Music Production 201
Intermediate
Music Production Course: 13 weeks/ $299
Who this course is designed for
Students who have taken the Beginning Music Production Course.
Aspiring
composers and producers with a foundational level of experience in music and audio production.
Anyone
who wants to take their knowledge of recording, editing and producing to the next level and get the most out of their music.
What will
be covered in this course
This course will continue where the Beginning Music Production Course leaves off by giving you a comprehensive
overview of more advanced audio recording and music
production concepts. You will learn through a variety of different mediums and
be actively taking part in a dynamic, interactive virtual classroom with
an instructor and other students. Course Outline coming soon.
During this course you will be working on individual as well as a collaborative 8-track recordings that will be promoted globally at the end of the course.
Course Schedule
Next Session begins July 1st, 2010 and runs for 13 weeks
Class consists of a scheduled weekly
online discussion session and a weekly web-cast that can be watched at
your convenience. Written materials will also be provided via
download. You will also maintain close personal contact with your instructor as you work through the material, tasks and projects.
Course Outline
Week 1: Orientation
During this week we take care of business, which includes getting you
introduced to the online workspace and orienting you to the structure of
the course. You will meet the instructor and other students and engage
in general discussions about music, audio technology, your background
with music and audio technology and your goals for the course. If you have taken the Beginning Music Production Course, we will begin right where you left off with an examination of your previous work and setting some goals for the current term.
Week 2: Multitrack Recording
At this level, many of you experimented with, or successfully produced a four-track recording. In this course we will be focusing on the 8-track recording, which is double the number of tracks, but four times the work! This week we will focus on planning out our projects and being aware of all the considerations needed when dealing with a multitude of tracks, including the sonic space and range of your instrumentation- whether you are just mixing beats or recording a live band, there are important considerations which need to take place
Week 3: Effects and EQ
Sometimes we use effects too early in the
game, and
sometimes they are essential. Knowing when to process your sound,
whether it be reverb, delay, compression or phasing, is key to filling
out your audio- without overdoing it! Equalization (EQ) is vital to
maintaining control over the sound of your individual tracks, as well as
the main mix. Using effects and EQ together, through virtual plug-ins
and physical devices can be exceptionally fun, but can also quickly
saturate your mix. Learn how to approach these tools in a way that
complements, rather than confuses the audio.
Week 4: MIDI and
Control Surfaces
Control surfaces are not just for electronic music
artists- they can give you tactile control over a variety of different
environments and parameters. Whether your control surface is a keyboard
or mixer, you can use buttons, knobs and faders to maintain physical
control over a recording environment that is becoming increasingly
virtual. MIDI is the means by which computers and electronic music
devices communicate, and it's not simple! However, having a good grasp
on MIDI, even for the acoustic music producer, is a key component of
music production.
Week 5-6: Project Development
This is where it really gets fun! Working on our individual and collaborative projects, we wil be doing a lot of recording, critical listening and discussing our process and results. This is an essential part of taking your music to the next level by getting and giving feedback, and working collaboratively with others. We will be discussing not only the technical aspect, but compositional tricks and elements as well. We will begin to "sit-in" on live virtual sessions as well.
Week 7-9: Recording, Editing and Mixing
Editing is sometimes called the "hidden" art of music production, because with well-edited music, you shouldn't be able to hear the editing! It should flow seamlessly throughout the piece without the indication that anyone has laid a finger on the original tracks- but this can be tricky. We will learn some key editing tricks that are used throughout the industry that are indispensable parts of your audio engineering arsenal. We will begin mixing the final tracks together of our projects and a final product will begin to take shape. Responsible use of effects and EQ at this stage of the production will also be discussed.
Week 10-11: Mastering
and the Final Mix
Mastering is often called the "forgotten" step in
the production process. Sometimes it is the most essential. Sometimes
not. Creating the final mix of your track can be the most frightening
part of the process! Learn how to know what to look (or listen) for,
how to correctly identify problems and fix them, as well as not to
over-think the audio! Your mix should sound good whether it's played
through a kick-ass sound system or an AM radio.
Week 12:
Promotion and Marketing
Now that you have produced some
incredible music- who is going to listen to it? WHO do you want to
listen to it? How do you get your name out? We'll give you some very
good guidance in this area and you will begin to really forge some
relationships in the industry. The days of being at the mercy of big
record companies are gone- you are in control of your musical destiny,
if you choose.
Week 13: Where to go from here...
Wrap-up.
We'll conclude the whole process and help you decide where your next
step should take you- actually, that's for you to decide and for us to
help point you in the right direction. If from here you chose to go to a
big recording school, you will be entering with an enormous jump ahead
of the rest of the class. If you want to just keep learning and
collaborating, take our Intermediate course. If you want to keep making
music... please take what you have learned and do just that!