Studio Techniques for the Recording Musician
This program is designed to give the student a complete overview of the recording process and processes required to engineer and produce a piece of music. This is a basic introductory course designed to give the recording musician not only knowledge and theory, but a practical and hands on working technique for micing, tracking, mixing, and basic mastering of a recorded piece of music.
This entry level course is for anyone from the novice musician getting involved in home recording to the seasoned pro who is looking to review and upgrade their basic practical techniques and theories.
Because of the nature of this course and the speed at which it is taught, the student will be responsible for reading the handed out material and being prepared for the next session.
Week 1 - Basic Studio Theory, Maintenance, and the Chain of Command.
This is an overview of the basic successful use and structure of the recording environment. An audio system can be as simple as a microphone connected to a tape recorder, or it could be an elaborate system of mixers, effects, compressors, eq's, and cables running to a multi-track digital recorder or hard disk based computer with audio software. The studio is a maze of wires and boxes, and the proper interconnection of these audio devices is crucial.
Also included in week one is understanding the ideas of what makes up a 'Studio', what makes up a 'Home' studio and the key differences between them. Specific jobs within the studio industry and the chain of command will be discussed.
Week 2 - Basic Studio Devices and Equipment
This includes reviewing the different types of microphones and effects processors. Understanding different types of reverbs and processing applications will be covered. Near field monitors and the listen environment will also be discussed.
This will be a hands on guide and study for knowing what to use and when to use it.
Week 3 - Understanding Devices - Part II
This will teach the student the signal flow of sound through the console and processing gear. Included will be; understanding mixing boards, mic preamps, eq, aux sends, patch bays, compressors, reverbs and other processing gear and their applications in music.
Week 4 - Music Production Overview
Includes modern recorded music critique and analysis. Understanding the ‘mixing screen’ and placement of the variables in music. eg. where to mix in the drums, vocals, guitars, keyboards, reverbs, etc.
Week 5 - Micing Techniques - Part 1
Understanding microphones and micing techniques and applications and putting them to use. Drum micing techniques and application. Electric instrument micing techniques and application. Acoustic instrument micing techniques and application. Vocal micing techniques and application.
Week 6 - Micing Techniques - Part 2. And Basic Tracking - Part 1
A continuation of week 5 with the added feature of tracking drums and analysing the techniques needed to produce great drum sounds. Dealing with room acoustics and room variables.
Week 7 - Basic Tracking - Part 2
Understanding the recording chain and getting the right levels. Tracking bass guitar, guitar, keyboards and vocals. Putting on the producer hat and becoming musical.
Week 8 - It’s the Ear and Not the Gear
Listening to the recorded musicians parts and understand the relationship between the instruments. Starting to mix in the ‘music screen‘.
Each student will play a part in deciding tones and quality of recorded music.
Week 9 - Introduction to Hard Disk recording.
The basics of hard disk verses analogue recording will be discussed. The practicalities of both in a changing and new recording market. Various hard disk recording programs will be discussed. Steinberg's CUBASE SX will be examined and the basic premise of this recording platform will be discussed. Why to use it, how and when.
Week 10 - Basic Mixing - Part 1
This is a two session class designed to examine track allocations, naming, basics of sampling, looping, and basic metering. Reverbs, Effects, Compression, Aux Sends, Groupings and Busses, and Channel basics will be discussed and set up.
Week 11 - Basic Mixing - Part 2
The basics of mixing will further be discussed and reviewed. Actual hands on mixes will be set up by the students. They will then prepare the audio files for the mastering process.
Week 12 - Basic Mastering
This is a basic hands on approach to get the mixed two-track sessions ready to master and proceeding to do and understand the final mastering of the music. A master CD will be prepared.
This program is designed to give the student a complete overview of the recording process and processes required to engineer and produce a piece of music. This is a basic introductory course designed to give the recording musician not only knowledge and theory, but a practical and hands on working technique for micing, tracking, mixing, and basic mastering of a recorded piece of music.
This entry level course is for anyone from the novice musician getting involved in home recording to the seasoned pro who is looking to review and upgrade their basic practical techniques and theories.
Because of the nature of this course and the speed at which it is taught, the student will be responsible for reading the handed out material and being prepared for the next session.
Week 1 - Basic Studio Theory, Maintenance, and the Chain of Command.
This is an overview of the basic successful use and structure of the recording environment. An audio system can be as simple as a microphone connected to a tape recorder, or it could be an elaborate system of mixers, effects, compressors, eq's, and cables running to a multi-track digital recorder or hard disk based computer with audio software. The studio is a maze of wires and boxes, and the proper interconnection of these audio devices is crucial.
Also included in week one is understanding the ideas of what makes up a 'Studio', what makes up a 'Home' studio and the key differences between them. Specific jobs within the studio industry and the chain of command will be discussed.
Week 2 - Basic Studio Devices and Equipment
This includes reviewing the different types of microphones and effects processors. Understanding different types of reverbs and processing applications will be covered. Near field monitors and the listen environment will also be discussed.
This will be a hands on guide and study for knowing what to use and when to use it.
Week 3 - Understanding Devices - Part II
This will teach the student the signal flow of sound through the console and processing gear. Included will be; understanding mixing boards, mic preamps, eq, aux sends, patch bays, compressors, reverbs and other processing gear and their applications in music.
Week 4 - Music Production Overview
Includes modern recorded music critique and analysis. Understanding the ‘mixing screen’ and placement of the variables in music. eg. where to mix in the drums, vocals, guitars, keyboards, reverbs, etc.
Week 5 - Micing Techniques - Part 1
Understanding microphones and micing techniques and applications and putting them to use. Drum micing techniques and application. Electric instrument micing techniques and application. Acoustic instrument micing techniques and application. Vocal micing techniques and application.
Week 6 - Micing Techniques - Part 2. And Basic Tracking - Part 1
A continuation of week 5 with the added feature of tracking drums and analysing the techniques needed to produce great drum sounds. Dealing with room acoustics and room variables.
Week 7 - Basic Tracking - Part 2
Understanding the recording chain and getting the right levels. Tracking bass guitar, guitar, keyboards and vocals. Putting on the producer hat and becoming musical.
Week 8 - It’s the Ear and Not the Gear
Listening to the recorded musicians parts and understand the relationship between the instruments. Starting to mix in the ‘music screen‘.
Each student will play a part in deciding tones and quality of recorded music.
Week 9 - Introduction to Hard Disk recording.
The basics of hard disk verses analogue recording will be discussed. The practicalities of both in a changing and new recording market. Various hard disk recording programs will be discussed. Steinberg's CUBASE SX will be examined and the basic premise of this recording platform will be discussed. Why to use it, how and when.
Week 10 - Basic Mixing - Part 1
This is a two session class designed to examine track allocations, naming, basics of sampling, looping, and basic metering. Reverbs, Effects, Compression, Aux Sends, Groupings and Busses, and Channel basics will be discussed and set up.
Week 11 - Basic Mixing - Part 2
The basics of mixing will further be discussed and reviewed. Actual hands on mixes will be set up by the students. They will then prepare the audio files for the mastering process.
Week 12 - Basic Mastering
This is a basic hands on approach to get the mixed two-track sessions ready to master and proceeding to do and understand the final mastering of the music. A master CD will be prepared.