The Audio Masterclass
Music Production and Sound Engineering Online Course

Module 1 of the Audio Masterclass Music Production and Sound Engineering Online Course is our 'back to basics' module where we cover the essentials of Analog and Digital Audio.

We also cover soundproofing and acoustic treatment. In the Practical Assignment Project we will ask you to send us a simple recording of speech. From this we will be able to tell what stage you are at in your journey to recording excellence.

Recording speech might sound simple, but in fact we rarely receive a recording that we can't suggest improvements to in some way. In some cases the improvement after just one Practical Assignment Project is huge.

In Module 2 we look at microphones and how to use them. Microphones come in a small number of basic types, and you have to know which type is best for the style of recording you are making.

Even more important is how to position the microphone. Pros call this Microphone Technique. Get this wrong and your recording is ruined - there's nothing you can do afterwards to put things right.

The Practical Assignment Project for this module will help you learn and understand how different microphones sound on a variety of sound sources.

The topic of Microphone Preamplifiers is pretty hot at the moment, so we cover it in intense detail in Module 3, with audio examples of many preamplifiers in common professional use.

Usually, the question you have to ask is do you want an accurate sound? Or do you want an improved and enhanced version of what the voice or instrument really sounds like?

The Practical Assignment Project here looks at stereo microphone techniques. It's quite tough and you will learn a lot from doing this one.

Sometimes, the instrument or voice you will be recording doesn't sound quite right for the song. It could be that the balance of frequencies isn't right - too much low, too little top, a problem in the midrange. Equalization can help. Module 4 will show you how to correct problems in frequency balance.

But equalization can also be used for creative purposes - to make sounds that are better than real life. We'll show you how to do this. We will also show you how equalization is used in the mix to give each instrument and voice its own 'frequency space' so your mix can be clear and powerful.

Compression is like 'magic fairy dust' that we can use to sprinkle on our recordings. The basic function of compression is to even out the louds and quiets in a recording.

But compression, when used properly as explained in Module 5, can add sparkle and texture to a track. You can use it on individual instruments or voices, or across the entire mix.

We'll show you how. In the Practical Assignment Project you will be asked to compress recordings ranging from solo vocal to full orchestra.

Recording Software is usually quite easy to start using. But it can also be incredibly complex with an enormous range of functions.

But there are certain techniques that pros use over and over again, as explained in Module 6. Once you have mastered these techniques - which are straightforward when you know how - you will be able to record good strong tracks, edit out any blemishes, improve the structure of your song, and bounce and mix with confidence.

You will find yourself flying around the most important commands and controls - whichever software you use. By the way, hardware recorders use many of the same principles, so you will be able to understand these too. The Audio Masterclass Music Production and Sound Engineering Online Course is compatible with all recording software and hardware.

In Module 7, Effects and Plug-ins, we look at all the wonderful software and hardware that can take ordinary and everyday sounds and turn them into impressive, ear-catching sonic textures.

Take reverberation for instance. There is hardly a recording released that doesn't feature artificial reverberation. Sometimes it's done to mimic a natural concert hall setting. Sometimes it's done just because it sounds good! We'll show you how to get the best from your reverb plug-ins. And we'll show you how to create artificial reverb without a reverb unit or plug-in! That's the Practical Assignment Project for this module, and you'll be amazed how good it sounds.

This module also covers phasing, flanging, chorusing, pitch change, aural enhancement and warmth generation.

Some bands can perform and record with just guitars, bass and drums. More often keyboard or software instruments are added to provide a greater range of musical textures.

It's easy to select preset programs and find the sound you want. But the danger is that you'll sound just like everyone else who has the same instrument.

Module 8, Synthesis and Sampling covers the two main areas of music technology that you can use to your advantage to stand out from the crowd.

The Practical Assignment Project in this module is all about creativity. We'll ask you to take your sonic imagination to places it has never been before! And we'll play you music and soundscapes created by other Audio Masterclass students that will blow you away.

Now that all of the components of your Music Production and Sound Engineering skills are in place, it's time to start making serious recordings.

Module 9, on Recording Techniques, covers all the skills you will use to record a rock band in the studio, or an orchestra, choir, jazz band - in fact just about any recording task you could ever be called upon to perform.

"What's the most difficult challenge in recording?" you could ask. Well the answer must be an outdoor marching band! We'll even give you strategies to handle that.

But seriously, one of the biggest challenges isn't technical - it's getting musicians to perform at their best in the studio. We'll give you strategies, hints and tips on how to become a master producer.

Mixing is an incredibly important part of the production process. In the early days of recording, all the instruments were recorded together so there was no mixing process. Now every instrument is recorded onto its own separate track, and mixing twenty, thirty or more tracks is always a real challenge.

In Module 10, we give you a complete professionally-produced multitrack recording to work with, by one of our Audio Masterclass Featured Artists. You will work with the individual tracks professionally recorded in the studio.

We will help you craft a mix that would sound great on radio, television, CD or download. When you can do that, you can take your experience and use it to make mixes of your own music that sound just as good.

Mastering is a hot topic at the moment. Mastering is where the finished mix is given one final 'polish'. It's your last chance to improve your mix before it is released to the listening public.

It used to be thought that mastering could only be done properly by specialist mastering engineers. It's true that there's a lot that can go wrong, and it is much easier to ruin a track in the mastering process than it is to improve it.

But in Module 11 we break down the mastering process into a series of separate tracks. We show you what you should be doing to get the best out of your recording, and how to avoid the many potential problems.

In the Practical Assignment Project for this module you will master a track using nothing more than the standard plug-ins that came with your digital audio workstation software. That's a real challenge and you will learn a lot.

You may want to learn about Music Production and Sound Engineering as a hobby. But it is more likely that you want to work professionally in music and recording, even if only in your spare time.

The trouble is that you are in competition with thousands of other people who want to do exactly the same!

In Module 12, Marketing Your Music and Recording Services we will show you what you need to do if you want to be a recording artist, producer, studio owner, or work in film and TV music. In fact, we cover just about every profession that would be of interest to the recording enthusiast.

In the Practical Assignment Project you will create your own 'showreel'. Every industry professional has a showreel that they use to demonstrate what they can do to potential clients. At the end of this module, you will have your own showreel that looks and feels like that of a top pro.

Now you can get out there and take your place in the PRO industry!

Many people simply want to learn audio at home, in the most efficient way possible, through the Audio Masterclass Music Production and Sound Engineering Online Course.

If you wish however, you can add the optional assessment package to your enrollment. You can send in your practical assignment projects to Audio Masterclass for our assessment and see how your work compares with professional standards.

When you have successfully completed all twelve of the Practical Assignment Projects of the course, you will be eligible to receive the Audio Masterclass Certificate in Music Production and Sound Engineering.

We will prepare and send your certificate to you by mail. You can frame it and hang it on your studio wall to impress your music partners and clients.

Or, for an additional $30, we will send you your certificate mounted in a handsome wood frame.

Although a certificate from Audio Masterclass will look great on your studio wall, the truth is that the professional industry doesn't much care about certificates. They are only interested in what you can do!

And to demonstrate your skills to the pro industry you need a showreel, like all the other pros have.

A showreel is a CD or DVD demonstrating a composer's, engineer's or producer's best work.

In Module 12 you will create your own showreel that stands comparison with the best in the industry. A showreel that will get you listened to and get you work.

All students on the Audio Masterclass Music Production and Sound Engineering Online Course get to make a showreel. If you enroll with the optional assessment package, you can mail a copy to us and we will tell you exactly how it compares against the tough competition in the industry.

To make The Joe Clancy Drum Recordings, we went to Abbey Road Studio 3. Abbey Road Studios in London is where The Beatles made many of their famous recordings and is one of the very best studio complexes in the world.

We started with a single mic (a classic vintage tube Neumann U47) in front of the kit, like they used in the 1950s and 1960s. Then we went to a two-mic set up, then the classic four-mic 'Glyn Johns' technique.

Finally we put a mic on each separate drum, a mic on the hihat, and set up two overheads for the cymbals and overall sound. This is now the way it is normally done professionally.

In this audio and video Multimedia Set, you can hear the key differences between the various microphone techniques tested, and decide which technique is right for you.

And you can view the session in video too on your computer!

The Chilli Gold Microphone Microphone Test was also recorded in Abbey Road Studio 3. We made this set to demonstrate some of the most highly respected microphones in the world, and to compare the differences in their sound on vocals.

The test includes two examples of the Neumann U47 vintage vacuum tube mic, which many pros consider to be the best vocal microphone in the world. We also tested two examples of the equally classic AKG C12, and a modern replica, the AKG C12VR.

Also included are the ultra-accurate Bruel & Kjaer 4011, the classic Neumann U87 and modern Neumann U87 Ai, and finally the classic Neumann U47 in its FET version. (The course will show you what an FET - Field Effect Transistor - is, and why it has a different sound to a vacuum tube.)

The acoustic guitar can be a surprisingly difficult instrument to record well. Indeed there are many released recordings where the acoustic guitar really doesn't sound too good.

The key to getting the best out of the acoustic guitar is to choose the best position for the microphone or microphones. So in Acoustic Guitar Recording Techniques we positioned microphones in just about every possible place.

You can load individual files of each microphone into your digital audio workstation and compare them directly. And since it's often a good idea to record acoustic guitar in stereo, you can experiment with different combinations of microphones and see what they sound like.

After listening to and viewing this audio and video Multimedia Set, you will know exactly how to approach the next acoustic guitar you come across.

The topic of microphone preamplifiers is a hot one at the moment. There are people around who will tell you that you can't make a professional recording unless you use a preamp that costs thousands of dollars.

Well this is entirely untrue. In fact the Audio Masterclass Music Production and Sound Engineering Online Course is all about showing you how to make top quality PRO recordings using basic equipment and software. It's your knowledge and skills that are most important.

The Anna Neale Mic Preamp Test, recorded in Abbey Road Studio 3 compares five preamps - the high-end Avalon M5 (expensive!), the classic Neve 1073, the cost-effective Focusrite Octopre LE and the vacuum tube Universal Audio Solo/610 and Behringer MIC100 (which you can buy for less than $30).

In this test you will hear the difference between one of the most expensive preamps in the world and one of the cheapest. You will also hear the difference between transistor and vacuum tube preamps, so that you can make up your own mind on which type of preamp is right for you.

This audio and video Multimedia Set demonstrates a project that every engineer and producer should try, at least once in their career.

In Microphone Polar Patterns and Stereo Configurations recorded in Abbey Road Studio 2, we demonstrate the polar responses of microphones of different pickup patterns. Most people only ever read about it, but you will hear the differences in crystal clarity.

The set also contains examples of four different two-microphone stereo set ups and compares their directional properties.

And guess what... we will invite you to reproduce this test as one of your Practical Assignment Projects. As we said, every engineer and producer should try it at least once!

You could record an electric guitar by plugging it straight into your digital audio workstation. But the sound will be so thin and weak that it will be unusable. There are preamps on the market that will fatten up the sound and make it stronger, but the very best way to record electric guitar is through an amplifier and loudspeaker, using a microphone.

The positioning of the microphone is more important than you might think, and that is exactly what is demonstrated in Electric Guitar Recording Techniques, recorded in Abbey Road Studio 3. We show you a range of positions so that you can decide for yourself which is best.

We also try out different microphones to show you how different they sound. There is also an amazing unusual stereo recording technique that you won't believe until you hear it.

Like all our audio and video Multimedia Sets, Electric Guitar Recording Techniques contains individual audio files that you can load into your digital audio workstation, and session videos that you can view on your computer.

Here's an extract. Listen for the subtle differences in sound quality when the mics change (you will hear it in Studio Master quality when you are enrolled on the course, and perform this kind of experiment for yourself)...

The Charlotte Roel Microphone Test was recorded in Abbey Road Studio 3. We pitted some of the best vintage microphones in the world against a selection of modern mics.

One of the modern microphones is the amazing Telefunken ELA M12F, which is a recreation of the AKG C12. You can hear it compared directly against a real vintage C12.

We also included some cheaper mics. You will hear for yourself that the cheaper models stand up pretty well against the competition.

You can get great results from low-cost microphones these days, and this audio and video Multimedia Set will show you exactly what you are missing if you can't get to use a classic vintage mic. Once you are in possession of that important knowledge you can fine tune your recordings so that you can compete with the best.

In Four Exotic Microphones on Acoustic Guitar we put four great mics on a great guitar - the Martin OM-21.

The Telefunken ELA M12F is a modern recreation of the vintage classic tube AKG C12. It costs nearly $6000 so you definitely need to hear it.

We also include the CAD M9 and Golden Age Project TC1, which sell for less than $300. Can they compete with a much more expensive microphone? We also include the Golden Age Project R1 Active ribbon microphone, which has a distinctly different quality of sound.

As well as testing different microphones, we also test different mic positions. You can see and hear in the videos how small differences in position can make great changes in tonal quality.

The piano is quite a straightforward instrument to record. And you can often get to test it out before the pianist arrives!

However, there are so many possible places you can put the microphones, it can be a challenge to decide exactly where.

Piano Recording Techniques features ace pianist Chris Franklin playing the Steinway grand piano in Abbey Road Studio 3. We surrounded the piano with microphones at all possible angles and recorded the result into individual files.

So in this audio and video Multimedia Set you can listen to each microphone individually - every position sounds very different - and you can combine them into stereo any way you like.

When you have worked out the combination you like best, you will know exactly how to record the next piano you come across.

We picked some amazing classic mics for The Craig Neil Microphone Test, recorded in Abbey Road Studio 2. Craig is an amazing jazz singer and he really puts these mics through their paces.

We tested the $6000 AEA A440 ribbon mic, and the classic mic it was inspired by, the RCA 44BX. We also included the equally classic STC 4038 ribbon, which you can still buy under the Coles brand.

We couldn't resist throwing in what many engineers consider to be the ultimate vocal mic, the Neumann U47, and its closest rival, the AKG C12. Add the $6000 Violet Flamingo, and four other great mics and you have a truly fascinating comparison session.

Like all of our audio and video Multimedia Sets, we include individual audio files for you to load into your digital audio workstation, and session videos that you can view on your computer.

Three microphones and two preamplifiers, that's what you will hear and see in The Nicola Dines Microphone and Preamplifier Test, recorded at Abbey Road Studio 2.

The object of this test is to see how different combinations of preamp and microphone sound, and you will hear that very clearly.

But there is another interesting feature. Preamps often have both gain and level controls. Both control how loud the signal is, but how should you set them?

Well this audio and video Multimedia Set includes recordings of both preamps in settings with gain-high/level-low and gain-low/level-high. You can hear clearly what the differences sound like.

And of course, you can view the session videos on your computer.

The compressors featured in Four Classic Compressors Compared on Female Vocal are simply amazing. If you wanted to own a high-end recording studio, catering to the very best talent in the industry, you would have to have all four of these. It would be expected. They are incredibly expensive to buy of course.

These compressors work in different ways, so you can expect them to sound different. Their methods of operation are covered in Module 5 of your course.

We took a vocal from The Chilli Gold Microphone Test and put it through each compressor in turn. Not only that, but we tested three different strengths of compression for each, so you can clearly hear what these amazing beasts can do.

But you don't need to spend the money that would be necessary to buy compressors like these. The Audio Masterclass Music Production and Sound Engineering Online Course will show you how you can get great compression on a home studio budget.