ProTools III.

SAE Institute Kuala Lumpur gains government approval (Ministry of Education). The first SAE Institute Book (Practical Studio Techniques by Tom Misner) is published. The first SAE Institute European inter-college soccer competition takes place in Amsterdam - the eventual winner is Frankfurt. SAE Institute forms an official link with the Australian University (Southern Cross University) to offer a joint degree program (BA Music Production). The School of Audio Engineering changes its name to SAE Technology College. Tom Misner opens the only new large commercial recording studio in Australia to be built in the 90’s. Known as Mirage Studios it is a world class recording studio (Neve VR with Flying Faders, Studer A 820, ProTools III 32 tracks and four racks full of the latest effects).

The first SAE-ProSchool is established in London teaching the Digidesign ProTools system. Tom Misner purchases the largest studio complex in Sweden - Soundtrade Studios houses five studios. The main studio live room has the capacity to house a full orchestra. SAE Institute Stockholm (Sweden) commences with the first audio course instructed in Swedish. SAE Institute Glasgow moves into the main business district of Glasgow with our own studios based on the Otari MTR 90 multitrack and digital ADAT multitracks. SAE Zurich has now been established in the Technopark industrial complex. The studio is equipped with a Neve VR console and Studer A800 multitrack. SAE Institute Hobart, the 6th college in Australia, opens. The first multimedia program called ‘Multimedia Producer’ commences in Sydney with SAE Institute Vienna following later in the year. The multimedia program is now also offered in Berlin, Zurich and Singapore. SAE Institute Asia Sdn Bhd is established to promote the franchise concept within the Asia region. Excluding Singapore and Malaysia, all other SAE Institute colleges around the world are not a franchise. SAE Institute Cologne, the fifth German College, opens later in that year and offers both the audio and multimedia programmes. SAE Institute Singapore receives government approval and is able to accept overseas students. A new student administration system is introduced into all SAE Institute colleges.

The current Newsletter reaches a circulation of 100,000 copies. The multimedia program is expanded to Zurich and Singapore. The first full university degree programme is launched by SAE Institute Sydney with the cooperation of the Southern Cross University. SAE Institute Singapore is to move to larger premises and is installing a full digital studio. SAE Institute Frankfurt now offers the first live sound program in Germany. SAE Institute Milano, the first college to open in Italy, is based upon a Neve VR console and Otari multitracks.

SAE Institute becomes landlord and purchases all of its Australian colleges and some of the overseas operations. SAE Institute Sydney moves to our own 4 floor building. SAE Institute London doubles in size by taking extra space. SAE Institute Germany increases the multimedia department due to excessive demand. The first multimedia-only college in Stuttgart starts in October, the college later expands to offer audio programs. SAE Institute forms the SAE Entertainment Company for professional production of CD ROM, CD extra, CD audio and internet homepages.

SAE Institute Adelaide moves to new premises. SAE Institute New York is licensed and a building is chosen on 40th Street. A major deal is signed with Walt Disney Entertainment. SAE Institute Zurich expands college by the addition of new recording studios. SAE Institute purchases 4 SSL G+ consoles. Over 500 Macintosh Power PC computers are installed at various SAE colleges. SAE Institute Athens opens late in the year, and SAE Institute London expands again. Currently there are 1.25 million sq ft rented to SAE colleges used for education world wide, making SAE Institute 10 times larger than the nearest competitor. SAE Institute enters into a collaborative arrangement with Middlesex University, England and the first BA (Hons) degree programmes are run at the London, Munich and Sydney campuses.

SAE Institute Nashville starts operation in the center of Music Row with an neve and SSL console. SAE Institute purchases Australia’s premier recording facility (Studio 301) which is the world’s second oldest recording studio, established in 1926 a few months after Abbey Road. SAE Institute Munich is the first college to start the Digital Film Program in November 1999, with Cologne, Hamburg and Vienna to follow in spring. Tom Misner receives his doctorate from Middlesex University. SAE College officially adopts the name SAE Institute and the SAE logo is updated.

SAE Institute Munich now offers film and audio Degree programs. SAE Institute Hamburg starts the Digital Film Program. For the first time in the history of SAE Institute 4 new franchise schools are established in India. SAE Institute establishes a new structure with a Board of Directors. SAE Institute Frankfurt and SAE Institute Amsterdam expands to make room for its new multimedia department. SAE Institute Stuttgart moves to a bigger location. SAE Institute Berlin expands Institute to cater for the digital film program.

Finally we made it: 25 years of SAE Institute. Late in the year saw the opening of SAE Institute Miami, Liverpool and Madrid. Final planning approval has been given for the SAE Institute’s new head office in Byron Bay, Australia. Tom Misner purchases the largest recording studio in Germany, which is now part of the Studios 301 Group. Version 3 of the SAE Audio Book is released and many new franchise Institutes are currently under construction and negotiating. Studio 301 buys the first one million dollar mixing console: the Neve 88R.

SAE Institute Adelaide and SAE Institute Perth turn 20. The new Digital Film Making Program is starting in Australia and Europe. SAE Institute Thiruvananthapuram, India, commences operation. A number of colleges are updated and receive new large consoles (SSL). SAE Institute Miami installs a 120 Channels Sony Oxford console. SAE Institute Berlin and SAE Institute Athens are accredited as Degree Centers by Middlesex University, England.

The SAE Alumni Association is founded. SAE Institute Brussels, Belgium, and SAE Institute Yangon, Myanmar, are opened. SAE Institute Myanmar is later taken over by the local government. SAE Institute Berlin is now offering the first Bachelor courses in Germany. The new headquarters in Byron Bay, Australia, opens with the world’s first SSL9000K for educational use. SAE Institute New York moves to a new location doubling in size.

SAE Institute Munich, Amsterdam, Melbourne, Stuttgart and Hamburg all move to new, bigger and improved premises. SAE Institute Leipzig opens. SAE Institute Barcelona opens. International Mackie Traction contest. SAE Institute purchases a second SSL9000K console to be used by 301 and SAE Institute Sydney. SAE Institute acquires QANTM, Australia’s leading production, new media and training company. Qantm college is expanded to Sydney.

SAE Institute Singapore moves premises and installs new SSL 900 console, our first school in the middle east (Dubai) opens, SAE Institute LA commences operation on Sunset Blv., SAE Group purchases one of the leading mixing console manufacturers AMS-Neve, SAE Alumni hold its first conference in Frankfurt, sadly our Director of Education Prof. Clive Pascoe passes away.

SAE Institute celebrates the 30th anniversary with a function held at the new Berlin campus. The introduction of new locations include SAE Institute Atlanta in the USA and also SAE Institute Kuwait in the Middle East. Along with the formation of ‘SAE consulting’, a company specializing in studio & acoustic design the introduction of SAE Corporate Training across the Middle East brings SAE Institute into the corporate B2B world. New state-of-the art studios are built for SAE Institute Sydney, Brisbane, Nashville to ensure the provision of the latest equipment for students. Towards the end of 2006 SAE Institute also launches the new, fully interactive SAE Institute Global website. SAE Institute Nashville gains ACCST approval. The Studios 301 mastering studios are moved to a new purpose build building next to the recording studios creating the largest sound studio complex in the southern hemisphere.

SAE Institute Amman is opened by Jordanian Royalty. SAE Institute Brisbane expands facilities and location. SAE Institute Sydney undergoes a full renovation installing new studios, theater and classrooms. Our Alumni magazine becomes the highest circulating audio publication. SAE Institute Rotterdam moves to new premises. SAE Alumni organizations hold a very successful conference and show at our Berlin location the exhibition is now becoming an annual event. SAE launches mySAE.org networking site. SAE Institute Australia is now fully approved a government degree granting institute with FEE Help provisions for our students.

SAE Institute purchases new head office location in the UK, SAE Oxford. SAE Institute purchases successful on line audio education provider audiocourses.com SAE Institute London moves to our own 7 floor building custom build and designed for our purpose. SAE Institute appoints Prof. Zbys Klich as new Director of Education. SAE Institute Cape Town our first school is opend in Africa commencing operation in July. SAE Institute launches a new international web page.