The Audio Masterclass Music Production and Sound Engineering Course - 12-Volume DVD-ROM Set

Module 1: Analog & Digital Audio
Analog audio, signals, frequency response, noise, distortion, wow & flutter, clicks and interference, digital audio, analog-to-digital conversion, sampling, quantization, dither, digital-to-analog conversion.

Assignment 1: Diagnostic Recording of Speech
It may seem straightforward to make a simple recording of speech, but actually speech is the most difficult sound to record well. It shows up every possible fault and flaw of recording technique, and any background noise or excessive ambience shows up painfully in the gaps between words. We will give you detailed advice, and show both good and bad examples with clear explanations that will allow you to pinpoint any problems and advise you how to eliminate them from your future recordings.

Module 2: Microphones
Dynamic microphones, capacitor microphones, ribbon microphones, electret microphones, polar patterns, vacuum tube microphones, attenuator, filter.

Assignment 2: Recording Instruments
Make a clean, professionally-finished recording of three instruments or sound sources. Compare two or more microphones, or - if you only have one microphone - compare microphone positions. We want you to learn how to create crystal-clear recordings that demonstrate your microphones well and show a professional polish. This assignment will help you understand which microphone to use for any voice or instrument, and why.

Module 3: Microphone Preamplifiers
Microphone preamplifiers, gain, phase, microphone selection, microphone positioning, stereo microphone techniques.

Assignment 3: Polar Patterns and Stereo Configurations
Every recording engineer should carry out this test, but few ever do. All microphones have a 'polar pattern' which defines their sensitivity and frequency balance in different directions around the mic. There are also several different important configurations for recording stereo with two microphones. According to how many mics you have available, we will ask for a polished, professional demonstration of your mic's polar pattern, or the most important stereo configurations.

Module 4: Equalization
High-frequency equalization, frequency, gain, bell/shelf, mid- frequency equalization, Q, low- frequency equalization, graphic equalizers, parametric equalizers, filters, cut-off frequency, slope.

Assignment 4: Listening and Equalization
Just as a musician needs a fine sense of pitch, a recording engineer or producer needs a highly-developed sense of EQ. Skill with equalization doesn't come naturally - it has to be learned. Being able to identify EQ problems is a vital skill, and also being able to enhance voices and instruments with EQ, and help them blend together in the mix. This assignment will help your ears learn to recognize, understand, correct and enhance the frequency balance of a recording.

<Module 5: Compression
Dynamic range control, threshold, ratio, attack, decay, knee, stereo linking, side chain, compression for aural enhancement, vacuum tube compressors.

Assignment 5: Demonstrations of Compression
Compression is used to control dynamic range, and also to give a recording presence and 'sparkle'. In this assignment we will ask you to demonstrate your skills with compression on female and male vocal, a full drum set and individual drum instruments, a full mixed recording, and a full orchestral recording with severe dynamic range problems. In your finished work we will advise you how to achieve a professional standard of presentation.

Module 6: Recording Software
Disk recording, hard disks, seek time, rotational speed, input/ output assignment, recording, editing and crossfade editing, gain change and normalization, mixing, inserts, auxiliary sends, auxiliary tracks, buses, master fader.

Assignment 6: Creation of a Drum Track
We will ask you either to make an interesting and creative drum track from samples, and give it the characteristic texture of sampled and looped drums. Alternatively, if you have a high-quality drum virtual instrument available, we will ask you to recreate some actual professional drum playing. That's a challenge!

Module 7: Effects & Plug-ins
Delay and reverberation, phasing, flanging, chorusing, pitch change, aural enhancement, comparison between manual effects, hardware effects and plug-ins.

Assignment 7: Natural Reverberation Chamber
In this assignment you will set up a loudspeaker and a microphone in a reverberant space, perhaps your bathroom or stairwell, and send a dry signal to it. The microphone will pick up the reverberation of the space. Using this technique you can create reverberation that is far more natural and interesting than any plug-in. What's more it's unique because no-one else has access to the same reverberant space as you.

Module 8: Synthesis & Sampling
Additive synthesis, subtractive synthesis, FM synthesis, wavetable synthesis, physical modeling synthesis, analog synthesis, voltage-controlled oscillator, voltage-controled filter, voltage-controled amplifier, envelope generator, sampling, looping, multisampling, phrase sampling, key groups.

Assignment 8: Technical Creativity
In this amazing project you will create a piece of music using only a sine wave and white noise as source material. This is a real challenge of both technical and musical creativity. We want you to create sounds that you couldn't possibly have expected - and a great original piece of music. If you are more technical than musical, we'll ask you to create an imaginative non-musical soundscape. That's a challenge too.

Module 9: Recording Techniques
Vocals, drums, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, string instruments, wind instruments, percussion instruments, drums, small groups and ensembles, orchestral recording, multitrack recording, punch-in, foldback, stereo recording.

Assignment 9: Voice or Instrument Production
In this assignment you will be given a female vocal recorded in Abbey Road Studio 3 and a skeleton backing track. We will ask you to devise an instrumental accompaniment and record it. More than a just simple, clear recording, we will ask you to create an imaginative 'produced' sound using whatever software or equipment you have available. We want youto be amazed by what you do.

Module 10: Mixing
Analog mixing consoles, digital mixing consoles, digital mixing through software, automation, mutes, faders, pan, equalization, compression, noise gating, auxiliary sends, auxiliary returns, mixing for stereo, mono compatibility, monitoring.

Assignment 10: Mixing
This is your chance to try your hand at being a mix engineer. You will be given a complete multitrack recording, in a separate file for each track, for you to load into your digital audio workstation and mix. You will be working in exactly the same way as a professional mix engineer. We will give you lots of advice and tips for this one, because it is a real challenge to get a professional-sounding result. But in your finished work, we want you to achieve a stereo mix of equivalent quality to a commercial release.

Module 11: Mastering
Equalization, compression, limiting, multi band compression, soft clipping, mastering for subjective loudness, mastering to match tracks in a compilation.

Assignment 11: Mastering
For this assignment we have a professionally-produced finished master, and also the original unmastered mix, for you to listen to. Then we will ask you to create your own master from the basic mix. The assignment includes detailed advice on all of the processes of mastering such as fault correction, topping and tailing, equalization, compression, harmonic generation, limiting and protection against intersample peaks.

Module 12: Marketing Your Music and Recording Services
Industry roles, record producer, recording engineer, A&R manager, studio manager, session musician, arranger, programmer, the music industry, the recording industry and record labels, pitching and promoting your services as an artist, engineer or producer. Showreel guidance.

Assignment 12: Your Industry-Standard Showreel
In this assignment 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. You can create a CD or DVD, YouTube video or SoundCloud playlist. You can even create an entire website if you wish. But however you choose to demonstrate your abilities, we will demand total professionalism, so that for anyone who listens your showreel it is indistinguishable from that of a seasoned industry insider.